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full faced doors dont fit after light moulding added

marklamberti | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 7, 2015 04:59am

Two years ago i did my kitchen with semi custom cabinets.  I never installed the light moulding because i didnt like it.  

 

Long story short wife wanted it so i decied to do it this weekend and afterwords i find out that the doors no longer fit.  I cant adjust them any higher up because of the crown.  

 

I realize i should of checked first but the glue has dried and i notched the faces to fit it in.  

Two questions:  

1) How on earth can i fix this, i need about 1/2 inch more clearance?  I noteched the face frame so simply shimming it down is not  great option.  

 

The only htink i could think of was cutting the top and hoping it would not be super noticeable.  

 

2) Is there any way i can reasonably blame the cabinet shop for this.  The plans do not show any shimming down or up needed for the crown or the light rail.  

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  1. User avater
    deadnuts | Mar 07, 2015 07:36pm | #1

    Sure. You can blame anyone, for anything, at any time. That's why the U.S. is the most litigous country in the world. We've been conditioned  to not take responsibilty for our own actions.

  2. mark122 | Mar 08, 2015 09:56am | #2

    why did you notch the frames? why would you not dry fit? 

    no way in gods green earth will you be able to pass this on as the manufacturers defect. you installed it wrong, period.

    now to saving the kitchen, you will be much better off getting a custom cabinet maker in town to come out. fully disclose your situation and see if you can find someone that is able to come up with a solution. sorry to hear about the cabinets.

    1. marklamberti | Mar 08, 2015 11:43am | #4

      I didnt dry fit because i assumed it would instal as shown in the pictures and as drawn on the plans.  That is why while i know it is really my fault i do think some of the blame goes to the cabineit shop.  

      I am going to remove the crown and try to stain match some smaller crown and make it work that way.

      Thanks for the replies.  

      mark

    2. marklamberti | Mar 08, 2015 11:45am | #5

      I notched the frames on the right angles where it went back to the wall to make the moulding flush witht the side of the cabinet

      1. calvin | Mar 08, 2015 01:32pm | #6

        Mark

        knotched the face frames?

        if you do this again, order out the finished ends flush, or use thinned down cab matched material so you wrap the returns back to the wall to flush it up with the face frame.  You can even thin down supplied scribe mold or rips off a filler.  Notching the cab or crown is a not too pretty end to a good job.

        the lightrail, many times that lays under the box rather than on the face frame.  You hold it out to put the edge even with the door face.

        cab crown seldom applies to the face of the cab.  That hides the bottom detail because of the plane of the door.  Usually there's a crown base set at the top of the cab and that's held out to the plane of the doors.  If not full overlay you may be able to put that on the face of the cab.

        not sure which you have-full or partial overlay.

        can you post a picture and the cab drawings?

        thanks

  3. calvin | Mar 08, 2015 10:19am | #3

    mark

    Could you post a picture here of what you have?

    from your description, sounds like two options w/o cutting down the doors ().  Lower the light rail or raise the crown.

  4. marklamberti | Mar 09, 2015 11:02am | #7

    Well i think i figured out my mistake and you guys are 100% correct it was my instalation mistake and i should of dry fit  . . . (dont tell my wife hahaha) 

    Basically I have a 3 x1 finished  board tacked onto the top of the cabinets (friize board?).  I opted to put that 1 inch from the celing on my  inital instal and then put the 4 inch crown from the very bottom of this board from there to the celing.  I was supposed to mount the cabinets a bit lower then put the crown up higher and adjust accordingly.  

    After thinking it through i came up with a real simple solution, remove the 4 inch crown, replace with 3 1/4 crown.  I went to a high end paint shop and they helped me make a custom mix of 3 stains to match.  

    thanks for the advise guys

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