# Medicine cabinet install over tile



## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

While I was tiling my vanity walls I forgot about the medicine cabinets I'm going to install.

The cabinets go from 77" down to 44".

I brought my tile line up to 60".

So with the current setup the bottom of the cabinets will screw thru the tile. While the top will screw into sheet rock. I could put some shims behind the top of the medicine cabinet to get things plumb. Will anyone notice that? I'm guessing it will be tough to see because the vanity depth will prevent anyone from leaning in to see the 1/2" gap behind the top of the medicine cabinet.

An alternative is to tile up to 84" - two more rows of 12" tall tiles. Or I could tile up to 96" - same as the adjacent wall.

I'm leaning AGAINST this because
1) the grout lines on the adjacent wall don't lineup with the vanity wall grout lines. You can see that in the pic. Rookie tiler.
2) I've already painted the walls. 
3) I've got to cut holes into the tile for the 3 sconces.


Any other solutions you guys see to my oversight?

Thanks












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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Folks will notice.

If you use shims, cut them flush, then tack a piece of molding over the sides. Or use something of equal thickness to the finished tile surface, all the wall up.


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## goneelkn (Jan 9, 2010)

Are you putting on anything to cap the tiles??
Shim it and wrap in bullnose or pencil or whatever your capping with.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

I definitely wouldn't tile any farther up if the grout lines are that far off from what I see in the pic. You need to cap the tiles. I would trim the cabinets with wood trim to match them. That could be simple or decorative. You could use the wood trim to cap the tiles also.

What color is the sides of the cabinets?


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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

avenge said:


> I definitely wouldn't tile any farther up if the grout lines are that far off from what I see in the pic. You need to cap the tiles. I would trim the cabinets with wood trim to match them. That could be simple or decorative. You could use the wood trim to cap the tiles also.
> 
> What color is the sides of the cabinets?




Cabinets are grey.

I was thinking about cutting a thin strip of floor tile (different color) to get the grout lines back in line and then continue with the grey tile I've got on the wall currently.

I've got a wet saw so making the cuts isn't an issue.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

You screwed up. It happens. Remove the tile where the cabinet is suppose to go, install the cabinet and tile up to it.


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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

Leo G said:


> You screwed up. It happens. Remove the tile where the cabinet is suppose to go, install the cabinet and tile up to it.




Can I remove the tile without wrecking the sheetrock? 



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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

RookiePlumber said:


> Can I remove the tile without wrecking the sheetrock?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Probably not, repair the drywall and move on.

Tom


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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

Ok I think I'm gonna remove the tile. What's the best way to remove it?


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

slide your margin trowel down behind it (from the top) and pry it off. Careful with the wall above. Best near the stud. If you have two trowels, all the better.

If you're lucky, you won't pull the drywall paper off. If that happens, patch the drywall and prime it. (but you could probably get away with just priming it.)


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

That or a Fein Multimaster. Is it put up with mastic or thinset? And since you are covering it all up with the cabinet and tile, it doesn't have to look perfect.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

I have a 4" glass tile blade that I put on the cordless grinder and I try to release the tile to tile bond by cutting the grout line. large format tile I'll break it apart before pulling it out b/c the sides of porcelain tile's sometimes chip during removal. 

Other than that, a long pry bar placed against the stud (if possible) and wiggle it a lot. the wiggling seems to loosen the bond with the substrate more slowly so that the tile doesn't pop out and damage the surrounding tiles.


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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

So I was looking at the bathroom wall and realized taking down the top row of tile (5th row) presents an aesthetic issue. On the adjacent wall there is a switch plate that sits partially in the 4th tile row and partially in the 5th tile row. Using only four rows of tile would leave that switch half surrounded by tile and half exposed. That looks odd.

See the panoramic pic.

Maybe I can solve that with a border style tile.











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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

Another option is to remove the tile that the medicine cabinet will be sitting on top of and notch the tile with my wetsaw to accommodate the medicine cabinet and then reinstall the tile.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Aesthetically, you might have gone one row too high.


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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

MarkJames said:


> Aesthetically, you might have gone one row too high.




Mark - what is the guideline that tells you where to cap the height.

I'm new at tiling and since it's for my own place labor cost wasn't really a factor. I looked at pics online and it seems that tile height is all over the place. I've got another bathroom to tile, so I'd like to learn and not make the same mistakes (there were many).

Thx



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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

RookiePlumber said:


> Mark - what is the guideline that tells you where to cap the height.
> 
> I'm new at tiling and since it's for my own place labor cost wasn't really a factor. I looked at pics online and it seems that tile height is all over the place. I've got another bathroom to tile, so I'd like to learn and not make the same mistakes (there were many).
> 
> ...


I like it around 4', or half the height of the room. But you're right that folks adjust for various reasons. Sometimes it's a good idea to hold them up and get a second opinion.

Take a look at the john bridge tile forums. They'll have tons of info for you.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

When it was recommended to remove the tile I'm assuming we thought you would put tile back up around the cabinet. There really isn't a normal height, I always go at least high enough to include the whole light switch with a cap above it. Sometimes it's based on where full tiles end.

Why do the lights look so low?


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## RookiePlumber (Mar 1, 2017)

avenge said:


> When it was recommended to remove the tile I'm assuming we thought you would put tile back up around the cabinet. There really isn't a normal height, I always go at least high enough to include the whole light switch with a cap above it. Sometimes it's based on where full tiles end.
> 
> 
> 
> Why do the lights look so low?




If memory serves me right, the lights are about 67". I've read that's a good height for vanity lights to limit shadows for a 5'5" woman. Women need good light to put on their makeup etc.

I was hesitant at first but hopefully it works out.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

you could remove the top two courses and install a 12" rip and cap it with trim (like Schluter plastic trim). The trim accepts caulk nicely and can be painted the same color as the wall. 

your lights are looking a little low. make sure the globes don't hang down below the top of the door


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