Wall basins
Wall basins or hand basins can give you a modern and minimalist look. If you’re planning to install a wall hung basin, it’s important to check that your bathroom has adequate fixing points and plumbing at your desired location.
Different vanity basin types
If you’re going with a vanity basin instead of a wall basin, it can be mounted in three ways—inset, countertop or undercounter. Each type of wash basin has different benefits depending on how you use your bathroom and your personal taste.
Inset basins
Inset basins sit inside a cut-out hole on the top of the vanity and have a raised rim. The height of the rim varies, from almost flush with the vanity top to a featured profile, with many styles to choose from. Inset basins help control spills because of the raised edge, however that edge also prevents water on the vanity top from being swept into the basin.
A type of inset basin is the semi-recessed basin (shown above). The benefit of this type of basin is that it’s only partly inset at the front of the vanity, leaving more room, for say, a soap or toothbrush holder.
Countertop basins
Countertop basins or above-counter basins sit on top of the vanity. You can choose from a wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes to give your bathroom a new look. Because they sit on top of the vanity, countertop basins don’t take up as much of your storage inside the vanity.
Undermount sinks
Undermount or undercounter sinks are installed underneath the vanity top to create a clean, seamless look. Suitable for solid benchtop surfaces like stone, they’re a great option for busy families as water spills can be quickly swept straight into the basin. Undermount basins require a custom sized hole to be cut into the benchtop, with the exposed edges finished and sealed.
One basin or two?
Two basin bathrooms are becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity in a busy family home. If you want to add a second basin to your bathroom, it’s cost effective to plan ahead at renovation or construction stage due to the additional plumbing required for taps and waste-water pipes.
One tap hole or three?
If you want to use a mixer, you’ll only need a one tap hole basin. However, if you want a more traditional setup where there are separate taps for both hot and cold water, you’ll need to use a three tap hole basin.
Replacing your basin for a quick bathroom make-over
You can give your bathroom a quick makeover and refresh the style by replacing your existing basin. The key thing to keep in mind is the size of the cut-out in your vanity top and the location of the waste-water pipe.
If you already have a counter top sink, it’s a fairly straightforward process as long as the location of the waste-water pipe and taps suit the new vessel.
If you have an inset basin you’ll need to check the size of the cut-out in the vanity top, as well as the width, depth and height of the existing basin. Also make a note of the wastewater pipe to make life easy (and keep costs down) for the plumber.
You can replace an inset basin with a countertop basin as long as the countertop basin covers the existing cut-out hole in the vanity top. We recommend speaking to a licensed plumber before buying any plumbing products to ensure they can be installed correctly.
Get your new basin
Discover our wide range of basins available at your local Bunnings Warehouse.
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