Home Improvement

Installing a new medicine cabinet may be out of necessity or due to a home remodel or even during new construction.  The process is relatively simple and can be done in little time depending on the materials that the medicine cabinet is made of. You will need some basic tools to get the job done efficiently and with the least damage to your walls and actual medicine cabinet. Take care to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions as well as making your own intelligent decisions based on where you are going to be placing the bathroom medicine cabinet.

Fore thought and measuring are important steps before putting up a new medicine cabinet. You will need to know where your wall studs are(which can be found with a stud finder) and make sure to mark them where you will be fastening the medicine cabinet. Installing a wall brace may be necessary if your home is not as sturdy due to building materials or age. If your sink is directly below the medicine cabinet, you will need to make sure there is adequate space between the sink and bottom of the medicine cabinet before fastening to allow for the best range of motion when turning on the faucet.

Fastening the medicine cabinet to the wall may be of different difficulties depending on what the cabinet is made of. Wooden type cabinets can simply be screwed into place with an electric drill while metal cabinets may need to be attached to special frames if they are relatively heavy. You will need to determine that there are no wires in the wall that you may hit with a drill and cause shorts, sparks and even fires. Securely fastening the medicine cabinet at all of the recommended points is the best option if they fit into your wall stud placement. If you are not careful and place the cabinet on plain wall material, you risk damages to your wall and possible breaking of mirrors and the cabinet itself as it will eventually come loose with extended use.

After fastening the medicine cabinet into the wall, additional steps may be required to ensure that the wall behind it is protected from mold, mildew and other degrading substances. This means using some caulking or other waterproofing materials around the edges of the cabinet that touches the wall when the area is not well insulated or retains moisture. After completing these final steps, a medicine cabinet is successfully installed and ready for extended use.