Will a Bathroom Vanity Hide the Mounting Bracket of a Wall Sink?

Height of the Bracket

• Your bathroom vanity will need to sit flush to the wall behind it when properly installed. While the back of the vanity can be easily cut to accommodate valves, pipes or a sink bracket, the top rail of the vanity and the countertop cannot. A wall-hung bathroom sink can be positioned at several heights. Some are dictated by the manufacturer, but others can be hung at any height desired by the user. Bathroom vanities on the other hand can range in height from 30 to 34 1/2 inches. This does not include the finished counter, which can add an additional 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in height. For your vanity to cover the sink bracket, the bracket must fall into the back section of the vanity below the rails, which can range from 3 to 5 inches in height. Choose a vanity that accommodates the height of the sink.

Width

• The width of your vanity will also come into play. While some wall-hung sinks are very small and would be easily covered by a standard-sized vanity, some can extend for the length of the wall. Your vanity will likely have two 4-inch-wide rails on either side that cannot be drilled or cut into. Therefore, the vanity will need to be wide enough to ensure that the brackets for the sink fall between the rails on either side of the vanity.

Open or Closed

• It's becoming more common to find vanities that resemble a piece of furniture rather than a closed cabinet. These newer pieces will often have a thick, solid top that may incorporate some drawers. Below this, the vanity may be open or may include some shelves. If your vanity piece is open or furniture style, check to see if the top portion of the vanity can accommodate the brackets being inserted into it, or if the brackets would push it out from the wall. Otherwise, a closed cabinet style vanity may be the better choice for hiding the bracket.

Drawers, Baskets and Accessories

• Newer vanity cabinets frequently include more than a simple open space beneath the sink. Drawers, laundry baskets, shelves and other accessories are frequently found inside the cabinets. To ensure that the sink brackets don't impede on the use of any of these items, check that their exact placement on the vanity enters into the sink base cabinet. This is the section of the vanity that is directly below the sink. It is frequently left completely open to accommodate the plumbing and rarely has drawers, shelves or pullouts incorporated into the design.