Wash basins: types, height and fitting
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A wash basin is the bowl in a bathroom or toilet room used for washing hands and face, fed by a tap and drained through a waste. It can hang on the wall, stand on a pedestal or sit on a counter. The fittings maker Geberit recommends a rim height of 85–90 cm above the floor.
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JOMOO Wall-Hung Toilet 02355-00-2, 565 x 375 x 350 mm
565 × 375 × 350 mmWhite JOMOO wall-hung toilet, 565 × 375 × 350 mm, fitted with a concealed cistern.
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Beige Porcelain Tile 1200x600 mm, Matt Anti-Slip R10
1200 × 600 mmR10Matt R10 anti-slip porcelain for bathroom floors and walls.
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K11 Polymer Cement Waterproof Coating (Two-Component)
18 kg/barrelWaterproofs the bathroom floor and walls before tiling.
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What a wash basin is
A wash basin, also called a washbasin, hand basin or bathroom sink, is a bowl with a drain, supplied by a tap. Dimensions.com describes it as the fixture for washing hands and face, shaving and brushing teeth, often combined with a vanity cabinet for storage. A handwash basin is a small basin meant for hands only.
The same source names enamelled cast iron and porcelain as common materials, with stone, concrete, glass and wood also used. What differs most between models is how the basin is supported.
Types of wash basins
| Type | How it is supported | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Wall-hung basin | brackets or bolts into the wall | a solid wall and fixings rated for the load |
| Pedestal basin | wall fixing plus a full column to the floor | the column hides the trap and pipes |
| Semi-pedestal basin | wall fixing plus a short half column | the waste must leave through the wall |
| Countertop basin | sits on top of a counter or cabinet | counter height plus bowl height |
| Inset (drop-in) basin | dropped into a cut-out, rim resting on the top | an exact cut-out and sealant |
| Under-counter basin | fixed below a stone or solid top | a top cut and finished to fit |
A wash hand basin with cabinet combines one of the last three types with storage underneath. A bathroom sink cabinet on legs, or hung on the wall, keeps its base off a wet floor.
Wash basin height
Height decides comfort more than shape. Geberit’s guide to installation heights says plumbers commonly set the upper edge of a washbasin 85–95 cm above the floor, and Geberit itself recommends 85–90 cm. The same guide puts the bottom edge of a mirror 15–20 cm above the basin.
With a countertop basin, add the bowl’s own height to the counter height, or the rim ends up higher than planned.
Measuring and fitting a countertop basin
Dimensions.com gives a simple method: measure length and width across the edge, the outside height, and the inside depth from the lowest point of the bowl to the rim. For an inset basin on a wash basin top, it describes cutting the opening to the maker’s template, sealing the edge of the cut-out with waterproof sealant, setting the basin, sealing the waste with putty and sealant, connecting the water, and leaving the sealant to dry for 24 hours.
Wall and floor around the basin
Water runs down the wall behind a basin and onto the floor in front of it. Where the bathroom is tiled, the waterproof layer goes on first: K11 Polymer Cement Waterproof Coating is a brush-on coating whose data sheet names toilets and bathrooms and allows tiling over it. For the tiles, the Beige Porcelain Tile 1200 × 600 mm, Matt Anti-Slip R10 is made for floors and walls in wet areas. Both are in stock in Zanzibar.
What to check when you buy
- The type and how it is fixed, against the wall you have.
- Overall size, and for inset or under-counter basins, the cut-out size.
- The tap holes: none, one or three, and whether the wash basin taps are included.
- Waste and overflow, and the trap type that fits your drain.
- The planned rim height, for countertop basins including the counter.
For kitchen and utility sinks, see our sink page; for baths and how much water they use, see bathtubs.
Questions
How do you measure a bathroom sink?
Measure length and width across the outer edge, height on the outside from top to bottom, and depth inside the bowl from its lowest point to the rim, as Dimensions.com describes. For a countertop or inset basin, check the cut-out size the maker gives as well.