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Household guide
Cabinet Gaps and Household Maintenance
Doors that don't line up, gaps at the wall and openings behind the sink: how to adjust, fill and inspect kitchen cabinets.
Doors that don't line up
Most modern cabinets use concealed (European) hinges with three adjustment screws:
| Screw | Moves the door | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Side (front) screw | Left and right | The gap between two doors is uneven |
| Depth screw | In and out | The door sticks out at the top or bottom |
| Height (on the mounting plate) | Up and down | Doors are out of line along the top edge |
Make quarter turns and close the door after each one. Adjust both hinges on a door by the same amount unless you're correcting a tilt.
Where the gaps hide
- Toe-kick void. The hollow space under base cabinets collects crumbs and is rarely cleaned.
- Plumbing cut-outs. Holes cut in the back panel for pipes are often far larger than the pipe.
- Wall seams. Where cabinets meet an uneven wall, gaps open at the back and sides.
Closing them
- Trim gaps against walls with scribe moulding or a bead of paintable caulk.
- Fit escutcheons or a cut piece of board around pipes, and seal the remaining space.
- Clean the toe-kick void with a crevice tool once or twice a year.
- Fix leaking traps and supply lines right away; standing moisture under a sink attracts cockroaches and swells particleboard. UC IPM's cockroach note lists moisture and harbourage as key factors.
If your cabinets are RTA
Flat-pack kitchen cabinets go together like any other RTA carcass: square the box, fix the back, then hang it level and screw it through the hanging rail into studs. Read the assembly method first.