Install a Cabinet Into an Out-of-Square Corner
Finding how far a corner is off true and shifting your plumbing-hole reference line by that amount before you drill.
Mark Vanity Cutouts by Painting the Pipe Ends — Then Finish the Hole Saw From Inside
Dab paint on the rim of the drain and supply stubs, press the vanity back against them, and the cutout locations transfer exactly. Then start each hole saw cut from the outside and finish it from the inside so the visible face doesn't blow out.
install a vanity over existing plumbing, where to drill holes for sink pipes, cabinet holes for water lines, stop hole saw tear out
The Problem
Setting a vanity means cutting holes in its back panel that land exactly on the drain and supply stubs coming out of the wall. Measure-and-transfer works until it doesn't — one dimension read off the wrong edge and the vanity has an extra hole. And even with the holes in the right place, a hole saw pushed straight through from one side splinters the panel face as it exits.
The Technique
This one comes from Steve, a bathroom remodeling teacher whose clips make the rounds — two tricks in one setup:
- Dab paint around the outside rim of the drain pipe and on the ends of the supply lines.
- Slide the vanity into position and press it back against the plumbing. Pull it away, and the wet paint has printed the exact cutout locations on the back panel.
- Drill each hole with a hole saw starting from the outside (the marked side) — but stop as soon as the pilot bit breaks through.
- Flip to the inside and finish the cut from that side, using the pilot hole to register.
Cutting from both sides means the saw always exits into wood that's already cut, so neither face chips or blows out.
Pro tip: The two-sided hole saw cut is worth stealing on its own — any time a hole saw must go through material with a face that shows, run the pilot through, then cut halfway from each side.
Electrical, plumbing, and structural work may be regulated where you live — check local code before you start, and note that a permit may be required. More in our disclaimer.
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