Installing Your New Bathroom Furniture Units

 In a large range of fitted bathroom furniture like Aspen, you'll find that there's plenty of choices. But the choice is a good thing, and you should soon be able to find the pieces that are right for your bathroom.

Once you've chosen your bathroom furniture, there comes the decision of whether or not to install it yourself. If you do decide to go down this route, we've pulled together a little advice for you - so read on...

Our first piece of advice is to remember that, in a range of furniture where even the combination packs that are available can be split up, each individual unit should be treated as a standalone installation project - this way, you keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the task. Do consider the interaction between units - ensuring, for example, that you align adjoining units correctly - but fit each unit as an individual item.

Now we'll describe the installation of a simple bathroom cabinet. You will be able to use what you've learned to install all your wall hung bathroom furniture, although bathroom furniture such as your new vanity unit and WC unit (or basin and WC combination) may need to be modified before installation, in order to accommodate the water supply and waste pipes to and from your basin and WC. If this is the case, make sure that you measure carefully before you cut to avoid mistakes. 

When you come to install your bathroom cabinet, the first rule is to double-check all your measurements - if you can avoid mistakes occurring, then you won't need to spend time and/or money rectifying them.

You'll need to measure the height and width of your bathroom cabinet and map out where its fixing holes are in relation to its edges; you'll also need to measure the overall size of the space in which you plan to position the cabinet, along with the relative positions of any adjoining bathroom furniture and sanitary ware. If your bathroom cabinet has been pre-drilled with fixing holes, don't assume that these are equidistant from the center - check.

Take care when drilling fixing holes into your bathroom wall: always use eye protection and choose the correct drill bit for the wall type, which may be masonry, stud, or dry lined. Drill more carefully into block work, which is softer than brick, and make sure when drilling a hole in a stud wall that you're drilling into solid timber, not the plasterboard in between the timber studs. If your bathroom wall is tiled, use a strong drill bit and go slowly and gently: the key to drilling through tile without cracking the surface is persistence, not brute force.

A few quick tips:

First, be careful not to drill into a live wire. Buy a sensor to alert you to electrical supply wires in your wall, and remember that most cables run from the floor directly up to a power socket, or from the ceiling down to a light switch - so avoid these areas when drilling.

Second, if you don't have anyone to assist you when you're attaching your bathroom furniture to your walls, you could try building a timber frame to support the position of the item you're working on while you secure its fixings.

Third, although you'll usually aim to mount your bathroom furniture precisely level on your bathroom wall, there are occasions when the furniture will look better to the naked eye if it's slightly askew: if your bathroom cabinet is going to be positioned alongside another piece of fitted bathroom furniture that may not be quite level, you may prefer to ensure the cabinet is in line with this furniture.

Once your bathroom furniture is fitted, you'll need to plumb in the pipes to your sanitary ware: if you're not an experienced DIY-er, you may consider this to be a job for a plumber. Even if you are experienced in DIY, please take care to use the correct tools and materials, as a leak in your water pipes can cause extensive water damage to your home.

Good luck fitting your new bathroom furniture, and may you have many years of use and enjoyment from it.