All About Vessel Sinks

Just wanted to let you know I am back from hiatus and will be updating shortly.

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Can you make a vessel sink out of a bowl?   Yes, you can.  Now, the type of bowl you use is going to make the job easy or hard.   The things to keep in mind are:  making sure the bowl you choose has the proper slope towards the drain (or where the drain should go) so that you don’t have standing water when using the sink.   You may want to have your faucet and drain fittings before you make the cut so you can make sure the circle you cut out will fit the faucet you plan to put in.  I’ve mentioned many times before, the type of faucet used is very important when it comes to placement and use of vessel sinks.

If you’re planning to use a glass bowl, you might want to have a professional glass cutter cut the drain hole for you.  Make sure the glass you use is thick enough. You don’t want to use a thin glass that will crack easily if something is dinged against it.   Also, with glass bowls you need to make sure you have some sort of silicone or connecting ring to use between the sink and the counter for cushioning.

There are many other types of bowls to use though.  Don’t forget about stainless steel and stone bowls.

Also, who says the ‘bowl’ has to be round?  There are troughs and square or rectangular types of containers that may work well. My personal opinion is that these other materials are easier than glass to use in a ‘make your own vessel sink’ project.

Vessel Sink Placement

A couple of people have asked about the actual placement of a vessel sink.  So if you’re going to use the type of vanity that has no holes drilled or any markings for a sink, you want to place the vanity exactly in the position in the room in which it will be installed permanently.   With the vanity in place, decide where you will want the faucet to be installed.  Draw on the vanity or create a paper template to mark the position of the faucet (remember, vessel sink faucets should be about a half inch from the sink).  Next, place the sink in the position in which you want it to be permanently. Make a template for the outline of the sink. Place the template directly on the surface of the vanity in the spot where the sink will stand.   The spacing is up to you. Simulate using the sink and see what feels comfortable to you. Are you stretching to far over to get your hands above the center of the sink?  Adjust as desired.

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Well, I have another bathroom remodel going on.  Actually, I have three bathrooms in my house that need updating.  While I think installing a vessel sink in one of the bathrooms would really add some class, I’m not sure I want to spend the money.  I’ve mentioned before that there really are some inexpensive vessel sinks out there but that comes with some other factors to consider.  Vanities for vessel sinks tend to be a little more expensive than your average vanity.  So where you win some, you lose some.

That brings me to a couple of questions I’ve been getting lately.  I am answering a lot of these questions as I learn from the experiences of remodeling my own homes, but of course I will refer you elsewhere when more details are needed.

So first off, one reader asked:  What is the standard stub height for a vessel sink?    Answer:  Typically, you want to the waste stub out to be at 20 inches and the water supply stub-outs to be at 22.

There is another type of height concern too.  The typical bathroom vanity, the kind with a recessed sink, is usually between 32 and 36 inches high.  As I mentioned before, tall people live in my house so we prefer the 36 inch height.  However, when installing a vessel sink this height should be taken into consideration.  If you sit a 6 inch bowl on top of the 36 inch vanity, will this be comfortable for you?   If not, consider these two alternatives.  1) Use a vanity that is less than standard height.  2) Choose a vessel sink that is made of a material other than glass.  If you choose a stone sink, you can recess the sink slightly into your vanity so that only the sides rise up above the vanity.   Glass vessel sinks have to be mounted above the sink.

Vessel Sink with Recessed Mounting

There is one comment I get all the time:  water splashes out of vessel sinks.  I’ve mentioned this in the past and I’ll say it again:  the right faucet and faucet placement is critical to reduce splashing.   The faucet needs to properly match the type of sink you’ve purchased. There are waterfall, cascading type faucets you can try.  Where the water hits your sink is really a key.  So, if you consider those factors before installing your sink, splashing should be kept to a minimum.

I will tell you, my personal opinion is that the above the counter mounting is better suited to a half bath, powder room type of installation.  If you install the vessel sink in this type of room you’ll minimize a lot of the complaints people have from their experiences with everyday usage – i.e master bathrooms.  If you really want this look in your master bath, consider the slightly recessed mounting.

Next time, I’ll answer questions coming in about making your own vessel sinks and vanities for vessel sinks.

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