Installing Bathroom Cabinets, How to Avoid a DIY Disaster

If you are looking to maximise the space of your bathroom while tidying away any messy clutter, it is likely you will be thinking about adding a bathroom cabinet to the room. Associated with their handy internal storage space, bathroom cabinets are often installed on a wall in the bathroom, usually above the basin. As bathroom cabinets are fitted to the wall, it is important that they are installed correctly to avoid any DIY disasters later on.

If bathroom cabinets are not installed correctly, there are a number of things that could happen to the unit. If you don’t take into account the weight of a cabinet, including what items are stored within, this could result in the cabinet leaning or falling off the wall. A cabinet that falls off the wall is not only a safety hazard in the room but can also cause paintwork or tiles to be ripped off the wall along with the cabinet. Another example of a DIY nightmare when installing bathroom cabinets is that the unit could start to slide to one side. When a unit begins to slide, this is all down to the fact that it wasn’t positioned evenly when it was first installed.

To correctly install bathroom cabinets – and avoid those risky DIY disasters too – here is a guide that you should follow:
1) Use your stud finder to locate where the wall studs are, as these will ease installation. Mark these areas lightly with a pencil as a guide.
2) Take a spirit level and draw a horizontal line below where the cabinet will be fitted to act as a guide when fitting the cabinet later.
3) Drill a hole into each corner of the cabinet. Always remember to wear safety glasses and gloves when drilling.
4) Lift the cabinet into place, if you need any additional help ask someone to help you with this. Then take a spirit level to ensure the cabinet is evenly positioned.
5) Take a pencil and mark the wall to indicate where each screw will need to be placed in the wall.
6) Remove the cabinet and drill these indicated holes in the wall.
7) Take the cabinet again and align it with these drilled holes, again asking for help if you require it. Use a screwdriver to fix the cabinet to the wall.
8) Once you are confident that the cabinet is level and secure, you can begin filling the cabinet with your everyday essentials. Remember to check the manufacturer’s guidelines as to the maximum weight of products that can be stored within.