Bathroom countertop under the sink: choice and self-manufacturing

As it turns out, the bathroom offers a wide range of design possibilities. There are many interesting solutions that give the sanitary room a refined look. And functionality and convenience do not suffer, but, on the contrary, are improved. One of these solutions is a countertop for the bathroom under the sink. Instead of the usual cabinet, there is only a horizontal plane, under which you can place a washing machine or laundry basket.

What materials are made of

The countertop for the bathroom under the sink is made of various materials:

• natural and artificial stone;
• chipboard and MDF;
• glass;
• wood;
• plasterboard, faced with ceramic tiles or mosaics.

Part of the countertops for the bathroom under the sink is sold ready-made and you have to choose from the sizes and colors that are available. For many, the sink is offered at once – not all materials can easily make holes. In stone and glass it is extremely problematic to do this without special equipment. Sometimes a set of faucet/faucet and siphon is also offered at once. All the “stuffing” is clearly visible and everything should be in the same style and the purchase of the set is justified.

Some bathroom countertops – glass, wood, MDF and particleboard – can be ordered from the manufacturer to your own dimensions. This will cost a little more than buying a ready-made one, but a perfect match of dimensions is sometimes important.

The countertop in the bathroom from plasterboard is made “in place”, so it is always homemade, and is finished with the same materials as the walls, but mostly with tiles or mosaics. This option is possible for self-made.

Sink with a countertop

There are still sinks with a solid-cast countertop (called the other way around – countertop with solid-cast or integrated sink). These sanitary products are made of porcelain, faience, artificial stone. Their device completely eliminates water leakage, since there are no seams – the sink is only a recess in the plane, everything is made of monolithic material. There is only a hole for the installation of a trap and a faucet (for the faucet there is not always, since wall-mounted models can be installed).

Look similar products are no worse, only porcelain or faience have not such a large selection of sizes and shapes. But products made of artificial stone can be ordered by individual measurements and they can be unusual shapes. For example, as in the photo above, there is even a leg-side, and the shape is non-standard – one edge is narrower, the other is wider.

How to choose a countertop under the sink in the bathroom

Arguing what is better can be endless, since there is still no perfect choice. Each material or shape has its advantages and disadvantages. You can choose the best option for a given situation, but to make a decision, you need to clearly know the properties, pros and cons of each solution. So that the peculiarities of operation will not be an unpleasant surprise.

From laminated chipboard and MDF

Both particleboard and MDF are made from the remnants of wood. It is crushed, then formed from them into boards. The difference is that particleboard uses a larger fraction and a binder is added for strength. This binder releases formaldehyde, which in large quantities can be harmful to health. This parameter – formaldehyde emission – is controlled and specified in documents. It is indicated by the Latin letter E and numbers from 0 to 3. The safest class is E0 – the level of emission is not more than that of wood. E1 is safe – it can be used in the manufacture of furniture for children. The other classes are not authorized for residential use. Therefore, when choosing a countertop under the sink, pay attention to this aspect.

In the production of MDF wood is split into very small fragments, almost into fibers, then under high pressure without extraneous additives, it is pressed, glued due to the natural binder that is contained in the wood (lignin). In the finished form, the wood fibers are so tightly adhered to each other that moisture can hardly penetrate inside. That’s why, if you choose between chipboard and MDF countertops, you should choose the second option. In addition to being environmentally friendly, it is also less susceptible to moisture. For the bathroom – this is a very important property.

Even if the countertop for the bathroom under the sink is made of moisture-resistant chipboard or high-pressure MDF and covered with a laminating film with a pattern on top, you should not count on a very long service life. The weak point of such products is the edges and the back side. Only the front surface and the edge are laminated. The rest remain unprotected. To extend the service life, all open cuts (the cutout for the installation of the sink, too) are treated with sealants. For these purposes, sanitary sealants are excellent, you can use silicone sealants for aquariums.

But even with this treatment, the service life is several years. And the main condition is that the laminating film on the surface remains intact. In the care of such countertops are easy – with a smooth surface is easy to remove all the contaminants, but you can only use a damp cloth, make sure that the water was on the surface for a long time, do not use abrasives. In general, quite problematic.

Natural and artificial stone

In fact, these are two different materials, but the appearance can be similar. The countertop for the bathroom under the sink from natural stone is made from a slab a few centimeters thick. In the right places, holes are made, then sanded and polished.

These are expensive models that look good in spacious bathrooms. They are durable, are not afraid of water, but weigh a lot because of which there are difficulties with installation. There may also be problems with maintenance. You need to know what kind of stone the countertop is made of to know what detergents can be used. For example, marble can not be treated with chlorinated preparations, granite can withstand and not such tests. So care should be selected individually. In general, expensive, beautiful, reliable, but there may be problems with care.

Artificial stone is a natural stone crushed to the state of fine crumbs, mixed with a binder (polyester resin or acrylic). This mixture is poured into a certain mold, after hardening we get a monolithic slab with an integrated sink (or without).

Pros of this material – the ability to get any shape, a wide variety of colors. Operational characteristics are high: artificial stone is not afraid of water, it is easy to care for, you can use detergents without abrasives (so as not to scratch) and wet rags or sponges. The material is resistant to stress, does not rub off, to damage it you need to apply considerable force. And only countertops using acrylic as a binder have a limitation – at high temperatures it can melt. But if no hot work in the bathroom is not expected, you can use such countertops without restrictions.

