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Before installing your new bathroom vanity, you will need to remove the old one and prepare the space.
Out With the Old
You'll need to use an adjustable wrench to disconnect the supply tubes for both the hot and cold-water valves. Next use adjustable pliers to remove the sink trap — remembering to put a container underneath to catch any drips. You may want to wrap some cloth or tape around the jaws of the pliers to prevent scratching chrome fittings.
Now you're ready to remove the screws or bolts holding your vanity to the wall, using a screwdriver or socket wrench. You should be able to find the screws either in braces in the back corners or in a rail along the back.
Detach the vanity top or sink to reduce the weight of the unit, rendering it easier to move. Most bathroom countertops are attached with adhesive caulk and can be removed using a 14-inch pry bar. You can use the same tool to separate the backsplash from the wall. Be sure to take care when doing this to prevent damaging the wall — or the vanity if you plan to reuse it. Insert a wood shim behind the bar to help protect the wall. If the sink is in a cutout, lift it out once you've removed the tabs that hold it in place. Before moving your vanity, take out any removable drawers and detach the doors, once again to decrease the weight. Check whether the floor butts against the bottom of the vanity. If so, you'll need to use the pry bar to lift up the front and slip some wood shims underneath, so you can slide the vanity out without damaging the floor.
Quality Control
Once you've managed to remove the old vanity, it's important to inspect the space for signs of damage and to rectify any problems before fitting your new vanity unit. Fix damaged flooring or use plywood to replace any rotten sections of floor. Check the drywall for water damage and repair it if needed. Finally, using a spirit level, check that the floor surface is level, in both directions. If it's uneven, correct it by using shims underneath the vanity, or make a base out of plywood and level it with shims.
In With the New
Once the prep work has been completed, you will be ready to begin the installation of the vanity unit. Find the studs in your walls and identify them with pencil marks so you can see where to screw the new vanity to the wall. Following this, lightly mark on the wall exactly where the vanity will go. Then find the vertical and horizontal centerlines of your pipes and mark these on the wall, taking care that the lines are plumb and level. Measure from the center of the drain line to the mark where the nearest cabinet edge will be, and to the floor. Then measure from the reference lines to the center of each supply pipe. Use these measurements to draw the pipe locations onto the back of the vanity.
With an electric drill, make pilot holes at the layout marks on the back of your vanity cabinet, so you can make holes for your water and drain lines. Use these holes to line up your hole saw. Use a hole saw that's at least 0.5 inch larger than the widest part of your water and drain lines, and drill halfway from the outside and halfway from the inside of your cabinet for a smoother finish.
You're then ready to attach your vanity to the wall. Drill pilot holes in the back of your vanity cabinet that align with your wall studs. Make the holes in the vanity one size larger than your 2.5-inch screws, and the holes in the studs one or two sizes smaller, for a really secure fit.
Once you've screwed your vanity into place, you can install your sink. If you've got a sink built into your vanity top, lay it somewhere you can access it easily, such as on the old vanity, then fit the faucets according to the instructions and tighten with pliers. Attach flexible water supply lines to the faucets. Join the tailpiece to the sink and seal around it with a bead of silicone caulk. Check that the sink pop-up connection faces the back of the sink before tightening the locknut to hold the tailpiece in place. Then smooth silicone caulk along the top edges of the vanity base as well as the wall side of the backsplash, and position the vanity top on the unit. Push it side to side slightly to center it and make sure the backsplash is tight against the wall.
If you're installing a separate sink, you'll need to fit the countertop first, then install the faucets in the sink and last of all fit the sink to the countertop according to the instructions.
The final stage is to connect the plumbing and tidy up the edges. Use pliers to attach the supply lines to the water supply valves, connect the sink trap to the drain line and tailpiece, adding the pop-up control rod at the end. Run a bead of clear silicone caulk to seal the gap where the backsplash meets the wall. You can do the same to fill in small gaps if the vanity cabinet doesn't fit completely flush against the back wall, or you can nail flexible molding that matches the vanity to disguise the gaps and give a smart finish.
