Installing That New Vanity

If you’re reluctant to buy a new bathroom vanity because you’re afraid of the installation process, don’t be! Even without a professional installer, a halfway decent Do-It-Yourselfer can do this.

Start by taking the relevant measurements: width and height and the location of your bathroom pipes. Remember before starting the installation, you must shut off the water and disconnect all supply lines. Now loosen the caulk between the wall and the old vanity.

Being careful not to harm the wall, remove the countertop. You might need an extra pair of hands to help you with this. Grab a screwdriver now and take out the screws attaching the vanity to the bathroom wall. You can now move the old vanity out of the way.

Cut pipe holes in the back of your new vanity, making sure there’s enough room for all pipes. Now find your wall studs, marking them for the new holes that you’ll make for the new vanity. Make sure you use colors that you can easily identify later, putting the marks just above the new vanity’s top. This will make sure the vanity is balanced and straight.

Now, if you’re changing the sink, install the new faucet. This way, after the vanity is in its place, there will be no need to get back under the sink.

Next, position the vanity solidly against the wall and attach it to the wall studs by using a vanity nailer (the piece of wood on the cabinet back). A 3 inch wood screw and washer are used to attach your vanity and to hold it together. Once you’ve made sure the vanity is level, use tile caulk to secure the top properly.

If you’re changing out the counter top, and if the sink is built-in to the new vanity, make sure you install the faucet before either the vanity or countertop. If, however, you have a separate sink, then you’ll want to install the countertop prior to installation of the faucets. Then you’ll install the sink into the countertop.

Finally, caulk around the faucet base and around the area where the top of the vanity will lay against the backsplash. The final touch is to put moldings around the base of the vanity and reconnect the plumbing.

Congratulations! In no more than an hour or two, you’ve installed your beautiful new bathroom vanity–and it’s now ready for years of use!

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Options in Bathroom Vanities

When you’re ready for a new look for your bathroom, one of the most fun parts is shopping for the perfect vanity. If you think that you’ll have to settle for something that resembles a cheap cabinet box topped by a pre-formed laminate construction, guess again. There are better options available. Here are a few:

Furniture Style Bathroom Vanities. These beauties give your bathroom some decorating pizzazz, especially if you’re looking for something with a touch of class. These vanities resemble other furniture items, such as a dresser, buffet, chest-of-drawers, and other similar items. Some sit on legs like other pieces of furniture.

Vessel or Integral Sinks. You can decide whether you want a more conventional sink which drops down from the bathroom vanity top, or if you want to add a bit of decorative flair through the use of a vessel sink. A vessel sink resembles a bowl as it sits on top of the bathroom vanity. Remember, though, that this style will raise the level of your sink, and also needs a different kind of plumbing.

Antique or Reproduction-Antique Vanities. This is perfect for those who prefer the appearance of older, classic furniture. You can buy an actual original vanity or, for the sake of saving some money, buy a reproduction. An original antique will need to be modified to accept the sink, your new counter and plumbing. A reproduction piece has all the beauty while avoiding these hassles. They’re already designed to be a vanity, while still retaining the classic look.

Conventional Vanities. There’s nothing wrong with sticking with the tried and true. Traditional vanities are essentially bathroom cabinets, with storage space for towels, wash cloths, etc. They are built much the same as kitchen cabinets, with either a framed or frameless construction. These conventional vanities are normally mounted on the floor like base cabinets in your kitchen are. They are typically solid and dependable and get the job done at an affordable price.

So which is the one for you? That’s a personal matter. It will be dictated by what your budget allows and how much added flair you want in your bathroom. And sometimes you have to balance out the two, design and budget. But shop carefully on our website and you’ll find the bathroom vanity that’s perfect for you.

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Suggestions When Buying Your New Vanity

Your bathroom vanity is used numerous times each day by everyone in your house. It’s also seen–and evaluated–by your house guests. Therefore, it’s important that you get the right vanity. It must be both functional and, for the best visual impact, attractive. In selecting the right vanity, keep in mind the following:

1) You must consider your bathroom’s primary users. They will determine which kind of vanity you should select. Do you have lots of people using it, and how often is each person in there?

If you have a lot of bathroom traffic, this translates to a lot of wear and tear suffered by your bathroom vanity. If this is the case, you need to shun the delicate vanity tops and the furniture-like models, as they will be unlikely to endure the beating that your family unleashes. Instead, go for a durable surface and sturdy cabinetry.

Another thought, if you have multiple users, is to choose a vanity with two sinks so that, for instance, two kids could use it at once, or husband and wife should double up.

2) Also consider the height of the people who will be using that bathroom. All vanities do not come in a standard height. Some are lower than others. The typical kitchen base cabinet is around 34 inches from the floor. If your bathroom vanity is much lower than that, very tall people will find it a pain to bend down to use it. However, if children will be the primary users, then a lower vanity might be just the thing.

