How simple is it to change out a vanity?
Thanks, Marcia
Marcia,
Thanks for writing in. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to give your bathroom a new look.
• First, shut off the water supply on each line.
• Turn both faucets on to be sure both lines are completely drained and use an adjustable wrench to disconnect both water lines.
• The final disconnect is the drain line, which is loosened using a pair of channel locks.
• Use a power screwdriver to remove the sink.
• Remove the sink and unfasten the screws that held the old vanity to the wall.
• Before installing the new vanity, attach the fixtures (the faucet and the pop-up). Tip: It’s extremely difficult working from underneath. It’s much better to do all of your assembly work when you have good access to all the parts.
• Install the faucet. It has a plastic gasket. You need to install a bead of plumber’s putty for a perfect fit. So grab a ball of it and roll it right out, almost to a string size. Take it and run it around the perimeter.
• Once the faucet is set, you’ll see some of the plumber’s putty ooze out along the edge. Clean that up later.
• Hold the faucet in place while someone else does some tightening (to assure the alignment isn’t lost).
• Take the channel locks and come in from the side and do a one-and-a-half to a one-quarter turn. You don’t want to turn it too much because you’ll break the fins off the side of the nut.
• Now put in the flange, which is part of the pop-up assembly. Before you set it into place, you’ll need to run another bead of plumber’s putty around the perimeter. Again, any excess will clean right up.
• Put the rest of the pop-up assembly in now: first, the rubber washer; then, the metal friction washer; finally, the retaining nut. You want to hear the squeak, but you don’t want to tighten too tightly because you’ll crack the porcelain sink.
• Install the tailpiece; but before attaching that to the threads, run Teflon tape around the threads for a better seal.
• Finish the stop assembly by installing the stopper, the pivot rod, the lift rod and the extension.
• Hook up the two water lines. I recommend using flex lines, which are much more do-it-yourself friendly, as opposed to rigid steel lines.
• Slide the vanity up against the wall. Set it in place, kind of centering it with the mirror. Before attaching it to the wall, make sure it’s level. Attach it using wood screws that go into the studs. Add a bead of caulk where the backsplash meets the wall, to keep water from getting behind the new vanity.
Kaile Warren of Windham is CEO/Founder of the national handyman franchise Rent-A-Husband. Kaile is also a national home improvement expert for the CBS Early Show, HGTV and Parade Magazine and appears locally on WCSH’s 207. When not on the road or working he spends his time teaching his newly adopted white shepherd, Maintenance, how-to ... Send your questions for Kaile to editor@themaineswitch.com.