Are you wondering what to do with your medicine cabinet hole? Patching the hole left behind when you remove your medicine cabinet can offer an excellent opportunity to remodel your bathroom. With various methods and products, you can cover the cabinet hole and transform the area with shelving designs that enhance the look of your bathroom.
Here’s how to cover up a hole left by a medicine cabinet.
1. Assess the Hole in Your Wall
You want to assess the hole in your wall before covering it up. Check the length and width of the hole with a tape measure. Understanding the hole’s size can give you a better idea of the work you must do to cover it up. You’ll also have a better idea of the size of drywall you’ll need to patch it. Additionally, check the drywall’s edges to see if they’re straight or uneven, and see if the back of the hole is finished or unfinished.
2. Choose a Repair Option and Gather Supplies
Select a repair option that’s suitable for your skill level, cabinet hole size and wall space goals.
You can choose a less rigid repair method, like installing drywall with mounting tabs. With this technique, you install four tabs on the cabinet hole edges to hold the drywall in place. If you require a studier repair, you can insert a backboard or wood planks. Before installing your new drywall patch, you can secure the wood planks with screws. You can seal off either method with mudding drywall, which involves applying several coats of drywall compound in thin layers, and mesh materials.
Both methods can require various supplies:
- Adessive tape for wood planks
- Broad knife
- Drill
- Drywall compound
- Drywall knife/saw
- Drywall rasp
- Drywall screws
- Drywall sheet
- Dust mask
- Four mounting tabs or two pieces of plywood
- Gloves
- Mesh/glass drywall tape
- Paint
- Primer
- Safety goggles
- Sanding block
- Tape measure
3. Patch the Medicine Cabinet Hole
Now, use your preferred method to patch the hole left by your medicine cabinet. Be sure to use gloves, a dust mask and pair of goggles to help protect you from dust particles and drywall debris. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to patch the hole from your medicine cabinet:
Cut the Existing and New Drywall
Depending on the size of the hole, use a drywall saw or knife to cut along the cabinet hole’s edges or marked lines. You should have a perfect square or rectangle hole in your wall. Use the hole’s measurements to cut a new drywall piece or wood plank that fits your dimensions.
Install the Support
If you’re using drywall mounting tabs, install four tabs on the wall edges around the hole. You insert one tab near each corner. Align them so that the spring tabs face away from the wall.
For wood support, cut two planks that are 2 to 3 inches longer than the length of the hole. You should have a plank on each side. Ensure each plank overlaps the length of the hole by at least 1 inch, so you have enough space to drill in the screws.
Install the New Drywall
Insert the new drywall into the wall. If the new piece doesn’t fit perfectly, you can sand the edges down using a drywall rasp until it fits into the drywall cut-out.
Press the new piece of drywall into each tab using drywall tabs and secure it with drywall screws. You can drill the screws through both sides of the tabs to secure the new drywall against the existing wall. Follow the instructions on the drywall mounting tabs for a more precise method.
Add adhesive to the backboards for wood support and install the new drywall piece. You can sand the new drywall edges down to fit the gap if necessary. Drill drywall screws into the new piece of drywall to secure it. Place glass or drywall mesh tape over the edges of the new wall piece to seal and prep for the drywall compound.
Apply the Drywall Compound and Paint
Add two to three layers of drywall compound. Be sure to smooth out every coat of drywall to prevent bubbles. You also want to smooth out ridges and rough spots with a broad knife before applying each new coat. For maximum coating, ensure you cover all traces of adhesive tape.
After coating, you can leave the drywall coats to dry overnight. Sand down the coatings with a sanding block and ensure the area is smooth. Add a primer to ensure your new wall area has the same gloss and shine as the existing wall. Finish with a coat of paint to match your existing wall.
4. Replace the Medicine Cabinet
Replacing your existing cabinet with a new one can require minor patching. You can prime or paint the edges around your new cabinet to hide any cracks or other irregularities. You can also fill the gaps around your new cabinet with wood planks. Crown molding can help with sealing cracks around a smaller cabinet.
Measure your hole in the wall and use those dimensions to cut out wood planks for your new cabinet. Saw pieces of wood using your measurements and use them to build a cabinet frame. You can drill in screws to secure the frame. Connect your new cabinet frame to a backboard and attach it to the frame with screws.
You can cut out crown molding to cover up the edges around your new cabinet. Paint your cabinet and crown molding, and attach your molding frame to your cabinet once dry. You can chalk your crown molding edges to make them look smooth. Take your assembled cabinet and drill it into your cabinet hole until it sits flush against the wall. You can sand down and fill the drill holes with primer.
You can also install creative recessed shelving into your medicine cabinet hole. Reinforce the wall edges with wood, and sand down, prime and paint the wall surface. You can also install tiles or wallpaper on the surface of the hole to sit behind the shelves.
Choose WG Wood Products for a Stylish Bathroom
WG Wood Products offers custom medicine cabinetry and hardware designs to help you replace cabinetry and upgrade your bathroom. Since 2002, we’ve been creating hand-crafted, high-quality cabinetry. Our cabinetry offers various storage space and design solutions.
Our team of professionals offers quality service and will help you every step of the way in finding the perfect cabinetry solution to enhance your bathroom. Contact us today to get started.
