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| Skill Level:
3 (Basic) |
Time Taken:
About 2 Hours |
By
Bruce W. Maki,
Editor
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The bathroom. The drywall finishers have just left.
The corner where the vanity will go. Note the white plastic
drain pipe in the wall, and the two copper supply lines
nearby. |
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 |
The first step in a cabinet
installation is to measure the levelness of the floor. We
found that the back corner was slightly low, so we taped a
small piece of wood shim to the floor so the cabinet would sit
on a level pad. |
Next we used the stud finder to locate the framing, so we would
have something sturdy to anchor the cabinet into. We made marks just
above the height of the cabinets, so the counter backsplash would
later hide our marks.
 |
We set the first unit in place...
... and then positioned the next component. The pipes
sticking out of the wall prevent the cabinet from getting any
closer to the wall. |
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We used a red felt tip marker to make layout marks on the
back of the cabinet.
All we did was hold the marker beside each pipe and trace
around it, marking on the cabinet back panel. |
 |
 |
We used a 2-1/2" hole saw to cut the access for the
pipes.
This saw makes short work of this type of task. Used in our
heavy-duty drill, it took only a few seconds to cut the
opening. |
 |
While a big professional-grade hole saw may seem expensive,
(about $15 and up) they have so many uses that we recommend any
serious do-it-yourselfer buy at least one. This 2-1/2 " hole
saw gets used a lot for things like cutting the sink opening in a
kitchen counter top.
 |
With the holes cut for the pipes, we slid the cabinet into
place.
The first connection we make is to clamp the adjacent units
together and drill a pilot hole in the hardwood face frame. |
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 |
Then we install a 2-1/2" deck screw to join the face
frames together. We attached the cabinets in three locations
on the front face frames.
Now the entire assembly is made level with shims. |
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There was a space at the back, so we placed shims in the
gap and drove in some 2-1/2" cabinet mounting screws.
All done. The counter top temporarily in place, just
for show. |
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Notes: The general consensus in the building industry
seems to be that screws and nails need to penetrate the framing by
about one inch to be effective. In this case we had a
3/4" thick rail at the back of the cabinet, a 1/4" gap,
and 1/2" drywall. So our 2-1/2" screws would sink in about
one inch.
When installing anything on a wall there is a danger of
piercing a wire or pipe, which would require cutting a hole in
the wall and patching the damaged section. With conventional 2x4
construction, with the wires run properly in the middle of the
studs, a screw penetrating one inch deep should not reach the
wiring.
Using excessively long screws has risks. We know a contractor who
installed a coat rack in his own new house and drove a 3 inch
drywall screw into a copper pipe for his heating system. We endorse
the idea of keeping a diverse supply of fasteners in many different
sizes, to avoid the temptation of using a screw or nail that is too
long.
Follow the installation of the counter
top and sink basin.
|
Tools
Used:
- Cordless Drill/Driver
- Electric Drill and 2½"
Hole Saw
- Drill Bits
- 2 Foot Level
- Stud Finder
|
Materials Used:
- Vanity Cabinets
- Shims
- Cabinet Screws
|
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