Kitchen Cabinets Pulling Away From Wall: What Do You Do Now?

Kitchen cabinets are meant to last for years with the least maintenance. Yet, to their utter surprise, many people see the kitchen cabinet pulling away from the wall. Likewise, people become puzzled when they see the cabinet backing away from its wall.

We understand such awful conditions and your urgency to fix the kitchen sink cabinet falling from its wall. But unfortunately, excessive weight and improper kitchen cabinet installation are responsible for its separation in most cases.

You must remove the residues from the cabinet wall, fill in any gaps, and reinstall them with screws for safe use. It is helpful to maintain the cabinet well and avoid any emergencies. In this blog, we will guide you through the entire process of repairing a cabinet that is coming apart from the wall.

Why Are Kitchen Cabinets Pulling Away Form Wall?

Do you see your cabinet in the kitchen separating from the wall? Do you ponder to find its reasons? Well, it can be mainly for two reasons. First, improper cabinet installation and sagging due to water; the cabinet may fall apart from the wall. Also, putting too much weight on it is harmful.

Improper installation and low-quality material:

Typically, screws and studs are used to hang the cabinet with the wall. The screws must go through the studs and connect with the wall properly. However, at times the installer may miss hitting the studs. Or, he may only use screws on the edges.

Finally, the screws and the studs can be of poor quality. As it happens, the screws start falling off, and the cabinet becomes loose. It will then start separating from the wall.

Excessive sagging:

Kitchen sink cabinets are meant to stay close to water. Thus, they become wet and remain damp for an extended period. When you use poor-quality wood for the cabinet, it will start sagging soon. As the cabinet starts softening and sagging, it will come from the wall.

It is a common reason the cabinets pull away from the wall in your kitchen.

Putting additional weight:

We use cabinets to store almost everything we get in the kitchen. However, it has a weight limit. When you put too much weight inside it, the cabinet becomes unable to bear it. If the excessive weight remains too long, it will eventually start pulling away from the wall.

Tips on Fixing Kitchen Cabinet Back Separating From Wall:

It’s unpleasant to see the cabinet back coming away from the wall. It might fall on your toddlers or pets. So, you must fix it before emergencies, or the cabinet becomes unusable. Thus, people often ask, “How do I fix the back of my kitchen cabinets?”

So, here we go.

Tools and items you will need:

• Putty knife
• Glue
• 1 stud, 2-by-4-by-48-inch
• 3/16-inch drill bit and drill
• 1/2-inch Forstner bit
• 1-1/2-inch screws
• 1/2-inch plugs
• 120-grit sandpaper
• Miter saw
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Stain marker

Step 1: Removing the residues

Carefully insert the putty knife between the separating cabinet and the wall. Find the cracks, separated parts, and joints. Clean the residues from them with the putty knife. Next, you must remove the wood chips, debris, and glue from the wall.

Step 2: Prepare the studs

When reinstalling the cabinet, you have to use new studs. For this, you must get an accurate measurement. You may follow this process:

• Get the cabinet against the wall by forcing it back to its original position.
• You must measure the distance between the countertop head and the cabinet bottom. As you measure the distance of the gap, seek help from a friend or family member to hold the cabinet firmly.
• Sometimes, there might be no countertop available. At this moment, measure the gap from the kitchen floor. Then, add ½ to it. Finally, use the miter saw to cut the studs accordingly.

Step 3: Mount the studs

Remember the cracks and joints that you cleaned beforehand? Now, it’s time to apply glues on all these cracks and joints, so they are filled in correctly. Then, reach the front of the cabinet underneath it. Use the hammer to tap the stud’s bottom forward. It will pry the cabinet appropriately right on the front for further installation.

It will help tighten the studs and cabinet with the back wall.

Step 4: Reinforce the joints with drills

Before you apply the screws with the studs and cabinet, you must reinforce the joints. It helps the joints and cabinet stay in proper condition for longer. Use the cordless drill and 3/16 inches drill bit to drill the cabinet front.

You must carefully drill only at the joints, separations, and cracks. Also, drill the joints on the sides and shelves for better reinforcement. Then, use the ½ inches Fostener drill bit for the countersink to drill ¼ inches on the ball joints again.

Step 5: Apply the screws

Now use the cordless gun to apply the 1-1/2 inches screws to the holes. Tighten them appropriately so they don’t come loose. For the countersink holes, apply glue to them. Then, find the wood plugs and tap them in the holes.

Tap the wood plug with the hammer to ensure it reaches the bottom.

Step 6: Tighten the screws and studs

First, you must find the installation screws on the wall and cabinet. For this, lean on the kitchen cabinet carefully. Then, looking back at the cabinet, you should find a wooden rail. It will be right on the top of the cabinet top.

If you see closely, you will find two to three on the wooden rail. You must reinforce it by driving one screw on either side of the existing one. You can use the cordless gun to drive the screws and tighten them carefully.

Repairing a cabinet that is coming apart from the wall is relatively easy. First, you must drive the screws until it hits the studs. Then, you can tighten it slightly before stopping.

Step 7: Finish off the repair project

You must allow the glues to stay for 24 hours at least. It helps the glues set correctly and better hold the screws and joints. Then, look for the excessive part of the studs and trim them with a chisel carefully. Also, you must chisel the wood plugs too.

Finally, sand the plugs to smoothen them with 120-grit paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why are my cabinets separating?

The cabinet separates from the wall because of sagging and poor installation materials and process. At times, the screws can reach the studs and start pulling away after a few months.

• How do you secure a cabinet to the wall with a gap?

First, close the gap by reinforcing the joints with glues. Then, use long screws to tighten the cabinet and wall with the studs for a secure application.

• Do you caulk between the cabinet and the wall?

You may apply caulk to fill the smaller gap between the wall and the kitchen cabinet. For larger gaps, you have to apply screws to tighten the gap.

• How much weight should kitchen cabinets hold?

A kitchen sink cabinet can hold up to 500 pounds on average. However, you should maintain the weight put on the cabinet between 300 to 400 pounds for best uses.

Conclusion

Kitchen cabinet pulling away from the wall is a rare and unpleasant event. If the cabinet falls off entirely, it will be a costly replacement. Instead, use a new stud and screw set to reinforce the cabinet against the wall again. The DIY cabinet fixing project will take less than 30 minutes and is fun.