Finishing nails will not hold MDF by themselves, so use construction adhesive. The recommended way to use construction adhesive is to apply the stuff to the panel, set the panel in place, press to squeeze the beads of adhesive flatter, remove the panel, wait a couple minutes, and reinstall the panel. Then nail sufficiently to hold in place until the adhesive sets. The reason for the manuf. instructions is that MDF absorbs moisture easily and swells. If edges are butted together tightly, the joint can bulge when humidity is high. I think the best long term solution is to use a flat molding to cover the gaps. Leave about 1/4" or so gap and nail the molding to the ceiling rafters. Where the rafters and molding are parallel(unless you get plan for the gap to be under a rafter or just get lucky) you could use small finish screws and plastic anchors in the sheetrock. I know that sounds like a lot of extra work, but not having to repair the job is much more appealing than tearing off a sheet of the MDF---which will also tear off a layer of sheetrock---meaning doing the whole job over. Nails to hold up the MDF until the adhesive drys----2" 15 gauge spaced 20" or so apart will hold the best---larger heads. 2" 16 gauge spaced 10" or so apart will work--and leave smaller holes to patch. The bigger worry is getting either nail set to the optimum depth---too deep means reduced holding power and too high leaves the head exposed. That is done by adjusting the nailer---for those models with adjustment capabilities and the compressor pressure. I have a 16 gauge Porter Cable finish nailer and the compressor setting I would start out with is 70 psi.

Ok. I created a 4Share account and uploaded the spreadsheet. I didn't do anything with Google docs though. I hope this works! Can someone let me know if it doesn't work? Below are the evaluation points..the next column would be the best attribute.. then the next column after that the next best and finally unacceptable. As I read about a cabinet line I would fill in the info and then color code the box according to whether it was best, next best, or unacceptable. I pulled the attributes from Consumer Reports and some books I have. Shelves Cabinet Box Back Wood Doors Wood Drawer Fronts Hinges Drawers: Depth Drawer Box Dovetail Drawers Full-Extension Drawers Soft Close Drawer Glides Warranty Finish KCMA seal Hanging rails/Mounting strips Pullout drawers Have types & Sizes needed? Notes Here's the evaluation points & attributes - Best=B, Next Best=NB, Unacceptable=UA. Not every point has all an Unacceptable or Next Best Shelves B: Adjustable 3/4 plywood NB: 5/8" Cabinet Box B: Corner gussets, I-beams, 3/4-1/2" face frame,furntiure-grade plywood less likely to warp than solid wood NB: 3/8" plywood UA: Particleboard, avoid laminate over particleboard Wood Doors B: Mortised corners, solid wood frame with solid wood panel NB: butt joints, veneer over plywood Wood Drawer Fronts B: 3/4" hardwood or metal w/bolt holes NB: 1/2" particleboard UA: MDF, particleboard, Hinges B: Cup, adjustable Drawer Attributes Depth B: Full Drawer Box B: Wood or plywood, 3/4" sides (2 cm), plywood bottom sitting in grooves NB: MDF med density fiberboard, 1/2" sides (1.2 cm), metal sides, stapled bottom back UA: Particleboard Dovetail Drawers B: yes Full-Extension Drawers B: yes Soft Close B: yes Drawer Glides B: Steel, Epoxy Coated, Ball Bearings, Bottom Mount, rated to hold 75 lbs NB: Nylon Rollers, Side Mount Warranty B: Lifetime Finish B: Conversion varnish, catalyzed KCMA seal B: yes Hanging rails/Mounting strips *don't have criteria here Pullout drawers B: Wood or plywood, 3/4" sides (2 cm), plywood bottom sitting in grooves NB: MDF med density fiberboard, 1/2" sides (1.2 cm), metal sides, stapled bottom back Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet evaluation spreasheet

In addition to pricing out the specified cabinet construction, you NEED to go see the types of cabinets that you are considering. I looked at some "custom cabinetry" that came in less than 1/2 of the what I ended up buying but the construction, the finish and the quality of the work was not what I was willing to accept. They used baltic plywood, blah blah blah but the fact was they just did not look good nor have the high quality of workmanship that I wanted. I knew immediately that I would be sacrificing the quality of workmanship at the reduced price. Custom does not mean good quality! It simply means that they make it to order. There is a feel to how the cabinets look and handle when you open the doors and drawers..... It could be the little things like the type of hardware they use for their shelves, what type of finish they do on the interiors of the boxes, how tight the tolerances are, how nicely the drawers line up etc. 1/4 inch tolerance (gaps) versus 1/8 inch tolerance is a big difference in how the cabinets look. They can tell you that they do dovetailed hardwood drawers but I have seen plenty of badly done dovetailed drawers. Again, you need to see the quality of the work. It is better to see a home that has been used for a few weeks to months, rather than in the final stages of construction. It is better for you to see how it "wears". If the cabinets are not wearing well that quickly after construction, then you don't go with the company (a reason for one company I rejected) A reasonable cabinet maker should be able to find you to a happy customer that would be wiling to open their door as a reference. Good luck!

You're welcome! I'm not familiar with Ikea hacks so I'm not able to answer your question. Perhaps someone else here can. Best to start a new thread on that topic. There have been a number of past threads on the pros and cons of voiding corners. I've linked to one thread below. You can find more if you do a Google search with "corner cabinet kitchen forum site:ths.gardenweb.com." It will depend on your storage needs. Corner cabs are good for bulky things like pots and pans, small appliances, etc but are ill-equipped to handle smaller prep items. Since I'd included a pull-out pantry, I opted to give you drawers in that corner for storing pots, pans, prep utensils, casserole dishes, etc. If you haven't already, do a tally of what you need to store and where you'd like to store it. That will help you determine what kind of cab storage you need to plan for. Oh, one idea just came to me for that 9" cab. You can always leave it open and store cutting boards, etc in it. [Transitional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2112) by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Fiddlehead Design Group, LLC This would only work if you don't have a pet, though. Otherwise, you'll end up washing each board twice: once after use and again before use. Or you could include the 3" filler and make it a 12" open cubby for wine storage. Like this. [Modern Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Boston Architects & Building Designers ZeroEnergy Design How you use that space will depend on your storage needs. Do a tally; that really will help you plan your kitchen best. Here is a link that might be useful: Corner Cabinet Space Calculations and Analysis