Nothing a Little Silicon Sealant Can't Fix

Generally when something breaks, the tendency is to fix it. Well in my house, when something breaks (which is often), the tendency is to see how long I can do without it. Unfortunately, a bathroom sink is one of those things that a house, particularly one with three kids, needs to have working.

The suicidal bathroom sink had been safely removed and the kids had finally stopped laughing about the look on my face when I saw that thing hanging off the wall. Now it was time to replace it.

My dad, now back in town (too little too late, Daddio) was at the ready to call a plumber and have this thing taken care. No, I insisted, I could handle it, it was a simple matter of picking up a new vanity and installing it. Tab A into slot B, how hard could this be?

So off to my local Home Improvement Store (HIS for short and obvious reasons). I stormed in there pushing one of those big flat carts, feeling strong, capable and knowledgeable. It took about 15 minutes to collect the various "accessories" that I needed to get this job done - plumbers putty, vinyl tape, silicon sealant, two supply lines, springy anchors, a P Trap, drainspout, and a faucet. DIY Girls NOTE: The HIS employees do not like these things being called accessories. All the tools I luckily had at home already (adjustable wrench, pipe wrench, screw driver, a hacksaw and rubber gloves).

I had measured the space so I knew what I had to work with. I knew I wanted a sink with a vanity underneath for storage and that given space constraints, something with a narrower profile would work best. Most importantly, I knew that I didn't want to spend the entire month's grocery budget. I selected a dark espresso cabinet with a bright white sink, a nice mix of contemporary design with traditional aesthetic.

Then I encountered my first hitch. Getting it home. DIY Girls Note: Have a plan for getting big stuff home and don't give your tiny Saturn Ion so much credit. You'll just look sily.

Dad to the rescue! We got it home and in the house. I confidently tore the box open, took out all the pieces and pulled the directions out like I knew what I was doing. I did not know what I was doing. One read through of the directions and I was struck with a "What am I thinking" kind of panic.

Not to be deterred, I decided that the wonderful world wide web would be my guide. Youtube.com was a wealth of videos and our friends at Lowes had a series of DIY videos that were just about my speed.

Ok, panic over, I was back to being capable.

Step 1: Attach the vanity to the wall. Luckily, the holes in the wall from the previous anchor were still strong enough to be used. I secured the vanity to them using springy anchors. These are actually called toggle bolts - when you insert them into the wall, they spring open and secure themselves to the side of the hole. I measured and pre-drilled holes through the back of the vanity, slipped the bolts through, put the anchors on, slid them through the holes and tightened them using a screwdriver. Two springy anchor things and that bad boy was not moving.

Step 2: Assemble the faucet and sink. This part is especially important to follow the directions that are included in your faucet packaging. It was actually pretty darn simple. This is where the vinyl tape and plumbers putty will be put to work. While you have the sink out and uninstalled, now is the time to attach the supply lines to the faucet. I do want to remind DIY girls that they aren't kidding when they say to not overtighten, nothing will ruin your day more than a giant crack in a brand new porcelain sink.

Step 3: Attach the sink to the vanity. Some sink/vanity combos come with holes and screws to attach the sink to the vanity but most directions just call for a generous bead of silicon sealant. I like the kind in the tube that doesn't require a caulk gun. Theoretically, you pipe a bead along the top edge of the vanity like piping frosting on a cake and then set the sink on top. In reality, you make a giant mess and white sticky caulk gets everywhere. This is a good time to employ some rubber gloves and damp paper towels. It's a total pain to clean off your hands and other surfaces. Be careful to wipe up excess caulk before it dries. DIY Girl Note: Silicon sealant is handy to have around. Don't toss the tube, clean it up and seal it. You'll be glad you did.

Step 4: Deal with the plumbing under the sink. To install the plumbing under the sink I used both the DIY video and the manufacturers instructions for the P Trap. Don't try to wing it. Take it slow and keep checking your instructions. The drainspout attached neatly to the underside of the sink as part of the faucet installation. I loosely assembled the p trap to the drainspout and measured the pipe that was to enter the wall. Most P Traps are longer than they need to be so they can be cut to size. Once you assemble the trap, mark it with a pencil or marker and cut the PVC using a hack saw (seriously, don't even try to use a kitchen knife, I know you want to but a $15 hack saw is worth it). If you're not able to really get in there and get a good measure, cut it longer than you think and measure again. Better to have to make an extra cut than end up with a pipe that's too short.

I found that the P trap essentially holds itself together with the included nuts and the pressure of the installed pipes. The one problem I encountered with this part of the installation was that my very old pipe that came out from the wall was too thick for the PVC nut to fit around. The PVC P Trap fit quite snugly into the pipe but it wasn't quite watertight. A generous bead of silicon sealant where the pipes met easily solved that problem. If you encounter this too, I'd recommend waiting to apply the sealant until after you're sure everything is working because you'll want to run the water and the sealant needs time to cure.

Secure the supply lines hanging down from the faucet to the (still turned off) water supply. It's pretty simple with an adjustable wrench. Make sure they're good and tight, this is a common place for leaks.

Step 5: Turn everything back on and start praying. This is the second point in the project where you start to question you're abilities. Don't fear, the worst that can happen is a little leak so keep a towel, bucket, and that wrench nearby just in case. Make sure the faucet is in the off position and turn the the water supply back on. If your nuts at the supply aren't tight enough, you'll have a little leak here so be ready to tighten if necessary. Then remove the aerator from the faucet and turn the faucet on, this just prevents construction debris from getting trapped in the faucet. Let it run for a minute and check thoroughly below for leaks - do more than look, touch each joint and juncture to feel for moisture.

Step 6: Do a little dance, a little fist pump and update your Facebook status. This step is optional but the atta-girls from friends made me feel great.

Conclusion: In the span of about 3 hours and a total project cost of about $275, I was able to purchase and install a brand new vanity and sink in my bathroom. It was scary at times but pretty darn painless (except when I took the skin off that one knuckle - ouch!).

Subsequent conclusion: I am not a complete idiot.