Wallmount sink

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Maxie

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Ok another bathroom remodeling question...

We bought one of those slick European wall mount sinks for this tiny bathroom and the contractor doesn't like the mounting system (I can see his point). First of all, the bolts that came with the thing are not long enough. He hesitates to change anything from what was supplied with it, but he has to. But, it got me thinking, maybe it really isn't all that strong. The old American Standard wall mount sink had a metal bracket, and 4 bolts. This is 2 bolts directly into the ceramic back.

Sinkfront.jpgsinkback.jpgsinkbolts.jpg

So, I ask all of you? Is this strong enough? Do you all cringe at installing these? Do you modify the installation in any way to strengthen it? The ideas I came up with to make it stronger (b/c truly, it does worry me to have something so fragile looking) are to either add a metal frame with legs, or a simple wall mounted cabinet underneath.

Problem is, the only legs I can find online that could be made to size cost over $1000. (http://www.sinklegs.com/product-styles/sg-minimal.html) But, they are beautiful and are really high quality. They are made to order and size.

Or maybe my contractor who is also a cabinet maker could make this: sinkcabinetidea.jpg

Any thoughts?
 

hj

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The ceramic is quite thick and well constructed, so as long as the anchors are into structural members the sink will be okay, just don't sit on it. wall hung toilets use a similar mounting and they survive very well.
 

Jadnashua

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I have one like that at my mother's house, and it has been fine for years. If the nut isn't a locking type, either get one or use a lock washer to ensure it doesn't loosen over time and get it snug, but don't crank it down as tight as you can when tightening the bolt. A little caulk at the wall/sink junction cleans things up and adds a little strength, too.
 

Dj2

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Wall mounted sinks (even the ones with brackets) are not so good in my experience. They sag, you lose valuable storage space by not having a cabinet and all your plumbing pipes and connectors are exposed.
 

Maxie

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I'm adding to this thread b/c this sink has still not been installed. After numerous delays, the bathroom finally got finished, all except the sink. It was installed, but it did not feel very secure. The plumber had to come back to do the drain pipe (b/c I had forgotten to order the sink's popup drain stopper), but in the meanwhile we were not happy that the sink was not very firm to the wall.

I took it off to examine why, and I believe this is the issue. (My mother has been pointing this out from the beginning) The 2 hanger bolts that were installed in the wall are just not level. One slopes up, the other down. The contractor says this should not matter, but I think that's ridiculous. To me it's like putting up shelves on brackets and if the brackets aren't level, the shelf won't be level or stable.

I do plan to buy sink brackets of some sort for added strength once I find ones that will fit with the sink, but in the meanwhile, I do think the sink has to be absolutely stable and level and I don't want the brackets compensating for this problem with the hanger bolts.

I need some advice on this. Is it not realistic to expect the bolts to be put in the wall at a perfect right angle to the wall?

If the level were placed right against the wall, it is more level. In other words, the bolts are in the wall at the same height, but one slopes up and the other down. I moved the level out a bit from the wall to illustrate this.

sink_level.JPG


This shows how much the one bolt slopes up.


bolt_up.JPG



And this shows the other one sloping down.


bolt_down.JPG
 

Terry

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I would use those bolts, and then "stick" it to the wall with caulking. You can shim it while it dries.
And by the way, I'm not a fan of wall hung lavs. I prefer getting a cabinet that sets up against the wall.
Wall hung pedestals are also tough. And yes, I do charge more for them.

I don't think you need to do anything with the bolts you have. There looks to be plenty of room where the holes go through to shift it some. The whole porcelain thing, being wet clay that dries smaller, is sort of an excerise in imperfection. It all works though. Pretty cool that we can take made and make something from it.
 

Maxie

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Thanks for your reply.

What kind of caulk would you use? Also, when you say a cabinet that sets up against the wall, do you mean a wall mounted cabinet? If I could find one that fit, I'd buy it if it weren't too much money. I haven't found the right dimensions though and they cost a lot.

I also thought brackets would be fine, but it hasn't been easy to find since the bottom of the sink along the edges has a lip, and all but antique brackets (that I've seen) are flat, like these ones. But, I thought I could glue silicone stoppers on the top so the sink rests on that and not the metal anyway.
BRACKET-modern.jpg







But, maybe something antique would work:

Antique Brackets-2.jpg
 

Jadnashua

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DSC_0131.JPG
The room was still under construction when this picture was taken. The one I installed at my mother's house has now been there maybe 7-years, has not shifted, and seems perfectly sound. I did caulk the seam between the edge of the sink and the wall to mostly keep out crud and to give it a clean line. The silicon caulk has held up well - it would have torn if the sink moved. I do not know if the fact the walls were plaster verses drywall would make any difference, but in reality, drywall would probably be flatter, but I suppose with drywall, it might microscopically dimple the wall when the thing was tightened up. I would think if you really wanted to, you could put some big dollops of caulk on the back of the thing, and then tighten it down...after the silicon cured, it would be like it was glued to the wall. On mine, it is just a bead of silicon applied after installation - it may hold a little, but not as much as a big hunk on the wall. IOW, I don't really think you need to worry about it unless you have children that try to do chin-ups on the sink, or someone that likes to lean on it or sit on it. Think of the millions of wall hung sinks in public washrooms...most of them just have a pair of bolts and maybe some caulking holding them in place and they probably get abused more than the one in your home would.

I do think that without the bolt being perpendicular to the wall, it will be more problematic. You really want the washer and nut to end up flat against the sink...when the bolt is cocked, that won't be applying even pressure. You might be able to bend the hanger bolts so they are perpendicular to the wall - just be careful not to ruin the threads - maybe put a nut or two on there and grab that.

FWIW, the sink I installed was a Duravit, if I remember correctly. The width of the bathroom was limited, and the addition of a vanity would have been overwhelming for the space, leaving too small of a pass-through to the toilet and shower further into the room.
 
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