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Drilling Holes For Plumbing Pipes-Sink Cabinet Installation

October 12th, 2009 Leave a comment Go to comments

If you miss the mark when drilling holes for plumbing, you will measure the pipes right next time. A professionally done sink cabinet installation will look perfect when an installer knows what he is doing. Of all the things that you will be doing when you are installing your own kitchen, bathroom vanity Read, office or laundry room cabinets, the sink cabinet must be drilled correct. Missing the mark on this particular cabinet will cause the interior to look like an amateur did it. So, take your time.


Check your calculations no less than three times! Use the old saying: “measure twice, cut once.” In this case you cannot measure too many times. Believe me, if I cut the holes wrong for the plumbing pipes on my cabinet, then it’s lots of time wasted. You will have to get a cover board that will eliminate anyone seeing where you miss drilled for the supply line or drain pipe. If this is necessary, it’s going to look like a mistake.

How to mark and drill the holes in a sink cabinet for the plumbing

Before doing the following steps, remove the doors off of the sink cabinet.

1) The Cabinet should be already fit to the floor. It should be either shimmed or cut to fit the contour of the floor. If you skip this part and just start cutting out for the plumbing pipes, the holes will be off when you level the cabinet. Actually you must have a plan for installing all of the base cabinets in relation to the condition of the floors before you start drilling for the pipes.

2) Once you know the exact position of the sink cabinet then you can measure and mark the back of the cabinet for the pipes. Your measurements must be exact.

3) Measuring for the plumbing pipes should be done with a regular tape measure in combination with a framers square. I always find the exact center of the pipes or supply lines by measuring, making the marks and then connecting them by using the square.

4) Use a hole saw set to drill the holes with. If I am drilling for a one inch pipe, I use a 1-1/4” butterfly bit. If the drain is two inches wide, I will use a two and a half inch cutter.


5) Always measure and mark the backside on the outside of the cabinet. Then, drill a 3/16” wide pilot hole in the center of all of your marks. Next you will drill the correct size holes from the inside of the cabinet back using the pilot hole as your starting point.

No matter how well you measure for the holes that go in the sink cabinet, they will always be just a little off. This is why you should allow an extra half of an inch with the drill bit or hole saw selection. Marking and drilling the holes for the plumbing pipes correctly will be very rewarding. Many times I have looked at my accomplishments with great satisfaction and pride.

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