BASIN

Choosing a Bathroom Basin

A bathroom basin is chosen twice: once for how it looks, and once for how it mounts. The second choice matters more, because it decides the pipework and the counter before the tiler arrives. This category holds the basin types below: counter top and wall hung basins, ultra-thin edge basins, wash basins and pedestals. Work out the mounting first, then the shape, then the colour. If you already have a cabinet or a counter, bring its measurements to the showroom.

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Buying guide

Choosing a Bathroom Basin: Mounting, Size and Tap Holes

The mounting style of a bathroom basin decides the plumbing, so settle it before the wall is closed or the counter is cut.

Which Bathroom Basin Type Suits the Room

Counter top basins sit on a cabinet or a stone counter. They are the easiest type to live with and to change later, because the tap and the waste sit above the counter where a plumber can reach them. Most of the shapes here are counter top: see counter top and wall hung basins and the ultra-thin edge basins.

Wall hung basins fix to the wall with nothing underneath. They suit a small bathroom and a wet floor that gets mopped, but the wall has to carry the load and the pipes must already be in the right place when the tiler starts. Read the wall hung basins guide before you commit.

Pedestal and free-standing basins hide the pipework in a column. No counter, no cabinet, a classic look, and a floor fixing to plan for. They sit in wash basins with the art basins.

If you want storage, start from the cabinet. A basin cabinet fixes the basin height and the basin size, so choose the cabinet and the basin as a pair rather than one after the other.

Sizes, Tap Holes and the Order of Work

Measure the counter depth before the basin width. A bowl that is too deep for the counter leaves no room for the tap behind it. If the counter is shallow, a wall-mounted tap solves it, but the tap body then has to go into the wall before tiling.

Tap holes decide the tap. A basin with no tap hole takes a counter-standing tap or a wall tap. A basin with one hole takes a mono basin tap or mixer. Pick the two together from the basin taps so the spout lands over the middle of the bowl.

Check the overflow. A basin with an overflow hole needs a slotted waste; a basin without one needs an unslotted waste, or it will leak at the joint. The pop-up wastes page explains the difference.

The order of work: the plumber sets the waste and the supply positions from the basin's spec sheet, the tiler finishes the wall and the floor, and the basin goes in last. In most homes the rim lands at roughly 800 to 850 mm off the finished floor; go higher if the household is tall.

Common questions

What is the difference between a counter top basin and a wall hung basin?

A counter top basin sits on a counter or a cabinet and the plumbing runs below the counter. A wall hung basin is bolted to the wall with nothing under it, so the trap is on show and the floor is clear. The wall hung version needs a solid wall and the pipes positioned before tiling; the counter top version is more forgiving.

Which bathroom basin is best for a small bathroom?

A wall hung basin or a slim counter top basin on a shallow cabinet. Both keep the floor visible, which makes a small room read larger and makes mopping easier. Check the tap clearance in front of the wall, since a small basin with a tall tap splashes.

Do ceramic basins stain or crack?

A glazed ceramic basin does not stain in normal use, but hard water leaves a white scale on any glaze, and it shows more on a black or coloured basin than on white. Wipe it dry and skip abrasive powders. Cracks come from impact on site or from over-tightening the waste nut, not from age.

How high should a bathroom basin be?

Around 800 to 850 mm from the finished floor to the rim suits most adults. Set it from the tallest regular user, and remember that a counter top basin adds its own height to the cabinet, so the cabinet top sits lower than the rim.

Does a basin come with the tap and the waste?

Basins, taps and wastes are usually separate items, and the right waste depends on whether the basin has an overflow. Confirm what is included when you enquire so nothing is missing on the plumber's day.

Can I fit a bathroom basin myself?

Setting a counter top basin on a finished counter is within reach of a careful owner, but the pipework, the waste and any wall-mounted tap should be done by a plumber. A wall hung basin also needs the right wall fixings for the load.

Bring the counter or cabinet measurements and a photo of the tap you plan to use; that settles most basin questions in one visit.

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