3) Consider what items you’ll want to store inside the vanity. Remember that a bathroom vanity is basically just a cabinet with extra functions, and added beauty. So think about what you need to store inside and whether or not the vanity you’re considering has ample space inside. And remember, even though vanity cabinets that are reproduced to look like dressers or buffets look like they have a huge amount of space, they typically have a lot less than you might expect.

These suggestions will help ensure that you won’t face a bad case of buyer’s remorse after purchasing and installing your bathroom vanity.

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Choosing the Right Bathroom Vanity

A friend of mine recently decided he needed to upgrade the bathroom vanity and thrilled his wife with the decision. However, at the end of his do-it-yourself project, neither was very thrilled. That’s because Mike made 4 common mistakes that many people make when buying and installing a vanity. I share those mistakes with you now so that hopefully you can avoid his mistakes.

1) He liked the floor model so much, he chose its size without considering his own bathroom. Bad mistake. Height is often more important than even the design or style of your vanity. The typical 30 inch bathroom counter is not best for people taller than 63 inches. But not all vanities come in the same standard size. While 30 inches is normal, some are even lower than that. That’s what happened to Mike. He wound up needing to bend down just to wash his hands thanks to his poor planning.

2) He bought his vanity based only on looks and not on function. Mike told me the first day his wife tried to find a towel in the cabinet–only to have the handle come off in her hand. The door didn’t open because it’s there for decoration, not to open. Sure, it looks stylish, but ask “Mrs. Mike” and she’ll tell you that she wishes Mike had paid more attention to function than design.

3) And finally, Mike greatly under budgeted for his vanity. We take pride in the affordability of our bathroom vanities, but a product so practical and beautiful can only be so cheap. You’re going to have to pay some money for it, and it’s going to be more than just a couple of dollars. Mike underestimated how much money he needed to spend to get the vanity that both he and his wife wanted.

At most places, you can expect to spend $600 to $800 for a decent quality counter top, faucet and sink. Add to this price the cost of the cabinets and you have a few more hundred dollars. You might be tempted to skimp, but please don’t. Your vanity is your bathrooms focal point. That means, by all means, get the vanity that matches with your overall bathroom scheme. The one with style and class. But also get the one that works right for you (and for your spouse). If you go cheap, it will show.

Just ask Mike.

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Bathroom Furnishing and Decoration Tips

The bathroom is a place where you and your family members will spend a lot of time in. Many homeowners are starting to place a lot of emphasis on bathroom design. After all, they want to come home to a comfortable looking bathroom after a hard day at work. Besides, a home with a well designed bathroom is always worth more. Here are some furnishing and decoration tips to achieve your ideal bathroom design.

Tip 1: Getting measurements right.

Don’t start off by browsing catalogs. There are tons of options to choose from. Always have your measurements ready so that you know, at the back of your mind, what designs can be fitted into your bathroom, and what can’t.

Tip 2: Individual preferences matter.

If you are making decisions jointly with your spouse, try to spend some time browsing through existing designs to get a feel of what each other is looking for. For example, do you prefer a more traditional look? Does your partner prefer a more modern look? If both of you have got differing tastes, then you need to sit down with your spouse to come to some kind of middle ground. If you proceed without ironing out your differences, the process will surely be hindered by disagreements.

Tip 3: Settling on a preferred style.

Settling on a preferred style makes your decision much easier. For instance, if you have already decided on a traditional look, then you can start looking traditional vanities such as the Carrara marble top or the granite top. Traditional designs are usually preferred by more mature homeowners.

However, if you prefer modern bathroom vanities, the wall mounted vanities may be just what you are looking for. Such vanities give the illusion that you have a bigger bathroom. That is because there are no supporting legs for the vanities and they seem to be floating in mid air! The designs are sleek and simple, and you can be sure that younger home owners will love the modern looks.

Glass vanities look extremely elegant and posh. They give a look of luxury and the designs are usually rather different. The entire look and feel of the bathroom will be different from the other vanity designs. Glass vanities can be ideal if you are looking for a resort look.

Sometimes, during the morning rush, everybody wants to use the bathroom. You can speed things up by having a double vanity in the bathroom. For instance, if you have two children both going to school at the same time, they can brush their teeth side by side instead of having to wait for one to finish. In other words, besides the looks, double vanities also serve a very practical purpose.

If there is a lady in the house, having a matching mirror is a must. Vanity mirrors are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Finally, you have to spend some time choosing matching floor and wall tiles. There are Travertine Tiles and Marble Tiles for flooring, and there are Marble Mosaics, Travertine Mosaics, and Glass Mosaics for the walls.

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