How to hang a bathroom vanity cabinet on the wall, looks like floating
by Barbara
I purchased a regular press board bathroom vanity 18" wide. I would like to hang it but do not know how to do it. It has no real back due for installing plumbing, only trim across back top which is not to sturdy. I left off the kick plate in the front lower area to use as a drawer front to match the vanity. I will buy or make a draw for this small cabinet. This is also the reason I want to lift the cabinet to clear the floor when the draw is open. It is a very small bathroom and it will look larger with a floating cabinet also. Any idea as to what to do would be very helpful. I will also have someone gut the wall and renovate this bathroom. I then can add cross wood between the beams but not sure the press board in the back of this press board vanity will not fall apart. I also have granite around the sink on this small cabinet which is heavy. Thanks for your help.
3 answers
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If you are going to have someone gut the wall etc, they will probably be able to install the vanity as well. I would suggest screwing a 1 x 4 to the inside back of the vanity - maybe one near the top and another further down, Then from the inside you can screw through the 1x4 into the wall studs
![Grandmaquilts]()
Grandmaquilts
on Dec 29, 2013
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I would do as Grandmaquilts suggested and add a 1x4 to inside of vanity back and if still worried about stability attach a piece of plywood to those new braces as tightly as you can inside the back of cabinet flush with edge, then screw through new braces into studs.
![Cynthia E]()
Cynthia E
on Jan 06, 2014
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French Cleat Hanging cabinets is easy with a French Cleat. Simple, Strong and Cheap The French Cleat cabinet mounting system has been around longer than anyone can remember, and for good reason. It is simple, strong and cheap. Some modern kitchen cabinets, shop cabinets, and closet organizers use some form of a French Cleat mounting system. Before cutting French Cleats, inspect the wood being used to be sure there are no cracks, splits or other damage that could weaken the cleat. One piece of standard 1X6 board will be needed. Lag bolts and washers. Rip the board at 45-degrees down the center, (they may cut it where you buy the board). Using a hand plane or similar tool, remove approximately 1/16 to 1/8" from the sharp point on both pieces. This seems to make hanging the cabinet a little easier and insures the faces of each cleat half engage cleanly. Cut one piece so it fits snugly against the top panel and both sides of the cabinet (you may have to remove the back trim piece). The wall-mounted piece should be ½" to 1" narrower to make hanging the cabinet easy. The cabinet portion of the French Cleat is glued and screwed to the top and sides of the cabinet. The long point of the cleat should be flush with the back edge of the cabinet, pointed downward. The wall-mounted cleat is mounted with the sharp point away from the wall and pointed upwards. It is bolted directly to studs using lags with a minimum size of ¼"-diameter by 3 ½" in length. At least two bolts must be used, located so they engage two studs. Use a stud finder to be sure the studs in your wall are in fact 16" on center. Occasionally, especially with narrow width walls, the studs are framed on 19 3/16" centers. Use a level to mark the hole locations on the wall and pre-drill a hole into the wall-mounted cleat and one of the studs. Install a bolt and washer and tighten it until the cleat is snug on the wall. Level the cleat and use the other lag hole as a guide to drill the second pilot hole. Install the lag with washer and tighten both securely. When the glue on the cabinet-mounted cleat is dry, you can lift the cabinet up, slip it over the wall-mounted cleat and gently lower it into position. You may want to screw the bottom inside of the cabinet to the wall so it doesn't slip off the cleat when in use. I restrict cabinets hung with French Cleats to 36"-wide or less. The French Cleat could handle larger size but handling larger cabinets gets very difficult, and dangerous.
![William]()
William
on Apr 07, 2016
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