Okay, Kraiger helped me carry it into the house, and a stranger helped me put the vanity into the front seat of my car at Home Depot. But the installation I did alone.
I'd meant to get the classier $200 vanity with drawers and a separate top, but when I got to Home Depot and saw that there was a model-with-top for $69, taste and drawer-practicality took a backseat to price. Anyway, anything is better than the beat-up ancient unit that had been in the condo since well before I'd moved in.
I'd read a tip on a website that I should first put the faucet together with the sink, and make all the hardware work right. That took a while but was pretty clear and straightforward. It also made it easier to dismantle the existing set-up, because then I understood what to unhook to pull the sink out.
To my great surprise, everything went smoothly and there were no catastrophic surprises. This is unprecedented in my old Victorian--normally, things are jury-rigged. There are no square corners, the floor is slanted, and modern plumbing and electricity were added after the fact. And then, anything done in the 70s-90s was done cheaply. I once found a paint stirrer that had been used as a shim. Turbo found empty beer bottles under the floor when he moved the kitchen sink.
The new vanity is taller than the old one. So today I have to go to the hardware store and pick up longer supply lines. Then I have to put everything in place with some caulk and sheetrock screws. And teflon tape. The hardest part, I think, is in carrying the old unit out to the curb for tomorrow's trash pickup.
3 comments:
I realize the BEFORE and AFTER don't look so different. But they are. The old faucet was disgusting, and the basin had scratches and discoloration. Really, it's a huge difference. And I bought some mums to place out front, and now the building looks even cheerier. Someone better buy this damn place...
Mission accomplished! Caulk, sheetrock screws, teflon tape in place. Everything works. Incredible. Nothing leaks. I dragged the old stuff out to the curb. The only unexpected treat was the moulding, which was partially behind the old vanity and had to come out. No problem, it was nasty anyway. I found the stuff Turbo used on the other part of the bathroom--right where he left it in the basement spare lumber pile. Sawed off a bit in that yellow box thing--mitre box? The thing that makes smooth angles. And nailed it down. Now of course, I have to finish the whole bath in it... that's a project for another day. Maybe later in the week.
Congratulations! That's quite an accomplishment.
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