DIY Guide: Installing Toe Kick on Cabinets

After you’ve set the toe kick in the right spots and are ready to start assembling it’s time to start cutting.

A few tips on cutting toe kick:

• • Cut once, measure twice and try fitting the toe kick after each cut. You’ve made it this far on your cabinet installation, don’t ruin it now.
  • Use a sharp blade: The back of some toe kick ends will be seen after installation. It’s important to not “blow out” the toe kick back and create a splintered mess. I use the five-star rated Makita 80-tooth crosscut blade on my miter saw.
    
  • Avoid 45-degree cuts on inside corners. It’s much easier to install at a 90-degree angle.
  • Cut the toe kick laying flat on the miter saw with the finished side up.
  • Cut slowly to avoid splintering the back of the toe kick – but not slow enough you burn the ends
  • Lastly use a wood sander to buff the cut end for later finishing/touch-up if it will be visible.

In this step you’ll find that before installing toe kicks they will likely need to be cut to length. Because every kitchen is designed differently the toe kicks rarely come pre-cut.