How to Upgrade a Bathroom Vanity | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey installs a vanity for homeowners who gave up on it 7 years ago.
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All the tools Richard used for the project, including wrenches, plumber’s putty, and PVC glue, can be found at home centers and plumbing supply stores. The vanity and countertop were custom-ordered by the homeowner.
Cost: $500 and Up
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List:
Open ended adjustable wrench
Utility knife
Hammer
Pry bar
Screwdriver
Pipe cutter
Hacksaw
Measuring tape
Drill
Hole saw
Level
Shopping List:
Vanity cabinet
Shut off valves
Countertop
Sink
Silicone caulking
Stain free plumber’s putty
Faucet
Hot and cold water lines
Drain pipe
Pop up drain
Steps:
1. Shut the hot and cold water lines off.
2. Disconnect the sink from the P-trap and break the hose connections to the faucet.
3. Use the utility knife to break the seal between the sink and the countertop. Then, carefully pry the sink away from the countertop with a hammer and a pry bar.
4. Remove the screws holding the vanity to the wall and remove the vanity.
5. Shut the water off to the house and cut the hot and cold water lines. Cut the P-trap as well. This will make it so only small holes need to be cut in the back of the new vanity.
6. Measure the distance from the wall to the hot line and cold line. Next, measure the distance from the floor to the hot and cold lines. Transfer these measurements to the back of the vanity and cut out holes with the hole saw.
7. Move the new vanity into place. Check it for level and screw it into the wall.
8. Connect new shut off valves to the hot and cold lines.
9. Flip the countertop upside down and mount the sink to the countertop with silicone caulking and sink clips.
10. Connect the faucet to the countertop using the plumber’s putty and the mounting brackets.
11. Connect the hot and cold water lines to the faucet, then connect the drain pipe and the pop up drain.
12. Once all the connections are made, flip the counter right side up and place it on the cabinet.
13. Make a new P-trap connection with the drain and connect the hot and cold water lines to the shut off valves.
14. Turn the water back on.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Upgrade a Bathroom Vanity | Ask This Old House
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[@heinzotto1194]

I love Richard. So nice to see him use hand tools whenever possible.

[@hijinks21]

Richard and I have very different definitions of a little bead

[@u.s.paratroops4633]

Yeah....more like gargantuan

[@arlenecohog3185]

Love that you showed a real human interest story with real people. They were down to earth and relatable. I would love to see more of them and the other projects they did.

[@mironvulakh5859]

Plumbers, car mechanics, doctors, lawyers..... Maybe I just unlucky to never meet an honestly good skilled professional like Richard here...

[@AStanton1966]

I would recommend swapping out the shut off valves anytime they are over 10 years old when doing a bathroom or kitchen upgrade. Especially if they are the older style ones. Have new quarter turns installed, especially if you have hard well water. It's cheap insurance.

[@pippimaxim]

THANKS RICHEHD!

[@lkw5699]

I love watching this show.

[@henningbergmann5494]

*Handy product. Works well.*

[@adamwalker8271]

“Yes is was Richard, by design.” 😑

[@nultari1]

He was out of breath coming up the stairs

[@kaycox5555]

VERY Helpful and informative video; thanks so much!

[@quickscopingisgay]

Kayinfso Here you’re welcome

[@deeblack9393]

We live in a rental owned by a slumlord and the person that installed the vanity had the plumbing come up through the floor and the drain actually makes a full loop because he didn't really know what he was doing but the landlord hired him because he worked cheap!

[@AStanton1966]

There's an old saying: save a buck, call a tow truck.

[@HAMRADIOJOE4178]

GREAT JOB

[@poopiecheeks4664]

want to see finished bathroom. informative video. nice homeowners.

[@jacklynnw]

She's been waiting 7 years! 😂 Another great video and great work though!

[@seanf1941]

Seemed like great people but holy hell were they dial tones. It was almost like they were reading off of a card when they answered Richard.

[@s50201]

Sean Freese if you want good acting, this isn’t where you come

[@wabashstudio]

Thats because they were.

[@bunsoft2]

Excelent :-)

[@goldenduck7294]

All scripted

[@laulau9926]

thanks

[@MRrwmac]

Richard, Nice work (as usual)! I’ve been watching TOH (and it’s siblings - haha) ever since Norm, You and the team formed to make TOH for TV and now thankfully on YT. So Richard, is there a drain pull rod (the horizontal one that goes from the verticals pull to the drain (after the ball) that doesn’t rust? Every time I have to work on that portion, the end of that rod is always rusted and ready to fall/break off. Thank you Richard and please Thank the other 3 (plus that somewhat newer kid host - haha) for all the great years of wonderful information and instruction!!!!

[@japan5865]

Excellent job super neat work👍

[@researchandbuild1751]

I gotta get me some of those high quality holesaws

[@schmold3]

Does anyone know what episode this is? I'm trying to figure out who gives Tom the tour at the amazing CNC machine place. I cannot remember the name of the place. This show is amazing.

[@SilentServiceCode]

wow listen to all this completely natural not-at-all forced dialogue between richard and the homeowners

[@sunilmkaushik]

Was that by design?

[@MAKAVELLI228]

"7 yeeeeeahhhs" - Boston lady

[@abdermnbadrahmed4094]

I am Egyptian and admire your work very, very

[@DWESENTERPRISE]

Husband left the scene when it was time to life stuff... Had his wife lifting lol

[@bigpardner]

What happened at 5:20, he have trouble screwing that fitting on the bottom of the faucet due to the sink being in the way? Anyway looks edited.

