How to install kitchen cabinet hardware can be a little bit tricky. You need to make some really exact measurements to ensure everything sits flush and even. Of course there is an upside to doing it yourself. You get the exact hardware you want with the added bonus of saving thousands of dollars on a remodel job.

There are all sorts of options available in each type of hardware. We'll look at a few different types and how to install them.

First thing you need to do is install hinges.

You have a couple different hinge types. Surface mount, and flush mounts are the two most common.

Surface mount hinges are a much easier piece of hardware to install. They install across the face of the cabinet and just require a few simple measurements.

Here's how to install a surface hinge:

Hold the cabinet door up and mark two hinge positions on the door and on the cabinet itself.

Get a friend to hold the door up in place while you drill the attach points for the hinges.

The next thing is to screw the hinges in place.

Swing the door through its full range of motion to make sure it swings freely and doesn't bind up where it contacts the cabinet.

As long as you have your friend helping you go ahead and finish mounting up all the cabinet doors at this time.

Installing flush mount hinges is a harder job that still requires a helper.

With flush mount hinges you need to mark offsets on the interior side of the cabinet. The hinge will wrap around the door frame and attach to the back of the cabinet. Other than that the install procedure is the same as for the surface mount hinges.

The next piece of hardware you'll have to install is the drawer pulls. The two main types of these are:

Knobs
Handles

Surface mount handles simply install with a couple of decorative screws through the handle tang. Just hold the handle in position and drive home the two screws. Measure from the center point of the handle out to the side and bottom of the cabinet door, this gives you a reference point for the handles on all the other doors.

Knobs are just about as simple to install. Once again hold the knob up to the door. Mark the attach point.

Drill through the cabinet door front.

Stick the bolt through the hole and tighten up the knob against it.

For knobs that need two bolts the procedure is pretty much the same. The obvious difference is you'll need to stick another bolt through. You'll just have to measure another offset and drill two holes.

Hinges, door knobs and drawer pulls are the main components of kitchen hardware. They require a little bit of mathematical skill to transfer the measurements between cabinets but other than that the installation job is pretty straight forward. How to install kitchen cabinet hardware isn't really all that difficult. Just take the measurements and find a helper to get the job done.

There's a quick and easy way to make your kitchen cabinets look new. Replace the cabinet door knobs. A new set of door fasteners is a quick easy fix to bring new life to any kitchen. So without further ado here's how to install cabinet door knobs.

The first thing to do is to go out to the store and find some new hardware. Be sure to bring an old door knob with you. By bringing the old door knob you can match the screw holes up. This will save you from having to drill new holes and then find hardware that will cover the holes already in the cabinets.

Now that you have a whole big bag full of door knobs head back into the house and grab a screwdriver. If you picked out knobs that match the same hole pattern it's just a simple matter of inserting the screws and you're done. If any of the holes have stripped out just squirt a little bit of wood glue into the hole, let it dry then run the screw through it again.

If however you went with a slightly different style it's going to take a little bit more work to make sure all the doorknobs line up evenly.

Place the new knob on the cabinet door and move it around until the old screw holes are covered.

Use a pencil to mark through the hardware and mark the door.

While measuring the hole offset is a good way to make sure everything lines up you run the risk of making a calculation error and throwing everything off.

Instead grab 2 pieces of scrap wood, a 2X4, and plywood bolt them together in a T shape.

You can now hold this up to the cabinet door and mark where the new holes are going to be. Trace the edge of the cabinet door onto the plywood then mark the drill hole locations on the template.

Drill screw holes in the hardware jig you just made.

You now have a template you can put on each cabinet door ensuring every hole will be the same.

You're finally ready to attach the new hardware. Grab the drill and a small pilot bit. By drilling pilot holes into the wood you won't risk splintering the cabinet facing.

The only thing left to do now is attach all the new door knobs.

Put the screws through the attaching hardware and tighten them into the pilot holes.

Be sure not to over tighten the screws all you need to shoot for is snug. Over tightening can warp the door knob or strip the screw out of the pilot hole.

How to install cabinet door knobs is a simple task. A new set of door knobs can update your kitchen without the major cost of a full remodel. So if your kitchen is starting to look a little run down why not go shopping for new cabinet hardware. The installation is easy and you'll love the look of your restyled kitchen.

