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Project 3 and Buyer's Guide
Project 3: Built-In pantry cabinets
Most small bathrooms
have a similar layout: all of the plumbing is on
one wall and the door usually swings against a blank wall. Often, there’s a
closet on the other side of the blank wall to steal space from. If you don’t
have a closet, you’ll have to decide if you can give up 1 or 2 ft. of floor
space in the other room
and go to the trouble of framing,
drywalling, taping, painting and trimming a false wall to conceal the unsightly
cabinet backs.
You can either add one or two cabinets to a wall using the method we show. If you want to add more, it’s better to reframe the entire wall. You’ll need a full 14-1/2 in. wide stud space for each cabinet in the blank wall (that space will be expanded to 15-1/2 in. wide). It’s easiest to go into the bathroom and find the studs with a stud finder to see how many 14-1/2 in. stud spaces are available.
Tip: Sometimes a stud will bow in the center. If it bows toward the opening, push it into position and hold it there by running drywall screws through the drywall into the stud.
When a bathroom backs against a closet, there are rarely electrical cables inside the wall. We show cutting an inspection hole to check for cables or other obstructions (Photo 8). You can usually reroute an electrical cable if there is one.
If you have carpeting, unhook it from the tack strips and pull it and the padding back a couple of feet. You’ll have to cut them both around the cabinets (or false wall), then staple down the padding and push the carpet onto new tack strips when you’re through with the project. Chop off the tack strip in front of the wall openings with a chisel and reuse it at the back of the cabinets.
Crib up the cabinets with overlapping 2x4s to establish the cabinet height. At a minimum, keep the bottom of the face frame 2-1/2 in. above the bathroom base trim. That way you won’t have any trim or tilework to hassle with inside the bathroom. If you use shorter cabinets, adjust the height for convenience and the best appearance.
Finishing around the cabinet backs is optional if they’re in a closet. You can build a separate wall or put drywall directly against the cabinet backs. If you lay drywall against the cabinets, don’t use screws or nails because they’ll penetrate the cabinet backs. Instead, glue the drywall to the cabinet backs with construction adhesive and use paper-flanged corner beads that you tape on instead of nail. To minimize taping, stand the drywall sheets upright so you won’t have seams to tape. Cut the drywall to fit tightly into existing drywall at walls and the ceiling and caulk those seams with paintable caulk. That way you’ll only have to tape and sand the corner beads for painting.
Tip Check the existing doorstop to make sure the knob doesn’t hit the new cabinets. If a standard stop isn’t adequate, use hinge- or floor-mounted stops.
Buyer’s GuideMedicine and Utility Cabinets:
Dura Supreme Designer Series.
Door style: Homestead door.
Wood: Cherry. Finish: Harvest Cherry. (888) 711-3872. www.durasupreme.com
Glass Shelves: Arlington Glass vanity shelves from the Hold Everything catalog. No. 03-4316717. (800) 421-2264. www.holdeverything.com. The 24-in. x 6-in. shelves cost $44; the 24-in. x 10-in. are $49 (plus shipping).
Ez-Toggle Drywall Anchors: Find them at any home center or hardware store. Smith Fastener Co., (800) 764-8488. www.smithfast.com
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