How To Install Recessed Medicine Cabinet Without Studs?

Are you in need of a medicine cabinet in your bathroom wall to store all your medicine and skincare products? 

Do you want a cabinet but are not fond of a surface-mount cabinet? Want to self-install a recessed cabinet but don’t know how?

Are you moving to the installation already? The process I just mentioned is just the outline of the installation. If you want to learn all the professional tips and tricks, let’s talk about it in detail.

An overview of the project-

How To Install Recessed Medicine Cabinet Without Studs?

Do you want to install your recessed medicine cabinet yourself but are worried because you don’t have any previous experience?

Don’t worry. It is a simple installation process. The only thing you need is the professional guidelines.

This is what I am here for. These are the things I learned from my professional friend during my recessed cabinet installation.

You will be glad to know that the results were beyond my expectations. The steps are;

• Step 1: Set The Location
• Step 2: Prepare The Wall
• Step 3: Cut The Opening
• Step 4: Create The Frame
• Step 5: Insert The Cabinet
• Step 6: Finishing Touches

Step 1: Set The Location

Do you have any preferred location where you want to set your recessed medicine cabinet? If yes, go for the next step. If not, you need to determine the location first. 

All types of medicine cabinets, whether it is surface-mounted cabinets or recessed cabinets, usually bathroom medicine cabinets are placed in the place of the bathroom mirror or on the wall beside. 

Step 2: Prepare The Wall

If you have decided to place it in the space of the bathroom mirror, remove the existing mirror.

If you are going for the wall beside the bathroom mirror, remove the towel hanger.

For a surface-mounted medicine cabinet, all you need to do is clean the wall and your wall is prepared for installation.

However, as you’re going for recessed medicine cabinets, you must check the wall properly to make sure there are no electric lines, water pipes, or wall studs.

If it is just a wall stud, it is fine. But, if there are electric lines or water pipes, change the location of the medicine cabinet and look for a bathroom wall that is empty inside.

After you have ensured all these things and found a suitable place for the installation, make the cabinet outline.

It will help you in the next step.

If you want to install the backsplash before the cabinets, I would suggest installing it after the cabinet.

Step 3: Cut The Opening

If it was about surface mounted medicine cabinets, this step wouldn’t have been necessary. But, as you are going for an inset medicine cabinet, you need to cut an opening so the cabinet fits in the bathroom wall.

Use a keyhole or jab saw and cut on the marked outline for the wall cabinet. If there are wall studs, do not cut them yet.

Now, measure and cut the wall stud, first on the bottom of the upper cabinet and then on the upper part.

Step 4: Create The Frame

To set a surface-mount cabinet, you don’t need this step but it is extremely important to install recessed medicine cabinet.

Why? You need a frame before so that it can support the weight of the wall cabinet. 

How to frame a recessed medicine cabinet? Measure the distance of the actual wall from the drywall and the height of the wall from the floor to the bottom of the opening. 

Now, cut a few pieces of wood according to the measurement. Insert the pieces of wood in the space between the actual wall and the drywall.

Your frame to support the inset medicine cabinet is all done.

If you want to install an electrical outlet in the medicine cabinet, make sure to keep enough space for it.

Step 5: Insert The Cabinet

Now, the moment you have been waiting for so long. Insert the medicine cabinet in its place.

Use drywall screws to secure the cabinet to its place. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines while securing the medicine cabinet.

If you want to add LED lights, hide the under-cabinet lighting with a frameless cabinet lighting cover.

Step 6: Finishing Touches

Use a liquid drywall patch to cover the drywall screws. Paint the places where you applied the patch to match the color of the wall.

How do you install a recessed medicine cabinet without studs? I am sure now you have the answers to all your questions.

For a better understanding, I will discuss all the important steps in more detail. So, let’s move on to the next part.

Best Place To Install Recessed Medicine Cabinet

Are you still confused about where to install the recessed medicine cabinet? 

If it was a kitchen cabinet, I would have suggested the wall beside the countertop so that you could replace the kitchen tiles without removing the cabinet.

