Tips On Fitting A New Bathroom Cabinet

by Simon Phillips

At least one bathroom cabinet is essential in any bathroom, to ensure you have adequate storage for keeping things out of the reach of children and to keep your bathroom tidy. 

Many bathroom cabinets come with a mirrored door, which is especially useful for making the most of limited wall space in a small bathroom.  Mirrored cabinets are often installed over a sink, but you can fit your cabinet anywhere that's most convenient for you.  Wall mounted cabinets come in all sort of designs, including ornately decorated antique-style ones, ones with single or double doors, and ones with additional open shelves for everyday items.

When you buy a new cabinet, it makes sense to buy one that's already painted or stained in the color of your choice.  However, if you get one secondhand and want to change its color to match your new color scheme, you could sand it down, prime it and paint it with a suitable cabinet paint.

When deciding on the best position for your cabinet, remember that even if the cabinet itself is light to lift, once it's full of toiletries it will be fairly heavy, so it will need to be securely fixed to the wall.  Another important consideration is the height.  If possible, get someone else to help you here.  One of you can hold the cabinet in position whilst the other checks the height.  It needs to be at the right height for all members of the household, especially if it has a mirror on the front, so make sure it's not too high or low.

Your new cabinets will probably come with the relevant fixings that you'll need.  If your cabinet is self-assembly, put it together following the instructions.  Once it's ready, and the doors are attached, look in the back of the cabinet where there should be some pre-drilled holes.  Measure the space between these and then use a spirit level to make corresponding marks on the wall, where you will then need to drill holes and put in wall plugs. 

Next, position the cabinet on the wall and ask someone to hold it in place if possible, while you screw it into the wall plugs.  Often, fixing blocks are included for greater support for the fixings.  Because of the restricted space, it's generally easier to use a handheld screwdriver than a drill.  If you need to fit shelving into your cabinet, fit the supporting brackets now and slot the shelves in.  If you haven't already done so, screw on the door handles.

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