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kendrahhendra

Bathroom refresh - HELP!

last month
last modified: last month

- Is there a miracle vanity material that can withstand moisture and isn't custom or a fortune?

- Is there a way to have a console sink without blocking and without bolting it to the wall?

We're refreshing, NOT GUTTING this tiny primary bath. (We'll never recoup gut costs and don't have the bandwidth to manage it in this second home - a condo we bought to live in while caregiving for my aging parents.)

We need a new vanity - stone is cracked, paint is peeling, wood is splitting.

I'm concerned about a wood or painted due to humidity. No window. Air vent to roof has no draw and I have little confidence the building will fix it. Plus, a built-in radiator to right of sink, that we don't control, cranks heat.

I love a console sink: No moisture issue, no off gassing (some cabinetry bothers my allergies), and it makes the room seem more open. BUT, how would it get bolted to the existing wall, which has 2 layers of tile: ugly Tuscan tile over original 1949 turquoise?

Also with a console, this terrible botched tile mess would show. I presume I could fill in the gaps with grout, or paint the turquoise gaps to match the Tuscan tile so it might not look absolutely horrible when we go to sell ?

Also where the hell do we shove the toilet paper holder if we can figure out a console?

Wall heater



Terrible looking two layers of tile



Layout









This room is ugly as sin but I'll worry about aesthetics later. I have to figure out the sink first.



Comments (22)

  • last month

    sounds like you Own the unit...

    I would address the ventilation first, a new exhaust system would be well work the $ and effort.

    My experience says no console is free standing. (My favorite sink for a bathroom)

    a good wood vanity would be better than particle board, for sure.

    Photos of your tiling dilemma would be helpful.

    Kendrah thanked Lyn Nielson
  • last month

    @Lyn Nielson - Thanks for your reply. Yes, we own the condo in this 1949 brick building. Bathroom is not on an exterior wall. We cannot vent out to exhaust. We are on the first floor. It is only a stack to the roof for ventilation. This is the only option.


    Every unit I looked at in the building has moisture in the bathroom. The reserves in this building are zilch and I am quite sure this issue won't be fixed anytime soon. The only thing we can do is take quicker showers with the door open.


    When you say good wood vanity - do you mean stained and not painted wood? MDF and not particle board?


    Thoughts on what colors could potentially work against this terrible tile?


    Any idea on who makes good ones? Every glowing painted vanity review I read is of newly installed vanities. Every one star painted vanity review is of these same vanities after 3 months to a year.

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    So disappointing that even this $1,700 Room and Board "wood vanity" specs read as

    Side Panels: painted MDF or wood veneer over particle board

    One review says sides in humid bathroom swelled after two weeks use. Another says the MDF started to disintegrate after two weeks with water splashing on it.

    But, I guess I cannot fault a company when the real issue is ventilation. I just cannot control the ventilation in this building unfortunately.



    Maybe I keep the crappy vanity I have now and do a bad paint job with some white paint. (I have no confidence in my DIY abilities nor the time to do a good job.) I can get a new top put on. Then when I go to sell I spend another $500 on a cheap ass new Glacier Bay vanity plus plumber install costs?

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    if you have a storage option outside the bath, you could do a pedestal sink.

    As for cosmetic improvements, I would paint all the walls and ceiling a very light version of the tile color to blend it. a beveled edge mirror no frame. two one above the sink and one to the right. (medicine cabinets, if you can for storage).


    https://www.wayfair.com/Ebern-Designs--Frameless-Medicine-Cabinet-with-Mirror-Surface-or-Recessed-Mount-Bathroom-Cabinet-with-3-Removable-Tempered-Glass-Shelves-RustProof-Metal-Bathroom-and-Kitchen-Wall-Storage-X223115330-L631-K~W112004229.html?refid=GX685213202095-W112004229_587533091&device=c&ptid=308970137428&network=g&targetid=pla-308970137428&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=314765196&fdid=1817&PiID%5B%5D=587533091&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20880162682&gbraid=0AAAAAD9ISC5gER2cRrcjLgfyZOrTxbdt9&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5J-Nsb3LjQMVjDFECB2QIA6sEAQYASABEgIsVPD_BwE


    and a train rack for towel storage over the toilet.


    Kendrah thanked Lyn Nielson
  • last month
    last modified: last month

    I always thought a pedestal has to be bolted to the wall too and that the one leg was merely decorative. No?

    If I could get away without bolting a pedestal, could I get away without bolting a four legged console too?






    I hate the look of this one but know many people own it and like it. It reminds me of a hospital.



  • last month

    Home Depot metal, may get hot? Can you install a ceiling fan to help ventilation?

  • last month

    You can bolt into that tile with the right drill bit, fasteners, etc. the console style would work.

