800mm freestanding vanity unit
Ready for a bathroom remodel? These tips will assist in teaching you how to install a freestanding bathroom vanity. This post is brought to you by Wayfair.com. This post includes some affiliate links.
Our bathroom remodel has been completed for a few weeks, and I’ve decided bathrooms are a very important room to remodel. I always kinda thought they weren’t that important, but it makes getting ready for the day so much more enjoyable! I’ve shared a few tutorials throughout the process of our bathroom remodel, like how to frame a bathroom mirror, and I’ve talked about accessorizing bathrooms on a budget. Today let’s talk about how to install a freestanding bathroom vanity.
You will need a variety of tools for this project, but it will all depend on how your bathroom is set up and your current vanity, so I will share with you what we did throughout the process and hopefully that will give you an idea of what will be needed. For our vanity we chose this gorgeous Gray Vanity from Wayfair.com, and we are extremely happy with it! The drawers and doors are like butter when they close!
Turn off Water Supply
Before you start tearing apart your old vanity, make sure and turn off the water supply should their be an accident, you won’t want water spraying everywhere, promise. Pipes and Wrenches will be necessary for this step.
Remove the Old Vanity
When it comes time to remove the vanity, you will need to take it apart in sections. We started with the vanity top using a hammer and crow bar (after unhooking the sink and any pipes). We weren’t worried about damaging our old vanity, but if you want to sell or reuse yours, you might want to take more caution ;). Removing the mirror might also be necessary depending on the placement. As you can see from the picture below it was pretty dirty under there. We sprayed bleach all over to make sure there wasn’t any mold and cleaned everything up. That weird thing sticking up out of the ground is our vent, so we had to frame around that and make sure it was secure before installing our vanity.
*note: when choosing a freestanding vanity make sure it’s going to work with your flooring. Because our vanity was so weird and sloped backwards, the flooring actually went under the vanity quite a ways with the new one, so you weren’t able to see the subfloor. However, if you have a normal vanity, you might need to add/replace some flooring.
Paint/Prepare the surfaces
After removing a vanity you could be left with some damaged walls or unfinished surfaces. Use this time (with no vanity in your way) to patch the walls and/or paint.
Install the Vanity
Prepare to install the vanity. If your vanity has a back to it, you will need to notch out some spaces for your pipes. Now, move the vanity in place and begin measuring (for correct location) and leveling. If your vanity isn’t level, shimming the legs will be your next step, but hopefully it will be level for you. Once everything is in fact level, attach the vanity to the wall (where the studs are located) using the correct screw length for your vanity. There should be an apron underneath the back edge of the vanity (for attaching to the wall).
Install Vanity Top
Prepare to install your vanity top by adding a 3/8″ bead of silicone caulk to the top of your vanity base where the top will sit. You might need help with this part in order to get it set on there correctly. Let the caulk dry. If your vanity is up against a wall you will also need to apply a bead of caulk to seal the gap between the wall and vanity top to prevent any water leaking down.
Reconnect Plumbing
Now is the fun part… plumbing. Did you hear the sarcasm there?… we aren’t huge fans of plumbing. BUT, you can’t hide from it, you have to reconnect the pipes, you know… if you want water in the bathroom. The configuration will vary for every person, so if you are uncomfortable with this part, you might want to hire a professional to avoid any leaks or problems along the way.
Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy your beautiful new bathroom! Yay!
Here’s a source list for our bathroom in case you are interested:
Bathroom Vanity – Wayfair
White Rug – Wayfair
Mirror Frame – DIY Tutorial
Pipe Shelves – DIY Tutorial
Soap Pump – Walmart
Toothbrush Holder – Walmart
Things Jar – Walmart –
Pendant Lights – Amazon
Shower Caddy – Wayfair
Back Scrubber – World Market
Shower Curtain – Walmart
Towels – Walmart
Wire Basket – Walmart
Glass Jars – Walmart