Pedestal Sink installation...

[jeff_1064]

Here is a question for you all....

I built a new bathroom in my home...My wife orginally planed on a vanity sink for it. She changed her mind and bought a pedestal sink instead. I have to attach this to the wall with a fender washers and lag bolts at two points on the sink. The directions say I should add a board in between two studs to attach to.

My question...Am able to tie one point into a stud and the other into a wall anchor so I don't have to cut into my PRIMED wall? Would you trust that or should I bite the bullet and install the board between the two studs?

Jeff

[jAngiel]

If it was me, since it's a new bathroom, I would do it "right" and go ahead and install the board. Sinks are one of those things that no one ever gives a second thought to. They just lean on the front of it or kids will sit on the edge. Seems to me that it wouldn't take very long before the one side separates from the wall just enough to be a PITA.

[jhart]

I've installed 7 pedestal sinks over the last few years, the last one being last week, in some of my apartments. Two of them had the backer board to screw into. The other 5 we used a variety of anchor type holders, the best being the ones that have the flaps squeezed together to insert and then they open up and you tighten them. Have never had a problem with the tenants and/or kids.

With one going into a stud, a wall anchor on the other side should hold it fine.

[Popeye]

Can't argue with the landlord But if it were mine I'd bite the bullet and put the solid backer in. I hate doing stuff twice and I've done enough three times to know. Pat

[rickd]

With one going into a stud, a wall anchor on the other side should hold it fine.

Hi Jeff,

I agree with Joe. I just installed my second pedastal sink in our house and I have one support going into a stud and the other uses a wall anchor. The first sink has been in our downstairs bathroom for 2 years and get's a lot of use. We've had no problems at all.

[jeff_1064]

thanks eveyryone....since i have the topcoat of paint on i will be using a wall anchor....

[430752]

in between?

Can you get in between the walls without attaching to the studs?

I had a similar event a while back. I have tiled walls over plaster of some sort, dating back to the 20's, so no backer board other than the plaster of cement embedded in chicken wire type stuff. Anyway, wife wanted pedastel sink and since couldn't get to studs through the narrow opening of medicine cabinet above, but I could reach in with my arm with short piece of wood, I put lag bolts into this "floating" piece of 2x4, laid parallel behind the back of the sink, like a brace. THis worked well, since once secured firmly, it distributed the load across the wall, or at least across the section of the wall the sink rests against. I think this is the key more than attaching to the studs or anything. I mean, sure, attaching to the studs if great, but otherwise by distributing against the larger area wall, the anchor or similar attachment point will not pull out, locally.

so, consider this as an in-between?

curt j.

[jbalders]

I just recently installed a pedestal to replace a wall-mount in one of our bathrooms. Since the wall-mount had been there since 1957, I figured the wall was plenty strong (wallboard, cement board and tile, maybe a piece of plywood) for a pedestal.

However, I couldn't find decent toggle-bolts that were long enough to go through all of that. I eventually ran across these Toggler "SnapToggle" bolts that look like someone combined a piece of metal with two zip-ties and a bolt. The nice thing about these is that the zip-ties pull the toggle against the back side of the wall, and remain there, allowing you to pull out the bolt, if necessary. The other nice thing is that the bolt isn't any longer than it needs to be, since the toggle is already pulled tight against the backside of the wall and held in place by the zip-ties.

Since the toggle is actually flat, it also doesn't bite into the wall like a conventional toggle does. My guess is that would make them stronger.