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The first-floor bathroom in the house I am buying has a really plain, ugly sink (see first photo). No vanity. I am thinking of buying the vanity pictured in the second photo, but since it has a large open space under the sink area, I am wondering how difficult it would be to modify the current plumbing? (It looks like the current plumbing would be right where the open space is in the second vanity, but can it be moved into the wall?)
The third photo is another vanity I'm considering. I really like this one too and maybe it would be easier to accommodate the plumbing (from what I have been told, the drawers aren't the full depth, leaving room at the back for plumbing pipes).
Well, the plumbing doesn't go down through the floor so either one of those should be fine I would think. The height of the shelf on the open one should be well below the bottom of the existing sink trap. But, it will of course still be visible and in the way of part of the shelf. Thus, the enclosed one would be better from that perspective.
You can't really hide the drain plumbing in the wall; the trap has to be below the sink's drain outlet like this. The plumbing there will probably have to be modified slightly anyway because your vanity's drain outlet is likely to be higher and/or have a different distance from the wall. I experienced both when I changed out my own bathroom vanity. My drain plumbing is plastic so I was able to hack it up pretty easily with a flexible piece.
BTW, don't forget to measure before you get your heart too set on a specific vanity. That space looks pretty small, may not really fit the one you want.
Plumbing stubs have standard heights and spacing. When it comes to sinks and vanities there are two sets- one for a sink (the "standard" standard), and one for a pedestal sink. The layout for the pedestal keep everything a little higher and tighter to keep it consealed.
In your case, you'd be better off with the second vanity so you don't have to mess with the plumbing.
I have it on my to-do list to take detailed measurements of the pipes & surrounding areas the next time I go see the house. (Forgot to do that last time.)
Greg42, it's hard to tell from the photo, but the area between the toilet and the door is close to 4'.
...it's hard to tell from the photo, but the area between the toilet and the door is close to 4'.
That's a good thing- part of those measurements (code requirements) is a toilet requires 36" of width. If you measure from the center of the toilet toward the sink 18"- that has to be clear space. From there on is the allowable space for the vanity. So, keep the width of the vanity in mind for that dimension, and the door swing. You may also want to check the depth of the vanity to make sure it doesn't impede the traffic path. My guess is, that why there is a wall hung sink.
I'm all too familiar with this scenario. What a H/O thought was a simple switch-a-roo became a semi-major project because I had to move plumbing (because of the confined space within the vanity), electrical (light), and a HVAC register (which would have been blocked by the vanity).
lol, not about keeping up with the Joneses at all (I am about as far from a status-seeker as you can get) ... the current sink is just, well, old and ugly.
I do appreciate your insights about plumbing, they are very helpful! Thanks!
Agree with the idea to check the depth (back to front) of the vanity vs. existing sink. I did something similar many years ago and vanity was considerably deeper than the sink - almost too big for the room. You may have to go with something like this:
Okey, thanks for the link. If I could find something that size but in the style I like (more like the photos I posted), I would definitely go for it. (Or maybe I could just paint it and switch out the hardware ... I think it would fit much better ... hmmm ...)
Last edited by karen_in_nh_2012; 04-14-2012 at 04:44 AM..
The first-floor bathroom in the house I am buying has a really plain, ugly sink...
...which is super easy to clean under.
The extra roll of TP can still fit anywhere.
Quote:
...Any thoughts?
Sure. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
As a new homeowner you should be VERY wary of these "low hanging fruit" jobs.
Focus on what is actually needed and then delay doing those jobs
(beyond what a paint brush will do)...until you have a cohesive plan for the whole of them.
Um, MrRational, vinyl floor, wallpapered walls, ugly old sink, hideous light fixture (you can't see that in the photo) ... it is "broken" in a sense.
Your underlying point, however, is well taken. I do plan to live in the house for at least a few months before doing any remodeling. Once I do start, I figured a bathroom might be a good place -- less overwhelming than the kitchen, which I will do in a few years. I plan to live in this house for the next 20+ years so lots of time!
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