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You can mount a medicine cabinet on a wall surface or in a recess in the wall. If you install a surface-mounted medicine cabinet, it is almost as simple as hanging a decorative item on a wall. If your present cabinet is installed in a wall recess, you can upgrade to a larger surface-mounted cabinet and place it over the recess in the wall.

Medicine cabinets feature sliding, pivoting, or hinged doors. You can buy them in one, two, or three sections, and they come in a wide variety of materials, colors, and styles to match almost any bathroom decor.

When you install a surface-mounted medicine cabinet, keep in mind that it becomes very heavy when it is filled with items, so you must attach it securely to the wall studs. These are the installation steps:

1. You may need someone to help you with this step. The medicine cabinet must be held in place, level and centered over the sink or area where it is being installed. Use a pencil to lightly trace around it.

2. Within the area you marked, identify the positions of the studs and mark them, using a stud finder. Mark corresponding stud locations on the inside back of the cabinet.

3. Where the stud locations are marked, drill four 1/8-inch-diameter holes through the back of the medicine cabinet. There is a cleat or hanging rail at the top of the cabinet’s back to assist in supporting the weight of the cabinet. Most cabinets have this feature. Be sure to drill the top two holes through the cleat.

4. Use the screws provided with the medicine cabinet to attach the cabinet to the wall studs. Use hollow wall fasteners if you can’t screw into the wall studs at each location.