Vanity

Vanity and Sink Delivered Wyndham collection Centra 36" single bathroom vanity in grey oak with white marble top and square porcelain undermount sink. Cost 1259.00

This is a cantilevered vanity which means it sticks out of the wall. It doesn't sit on the floor. I put the vanity on a dolly and shimmed it to the height I planned for. Turns out the pipes are right at the level of the vanity shelf. I don't want to butcher the shelf so I have to raise the vanity so the pipes enter below the shelf. Very Important! The cabinet has to be positioned at least 1/2" from the side wall so the drawers don't open and hit the door casing trim. The marble top overlaps the side by 1/2" also.

Setting the vanity height This is a cantilevered vanity which means it sticks out of the wall. It doesn't sit on the floor. I put the vanity on a dolly and shimmed it to the height I planned for. Turns out the pipes are right at the level of the vanity shelf. I don't want to butcher the shelf so I have to raise the vanity so the pipes enter below the shelf. Very Important! The cabinet has to be positioned at least 1/2" from the side wall so the drawers don't open and hit the door casing trim. The marble top overlaps the side by 1/2" also.

Too get access to the back I have to remove the drawers. It's really easy. All you have to do is depress the yellow levers and lift the drawer out

Setting the vanity height Too get access to the back I have to remove the drawers. It's really easy. All you have to do is depress the yellow levers and lift the drawer out

The top of the drain is the highest point of the 3 pipes. Too get an accurate measurment I placed my level on the top of the drain and measured from the floor to the level. It's 18-5/8 from the floor so it is under the level of the shelf by 1-1/2"

Setting the vanity height The top of the drain is the highest point of the 3 pipes. Too get an accurate measurment I placed my level on the top of the drain and measured from the floor to the level. It's 18-5/8 from the floor so it is under the level of the shelf by 1-1/2"

Drilling the pipe holes I backed the vanity into the pipes and traced a circle around the one sticking out the most

I cut the first hole with a 1" hole saw and pushed the vanity back to the second pipe. I traced the hole but didn't cut it yet because I wasn't sure that it wasn't going to intersect the large hole for the drain. The kind of hole saw I'm using for the drain will hang up if it touches an adjacent hole

Drilling the pipe holes I cut the first hole with a 1" hole saw and pushed the vanity back to the second pipe. I traced the hole but didn't cut it yet because I wasn't sure that it wasn't going to intersect the large hole for the drain. The kind of hole saw I'm using for the drain will hang up if it touches an adjacent hole Here's the first hole. I actually found the center of the drain hole by measuring from the floor and the side wall to the center of the red drain plug screw

Here's the first hole. I actually found the center of the drain hole by measuring from the floor and the side wall to the center of the red drain plug screw

Drilling the pipe holes Here's the first hole. I actually found the center of the drain hole by measuring from the floor and the side wall to the center of the red drain plug screw

Drilling the pipe holes Cutting the drain hole at 2-1/2 inches with a dial saw

Drilling the pipe holes The three completed holes

The moment of truth is when you push the vanity into place and all 3 pipes line up. The original height would have the pipes coming through the cabinet right into the above shelf.

Drilling the pipe holes The moment of truth is when you push the vanity into place and all 3 pipes line up. The original height would have the pipes coming through the cabinet right into the above shelf.

The vanity and top have to support a lot of weight. The vanity and sink weigh around 100 lbs plus you have storage in the vanity, water in the sink and a person who might decide to sit on it. Anchoring to the wall is very important. I'm going to use big lag bolts so you have to make sure you hit the middle of the studs. I should have marked the stud centers when I had the wall open but I didn't so I used a stud finder and verified the exact location of the stud edge by drilling small holes in the wall till I hit wood

Hang the Vanity The vanity and top have to support a lot of weight. The vanity and sink weigh around 100 lbs plus you have storage in the vanity, water in the sink and a person who might decide to sit on it. Anchoring to the wall is very important. I'm going to use big lag bolts so you have to make sure you hit the middle of the studs. I should have marked the stud centers when I had the wall open but I didn't so I used a stud finder and verified the exact location of the stud edge by drilling small holes in the wall till I hit wood

Hang the Vanity I used a level to extend the stud centers above the cabinet top and marked them on some masking tape

I mixed up a small batch of thinset in the kitchen. Now that I had established the location of the cabinet and cut the holes for the pipes which allowed me to push the vanity into position I could layout the last 2 pieces of tile. I ended up having to make my cuts outside where it was 10 degrees.

The last of the tile work I mixed up a small batch of thinset in the kitchen. Now that I had established the location of the cabinet and cut the holes for the pipes which allowed me to push the vanity into position I could layout the last 2 pieces of tile. I ended up having to make my cuts outside where it was 10 degrees.

Since I raised the vanity to avoid the pipes I cut and installed another piece of tile to bring the level up to the bottom of the cabinet

The last of the tile work Since I raised the vanity to avoid the pipes I cut and installed another piece of tile to bring the level up to the bottom of the cabinet

The second piece had to match the bottom and the right side of the vanity. Notice how I left a length of the tile edge trim to cover the new piece.