However, How to install recessed medicine cabinet without studs bathroom wall? It is either in the place of the mirror or on the wall right beside and closest to the mirror.

Before you determine the final location, make sure to find out if there is anything inside the wall. You can proceed if there isn’t anything inside otherwise, change the location.

Now, the question comes- where to install the cabinet box in the bathroom wall? The biggest size for a standard cabinet box is 24×30 inches wide.

According to your cabinet size, install it at eye level so you can easily view the entire cabinet box and reach things.

If it is a recessed medicine cabinet with mirror, install it at the height of the mirror.

Also, consider the aesthetic value. Install the medicine cabinet where it matches the visual aesthetic of the bathroom design.

However, do not put it in any tight spots where it will be difficult to use, open, or replace the medicine cabinet door.

Tricks To Marking And Cutting Wall Opening

If it was a surface mount medicine cabinet, this step wouldn’t have been needed as you could just install it with brackets and screws.

To install recessed medicine cabinet in-wall, you need to cut an opening in the drywall.

After you have decided on the right place for the installation, make sure there is nothing inside the walls using a stud finder.

Then, use a ruler and mark the outline of your recessed cabinet. This will help you to cut the exact size without ruining the drywall.

To cut the opening, use the right tools, or you will ruin the wall. I suggest using a keyhole or jab saw. 

Tricks To Hang & Secure The Medicine Cabinet Without Studs

How to hang a medicine cabinet without studs? This is the question that comes after cutting the opening.

If you want to hang and secure without studs, you must add extra support to bear the weight of the medicine cabinet. How? There are a few ways.

To Hang The Cabinet

You must add a frame to the wall to install a recessed cabinet. It bears most of the medicine cabinet’s weight and is necessary to secure it to its place.

You can use hollow wall anchors to hang the medicine cabinet. There are a lot of different types of hollow wall anchors.

I would recommend using the toggle or molly bolts. According to the manufacturer, these bolts have heavy-duty holding power in drywalls.

One thing you must keep in mind is that even if you use screws and bolts, adding the frame is a must for any recessed cabinet installation.

To Secure The Cabinet

How to install a recessed medicine cabinet in a load bearing wall? All you need to do is secure it with the frame and the drywall using screws.

However, for a cabinet without studs, you must add some extra support to secure it to the place. What are they? 

You can use nailers to provide that extra support. One additional benefit is that nailers are easy to screw.

If you are still not satisfied, use construction adhesive to stick the cabinet box to the wall. It will make the stud flush with the wall.

Are you worried about the medicine cabinet installation cost? Don’t worry. It will be less, depending on the things you need.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting Methods

As you know, I have already mentioned all the issues you might face during the installation process and their solution.

To help you with a better understanding, this is the list of the most common issues and their troubleshooting methods;

While working on the installation, keeping this list near you will help you to keep these important things in mind.

Regular Maintenance Tips For Recessed Medicine Cabinet

Even if you didn’t have a recessed cabinet before, you have other wooden pieces. So, you already know how important maintaining something is.

Now, you need to know how to maintain a recessed medicine cabinet to use it for a long time. Want to know how?

• Keep the cabinet items organized to make the maximum use of the storage space.
• Inspect the medicine cabinet regularly and repair any damage promptly so it doesn’t get serious.
• If you face any difficulty while repairing future damages and feel unsure of that, I suggest you contact a professional or seek assistance from them. 

These are the things the professional maintaining tips I learned from my friend and the results are amazing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Final Thoughts

How to install recessed medicine cabinet without studs? It is a simple installation process.

You need to choose the location of the cabinet and prepare the wall for it. Then, mark the outline of the cabinet and cut the opening.

Now, create a frame inside the wall to support the weight of the cabinet and insert the cabinet in the opening. Secure the cabinet to the wall. 

For final touches, hide the drywall screws with a patch and color them to match with the wall.

There you have your beautiful recessed medicine cabinet on your bathroom wall.

If you are interested in learning more about restoring a Cabinets, stay with- Restore Journey.