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Small Bathroom Idea Worth Considering
So you have decided you want to install a vessel sink in your bathroom…great choice you will love it! In this article I will discuss the choices you will make to install a vessel sink and faucet.
Vessel sinks:
In general there are two types of configurations to consider when you install a vessel sink. One is a square or rectangular ceramic, porcelain material and the other is a circular bowl style that can be anything from glass to stone. The basic difference is the mounting method, faucet placement and overflow drain. There is an exception; there are circular porcelain vessel sinks that are sit like and are mounted like the square or rectangular vessel.
Rectangular or square vessel sink:
The rectangular or square style will sit on the counter top and is attached with a thin bead of silicone. A drain hole is cut into the counter top that will allow the drain pipe to pass through…without coming in contact with neither the counter top nor being attached to it. The drain hole in the counter top is cut a bit larger than the drain pipe thus giving a little room to fine tune the placement of the sink when you are attaching the rest of the drain pipes.
This type of sink make have an integral faucet mount or it may not. Depending on which it is will dictate how tall the vessel specific faucet will be. I will discuss this in another article.
Circular bowl vessel sink:
This type of vessel is what you normal will see in glass and has a curved dish shape that if sat on a level surface would rock back and forth… There are many variations in material however they share a similar mounting technique. The bowl typically mounted on top of the counter with a special mounting washer. The washer is a metal collar with silicone washers and the bowl is mechanically attached to the counter top with the drain pipe. The threaded part of the drain passes through the counter top and then secured with a large nut. In essence the bowl is bolted to the counter top. The bowl will also be by default perfectly level due to this method of mounting.
Of course when you install a vessel sink there always seems to be an exception….you can mount a circular bowl shaped vessel set into the counter top. You would cut a circular hole in the counter top to allow the bowl to drop in whatever depth you wish. This mounting method gives a very different look + allows you to fine tune the overall height of the sink too, when compared to the typical way which is to sit the bowl on top of the counter. It is a little trickier to do because you will need to secure the bowl to the counter top with a thin bead of silicone and get the top of the bowl perfectly level. ( I will do an article on this type of installation soon)
Do your homework and ask lots of questions!
Vessel Sink Faucets
Vessel Faucets… what’s the big deal?!
Independently mounted faucet or integral sink mount faucet:
When you are considering how to install a vessel sink it’s a huge deal. It’s not like going to the home store buy a generic faucet with the right spacing on the water service and bingo it’s a no brainer! With vessel sinks you need to know whether your faucet will be mounted on the counter top independent of the sink or on the sink with an integral faucet mount. Or even on the wall…which is outside the scope of this article…that is a whole different ballgame.
Separately mounted faucet:
If you need to install a faucet that has an independent mounting location from the vessel sink you will need to know the height of the sink where you plan to have the faucet. Then you will have to go and shop for a style you like that will have clearance over the sink edge. Typically vessel sinks are 5″-7″ tall. Vessel faucets tend to be listed in two “overall” heights….which is not what you care about…it is the height of the actual spigot where the water comes out. Many online vendors will give the overall dimension…but not the spigot height. In general faucets that are about 11″ tall in overall height have a spigot at around 7″ which is good for most vessel sinks with an independently mounted faucet…no matter what shape.
Vessel mounted faucet:
This type of vessel is very nice for small counter tops because the faucet is mounted on top of the sink, therefore the sink can be pushed closer to the wall. For this type of installation you will want a shorter faucet that you would use on an independently mounted faucet. This is so because the faucet is now standing on top of the sink! Typically faucets that are about 7″ tall have a spout at about 3″.
There is one thing that “they” don’t usually tell you either….when you get one of the short vessel faucets…to mount on top of a 5″-7″ tall vessel…rather than on the counter top…the supplied water service hoses will be about…you guessed it…5″-7″ to short! The vendors for these faucets usually supply a 12″ long water service hose and NO you can’t buy a longer one at the home store because they are special at one end being unique to a single hole mounted vessel faucet. Not to worry take the hose to the home store and get a brass nipple connector to fit the wall side of the hose and then get a extension hose that fits the nipple and your water service shut off valve…presto problem solved!
Oh and one more thing…when you are considering how to install a vessel sink, you will need to choose the finish of the hardware, chrome, oil rubbed bronze, brushed nickel. You may need to shop around to get the faucet and drain of your choice to match up. Chrome is the way to go for the bottle trap or standard p-trap however I have seen oil rubbed bronze bottle traps and standard p-trap drain pipes…but get ready for sticker shock!
Do your homework and ask lots of questions!
