Fit a bathroom wall cabinet to a solid brick or block wall

Fit a wall cabinet securely to a solid brick or block bathroom wall, with safe drilling and the right fixings.

BC-01Gather your tools and check the cabinetUnpack the cabinet and check it comes with a fixing template or clear hole positions on the back. Lay out your tools: drill, masonry bit set, tile bit, spirit level, pencil, tape measure, screwdriver, dust sheet and vacuum. Check the cabinet's weight once loaded with toiletries — this decides the fixing you'll need.

1 each · Cordless drill

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1 each · Masonry drill bit set

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1 each · Tile and glass drill bit

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1 each · Spirit level

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1 each · Dust sheet

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BC-02Plan the height and positionHold the cabinet up (or get help) and check it clears the basin, tap and any door swing. A common mirror-cabinet height is around 1400-1500mm from the floor to the bottom edge, but check it suits your height. Mark a rough centre line in pencil.

BC-03Find your stopcock and check the wall before you drillBefore drilling, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut off the water fast if you hit a pipe. Run a cable and pipe detector over the whole fixing area — but still treat every spot as if something could be there, since detectors miss cables in metal conduit, deep runs, or behind metal-backed board, and tiles and dot-and-dab can throw readings off further. If there's any doubt, isolate the bathroom circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and know how to turn the water off at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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BC-04Confirm what's behind the tilesBathroom walls aren't always solid brick or block. Tap the wall — a dull, solid knock is brick or block; a hollow, drum-like sound over a wide area suggests dot-and-dab plasterboard on masonry, or a timber or metal stud partition. If it's a stud wall, run a detector or a magnet along the surface to find the studs, or drill a small 3mm pilot hole at a marked point: timber dust means a timber stud, fine grey swarf means a metal stud, and nothing solid at all means you're between studs on plasterboard. This guide covers solid brick or block; if you find dot-and-dab or a stud wall instead, use longer fixings through to the masonry, or the stud-specific fixings in the next step.

BC-05Mark and level the fixing pointsHold the cabinet (or its template) against the wall at your planned height and check it's level with the spirit level. Mark each fixing hole through the template or cabinet's back holes with a pencil. Double-check the marks are level and square before you drill — it's much easier to fix now than after drilling.

BC-06Drill the fixing holesOn solid brick or block, use a tile bit to gently pierce through the glaze first, then switch to a masonry bit once through the tile — this stops the tile cracking. Drill a 6mm hole around 50-55mm deep for a standard red or brown wall plug and screw, or 8mm for a heavier cabinet needing a bigger plug. If you found dot-and-dab instead, use a fixing long enough to pass through the plasterboard and dab (typically 60-75mm total) and grip solidly in the masonry behind, not just the plasterboard skin. If you found a timber stud, drill a pilot hole and drive a wood screw straight into the centre of the stud. If you found a metal stud, never use a wood screw or plastic plug — use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the cabinet's loaded weight, and remember a metal stud alone won't hold anything heavy or anything that pulls away from the wall in use; if the loaded cabinet is heavy, fix into the studs either side with a timber noggin fitted between them, or fix through to the masonry behind.

8 each · Red or brown wall plugs (assorted)

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4 each · Metal-stud hollow wall anchors

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8 each · Wood screws 50mm

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BC-07Fit the wall plugsVacuum the dust out of each hole so the plug seats properly. Tap the plugs in flush with the tile surface using a light hammer tap — don't force them, they should sit snugly without cracking the tile edge.

BC-08Hang the cabinet and check it's levelDrive the screws into the plugs, leaving them slightly loose at first, then hook or slot the cabinet onto them if it's a hang-on-screws type, or screw straight through the back panel if it's a direct-fix type. Check the cabinet is level and tighten the screws fully. Give it a firm push and pull test before loading it with anything.

4 each · Wall cabinet fixing screws

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BC-09Seal any gaps at the edgesIf the cabinet sits close to the bath, basin or shower, run a thin bead of bathroom silicone sealant along any gap where water could get behind the tiles. Smooth it with a wet finger or sealant tool and leave it to cure for the time stated on the tube, usually 24 hours, before splashing water near it.

1 tube · Bathroom silicone sealant

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BC-10Tidy upVacuum up all tile and masonry dust from the floor and bath, and wipe down the wall and cabinet. Check the fixings once more after a day of normal use to make sure nothing has worked loose.

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