  • last month

    But is the existing backsplash adhered to the tile? That might be the only issue (assuming you can get creative w caulking the tile and storing the TP in a basket)….

  • last month

    IKEA makes this metal base w a sink sold separately. The center shelf would allow baskets/towel storage so hiding the plumbing might be easier. Says it doesn’t need to be bolted to the wall:

    https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/enhet-bathroom-white-s19547043/

    But, again, the existing backsplash removal might mean you need another backsplash installed so 🤷‍♀️

  • last month

    Sorry - this one says it doesn’t need to be bolted and legs can be added but honestly that makes no sense….

    https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/enhet-base-frame-for-sink-white-90515882/

    Kendrah thanked thinkdesignlive
  • last month

    You can get a ventless Bathroom exhaust fan on Amazon. Brand is UZKOZAM. It circulates the air and you will need to monitor time with water running in the shower and let the fan run after shower about 20 minutes as you would do with a conventional bath fam. My dad had this in the Florida Keys, where it gets a little hot and steamy.

    Kendrah thanked Valinta
  • last month
    last modified: last month

    Aim adjustable pedestal fan into bathroom after each shower to help with drying it out. Also keep container of damp-rid on toilet tank. Tricks learned when lived in deep south with bathroom with no window.

    Kendrah thanked pkpk23
  • last month

    You can bolt into that tile with the right drill bit, fasteners, etc. the console style would work.


    What would the bolt grab on to in the wall? Can you say more. I'd love to have this option.



    I don't understand how a ventless exhaust fan is useful, because it doesn't actually exhaust anything. It just moves the humid air around this tiny room. Am I missing something?


    I think a fan from the hall into the bathroom would be a tripping hazard because the door is right on the 90-degree bend in the wall to get to another bedroom. It is a narrow wall and we'd have to sort of tango with it to walk back and forth.


    I'll invest in some damp rid though. Good idea.


    I like the idea of the green home depot metal cabinet but it is 30". I need something 24" - 28" max. 24" is what is in the space now and would be the best.


    The little backsplash can be removed.


    The Ikea sink only has two legs, both in the front. It makes me nervous not bolting something with only two legs.



  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    Maybe something like this can work for you? made of plywood, this cabinet on high legs would allow for ventilation located on the wall next to it. The oval mirror is a medicine cabinet for storage.



  • last month

    I'd go with the Ikea pedestal sink because it would resist humidity and allow the radiator to heat the room, unlike the current vanity.


    I would add a wide medicine cabinet (or two) to store things and make up for the inevitable lack of drawers in this tight fit situation.


    There are small and medium fans designed to be installed in upper corners or on walls of rooms to improve ventilation. You'd probably want another electrical outlet or twice as many plugs in the current outlet next to the sink. Sample fan:


    https://www.amazon.com/Comfort-CZ16WR-16-inch-3-Speed-Adjustable/dp/B07C39RQ37

    Kendrah thanked apple_pie_order
  • last month

    if you have a ceiling light you could add this screw in fan to help with circulation.


    https://www.lowes.com/pd/BELL-HOWELL-Socket-Fan-15-4-in-White-Indoor-Flush-Mount-Ceiling-Fan-with-Light-and-Remote-4-Blade/5002570331?store=2414&cm_mmc=shp--c--prd--dcr--ggl--PMAX_DCR000_Priority_Item--5002570331--local--0--0&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21797396774&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W8yQHb9tUfXAj8DlNTRm7KRS&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImZSU4N_NjQMVDytECB2KMTAuEAQYAyABEgL9YfD_BwE

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    I just googled freestanding pedestal sinks and there are many. I think it all depends on what the plumbing is like on that wall. This is acondo so many things can be issues not easily solved

  • last month

    And you can do an exploratory hole behind the mirror to see what’s happening behind the tile so you can anchor into the best spots. Shouldn’t be a problem.

  • last month

    Add a heat shield to the side of the vanity..check am..zn. Aluminized Heat Shield Thermal Barrier Adhesive Backed Heat Blanket (12'' X 24'')

  • last month

    Thanks for all of your comments.


    I'm not too concerned about the heat from the radiator getting into the room. It is so hot that blocking it is not a problem. It also doesn't seem to have caused any damage to the vanity that is currently there.


    Most articles I find about drilling into tile are for hanging mirrors or towel holders. I'm more concerned about the weight of a vanity and also any force put on it if someone leans on it. Is an anchored screw enough?


    I will call the plumber tomorrow and get his feel for it.


    The room is too small to mount a fan anywhere other than the ceiling. But I'm also not sure the good it will do if there is nowhere for it to exhaust to. I can't imagine that just swirling it around in the room is going to be helpful.


    I talked to a neighbor in the condo and they explored ductwork, venting with contractors when they remodeled and they came up with no solution that was workable within the confines of the condo rules and limitation of the old building.