How to Install Under Cabinet Lighting

Posted on: February 19, 2021

Preparing meals can become a difficult task if you don’t have complete visibility over your surroundings. Fortunately, kitchen remodeling projects can offer innovative ways of brightening the cooking space by installing modern lighting fixtures, such as the one that can be integrated into your cabinetry.

As the name suggests, under-cabinet lighting is installed under an upper cupboard. The position of the light enables it to illuminate the working area below, be it the sink, the countertop, or the stove. Some common variations of under-cabinet lighting include those that utilize fluorescent and LED lights.

Apart from spreading light in the most crucial parts of the kitchen, under-cabinet lighting can also enhance your home’s overall value. Not all kitchens have this kind of cabinet upgrade, making it a highly distinctive element in every design. Paired with a great number of choices in bulbs, it is easy to find the under-cabinet lighting that will suit your style.

In case you finally made the decision to purchase under-cabinet lighting, check out this step-by-step process of how you can install one in your kitchen:

Step 1: Preparing the Materials

Here is a list of the additional materials that you will need for installing your under-cabinet lighting:

  • Drill
  • Brackets
  • Pencil
  • Screwdriver
  • Screws
  • ½-inch spade bit
  • Power cord

Step 2: Measuring and Marking the Cabinet for the Brackets

Accurate measurements must be made on the length of your cabinet to identify its center. Once you found the center, mark it using your pencil. The mark will serve as your initial guide for installing the light. Hold the light within the center of the cabinet and mark one inch from both ends of the light. These marks are where you should put your brackets.

Step 3: Putting the Brackets

Taking the marked spots into account, mount the brackets using the screwdriver. You can also use predrill holes to make this step more convenient.

Step 4: Inserting the Light

Now that you have the brackets in place installing the light will become a simple task, given that your measurements and markings are accurate. You can now connect the power cord into the light and mark the area where it bends.

Step 5: Installing the Power Cord

The place where the power cord bends must be marked so that you can use it to drill a hole. This is where you can use your ½ spade bit to make the drilling process faster and more précised. The hole will be used to snake the cord inside the cabinet all the way to the light below.

If you don’t have an outlet, then you can opt for battery-powered under-cabinet lighting, which can be easily installed using an adhesive provided by the manufacturer.

Let us help you uplift the look of your kitchen cabinets with our cabinet refacing service! Visit our website today at kitchencabinetrefacing.com or call us at (800) 581-0694 to learn more.