Glass

Glass countertops fit perfectly into large and small bathrooms. They are made of thick tempered glass. It can be completely transparent or with some shade or in general can be colored. No one doubts the moisture resistance of this material, but many are afraid of the fragility of glass. The chance to break this glass, of course, there is, but it is necessary to make significant efforts to do so. In families with small children, they probably should not be installed, but in other cases there are no contraindications.

Just keep in mind that any stains on the glass are very noticeable. You will have to rub the surface constantly monitor the cleanliness. In general, a glass countertop for the bathroom under the sink – for those who like cleaning.

Wood

Many people think that wood in the bathroom is not the best choice. This may be true, but with proper treatment, it will serve no less than earthenware or porcelain. Yes, it needs more careful care, but this disadvantage does not cancel the decorativeness of wood.

Wooden countertop for the bathroom under the sink can be made of solid wood – a solid piece of wood, or glued bars. The second option – less expensive, but no less decorative. To protect against moisture, the wood is covered with several layers of water-resistant varnish. Lacquer is glossy, semi-glossy, semi-matte and matte, that is, with different degrees of shine. So the lacquer coating is not always a shiny surface. But this protective film is completely waterproof and the smooth surface is well removed from dirt.

Another method of protecting wood from moisture is impregnation with protective compositions based on oils. They are no worse protect against water, but they do not form a film, but penetrate into the fibers, clogging the passages for water. Wood treated in this way looks and feels like natural wood, but the textured surface is more difficult to care for – the grooves are directly created for the accumulation of dirt and salt deposits.

Wooden bathroom countertops require periodic renewal of the protective coating. Oil impregnation will have to be updated about once a year (just cover with the same composition again), lacquer coating can last for several years, but its restoration – a more troublesome task (remove the old, apply new layers of lacquer). In general, the care is the same as for wooden furniture, but it is necessary to make sure that water for a long time on the surface was not left.

Plasterboard with tile or mosaic finishing

Plasterboard countertops are made by masters-decorators who put tiles on the walls. If desired, you can do it yourself. Use galvanized profiles (it is important not to rust) and moisture-resistant drywall. You can also use moisture-resistant plywood instead of drywall. Both materials are suitable for subsequent finishing with tiles or mosaics.

This type of countertop under the sink in the bathroom is usually made in the form of a table – you need at least some support, since the weight of the design with finishing is not insignificant. The technology of working with profiles and drywall allows you to make both straight and curved surfaces. So the shape can be any – at will.

Properties and care of this type of countertops for the bathroom under the sink are the same as the finish – ceramic tiles or mosaics. After grouting joints moisture-resistant compound surface becomes waterproof, resistant to mechanical impact and wear. Care is not difficult – you can use any detergents, even with abrasive particles. Be careful with caustic and chlorine-containing agents, but not because of the tiles, but because of the seams – they can become lighter.

Installing worktops

There are three ways to install countertops in the bathroom:

• Hanging on brackets. In this case, the space below remains completely free, which firstly, facilitates cleaning, and secondly, gives freedom for placing things or appliances. This method of installation is called a suspended countertop.
• Installation on legs. The design turns out to be more reliable, but the legs are a limitation and sometimes they greatly interfere.
• Mounting on furniture. Make a few shelves or vanities at the bottom, and install the countertop on top – one of the options for organizing the bathroom.

All methods are equivalent in reliability. But materials should be selected correctly. And the rule applies: fastening is better to make with a margin of safety. As a rule, the sink in the bathroom costs a lot, so it is more expensive to save on fasteners.

Mounting on brackets

When mounting on brackets, choose heavy-duty modules made of angle or profiled (square section) pipe with stiffening ribs. When installing a heavy worktop on angle brackets, it is desirable that they have diagonal reinforcement.

In addition to brackets in the form of a triangle, there are rectangular designs. They are suitable for hanging porcelain or earthenware sinks with countertops, as well as lighter versions.

This method looks good and it is also convenient: on the crossbar you can hang a hand towel. To make everything look harmonious, the siphon and these stops are chosen in the same color and most often it is stainless steel, but there may be other options.

Under the sink

Mounting the countertop under the sink in the bathroom on the legs does not differ from the installation of legs on any piece of furniture. Marked installation locations, legs are screwed with fasteners, the valley of which is 3/4 of the thickness of the countertop.

Difficulties can arise only when installing porcelain, stone or glass products. In this case, you can use a glue sealant (based on MS-polymers or polyurethane).

When installing with these two methods, it is desirable to additionally fix the structure to the wall. A metal corner (stainless steel or galvanized) is screwed to the bottom at the junction with the wall. This gives additional rigidity and increases reliability.

Installation on furniture

Installation on furniture is even easier: take aluminum or galvanized corners, you can – reinforced. One side of them is fixed to the furniture partitions, the other – to the back of the table top (depending on the material on self-tapping screws or adhesive sealant).

After installation, the joints with the wall must be sealed. You can use a moisture-resistant sealant. Better – silicone sanitary or for aquariums, very good still on the basis of MS polymers. When installing wooden countertops, you need to look for a composition that can be used with wood.

Photo ideas

If you still in no way decide what kind of look should be your bathroom countertop under the sink, perhaps you will be helped by photos of interesting options.