Will it Fail, or Will it Hold?

What if you get a piece of angle steel and run it acorss the top, screwing it into the top of the cabinet and into the wall at the studs, or a toggle.

By running a low-profile connection at the top, you likely won't see it much or at all, depending on the height it is mounted.

Perhaps I'm wrong but my understanding is that mirror adhesive is designed to help support a flat mirror, not a medicine cabinet. The weight per square inch of glue surface is vastly different between the two, and the physics of the load applied are very much different. That unit should have been screwed solid to a stud. Even if they used a construction adhesive designed for the job, the tiles are not designed to support that weight and can pull off the wall since it would be the next weak point. If they glued it to drywall then I would expect the paper to rip off since it's only glued to the surface....

How are you going to replace it when the lights in the doors fail or a mirror breaks? They've turned a simple cabinet replacement project into another bathroom renovation since you will now be having to rip it off the wall and most likely having to be replacing tiles after you do that, I hope you have spare matching tiles for when that time comes. Does his guarantee cover that added expense also?

It bugs me when people cut corners because they can't be bothered to get the proper tool (that any hardware store would have carried). He saved himself the cost of a $8.00 drill bit but cost you a huge expense and time when you go to replace it.

I would invite him back on his own time to install it as the instruction manual specifies, but for some reason I don't think he'll show.

I've used aluminum angle - 1/2" x 1/2" - to stabilize tall bookcases. Works well, angle doesn't show. In your case, the angle's attachment to the cabinet is more important than the attachment to the wall. The wall load is in shear, so it could be attached directly to studs (best) or with good expansion anchors in the drywall.

Did I miss - what 'glue' did he use? If it was Elmer's school glue, I'd sue. Gorilla glue - I'm still not happy. A higher-end liquid nails product might not be too bad.

Don't know what kind of glue, probably construction adhesive. From the very first pic I posted you can see it's peanut-butter colored.

I took a pic that shows me where the studs are, before he put up the cement backer. I think I'm going to drill through to the studs, and use two angle brackets to secure through the top of the cabinet.

See pic below. Would you use a wood screw for the stud mount, or an anchor?

I'd say stainless wood screws into studs.

Diehard said:

I'd say stainless wood screws into studs.

Click to expand...

I agree with this. Don’t use anchors. Screws into studs will be far stronger.