The last of the tile work The second piece had to match the bottom and the right side of the vanity. Notice how I left a length of the tile edge trim to cover the new piece.

The last of the tile work All that's left is a couple lines of grout. I'll hang the vanity and install the water supply shutoffs tomorrow

I'm mixing up a small amout of grout by hand in the warm kitchen because it's 3 degrees out this morning. If you do it by hand in a small containter you don't make a giant mess that will take 1/2 hour to clean up

Grouting the last tiles I'm mixing up a small amout of grout by hand in the warm kitchen because it's 3 degrees out this morning. If you do it by hand in a small containter you don't make a giant mess that will take 1/2 hour to clean up

Grouting the last tiles This is a good consistancy. It's creamy but doesn't fall off the mixing stick

Grouting the last tiles Just 2 lines to grout

You can see that I got good penetration of the grout all the way to the base of the tile. This edge doesn't have to be finished because the cabinet will sit on top of it

Grouting the last tiles You can see that I got good penetration of the grout all the way to the base of the tile. This edge doesn't have to be finished because the cabinet will sit on top of it

I was curious. I moved the cabinet off the dolly onto a scale. it weighs 85 lbs with all the drawers. The marble top weighs 55 lbs. for a total of 135.

Weighing the cabinet I was curious. I moved the cabinet off the dolly onto a scale. it weighs 85 lbs with all the drawers. The marble top weighs 55 lbs. for a total of 135.

With the cabinet out of the way I was able to completely clean up the grout. Notice how I have the dolly shimmed so the cabinet will roll right into the wall at the correct height

Weighing the cabinet With the cabinet out of the way I was able to completely clean up the grout. Notice how I have the dolly shimmed so the cabinet will roll right into the wall at the correct height

With the cabinet at the correct height on the dolly push it into the back and left side as far as it will go. Check to make sure it's level in both directions. Very Important! The cabinet has to be positioned at least 1/2" from the side wall so the drawers don't open and hit the door casing trim. The marble top overlaps the side by 1/2" also.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall With the cabinet at the correct height on the dolly push it into the back and left side as far as it will go. Check to make sure it's level in both directions. Very Important! The cabinet has to be positioned at least 1/2" from the side wall so the drawers don't open and hit the door casing trim. The marble top overlaps the side by 1/2" also.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall This is what the bubble in the level should look like

Mounting the cabinet to the wall Transfer your stud locations to the inside of the cabinet with a square and mark a line.

I used 3/8 x 3" hex head lag screws that use a 9/16 socket. I used a 9/32 pilot hole. I adjusted the drill depth by lining up the bolt with the drill bit

Mounting the cabinet to the wall I used 3/8 x 3" hex head lag screws that use a 9/16 socket. I used a 9/32 pilot hole. I adjusted the drill depth by lining up the bolt with the drill bit

I measured 2" down from the cabinet top along my stud line and drilled my pilot hole. I was happy when I felt the drill go into the solid stud.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall I measured 2" down from the cabinet top along my stud line and drilled my pilot hole. I was happy when I felt the drill go into the solid stud.

I marked a 3/8 drill bit for the shank (unthreaded part of the bolt) pilot hole with some masking tape which only gets drilled into the 3/4" cabinet.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall I marked a 3/8 drill bit for the shank (unthreaded part of the bolt) pilot hole with some masking tape which only gets drilled into the 3/4" cabinet.

After I drilled the shank through hole I wrenched the lag bolt in with a 9/16 socket and a ratchet. Tighten until the washer won't move

Mounting the cabinet to the wall After I drilled the shank through hole I wrenched the lag bolt in with a 9/16 socket and a ratchet. Tighten until the washer won't move

Mounting the cabinet to the wall Fastening the second bolt on the top

The cabinet will hang on the wall now so you can remove the dolly. The cabinet is also sitting on top of the tile in the rear.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall The cabinet will hang on the wall now so you can remove the dolly. The cabinet is also sitting on top of the tile in the rear.

Next I'm going to put in 2 bolts in the lower part of the cabinet. Too get my stud location I measure on either side from the inner wall of the cabinet to the center of the top bolts

Mounting the cabinet to the wall Next I'm going to put in 2 bolts in the lower part of the cabinet. Too get my stud location I measure on either side from the inner wall of the cabinet to the center of the top bolts

in the lower level of the cabinet mark off your stud center measurments from the side of the cabinet. I located my lower bolts 2" down from the bottom of the shelf

Mounting the cabinet to the wall in the lower level of the cabinet mark off your stud center measurments from the side of the cabinet. I located my lower bolts 2" down from the bottom of the shelf

Mounting the cabinet to the wall Driving the last bottom bolt in.

I'm putting one bolt on the top of the cabinet left side. I need a spacer because the left side is 1/2" from the wall because of the top overhang and the space needed to keep the drawers from opening into the door trim.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall I'm putting one bolt on the top of the cabinet left side. I need a spacer because the left side is 1/2" from the wall because of the top overhang and the space needed to keep the drawers from opening into the door trim.

Mounting the cabinet to the wall The left side mounting bolt