Medicine cabinets at BVX Home Supply come from overstock and liquidation stock, each with a grade shown on its product page. Pickup is by appointment at the warehouse in Paterson, New Jersey. The wall decides which cabinet works: recessed into it or mounted on its surface. The door's swing decides the rest.
A recessed medicine cabinet sits inside the wall, so it fits only where the cavity behind the opening is clear of plumbing, wiring and venting. A surface-mounted medicine cabinet hangs on the face of the wall. Start by finding where the wall studs are and measuring the distance between them.
A recessed medicine cabinet needs the rough opening its own specification sheet or installation guide gives, which is the opening cut into the wall to fit the cabinet, with a width, a height and a depth. Published openings differ between cabinets, as the three examples below show, so read the figures for the cabinet in question before buying.
| Example | Wall opening on its sheet | Depth inside the wall |
|---|---|---|
| One recessed cabinet | 14 inches wide by 23-5/8 inches high | 3-1/2 inches minimum |
| A second recessed cabinet | 14 inches wide by 18 to 24 inches high, framed with studs 16 inches on center | 4 inches |
| A cabinet made for either mount | 19-1/4 inches wide by 25-1/4 inches high | 3-5/8 inches |
These are manufacturers' published figures, given as examples, not a list of what BVX has.
A medicine cabinet door should open clear of everything around it. Hold the cabinet in place, open the door and make sure nothing such as the faucet or the vanity lighting is in its way. Some cabinets can be installed with a left- or right-hand swing, and some can be turned over so the door opens the other way.
One maker's guide for a lighted medicine cabinet requires a 120 V, 15 A circuit with GFCI protection and a qualified electrician to route the wiring. The guide also says electrical wiring may need to be relocated, so read your cabinet's guide and check the wall for that supply first.
Look at the mirror on the door for cracks and along its edges for chips. Check the door, whether attached or packed loose, for its hinges, present and tight. Look over the cabinet body's corners for dents. Count the shelves and their clips against the listing, and check every other part the listing names, including any side mirror kit for surface mounting.
Medicine Cabinets is part of the bathroom range. For a mirror with no storage behind it see Bathroom Mirrors, and for the cabinet under the sink see Bathroom Vanities. The inspection guide and the pickup planning guide cover the rest.
Pickup: 239 Lindbergh Pl, Paterson, NJ 07503.
Only when the cabinet is made for both mounts. Some cabinets come with mounting hardware for surface or recessed installation and a side mirror kit for surface mounting. Wall-mounting a cabinet made only for recessing is not recommended, because of its size, weight and hardware. Check the listing for the mounts the cabinet is made for.
A medicine cabinet wider than the space between the studs is a job for a professional. A recessed cabinet needs a framed wall cavity and must be secured to framing studs, and a load-bearing wall calls for a professional before going further.
A recessed medicine cabinet cannot go where a pipe or wire runs, so stop cutting. Electrical wires and water supply piping have to be moved out of the wall cavity; if you meet drain or vent piping, consult a professional first.
High enough that the open door clears the faucet and every other obstacle. Hold the cabinet in place, open the door and check the faucet and the vanity lighting, then follow the clearance in that cabinet's installation guide. A rule of thumb is no substitute for the guide that came with the cabinet.
Follow the cabinet's own installation guide. A cabinet's instructions may recommend anchoring it to a stud with at least two screws, with wall anchors for the others. Anchors must be rated for the loaded weight of the cabinet and are not always in the carton, so read the parts list and find the studs first.