Maybe you're looking for a job in a real estate office or as an assistant with a construction company. Or it could be that you have taken a job at a local builders supply and will be doing material take off's. These are just a few of the jobs where you need to have a familiarity with construction drawings. Facts are though, I'm not going to be able to tell you in just one article how to read a set of house plans. There is way too much to consider. What I can do is give you a basic overview to give you a head start.

The Floor Plan:

Imagine if you will, having a house and cutting into it horizontally with a knife. Once this is done, you are able to see the interior rooms or layout of the home. That's what the floor plan is. On a floor plan you have strings of dimensions that define the locations of the porches, decks, walls, windows, doors, etc. You will also have door and window sizes, floor coverings, ceiling heights and types, water heater, washer and dryer locations listed. Almost always included on the floor plan is a kitchen layout showing cabinet sizes and location. Bathrooms cabinets should be defined there too.

The Foundation or Basement Plan:

Same as the floor plan this is a view that is made by the same type of cut. Here you will find wall sizes and types, floor support posts or piers, floor support types such as trusses or joists, slab thickness, footing sizes, and wall openings that should all be defined by dimensions.

Electrical Plan:

Many designers and drafters include the electrical plan on the floor plan and some don't. What you will find on this plan is outlet locations, light fixture types and locations, smoke detectors, door bell, meter base and circuit panel.

Exterior Elevations:

These are the views of the house from the front, left, rear, right, and roof. This drawing usually defines exterior finishes, shutters, pediments, trim types, roof shingle materials, grade levels (where the exterior ground level meets the house), railing types and locations, etc. It should also include roof pitches which is defined by 12 inches horizontal X however many inches vertical to define the angle of the roof.

Sectional Details:

This drawing is also a knife cut illustration only on a vertical plane which shows things like insulation "R" factors, stud and header sizes, floor truss or joist sizes and spacing, floor and roof decking sizes, etc.

H.V.A.C. and Plumbing Plans:

These show the duct work and pipe locations along with pipe size for hot and cold water, and the fixtures and fitting types.

Just so you'll know, a scale is nothing more than a shrunken ruler so that 1' -0" (12 inches) is now 1/4 inch long as far as your drawing is concerned. So here then is an example. If we use a scale to draw an 8' line. in reality the line is only 2 inches long on the paper in real life.

So let's see what's included in a set of plans:

A Floor Plan is a view of a house that would be seen if you were to take a knife and slice the house to see the walls, windows, doors, etc. from the top about mid ways down the walls. This is also called the dimensional plan. Most all floor plans are drawn at the scale of 1/4" = 1'- 0". It should include all the dimensions (measurements) of the wall, window, and door locations, door and window sizes, stair locations, room labels, locations of exposed beams, cased opening sizes and locations, bathroom layout showing sink vanity, tub, and toilet, kitchen cabinets with appliances & sink fixtures, and construction notes.

Some floor plans include the electrical symbols showing the receptacles, light switches, light fixtures, ceiling fans, cable connections, telephone jacks, and meter base locations. These can be included in the dimensional plan but many opt to have it on a separate drawing.

The Exterior Elevations include all four (4) views of the home which are front, left, rear, & right drawn also at 1/4" = 1' - 0" scale. The are some plans that have the front elevation drawn at 1/4" scale and then the left, rear & right at 1/8" = 1' - 0" On these views are notes about what type of siding or veneer, the roof pitches (angles), grade locations, finished floor & ceiling locations, and a roof plan showing the house from the top view. The roof plan is usually drawn at 1/8" = 1' - 0" scale or 1/16" = 1' - 0".

The Foundation or Basement Plan is the same type as the floor plan showing wall types, footing sizes, floor joist or truss locations, support beams, pilasters or piers, and ventilation vents & openings. The foundation or basement plan is also a dimensional type drawing. Most of these plans are drawn at the scale of 1/4" = 1'- 0".

If the plan is more detailed, then we would see sectional details showing the wall and roof construction of the home, HVAC plan, plumbing plan, and cabinet elevations. Even more involved plans would show the types of mouldings, pediments, & trims in greater detail.