One of the final steps in a bathroom renovation is installing the sink. When the room is completely ready for its installation, the question arises of who will perform this work.
Someone decides to use the services of qualified craftsmen, and someone wants to save the family budget and install the sink on their own. But what if the owner does not have the necessary experience and skills? In this case, the recommendations outlined in our article will help to get the job done.
What you need to immediately pay attention to
The modern market offers us several varieties of similar products that differ from each other in appearance. The bowl can be mounted on a leg, pedestal, cabinet or hung on top of a hanging tabletop.
Often you can find designs with two washbasins, made in the form of a deep plate. Depending on the variety chosen, the possible ways of attaching the sink will also differ. According to this criterion, all products can be divided into several groups:
- on hanging shelves;
- bracket-mounted varieties;
- sinks with cabinet;
- products on a pedestal.
When purchasing this or that option, pay attention to its design features. Many kits already have special fasteners, which immediately indicates the method of fixing faience. The size of the product itself is also important. It must strictly match the free space in the bathroom, otherwise the installation of the sink will be complicated.
What tools and materials can be useful in the process of work?
Sink installation requires certain hand tools and materials. This list includes:
- Adjustable wrench (or a set of regular wrenches).
- Several dowels or a pair of brackets (sink with cabinet in the bathroom can be installed without the use of fasteners).
- Screwdriver.
- Plumbing wrap.
- Secrets.
- Pencil or marker.
- Screwdriver (for mounting the sink with cabinet).
- Silicone sealant.
- Drill or punch.
When purchasing a sink, pay attention to its complete set. Some products are sold with basic faucets, but in most cases they have to be purchased separately. When choosing a faucet, you need to make sure that it is compatible with the design of the selected washbasin: it matches the diameter of the hole and fits in size. You should also pay attention to the fact that some mixers are sold without connecting tubes. In such cases, they are purchased separately. When all the necessary materialsready, you can get to work.
Where to start?
If there is an old washbasin at the place of work, then the installation of the sink in the bathroom begins with the elimination of the failed product. First of all, you need to dismantle the mixer. To do this work, you need to turn off the water. First, the nuts are unscrewed, with which the product was attached to the washbasin. Then the cold and hot water pipes are disconnected, after which the tap can be freely removed.
Next, the siphon is dismantled. First, the metal grate (located in the hole of the old sink) is unscrewed, and then the plastic nut under the sink is unscrewed. The siphon should be held very carefully, as it contains water. If this element will not be used with a new sink, then it is disconnected from the sewer. It is better to plug the remaining hole in the pipe with something, otherwise an unpleasant smell may appear in the room.
Now the sink can be removed from the fixtures and proceed with the installation of a new washbasin.
Sink height: at what level should the washbasin be?
Before the faience product is fixed at the base, it is necessary to determine the level of its fixation. Here, again, it all depends on the design of the washbasin and on the free space in the room. For example, products such as "Tulip" have a standard leg, so you simply won't be able to place the bowl higher or lower.
In addition, the height of the owners matterspremises. If small children or short people live in the apartment, then for their convenience the sink can be placed a little lower than usual. According to generally accepted standards, the installation height of the sink should be about 80 centimeters from the floor.
Technology for installing the bowl on brackets
Brackets are considered the most reliable and popular way to fix the bowl against the wall. This mount is used for mounting a hanging sink or varieties on decorative legs.
The installation of the bowl on the brackets is carried out in several stages:
- The installation level of the ceramic product is marked on the wall. At a certain height, two marks are made (these will be the highest points of the washbasin).
- From the top marks they retreat down to a distance equal to the height of the back wall of the shell itself. Marks are also placed at this level. Brackets will be located in the space between the upper and lower points.
- Fasteners are applied to the wall. The place of their fixation is marked with a pencil.
- Using a perforator, holes of the required diameter are drilled at the indicated points. Dowels are installed in them, brackets are attached to the wall.
A washbasin bowl is put on the resulting base. If the design of the brackets implies the presence of mounting bolts, then the sink is additionally attracted to the base by these bolts.
If the kit has a decorative leg, it is substituted under the installed bowl. This is done after connecting the siphon andfaucet.
Mounting the bowl on the cabinet
Installing a ceramic sink on a cabinet is a fairly popular installation method. Stands of various types and shapes can be used here. And the bowl itself can have a different design. As a curbstone, a product made of wood, ceramics and drywall can be used.
