Debate: should you fix a cabinet face frame gap from the front or just shim the back?

Spent 8 hours last Saturday trying to close a 3/16 gap on an oak frame in a 1980s kitchen remodel, going back and forth between pulling the nailer through the face or trying to shim the backside where no one sees it. Which way do you guys lean when the gap is small but the client is staring right at it?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_grace21d ago

Wait, hold on - you actually drove a nailer through the face of finished oak to close a 3/16 gap? Like, IN the front where the client sees it?

shanelee21d ago

You been in the field long? Sometimes a 3/16 gap in finished oak tells me the floor wasn't acclimated right or the subfloor has issues. I'd rather sink a few 18-gauge brads into the face, fill with matching putty, and guarantee no squeaks or movement later than leave a gap that'll collect dirt and annoy the homeowner forever. The putty blends in after it dries, especially on oak.

the_sam21d ago

Man, I've face-nailed enough floors to know my wife calls it my "signature move" right before the homeowner spots it.