ᐅ Replace a standard washbasin with a vanity unit yourself?

kati1337 schrieb:

That’s unfortunate, of course. But the argument about the warranty is something you hear quite often. I don’t really understand where the problem lies or why they can’t provide a warranty for the toilet system just because the washbasin is removed from the contract – but of course, that doesn’t help you if they refuse.
I would probably go with a standard washbasin that doesn’t cost extra. And if possible, make sure during installation that the angle valves and drain are positioned to fit the washbasin you plan to install later. Also, check that the number is correct – whether you want one or two basins – and that they are properly centered on the pre-wall frame for the future washbasin width.

That will naturally cost a bit more unnecessarily, but I think just changing out the washbasin later is not a big deal and shouldn’t be too expensive. This time, we’re ordering the sanitary ceramics online from a big supplier at a low price, along with the furniture. For our first house, we had the Godmorgon from the blue Swedish company, and we were very happy with it.

Yes, I don’t really understand that either. But that’s just how it is. The standard washbasin including fittings costs about 150 € (around 160 USD). I think that loss is manageable, especially when you compare it to the washbasin we prefer, which is up to 60% cheaper elsewhere. Aren’t the drain and angle valves usually standard parts anyway?

Yes, normally. Of course, it depends on the wording in your contract. For us (we were able to remove the items), only angle valves and drains were installed. My main concern was the positioning of the valves on the wall.

Shelly_1999 schrieb:

The standard washbasin costs about €150 with accessories. I think the loss can be accepted.

Replacing the standard unit with the custom system is almost always possible; that’s what they rely on.
If the removed basin also "happens" to fit into the utility room, which is prepared for it, that would be great.

So, this is how we handled it:

The plumber from the general contractor excluded the basin for a small credit (if I remember correctly, about 30 euros), and instead, we downloaded the installation plans for the desired basin from the manufacturer and gave them to the plumber. He then positioned the valves and drain accordingly and – very important – informed the drywall installer where to reinforce the wall frame for mounting. This worked really well! The only thing we forgot was the base cabinet, meaning we had to fix a wooden strip with 8 anchors to the wall frame without reinforcement and then attach the cabinet to that, instead of securing it at two points as originally planned.

Also, immediately after signing the contract, we bought and stored the basin ourselves – just in case it would be replaced by a new series or the mounting points changed in the meantime. 😉

The advantage of installing the standard sink is that all the connections work properly and are sealed, in my opinion. If you add something yourself and then discover a problem, it will probably all be blamed on you. We are facing a similar situation. If I choose that route, I will at least tell the plumber to skip the silicone. Otherwise, it just creates a lot of unnecessary work.

Scout** schrieb:

The only thing we forgot was the base cabinet, so we had to fix a wooden strip with 8 dowels to the drywall frame without reinforcement, and then attach the cabinet to that, instead of using the 2 supports as originally planned.

What did you install? A vanity on a base cabinet, or why was that a problem? I was actually planning to screw the base cabinet directly into the drywall frame (double-layered). Do you see that as problematic?

Pacmansh schrieb:

I was actually planning to screw the base cabinet directly into the drywall stud frame (double-layered drywall). Do you see that as problematic?

Not if you use the proper anchors. For example, something like: cavity anchors, toggle bolts set, steel M4 and M5 anchors, drywall anchors.