How to Trim a Medicine Cabinet

Use finish nails and construction adhesive to attach your new trim.

Many medicine cabinets come with attached trim which only needs to be caulked to the wall to complete the installation. But in older homes and some carpenter-built cabinets, a simple molding such as door casing is called for. By removing the cabinet, the trim can easily be installed. The process is fairly simple and can be completed in an afternoon.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Screwdriver
• Wood trim
• Miter saw
• Tape measure
• Construction adhesive
• Hammer
• Finishing nails
• Wood filler or painter's caulk

Instructions

Choosing and Cutting the Trim

1. Mark around the outside of the cabinet where it touches the wall. This will be your trim line. Remove the contents from the cabinet and any removable shelves. Unscrew door hinges and set it aside. Remove any screws or nails that are holding the cabinet in place and remove it from its opening in the wall.

2. Measure the height and width of the line you drew on the wall. You will be cutting your trim to fit this rectangle. Write down the measurements as these will be the inside dimensions of your molding.

3. Choose a molding that complements the molding in the room. Medicine cabinets are fairly small. Choose simple, flat-back molding less than 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide. Choose foam, or MDF to save on costs. For stain, opt for a wood grain that matches existing moldings.

4. Cut four pieces of molding to create a picture frame effect along the line you marked in step one. Set your molding flat on the table of a miter saw, with the thickest edge against the fence. Cut one 45-degree miter from right to left at the righthand end of your molding.

5. Keep the materials pressed down and against the fence with your hands well clear of the blade. Start the blade and pull it smoothly down, applying steady pressure without forcing, until the trim is cut through.

6. Mark the measurement of the width line from step one from the short point of your miter along the bottom edge of the molding to the left. Reset the saw to 45 degrees from left to right and miter the left end of your piece so that the mark you made becomes the bottom--or short corner--of your miter. Repeat this process for one more width piece and two vertical side pieces.

Installing the Trim

1. Start installation with the top piece. Run a bead of construction adhesive along the back of the molding. Press it against the wall along the line. Nail it in place with finish nails. Apply adhesive and set one side in place, lining up the mitered corner as tightly as possible. Drive one nail near the top corner, repeat with the other side piece.

2. Apply adhesive and set the bottom molding in place, lining up both corners. Nail the bottom molding in at least two places. Nail the bottom corners of the side pieces in place. Use wood filler to fill the corner seams and nail holes if you are staining. Use painter's caulk for paint.

3. Apply paint or stain to the molding and allow to dry before reinstalling the medicine cabinet. Caulk around the outside edge of the cabinet to keep moisture out.

References

• "The Ultimate Guide to Trim Carpentry": Neal Barrett, Creative Homeowner, 2006
• Reader's Digest: Miter Saw