Installing a Bathroom Medicine Cabinet

Whether the kitchen or the bathroom has more gadgets, tools, and implements is a highly debatable subject that has been argued for centuries in some circles. It seems that almost every household with more than one resident faces the constant struggle for space in the most coveted of rooms. The fight for ample toothbrush room is soon to end. Here is one idea to create a little more space and add some beauty to your "throne" room. It is also a good excuse to use power saws and a possible sledge hammer project depending on the size of your planned cabinet. It may sound intimidating to install a built in cabinet in lieu of a wall mounted version, but do not let this keep you from this project. While it may be simpler to just buy a pre-assembled cabinet and bolt it to the wall, these are not quite as nice as one that is built into the wall. The built in version can also offer a little more durability and value to your bathroom. It may take a little more than just slapping in the hardware, but it is a very rewarding experience to create a part of your home that is truly yours.

The first thing that you will want to do is look at your bathroom. While you may dream of a huge cabinet with enough room for the entire neighborhood to store their combs and razors, it may not fit in a 5' X 5' bathroom. Before you get started you will want to look at your bathroom and get a plan for what you want your cabinet to look like. There are many different designs that you can go with. Some of this may depend on the type of doors that you want on your cabinet also. You will need to take all of these factors into mind while you are doing this. There are also two different methods that you can use to create your built in cabinet. You can either slide in a rebuilt cabinet, or construct one that is all your own. This is when you will need to decide on the design. For this tutorial we will be building a complete cabinet from scratch. If you are just embedding a pre-built cabinet into your wall, you can skip a majority of the steps in this article. Once you have decided on the design, you can continue with the plans for this project.

Once you have the idea in your head, get out a ruler and draw it on the wall. You will want to use a pencil if you are like me. I need an erasable media in everything I do. This also helps in case your design changes as you begin to draw it out. You may also want to jot down your idea on paper first and then transfer the design to the wall once you have a better idea of what you want. This part is also a great time to involve the rest of the family. While you may have to turn down the younger ideas of a photon laser shaver or robotic arms that brush your teeth for you, everyone can have fun in the design phase of this cabinet.

After you have completed the design phase, you can now plan out what you will need to get while at the hardware store. For tools, you will need a hammer, saw (power saw is preferred), drill, stud finder, tape measure, and a straightedge. For hardware you will need a slide or hinges for the door, nails, and two L-brackets per shelf. You will also need a section of two by four per shelf that is equal to the width of the shelves, enough drywall to cover the back of the cabinet (you can also use wood for a wood finish look), and plaster. If you are embedding a built cabinet, you will just need the two by four to span the top and bottom of your cabinet with four L-brackets to support them. Now is the time to go shopping. While you are at the hardware store, you may want to browse the bathroom cabinet section to get some more ideas that you may want to incorporate into your design. It is still not too late to change your plan. It is better to make adjustments now then patch a hole in your wall and start over.

Now that you have all of the supplies together, you can start getting your hands dirty. One very important step that you will need to follow is to use a stud finder. In many bathrooms, there are pipes running through the wall. Before you start hacking away at the wall with the sledge hammer and power saw, you want to make sure you do not rupture a water line. You want to mark off all the spots where the stud finder goes off. Once you map out the inside of the wall, you can start to cut away the outside. When you come to the studs, break a little bit of the wall away so that you can see inside. You can now determine if it is a water pipe or a stud that you are about to cut into. You want to leave the studs as intact as you can. If you need to remove a section of them, you will want to brace the rest of it with a two by four across the top and the bottom of the cabinet area. You can also use them as dividers to your cabinet. If it is a water pipe, you may need to work around the pipe or, if you really want to, reroute the pipe around the cabinet.

Now that you have a gaping hole in your bathroom wall, you can start to construct your cabinet. If you are going for a nice wood finish to the inside, you will want to treat and stain the wood prior to cutting and installing it. This allows for a more natural and even appearance. Once you cut the wood to size, sand it down and apply one last coat of stain and the lacquer finish. If you plan on using drywall, cut the boards and drywall to size and sand down the rough edges. Remember, measure twice and cut once. If it is possible, overestimate a little. It is easier to trim off a little bit than glue the sawdust back onto the board. You will want to leave a slight fraction over on the length so that when you sand off the edges it will still fit snugly. You will now need to put the crossbeams in. You want to use the L-brackets to make sure they are mounted securely. Even if you are not using them as your shelves, you will want to put them along the back side so that you can mount your shelves directly to them. You can drill small holes in the cross beams and use the little pegs to hold up the shelves. You can also drill multiple holes in a column so that you can adjust the shelf height later if you need more or less space between the shelves.

Once you get the boards in place, you can start to fill in the back. If you are going to use drywall, place the sheet in the hole and tack it in place. If you are using a wood finish, you can now tack your boards in place. After you put the backing in place, now you can line the sides of the cabinet. Once all of the liner pieces are in place, you will want to use plaster or caulking to seal the corners and edges. Even if you are using a wood finish you will want to do this. If you are using a wood finish, you can dip your finger in the stain and rub it into the caulking or plaster. This will help it to blend with the wood and look more natural. Once it dries, you will want to put a final coat of lacquer over the entire thing to give it a uniform finish.

All that is left is mounting the door. If you are using hinges, you will want to make sure that the door has room to swing open. If the cabinet is flush with the wall, you will want the hinges flush with the doors, or keep the hinge part visible from the outside. If you are using a slider, this part is easy. All you have to do is glue the rails to the bottom and top. You may want to put the glue in place, put the rails on the top and bottom of the mirror and then slide it into place. This will allow you to have a larger mirror that fits better. We have all seen the mirrors that keep coming off the track in this type of system. If you make the mirror too big to come out of the rails, you will not have to worry about this unless the mirror breaks.

Now you have a beautiful and custom made bathroom cabinet that you can be proud of. Even if it was a pre-built cabinet, you made it a little better by mounting it into the wall. Not only does this make the bathroom a better looking place, but it can increase your property value. The more craftsmanship you can put into your home, the more valuable it becomes. Any little upgrades that you make to your home not only bring beauty and pride, but value and worth. If you make this a family project, you can get a lot of bonding and togetherness from these little projects as well.