Choosing Between Ladder Kicks and Adjustable Plastic Feet for Your Cabinets

A frequently asked question by home renovators, and occasionally by trade customers wanting to ensure they're using the correct method, is whether plastic legs or a ladder kick is the better choice for a cabinet base. The answer is, it depends.

Both systems work well but each has its advantages depending on the project, site conditions and to some extent budget.

Lets start by looking at plastic legs

Plastic legs are adjustable supports attached beneath the base cabinet. They enable each cabinet to be leveled separately and are typically concealed by a removable kickface, also known as a kickboard.

These legs are commonly found in flat pack and modular cabinet systems, primarily because they are lightweight and simple for non-professionals to attach, providing an instant base.

Advantages of Plastic legs

1. Fast and simple to Install

   Plastic legs are quick to attach and make levelling cabinets easy especially on uneven floors.

2. Great for Renovations

   Older homes often have floors that are very unlevel. Adjustable legs can make the installation faster as there is no need to pack under a fixed based and legs can be adjusted individually.

3. Moisture Resistant

   Because the legs are plastic they won't swell or deteriorate.

4. Service Access

   The space beneath the cabinets is accessible for services such as plumbing or cables. The kickfaces clip on and can be easily removed.

5. Cost Effective

   Generally lower cost than building full ladder kick frames

Disadvantages of Plastic Legs

1. Less solid feel if poorly installed

   Cheap legs, incorrect spacing or poor levelling can lead to movement

   
   

2. More Individual adjustments

   Each cabinet must be levelled separately, which can take time on large runs of cabinets.

3. Lower-end Perception

   Plastic legs can be associated with lower-cost kitchens, typically because the off-the shelf retail products use them. In reality good quality plastic legs perform very well and come with a number of advantages depending on the application.

What Are Ladder Kicks?

A ladder kick is a solid frame made from high moisture resistant particleboard (this is crucial!). The frame forms a continuous platform for the cabinets to sit on. They are favoured by most professional installers.

Advantages of ladder kicks

1. Very solid base

   Creates a continuouse solid support platform.

   
   

2. Premium feel

   Often seen as a more traditional custom joinery method.

3. Great for long runs

   Excellent at keeping multiple cabinets aligned in one straight line and can be faster to level in this situation.

Disadvantages of Ladder Kicks

1. Require Assembly

   Frames need to built which can take more time than knocking in plastic legs.

2. Levelling can be challenging

   Frames need to be leveled using packers, which might deter some home renovators. However, it's not particularly difficult, and for extended lengths, it speeds up the leveling process compared to adjusting multiple legs.

3. More Costly

   Tend to be more costly as the board has be measured and cut to size and then the ladder frame assembled. However this cost can be recovered onsite if the ladder kick speeds up the installation so this all needs to be weighed up.

4. Moisture Risk

   If constructed from standard non-moisture resistant board or low-quality board, the material may swell and deteriorate when exposed to leaks or wet mopping. A quality manufacturer will only use High Moisture Resistant board to avoid this - ensure you quote states HMR to prevent this risk!

5. Harder to Access Later

   Once finished, services behind the kicks are less accessible.

Which one Is Better?

There is no obvious answer to this - it depends on the project, site conditions and what matters most.

What do we use?

At You Screw It we typically recommend plastic leg systems because they are practical, fast and easier to transport and install. But ladder kick systems are still favoured by many of our trade customers and as we said above are ideal for large runs of cabinets.

The support system matters but quality cabinet construction, accurate manufacturing and correct installation matter more. A well made cabinet on quality legs will out perform a poor quality cabinet on a ladder kick every time.

Our online portal allows you to choose your support system and provides instant pricing - it's your project so you should have the choice! If you need help choosing just give us a call or shoot us a message and we will be happy to take a look and provide our advice.