How To Install Toe-Kick Boards For Kitchen Cabinets

It's a curious fact of human anatomy that our toes stick out in front of us when we're standing straight, so kitchen cabinets include a recess at floor level to make room for them. This is called the toe kick, and the standard dimensions are 3 inches deep by 4 inches high. When installing the cabinets, it's customary to leave this section uncovered — exposing the cabinet supports — until the final finishing phase, at which point they are covered with boards of the required dimensions.

Installing the toe kick is generally fairly easy, but you could have problems if the floor is uneven or if the toe-kick dimensions aren't standard. Sometimes, the toe-kick material is provided with the cabinet, but you may have to buy it separately and cut it to size. You'll find standard toe-kick material at any building supply center or lumberyard. This is how to install toe kicks on kitchen cabinets.

The least expensive toe-kick material you'll find at building centers is made from either finger-jointed pine or medium-density fiberboard. It's generally 1/4 to 5/8 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches wide, and it comes in 8-foot lengths. You have to rip it to the proper width using a table saw and cut it to the proper length. It usually has a coat of white primer, which works well for painted cabinets because you can paint the toe kick the same color before installing it.

When installing a toe kick on a cabinet made with stained hardwood or hardwood veneer, you need it to match the cabinet, so primed white material won't work. You can usually find suitable hardwood toe-kick material at the store, but sometimes, it's easier to make your own using leftover lumber from the cabinet project. If you make your own, be sure it's thin enough to allow for the standard 3-inch depth in the toe-kick recess, or you'll literally be kicking it every time you use the cabinet.

It's unlikely you'll find toe-kick material with the exact width you need, so you have to rip it on a table saw. The floor might not be even, so measure the height of the gap under the cabinets in several places and take the smallest measurement as the width you need. Set the fence of the saw at that distance from the blade and cut all the toe kick you plan to install at the same time. This may leave gaps in some places, but as long as the gaps are at the top of the toe kick and not at floor level, you won't see them.

The next step is to measure the lengths you need using a tape measure and crosscut the lengths with a miter saw. Cut the longest pieces first because if you make a mistake, you can always cut shorter pieces from the long ones you can't use. A second tip is to cut butt joints for the corners. Angled joints are harder to cut and install, and the effort isn't worth it because you can't see them under the cabinet. A third tip is one you've probably heard before: Measure twice and cut once. Once all the pieces are cut, rough-fit them into place to make sure everything's OK before you fasten them.

You have two options for fastening toe kicks. The first is to glue them with construction adhesive, and the second is to nail them with a brad nailer. Pounding nails with a hammer isn't out of the question, but there's limited space, and it's difficult to prevent the hammer from scraping against the floor, so it isn't a great option. Glue is the neatest way because it doesn't leave nail holes that you have to fill but avoid it if you plan to disassemble the toe kicks in the future.

When nailing with a nail gun, drive two nails into each cabinet support: one near the floor and one as close as you can get it to the top. The bottom ones can be hidden by quarter-round shoe molding should you plan to install that. Otherwise, fill the holes with wood filler and touch up the paint if necessary. The top ones won't be visible to anyone who isn't lying on the floor, so it's your call whether or not to fill them.