How to Install a Wall Mounted Pedestal Sink

3 Materials
$500
4 Hours
Medium
Wall mounted pedestal sinks are awesome if your bathroom is super tight and you want extra storage.

The space under the floating pedestal can be used for anything - step stools, baskets, scales, magazines, dirty laundry....okay, maybe not dirty laundry!

Plus, wall mounted sinks show off tiled bathroom walls and create a more open space versus traditional pedestal sinks.

Installation can be tricky. We made a few mistakes ourselves. But you'll be more confident and love the look of your bathroom after our tutorial.
This is the sink we installed. Installation begins with the plumbing and understanding the height requirements for the sink. But the first step is to have blocking inside the wall.
The most important thing for wall mounted sinks is to have wood blocking in the wall.


Screws will be anchored to that plywood and hold the sink securely to the wall.
If you want a super solid installation you need wood blocking.


A piece of 2x10 wood can also be used in place of plywood. Either toenail the wood or screw it to the adjacent studs.


In any case, wall mounted sinks need wood blocking!!
Floating wall mounted sinks can be set at any height.
34 to 36 inches would ideal.


In this project we placed a mark on the wall at 35 inches since that’s the height we chose for the sink top.


Choose a height for the sink top from the finished floor and stick with it.
Furthermore, this will be a reference mark for the floating pedestal.
More on that installation in a bit.
In the video Steve mentions a potentially fatal mistake:


Incorrect valve stem spacing.


Get this wrong and your project could be a nightmare.
Valve stems for the Ravenna need to be 3 inches apart.


Otherwise the shut off valves won’t fit inside the pedestal.
Bottom line, adjust your plumbing before finishing the wall.
The height of the shut off valves should be around 24 3/4″ off the finished floor.
Drains should be 21 inches off the finished floor.


Here's a BIG tip:


Turn off the water to the house before installing the sink. That way, if one of the shut offs is bumped it won't leak.


The next step is to install the floating pedestal.


Can you do this by yourself? You bet, we'll show you.
 
In the video Steve explains that from the top of the pedestal to the top of the sink is about 7 inches.


Remember that reference mark for the sink height...yep, it's important.
Measure down 7 inches from that 35 inch mark and that's the height for the pedestal.


Set a level on the pedestal and mark the position of the pedestal holes on the wall.


There's a third hole in bottom center of the pedestal. We opted not to drill out this hole because the screw would have pierced the drain.


This is super important:


Know the location of the pipes in the wall before drilling holes!!


Holes in water supply lines or drains are not good.
That's obvious, but nonetheless you could get caught up in the moment and not realize a hole is being drilled into plumbing.
 
We had to cut holes in the wall tile using a diamond hole saw.


The proper technique for doing this is to hold the bit at a 45 degree angle to get it started in the tile.


Then slowly tilt the bit to 90 degrees.


Our video shows this is detail.


We used a 1/2 inch diamond hole saw with a standard drill but you can also use impact drivers.
Thread the screws for the pedestal into the wood blocking using pliers. Just be careful not to damage the threads for the nuts.


Then temporarily mount the pedestal to the wall using washers and nuts. It doesn't have to be super tight at this point.
In addition, check the pedestal is level.
Place the sink on the pedestal and double double check for level (yes, I meant to say that).


It never hurts to double or triple check.


Then mark the holes for the sink and cut them using the diamond bit.


The lag screws for the sink were bigger than those for the pedestal. So we predrilled the wood blocking with a 1/4" drill bit and installed the screws with pliers.


In the video we test the fit the sink with the screws to ensure it would work.
Once the wall is prepped for the sink, the next step is to install the faucet.
I think you'll be pleased with how easy this was to do.
 
Faucets are way easier to install when the sink isn't mounted to the wall.
We used the American Standard Portsmouth single-handle faucet on this project.


Side note on single-handle faucets:


They're my favorite choice in bathrooms because there's only one cartridge to replace. In addition, I think it's easier to clean single-handle faucets.
Just my opinion for what it's worth.


The Ravenna already has the supply lines connected to it. Which is great because it's one less step.


Plus, the speed connect drain control cable makes the pop-up assembly easy.
I hate messing around with traditional pop-ups and love the speed connect.


Start watching our video at the 10:00 mark to see the faucet installation in detail.


Disassemble the faucet retaining nut and slide the faucet onto the sink. Just make sure the rubber gasket is between the faucet body and sink.


Then position the washer between the underside of the sink and retaining nut. Tighten the nut with pliers and your done.
The Portsmouth drain has foam gasket that seals it to the sink.


There's no need to use plumber's putty or silicone because of this gasket.
Slide the drain into the sink then add the rubber washer, plastic slip ring, and brass nut to the underside.
Tighten the brass nut with a set of pliers. Make this connection tight since it's a potential area for leaks.


Attach the speed connect drain control cable to the drain and then add the drain pipe.


Steve shows how to apply silicone to the pipe threads to avoid leaks. I thought this was a fantastic tip, especially for this type of sink.
Add the sink to the wall and secure it using lag screws.


This part can be tricky if you're alone but fortunately the human body has two hands and head to support sinks, haha.
Watch our complete installation video to see all the steps.


We hope our tutorial was helpful.


If you have any questions we'd be happy to answer them on Hometalk or over on Home Repair Tutor.


Jeff
Suggested materials:
  • American Standard Ravenna Sink Basin in White http://bit.ly/2tsFez5   (American Standard)
  • American Standard Ravenna Semi-Pedestal Sink Leg in White http://bit.ly/2tX8kqP   (American Standard)
  • Portsmouth Single-Handle High Arc Faucet  http://bit.ly/2uBKBu6   (American Standard)
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  2 questions
  • Carolyn from NH Carolyn from NH on Aug 05, 2017

    Not plumbing savvy, so I have a question. If you have a water problem, how do you get to the shut offs? Thank you. Carolyn

  • Mark Cichewicz Mark Cichewicz on Aug 05, 2017

    Please tell me if the walls in this bathroom are Marble or Ceramic.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 7 comments
  • Pizzchzz Pizzchzz on Jul 12, 2018

    Thank you for the great explanation

  • Paige Parker Paige Parker on Jul 31, 2018

    you have done an awesome job, this is very similar to the sink we have in our rented apartment. I have no storage and hate leaving things on the floor around sink or toilet. Do you have any DIY to build or create storage under the sink that is temporary, I hate the sink fabric skirt ideas....

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