I notice that my new sink doesn't *quite* fit snugly onto the top of my new pedestal (they were sold as part of the same suite), Apart from fixing the sink to the wall, and the pedestal to the floor, is there any need to use a filler of some sort (e.g. silicone sealant) between the sink and pedstal ? - obviously not for waterproofness, but just no make a good seat ?
Steve
The 3 pedestal basins I fitted all came with double ended bolt system for mounting the basin securely to the wall independently of the ped. which was apparently only decorative. This seems much better than relying on the ped. for support. Suppose you have to take off the trap, removing the ped. to get to it would mean the basin would fall off the wall or hang on the pipes
loose,settled it down and tightened up,no probs since
I guess I might be playing devils advocate a bit here - but surely replying upon the basins hanging from a couple of screws, no matter how well attached those screws might be, is asking for trouble?
The basins are made from porcelain, and porcelain doesn't give me great confidence that it can sustain tension stresses as gravity tries to pull the basin away from the wall? Wouldn't this tend to create shear stresses in the area around the screw fixings?
I tend to think in terms of porcelain being okay for compression stresses (as would be found in the pedestal as the weight of the basin bears down on it), but not tension stresses.
PoP
I thought so too until I fitted one - you could probably climb on it! Believe me these are seriously strong fittings (14mm dia hole for the wall plug) and the basin designers have done their homework on the stregth of the thing. These are continental design btw - not at all like the traditional Brit design with 2 wimpy holes in the bottom of the basin purely for pulling the basin in to the wall, with the weight being taken either on the pedestal or (in Ye Olde Days) on a couple of iron brackets (or various other bits of metal hardware). Mind you you could probably climb on a properly installed bracket-supported traditional basin too (though there the strength is down to the metal, not the pottery)
-- John Stumbles
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I'd be quite happy to climb onto the cistern of our toilet (metal brackets etc), or the cloakroom sink in the same room as said bog, but I wouldn't climb onto the bathroom sink unless the ped was firmly rooted to the floorboards - I fitted 'em all so I know what's anchored to what :)
-- cheers,
witchy/binarydinosaurs
Interesting!
I thought I would check this out, and with our downstairs loo being right alongside my study I just popped in to check the bolts before hitting reply.
No bolts. The original builders have obviously "glued" the basin to the wall with sticky stuff - I assume maybe just a couple of gobs of sealant. More correctly, the basin is glued to ceramic tiles, and the tiles glued to the wall. The basin bolt holes (where I expected the bolts to be) do seem quite substantial though - felt as though they were maybe half-inch diameter.
So in this installation the full weight of the basin is being taken by the pedestal. I hope no-one falls over and grabs the basin to stop their fall though.
Pesky builders. I see this as a shortcoming in the build. And due to the awkwardness of the basin hardware it isn't possible to retrofit bolts with the basin already installed.
PoP
A non-setting putty compound such as 'Plumbers Mait' is popular for this purpose. Place a thin bead of it around the top of the pedestal, then fix on basin. Scrape away any excess after a day or so of settling. This is about the least critical joint in the whole bathroom, but the manufacturing process just can't produce the tolerance required for a perfect joint.
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How do you know when to stop tightening the bolts though? I daren't tighten mine anymore, it's not 100% but I'm worried about breaking the basin and I don't have a pedestal to rest it on either, stupid half pedestal idea of mine... that bit hangs off the basin on springs. ;-)
Mark S.
Thanks for your replies. I wasn't going to rely on just the pedestal - I was going to screw the basin to the wall, however thats just two screw holes at the base of the basin. I just felt that when one doesn't have a snug fit, it leaves potential for movement (eventually) and I just wondered how others got round it. I've plenty of Silicone sealant around. so I'll use that.
Thanks Steve
going to screw the
I just felt that
and I just wondered
Have just finished fitting two "ped basins" - Ideal Standard recommend "Fischer FixingS" (and supply) - seriously strong screw fixings into wall with large plugs and nut & bolt other end with special polythene spacers to centre against the basins themselves - pedestal almost irrelevant but used silicone sealant after fitting to fill gap and keep top end of pedestal steady against basin. Perfect.
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