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Vessel sinks
It seems that vessel sinks are the hottest item to hit the bathroom decor scene since 1001 Flushes. And, truth to be told, they are quite elegant. Vessels resemble old-time washbasins with finished inside and outside walls. They are made from Spun Glass, Lead Crystal, China, Fireclay, Earthenware, Cast Iron and Stainless Steel. Vessels are also versatile. Most can be installed in a counter top, while others require a wall-mount bracket. Spun Glass and Cast Iron Vessels can be self-rimming or mounted under-the-counter. Here are a few things you should know before you go crazy for vessels. If you are planning a new home and want vessel sinks, you need to decide this before construction begins. Why? Design-wise, wall-mounted faucets go best with Vessel sinks. Very few vessels have pre-drilled holes for faucets. What's more, deck-mounted faucets for vessel sinks need to be extremely tall to clear the bowl. Therefore, wall-mounted faucet pipes must be roughed in before the drywall is installed. And now a couple of safety consideration: Because vessels generally sit on the counter and are completely exposed, you might not want to put it in a family bathroom, especially if you have young children. Also, if you choose a glass vessel, look for tempered or laminated glass. Plain glass will shatter on impact.
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Bathroom sink decorating ideas
Who woulda thunk there were so many neat ways to mount a bathroom sink? Not me, but apparently there are a lot of imaginative people out there doing some very creative stuff. For instance, many people like to integrate a bathroom sink into a solid surface counter-top. Another trend that has caught on is installing sinks bowls in non-bath type furniture. The furniture adds warmth while providing intriguing new lines to the bath. Low bureaus, usually found in the bedroom, make a classy looking base. The sink goes where the top drawer would traditionally be. The plumbing in this set up is hidden behind the piece of furniture, leaving you the lower drawers for storage. Placing the sink bowl into an opening cut into a table top yet another intriguing design solution.
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Sinkology 101
Sinks have been around since the beginning of water, whenever that was. Today, a bathroom sink can come in a variety of sizes and configurations. You can choose from one bowl or two bowls. Some kitchen sinks even have three bowls (the show-offs!). But the number of bowls is not the whole picture. Sinks can have deep or shallow bowls, straight or sloped sidewalls, offset drains, under-counter mounts, tile edging, or self-rimming. They can be made of porcelain, stainless steel, Corian, or cast iron. And you can get sink in virtually any color to match your decorating taste, including plain white.
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Putting sinks on a pedestal
Pedestal sinks are so named because the lavatory (also known as the sink) rests on a stand or pedestal. These lavatories are most often made from vitreous china, but are also available in porcelain coated steel and bronze. Pedestal sinks come in styles ranging from contemporary to Victorian. From a design standpoint, a pedestal sink will be the focal point In a large bathroom. In a small bath, their slim profile enhances the impression of spaciousness, or spaciocity, as they say in LA. Pedestal sinks are long on beauty and short of storage space. There is no vanity cabinet involved here. So where do you hide the plumbing? Right. Inside the pedestal, which is secured to the floor. The sink top is mounted to the wall and is supported by the pedestal stand. Before you scrap your old vanity set up for a pedestal, here are a few things to consider:
Installing a pedestal is a little more complicated than a regular drop-in or wall-mount lavatory. Getting the plumbing inside the pedestal can be tough, even for a plumber. Also, you need to get your measurements exact so your sink and pedestal fit together precisely. Miss by a little, miss by a mile.
If you need storage space of a vanity cabinet, a pedestal may not be for you. You can make up for lost space with shelving or recessed medicine cabinets.
Once you get rid of the old vanity you will be most likely need to redo your floor and wall, and relocate your water supply lines. To accomplish this you will first have to turn off the water supply and take out the old fixtures.
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Lavatory 101
Lavatory, from the Latin for "place where you wash your hands and other stuff" is a bathroom sink. But this is not a criticism. Of all plumbing fixtures lavatories offer you the best opportunity to tap into your inner designer. They come in all kinds of cool colors, patterns, styles, designs, heights, depths, widths, and materials. They can be pedestal style, wall hung, under-counter mount, above counter vessels, integrated, self-rimming, or freestanding. You might say they are the divas of bathroom decor.
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Preparing to mount a pedestal sink
U-ra! You've chucked your old vanity in favor of a sleek new pedestal. Now it's mountin' time. So what to do. Just because it's called a pedestal sink doesn't mean it sits free on top of the pedestal. Oh, no. That top has to be fixed to the wall for added stability. Some models mount right on to the wall, others come with a bracket. If you want, you can also buy a bracket at a hardware store. It is possible, if not likely, that the mounting holes will not line up 100% with your wall studs. If this is the case, you will need to buttress the wall. Otherwise your sink will just pull away from the wall, sooner or later, and you will be very unhappy.
To make sure this doesn't happen, look at the directions and see how high up from the floor the manufacturer says your lav should be mounted. (Could be anywhere from 29-33”) Figure out where the center of the sink will be on the wall. Now forget about the lav top for the moment. Put your pedestal in place and mark where you want to fix it to the floor. Now you are ready to place the lav top on the pedestal for measuring purposes. It should fit easily into a pre-manufactured groove or slot in the sink bottom. Double check to see that everything is lined up correctly. After you have marked everything, put both the sink and pedestal to one side. If your pedestal sink requires bolts, you will need to drill holes in the floor. If not, you will just need to caulk it in place. You can now attach the pedestal to the floor.
To mount the lavatory top, find the studs in the wall to the left and right of the sink. To put in a support board, you will need to cut out a piece of your wall. Before you start hacking away, be sure, be very sure, that there is nothing behind it that you shouldn't be cutting. Like wires and water pipes, and such.
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Boosting your bathroom's décor
You'll be happy to know that the dark days of white only bathrooms are over. Putting in an elegant new sink or vanity sink can be a cost-effective way to inject personality and charm into your bathroom's decor. Nowadays you can find bathroom sinks in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, materials and price tags. Bathroom sinks can be free-standing, installed into a counter or table top, or hung on the wall. If you are pinching pennies, the traditional white porcelain sink may be your best option. Besides standard round, oval or square shapes, there are sinks designed to fit into a corner space.
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