2016Oct IKEA Bathroom Remodel by Willis Chung
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2016Oct IKEA Bathroom Remodel

  1. Willis Chung's Gallery
  2. 2016Oct IKEA Bathroom Remodel2016Oct IKEA Bathroom Remodel
The bathroom to be replaced, dates from the 1970s
Built in cabinet 71 inches wide, and the tile floor goes up to the bottom of the cabinets, not under it. Big countertop as well. None of these items is standard at a Home Depot or Lowe's
Woah! Modular cabinets at IKEA! Three of the 23 5/8 inch cabinets fills the space!
Spotted at the Centennial, Colorado, USA IKEA
I always liked vessel sinks, and I can cut a kitchen countertop down to size.
Cleaning out the old cabinet, I found this many bottles of glass cleaner!
The old mirror has to go, there is an area that has lost it's silvering. It is small, about 1/4 inch in diameter, but it is low and in an area that is easily seen. You can't not see it once you've spotted it.
Doors off the old cabinet.
Can you spot the unsilvered part of the mirror on the lower left? It looks like there is a black spot on the edge of the door trim closest to the countertop. Now try not finding that spot in the other photos.
Marble backsplash hammered off.
Did you find the spot on the mirror?
Countertop with molded-in sink removed. That was very difficult to haul downstairs.
Cabinet frame removed. I am leaving the base in place for now.
I am not sure how the new cabinets will sit on the base, so I will build one to test fit in the space before making a decision on the base.
At IKEA, the goodies are purchased and then brought home.
Test fit of cabinet shows that platform needs to be narrower and higher.
The original cabinet and countertop were way too low. By raising the new countertop to the bottom of the edge of the mirror, the vessel sinks will rise up enough to make it comfortable for an adult to use the sinks.
Wood platform from base taken off, raising cabinets by width of a 2x4 will do the job
US wood stud standard dimension is 2x4 inches before finishing. It becomes 1 5/8 x 3 5/8 inches once finished.
Now to cut the EKBACKEN countertop to the right length and width
I used all the tricks for cutting laminated MDF: 1) the circular saw is going to rest on the unfinished side so the teeth rip upwards into the laminate, 2) tape on the cut line, and 3) heavily score the cut line with a utility knife.
Deep score along cut line of finished surface
Used the old marble backsplash finished edge as my straightedge.
Getting set up for long rip cut. Measure twice, cut once...
I am just about to make a bit of a mistake that you will see in the later photos.
Cut completed! The cutoff piece is going to be the kick panel at the front of the base.
The mistake I made was not supporting the cutoff piece. When I got to the end of the cut, it rotated downward and pulled off a piece of the finished surface of the countertop!
Built the base extension out of 2x4s.
Test fit cabinet on top of base. Looks like the right height below mirror to fit countertop in.
I am just about to make another mistake. Pulling the countertop out, I pulled on the middle of the board across the front and broke it.
Arrrrgh! Broken front upper cabinet panel. No way to repair it and have it look good.
Options: 1) buy another cabinet for this one piece. 2) find something else at IKEA that uses this material is less expensive. Time for another trip back to IKEA.
Before I go back to IKEA, test fit the countertop on top of all three cabinets.
Dimensions worked out perfectly! Countertop is snug underneath the mirror. Haven't replaced the mirror yet (can you find the spot on the mirror?). Busted cabinet is on the left. Cabinets aren't pushed fully back against the wall yet, it's a tight fit, no need to push them back now since I have to rebuild one of them.
Found the mistake I made cutting the countertop. Ooops!
I didn't support the cutoff piece. When I got to the end of the cut, the waste piece rotated downward and pulled off a piece of the finished surface of the countertop. I was thinking of going without a side splash panel, but not now.
Tried filling the defect with a piece of edging supplied by IKEA with the countertop. No go.
I couldn't find the broken off piece in the cutting area. It was a day or two after cutting that I pulled off the tape and found the damage. Another reason to go back to IKEA.
Testing a scrap of the countertop to use as a side splash.
Sure covers up the broken part of the new countertop. The 1 1/8 thick countertop looks too wide to be right as a side panel. The need for the side panels makes it important to replace the mirror before attaching the side panels to the wall.
Checking fit of kick plate along front of the base. Looks pretty good!
The small space below the kick plate will get filled in by a thin white melamine board.
Drawers built, waiting for installation. Light color inside much warmer than sunlight outside.
At IKEA, I found this drawer in the As-Is department.
I had hoped that I could use it as a donor for the top front panel I broke, but the drawer sides weren't thick enough and the front isn't wide enough. However, the sides were long enough for me to make the side splash panels.
Testing location of sinks. I wanted them snugged a bit closer together.
Putting one in the center of each of the cabinets would have made them feel too distant, and would make the space on the sides much less useful.
Pulling cardboard support out, the location of the drain gets marked.
Note masking tape along side of the sink on the countertop to mark location where sink should be placed.
Cutting out template from instructions, cut hole is marked.
Note that there is more material cut out closer to the wall for the faucet hoses.
Holes marked for cutting.
Back outside, 1/2 inch hole boring bit makes corner holes.
These don't have to be good cuts, since they are covered by the sink.
Jig saw used to connect the dots.
I put down tape before cutting so that the foot of the saw doesn't mess up the finish if it bounces up and down.
Bombs away! It is OK if this piece drops out while cutting.
Caulk used to waterproof the cut edge. All cut edges were sealed.
