Whether its a pull out basket for cookware or a trash pull out, mounting your convenience hardware to an existing cabinet door is extremely helpful.
Door mounting kits allow you to safely and securely mount the pre-assembled pull out product to your existing cabinet door. Typically, pull out organizers will come with a door mounting kit or you can buy one separately.
If youre adding a pull out organizer within your kitchen or home, you want it to work appropriately. This is somewhat dependent on how you want the pull out to operate, but from what I see, most users opt to mount it to an existing cabinet door.
Dont get me wrong, there are some reasons not to use door mounting kits on the cabinet as well. Well get into a few of those below.
In this post, Ill cover some basics on door mounting kits and share a helpful install video for you to get a better feel for the process.
Check out some of my other helpful posts on the best trash pull outs, which include trash pull outs that come pre-assembled with door mounting brackets. Theres also my post on the best pot and pan organizers. This includes awesome cookware baskets that you can mount to your existing cabinet door.
What is a Cabinet Door Mount Kit
Door mount kits allow you to safely and securely mount the assembled pull out product to your existing cabinet door. Typically, pull out organizers will come with a door mounting kit already mounted onto the frame.
Often times, however, you may need to purchase one separately. Most manufacturers or brands make these door mounting kits for their products.
You can buy them as a Frequently Bought Together item on sites like Amazon (heres and example). A bundle would include the pull out basket, shelves or trash storage product, then the additional item would be the door mounting kit.
Door mounting kits will include brackets for both the left and right sides of the pull out organizer. The brackets mount to the frame of the pull out and also to the existing cabinet door.
Components and hardware are usually included within these door mounting kits. This makes it a simple add-on piece to your slide out.
All door mounting kits are not the same. Some may work on different products, yes, but make sure you are buying the kit that your specific product needs.
Do I Need A Door Mount Kit
It really depends on your personal preference. Like I mentioned above, lots of products come with door mounting brackets already pre-installed. If you already have a pull out shelf or trash storage unit that you need to door mount consider this checklist.
- You want to use your existing cabinet door
- You have a knob or pull located on the center of the cabinet door
- You want one fluid motion to access the pull out instead of two
- You want adjustability to optimize your product
- You may need to purchase a door mount kit separately
When to Avoid A Door Mount Kit
Sometimes you may not want a door mounting kit used to pull out your in-cabinet trash storage, baskets or shelves.
Most of the time, this is due to having a double door. This is common when using pull outs in larger width base cabinets or under the sink areas.
Often times, the extra cost and functionality just arent what people are looking for.
Some pull outs, especially trash storage pull outs, come with a pre-assembled pull handle. This can be a great way to pull the unit out of the cabinet as well.
- Wide base cabinets with double doors may prevent the use of a door mount kit
- You dont want to remove cabinet door hinges
- Extra cost and installation can be cumbersome
- Often times pull outs come with a pull handle already installed
How to Install a Door Mount Bracket on a Trash Pull Out
There are lots of pull out storage products that already come with door mounting brackets attached. There are also many that dont. If that is the case, youll need to purchase them separately.
Other than making sure you have the correct cabinet door mounting kit and brackets, you will need to round up some tools to start the installation. You might need a Phillips head screwdriver, a power drill with bit and an adjustable wrench.
- Remove the cabinet door and cabinet hinges
- Assemble and attach the left and right brackets on your pull out slide frame
- Use any provided spacers so brackets hit thickest portion of door
- Gather height and width measurements to properly align and mount the brackets to your cabinet door
- Most brackets will have hole locations in the brackets for you to drill through
- Use double-sided tape if needed to secure the door to the brackets on frame
- I like to use a folded towel in the back of the cabinet to prevent the pull out from going back in all the way
- Use adjustability by loosening the bracket bolts (side-to-side, tilt)
How to Install a Door Mount Bracket on a Pull Out Basket
Adding pull out shelves or baskets are such a great way to add in-cabinet storage. These days, there are tons of cabinet storage ideas and awesome products to choose from. Some come with pre-assembled door mounting brackets and some dont. If you are in need of a kit, here are some helpful notes on an installation.
- Remove the cabinet door and any cabinet hinges
- Assemble and attach the left and right brackets on your pull out slides (shaped like an L)
- Attach the door brackets to the L brackets that you mounted to your pull out
- The goal now is to line up the door brackets to the thickest portion of your cabinet door
- Gather height and width measurements to properly align and mount the brackets to your cabinet door
- Using double-sided tape if needed
- I like to use a folded towel in the back of the cabinet to prevent the pull out from going back in all the way
- Use adjustability by loosening the bracket bolts (side-to-side, tilt)
Door Mounting Kit Installation Video
Most pull out storage products are really simple to install. The door mounting process is usually the part that takes the longest. Take your time and make sure you line up the door with the other cabinet doors to the left and right and any drawer above. Its important for these to run parallel to look accurate.
Another take away, is to make sure to hit the meat of the dooror, the thickest portion when screwing on your mounting brackets. This will make sure you dont drill through the other side of your beautiful cabinetry.