If the sink is a mortise type, then at the base of the stand, you must first cut a hole of the appropriate shape and size. To do this, the bowl is placed on the countertop, the necessary measurements are taken and marks are made. A hole is cut out at the marked points. This work is done with a jigsaw. Next, the bowl itself is installed. The junction of ceramics and countertops can be smeared with sealant. Such varieties are usually not attached to the wall, but can be equipped with mounting bolts for fixing to the cabinet. In this case, the nuts just need to be tightened well.
The overhead bowls are simply placed on top of the finished countertop. In order to give the structure good stability, the cabinet can be additionally fixed against the wall (using self-tapping screws).
Mounting a washbasin with a hanging vanity
Washbasins with hanging countertops are especially popular today. For this reason, the question of their installation is very relevant. It should be noted right away that the use of such varieties is possible only if all plumbing wiring is hidden in boxes or walls. Only small sections of pipes should protrude outside, which do not prevent the pedestal from fitting snugly toground.
Installation of this type of sink is as follows:
- Since most often the cabinet is sold unassembled, it must first be assembled. This work is carried out in strict accordance with the scheme or instructions provided by the manufacturer. To carry out these works, a set of self-tapping screws and a screwdriver are used.
- If the back wall of the cabinet is completely open, then you can start fixing it on the wall. In closed versions, there are usually only a few holes for connecting pipes. In these cases, the back wall often has to be cut or increased in size of the base slots so that the water and sewer pipes do not rest against the pedestal.
- Next, proceed to fixing the countertop. To do this, mark the installation height of the sink and the location of the dowels on the wall. Most often they need to be made 4 pieces.
- Holes are drilled at the marked points, dowels are driven in.
- The cabinet rises to the desired height and is fixed against the wall with self-tapping screws.
If the bowl is already fixed on the base, then you can start connecting the plumbing. The overhead sink is installed on top of the pedestal and is bolted to the wall or to the base itself. On this, the installation of the sink with the cabinet in the bathroom can be considered finished.
Installation of corner washbasins
Very often the area of the bathroom does not allow you to install a full-fledged washbasin. In these cases, the owners acquire angular varieties of shells. Their installation does not cause any particular difficulties and is identical to the previously describedprocesses.
If the bowl will be placed on a cabinet, then the base itself is pre-installed in the selected corner. It is pressed tightly against the wall and fixed with several screws. A sink is mounted on top of the cabinet. It can simply stand on the countertop, or it can be bolted to it.
Hanging varieties are mounted on brackets and self-tapping screws. To do this, you need to make marks on the wall, drill holes for plastic dowels, and fix the product itself. After that, connect the siphon and mixer.
Installing the faucet
Installing a faucet on a sink is a simple process. To carry it out, you only need to have a set of hoses, rubber bands and wrenches.
First, gaskets are put on the hoses, after which they are screwed to the body of the mixer itself (from the inside). A rubber sealing ring is put on the base of the tap. After that, the product is installed in a special hole in the bowl, and the tubes are passed under the sink.
From the bottom side, a gasket and a clamping pin are connected to the tap. With the help of a bolt with a nut, the mixer is fixed in place. Hoses are connected to water pipes and screwed on with nuts.
During the installation of the mixer it is very important not to overtighten the connecting elements. Everything should be tightened by hand, and with a wrench, only slightly tighten the hose connections. To avoid water leakage, it is better to glue the threaded connectionsspecial tape.
Siphon connection
The siphon connection technology is universal for all types of washbasin and does not depend on the method of sink installation.
The process looks like this:
- The “neck” of the siphon is installed in the drain hole of the bowl. On the outside there is a grate with a rubber gasket, which is tightly attracted to the hole with a plastic nut (it is twisted under the washbasin).
- A lock nut with a wedge-shaped ring is put on the pipe from the grate. The siphon glass is connected to the pipe.
- Next, the glass is pressed against the locking ring, after which the nut is screwed onto it.
- A sealing gum is inserted into the sewer hole, the diameter of the hole in which is slightly smaller than the siphon pipe.
- Plastic corrugated tube is tightly inserted into the elastic band. For reliability, the place of their joining can be smeared with silicone sealant. This will prevent water from leaking and bad air from entering the room.
To check the tightness of the drain, water is drawn into the siphon. If there is a leak, tighten the packing nuts more.
Summing up
Despite the fact that the range of washbasins today is very extensive, the installation technology of all varieties is very similar. All work uses the same fasteners and tools. Therefore, if the owners of residential premises manage to independently install the sink, then its subsequent replacement or repair will no longer cause any difficulties. We hopeour article will help you cope with this task and reduce the cost of paying for the services of specialists.