I used clear caulk for the cut outside edges. May be overkill, but it is cheap insurance against a small leak causing the material to swell.
Base extension and kick plate anchored in place. Leveled carefully.
This is the bottom panel of the center cabinet, and I will make a replacement front panel out of it.
I realized the back of the panel isn't adding any strength to the assembled unit, and I can trim the needed 2-3 inches out of it and nobody will see it.
Donor panel removed
Donor panel compared to broken top panel.
Cut replacement top panel. The operation was successful!
The left cabinet drawers need to be trimmed so they can clear the door trim.
Something that I hadn't anticipated at the store: the drawers go all the way to the edge of the cabinets. That leaves only 6 inches of extension of the drawers until they hit the trim/ I will cut off the edge and glue the cut off piece onto the cabinet front edge as a trim piece.
Both the inside and outside surfaces of the drawer front need to be "good" cuts. Precautions taken.
Both sides taped, scored, and the drawer front is sandwiched between two sacrificial MDF boards. The outside surface of the drawer is down, so that will be the side least likely to be damaged during the cut.
Many clamps used to hold the guide panel, sacrificial boards, and drawer front in place.
I don't want to have to buy another cabinet to get another set of drawer fronts, so I'd better not mess this cut up.
Snugging a dowel into the curved top edge of the drawer to support the laminate there during the cut
Cut successful! Outside and inside surfaces are good.
Now to do it again on the other drawer front.
Gluing matching edging pieces on with rubber contact cement.
This works surprisingly well. The adhesive becomes dry to the touch in about 15 minutes, and is pretty tenacious once you put the treated surfaces together.
Glued pieces ready for trimming with a sharp utility knife.
Stuffed animals enjoying the prospect of plumbing.
I was very impressed with what is supplied with the sinks. Pretty much everything you need to go from the sink to the trap adapter in the wall. Makes sense that it would be included, since there is not much space under the countertop or behind the drawers. Having a purpose designed and supplied drain makes the install much quicker.
Replacement top panel installed in cabinet. Looks pretty good!
The gaps on the sides will get closed up when the cabinets are forced into place. It's a tight fit to get all three cabinets in position. I will _not_ put any pressure on the top panels in front!
Wall repaired and textured. Profile of old cabinets is visible.
Here is that spot on the mirror! At this point, I called in the mirror guys.
I had a few days to wait while the mirror was cut to size. A bit pricey,but worth getting this take care of.
Repair and painting of wall on other side. Paint is still drying, wet paint looking a bit lighter.
The bathroom to be replaced, dates from the 1970s Woah! Modular cabinets at IKEA! Three of the 23 5/8 inch cabinets fills the space! I always liked vessel sinks, and I can cut a kitchen countertop down to size. Cleaning out the old cabinet, I found this many bottles of glass cleaner! Doors off the old cabinet. Marble backsplash hammered off. Countertop with molded-in sink removed. That was very difficult to haul downstairs. Cabinet frame removed. I am leaving the base in place for now. At IKEA, the goodies are purchased and then brought home. Test fit of cabinet shows that platform needs to be narrower and higher. Wood platform from base taken off, raising cabinets by width of a 2x4 will do the job Now to cut the EKBACKEN countertop to the right length and width Deep score along cut line of finished surface Getting set up for long rip cut. Measure twice, cut once... Cut completed! The cutoff piece is going to be the kick panel at the front of the base. Built the base extension out of 2x4s. Test fit cabinet on top of base. Looks like the right height below mirror to fit countertop in. Arrrrgh! Broken front upper cabinet panel. No way to repair it and have it look good. Before I go back to IKEA, test fit the countertop on top of all three cabinets. Found the mistake I made cutting the countertop. Ooops! Tried filling the defect with a piece of edging supplied by IKEA with the countertop. No go. Testing a scrap of the countertop to use as a side splash. Checking fit of kick plate along front of the base. Looks pretty good! Drawers built, waiting for installation. Light color inside much warmer than sunlight outside. At IKEA, I found this drawer in the As-Is department. Testing location of sinks. I wanted them snugged a bit closer together. Pulling cardboard support out, the location of the drain gets marked. Cutting out template from instructions, cut hole is marked. Holes marked for cutting. Back outside, 1/2 inch hole boring bit makes corner holes. Jig saw used to connect the dots. Bombs away! It is OK if this piece drops out while cutting. Caulk used to waterproof the cut edge. All cut edges were sealed. Base extension and kick plate anchored in place. Leveled carefully. This is the bottom panel of the center cabinet, and I will make a replacement front panel out of it. Donor panel removed Donor panel compared to broken top panel. Cut replacement top panel. The operation was successful! The left cabinet drawers need to be trimmed so they can clear the door trim. Both the inside and outside surfaces of the drawer front need to be Many clamps used to hold the guide panel, sacrificial boards, and drawer front in place. Snugging a dowel into the curved top edge of the drawer to support the laminate there during the cut Cut successful! Outside and inside surfaces are good. Gluing matching edging pieces on with rubber contact cement. Glued pieces ready for trimming with a sharp utility knife. Stuffed animals enjoying the prospect of plumbing. Replacement top panel installed in cabinet. Looks pretty good! Wall repaired and textured. Profile of old cabinets is visible. Here is that spot on the mirror! At this point, I called in the mirror guys. Repair and painting of wall on other side. Paint is still drying, wet paint looking a bit lighter.
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