Installing Bathroom Cabinets

If installing bathroom cabinets is something you think you want to try, then we can help by providing you with some great tips. First, you need a few materials to include a pre-made wall mounted cabinet, a cordless drill (although a standard screwdriver will do), a stud finder, wood screws, toggle bolts, a tape measure, a level, a carpenter’s pencil, and safety glasses. As you can see, the installation of bathroom cabinets does not require much in the form of materials.

Next, you will find that most wall mountable bathroom cabinets are sold with pre-drilled nailing strips installed on the top and bottom. Used for stabilizing, these strips help anchor the cabinet to wall studs or the wall using nails. Although not always, pre-drilled holes on bathroom cabinets such as this usually measure 16 inches apart so they can match the same standard 16-inch spacing of the wall studs.

Keep in mind that even your basic styles of bathroom cabinets are relatively heavy. Therefore, you want to anchor them to an existing wall and then into the studs for the best security. In addition, we strongly recommend you use long wood screws.  Bathroom cabinets will hold to the wall better if attached to the wall stud, which is where the stud finder comes in handy, but if you do not have one, you can lightly tap on the wall. When you hear a solid sound, you’ve found a stud. Simply mark it with the pencil.

Bathroom cabinets would then be mounted, but first, use your tape measure to both measure and mark the top of the cabinet. Typically, this would be mounted about 73 inches above the floor. However, bathroom cabinets can be hung lower or higher if you are shorter or taller. Drill the first mounting hole into the wall and then look at the back of the cabinet to make see just how far down the pre-drilled holes are located. With this, you would measure the distance from the top edge of the back of the cabinet to the pre-drilled hole, using this as a part of your measurement calculation.

The next step in mounting bathroom cabinets is to drill a pilot hole with the cordless drill or screwdriver. Be sure the hole is placed horizontally to it so it will anchor securely into the stud. If the cabinet is not very heavy, regular drywall anchors could be used, placing them in the pre-drilled holes in the drywall. On the other hand, if the cabinet is heavy, use toggle bolts. Another choice would be to use expanding bolts. After the pilot hole is drilled, lift the cabinet into position, securing one side and then the other. The finally step for installation of bathroom cabinets is to install the bottom screws so the entire unit fits firmly in place.