[Milauskas]

Hi all,

I have never done any DIY project but I'm looking to remodel a tiny half bath off my living room. It's got fixtures from the 70s that I want to get rid of. You can see photos of the vanity in my photo album on this site. I'll also try to atach the same photo here.

The problem I just ran into is that the plumbing under the built in vanity comes from the side wall. If I want to install a vanity that does NOT span the entire width of the room I will need to reroute the plumbing (I assume).

I've only seen this done on some DIY TV shows so I want to get advice before attempting anything. If someone could take a look at the under sink photo and let me know what I need to do to reroute the plumbing so that it comes out of the wall BEHIND any vanity/sink I put in, I would be most grateful. Is this going to be a big job, or relatively painless? Thanks in advance.

 

[hayewe farm]

That's a pretty small vanity, I don't know why you would need to go smaller. Although you posted a couple of nice pictures it provides very little information. We don't know where the pipes go, what is in the back wall, is it an out side wall, is there a basement or craw space under the half bathor are you on a slab?

 

[toolbelt Tina]

you can...

I have logged enough hours of DIY and Hgtv to offer you this advice.

You can leave the vanity in place. Replace the top and refinish the doors.

If you want to add a pedestal sink then you can turn the sink to side wall which would be too odd but less work. Otherwise you can construct a false wall (wet wall I think they call it) You can run your pipe around the inside corner. You will lose 3.5 inches on both the side and back wall.

I say refurbish your current vanity. You could leave the top and just add backsplash with glass tiles perhaps? New paint, lights mirror etc.

What do you think? Hope it all works out. Don't be afraid to try. I am making my own shower.

 

[toolbelt Tina]

That's a pretty small vanity, I don't know why... quote]

yeah I thought that too... 24" perhaps. Not too many options unless you are removing walls

 

[Milauskas]

thanks

The vanity is 31" wide. I just removed the vanity/sink and the toilet in that bathroom. Yes it would be easier to replace the vanity with another so that I don't have to reroute the pipes, but I want to know my options. I don't know what's in the wall behind the sink. If it's just drywall and some studs, can I reroute the pipes around the corner and have them come out behind any new sink?

 

[nelsonned]

the new sink cant be placed against the right wall where it can hide the piping? that could leave room on the left side for a small trash can or something.

 

[adpanko]

I agree with the poster that said to leave the base, repaint it, and replace the top, sink, fixtures and door hardware. A smaller vanity would only free up a couple of inches on each side. In my opinion the benefit of having a few extra inches on each side (which isn't very valuable) doesn't make up for the potential headaches of trying to take on a relatively advanced job of rerouting supply lines and a drain, especially around a 90 degree turn in the wall. You'd be shocked at what painting the base cabinet and replacing everything else can do. Plus, it looks sort of like a custom built-on already because it fills the space perfectly.

But anyway, back to your original question of what is involved in re-routing; you really don't know until you take out the cabinet, rip off all the drywall on the lower half of the walls and see what's behind there. But first off, if that back wall is an exterior wall, you really can't put supply lines back there because there is a good chance of the lines freezing (which often leads to bursting) if you live in a climate where it gets below freezing.

But best case scenario - that wall isn't an exterior wall, and there is nothing special behind the walls other than studs and open space. You'll have to cut and do some solder joints in the supply lines to turn those pipes to the left, around the corner, along the back wall and then turn then in toward the cabinet, and install shut off valves on them. As for the drain, basically the same story, but it has to be pitched down/away from the sink at 1/4" per 12" of horizontal run. I can't tell what material that drain is; black ABS plastic? If you're house was built in the 60's/70's it's possible that you have copper as drain pipes, and not PVC or ABS plastic. If that's the case, you'll have to get a copper-to-plastic banded coupling to transition between materials since you'll want the portion of drain pipe exposed in the cabinet to be plastic, which is what virtually all drain plumbing and p-traps are these days if the plumbing isn't exposed.

If you're doing a pedestal sink, then not only would you have to re-route the plumbing still, but you'd have to do it with great precision to get the supplies and the drain pipe to come through the wall dead centered and evenly spaced since they'll be seen.

I've been a real involved DIY'er for quite a while and my advice to you is that this isn't something you want to take on as your first plumbing project. The best case scenario is still some relatively advanced stuff to do, let alone if there is other stuff going on behind the walls.

 

[Milauskas]

Thanks again

Thanks Nelsoned and Adpanko for the advice. I will leave the pipes in place and find a cabinet that spans the width of the bathroom to avoid rerouting. Since this is my first DIY project I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible. I appreciate the help. It makes my decision easier.

 

[toolbelt Tina]

hey what about me...?

Thanks Nelsoned and Adpanko for the advice.

good luck 31" will be a special order or a custom cabinet.
You'll probably have to get a 30" cabinet and add a filler strip. If you remove the drywall around the cabinet assuming it is 1/2 " then you could get a 32" vanity.

I say update it as you said you wanted to keep it simple.

Also you should put in a GFCI (ground fault plug) next to your vanity.

 

[Milauskas]

thanks tina

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep all that in mind (esp. the outlet).