[@vishyandypurandat6208]

6:55 any husband when his wife chooses something...

[@WesHamstra]

Should have installed the new floor first. There is an order things need to follow.

[@ro63rto]

Wes Hamstra Exactly what I was thinking. Here in the UK they always do it backwards. My kitchen guy wanted to install the units then tile the floor and walls but I told him to do it the correct way. What if I wanted to move the units? Big ugly hole where there'd be no tiles!

[@saulgoodman2018]

Why do the floor first? The floor under the vanity doesn't have to be changed. You don't put the materials underneath it. It's just a waster of money.

[@saulgoodman2018]

If you watch the video, you'll see it's not totted.

[@arlenecohog3185]

Maybe the show wanted to install the vanity without touching the floors

[@ScubaCat3]

Lord baal For a few bucks in extra tile, you get everything at the same level. What if the vanity were accidentally damaged? You could replace it with a slightly different size and not have to deal with the floor. Always do the floor first.

[@russellmoore8187]

Bill seems nice

[@BK-xb7wl]

Hi I have a question regarding a stub coming out too far for a sink and vanity replacement.Where can I ask a question ?

[@stevenroyer8731]

No escutcheons around the water lines? Or no flange or trim ring around the waste? I'd get a good chewing from my boss if I left a customers vanity back looking like that.

[@realcentral]

Thats what im sayn to

[@mattbartolovich8228]

It's out of sight though

[@stevenroyer8731]

@@mattbartolovich8228 that's comment is what separates the professionals from the hacks

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

padding the bill

[@Blobjonblob]

Richard this is our master shitter.

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Milwaukee drill/driver and Hole Dozer bits...pro level

[@fernandocasajuana6523]

We took out the sink and the toilet to make hardwood floors!

[@Engineer9736]

I don’t like such sinks which sit under the counter. They leave an overhanging edge which is difficult to clean / gets not cleaned, and eventually gets the status of a toilet bowl rim.

[@Engineer9736]

Fredrik I only clean it when it’s Christmas

[@Axxetto]

I feel you

[@jgood005]

1 piece sink and counter is the best

[@cup_and_cone]

Floor man is just going to removed that freshly installed vanity....

[@rubenvarela4077]

No work around

[@saulgoodman2018]

From him first talking about the email, I thought it was installed in the middle of the room.

[@Modernbathroomcabinet]

nice viedo

[@user-nd2kc7oq2f]

🤙

[@fupa74]

so how was the top secured to the vanity?

[@almcken2]

😮

[@eianflanagan7767]

Did anyone else catch that at 1:19

[@compactcow]

I still have no idea what this comment is referring to.

[@eianflanagan7767]

@@compactcow It showed them picking the vanity up and putting it down.

[@halfdohm]

I think it shows them lifting and then setting the cabinet down but acting as though they had just moved it in.

[@elijoby]

It’s all fun and games showing off your knowledge to the client - then something goes wrong and you’re desperately trying to get rid of them so they don’t see you bodge it together.

[@coleve8596]

Great video. Here in the UK we stopped using the pop up waste system about ten years ago. We now use the Click/Clack grating. One push closes the grating and again to release. Much better for me as a plumber and much better for the customer.

[@joejr9653]

Yes we should all use clicker drain. So much easier to install.

[@seansegasture966]

I'm personally not a huge fan of those click-clack stoppers. I don't like having to touch the bottom of a sink (not generally clean) and I really don't like having to reach my arm into a sink full of water to drain it. Seems like a step back in time to the old rubber plugs.

[@GrahamDIY]

Yeah....until they break. I’ve had two types fail over the years. Both eventually got stuck open or shut Nothing better than a proper black plug on a chain!!

[@cekorich]

Sean Segasture 2

[@Marcel_Germann]

@@seansegasture966 And those had a chain to pull them out of the opening, so you didn't need to get into the water. There are other systems using flexible steel wire comparable to the wires for the brakes of bicycles instead of rods. They don't require an adjustment. That one here is for a kitchen sink, but you also get this system for a bathtub for example: www.sanitaer-produkte.de/images/product_images/original_images/ventil_automaten_kueche.jpg

[@chlero_eyes]

What is that purple stuff in the PVC pipe?

[@MrCNRail]

The purple stuff is primer. The cement itself has no colour. The reason the primer is purple is so the construction inspector knows the joint has been primed.

[@assnxjs241]

"Yes it was Richard it was by design"

[@allimimi]

😂😂 he’s the life of the party!! 🎉

[@joezhou5426]

Richard use a beat up saw. ：)

[@luckyvet]

Sweet people! Was nice when he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Very nice vanity.

[@mal3akiscool]

He gave her some slong too when hubby wasn't watching

[@metsphan1023]

He didn’t sound too enthusiastic when he said it was by design

[@richj011]

Looks great now let's eat.

[@gangisspawn1]

HA!

[@lordsaagar2615]

Why didn't Richard use trim rings to hide the holes for the pipe

[@MarkCarsonMEC]

There are ones you can put on afterward.

[@AStanton1966]

A man on a galloping horse will never seen them.

[@jessesan2003]

The Putty Master

[@theamericanhiker9655]

Use silicone to seal under the faucet

[@EmoFox9]

Teflon tape?

[@Marcel_Germann]

Not required on this type of connection.

[@nicholasd7731]

Rich... it is a bad idea that Kevin and Roger tried to paint the grill that you and Timmy wanted to throw out,

[@zack9912000]

screwed the next person by making the water lines hole too small to get the shut off valves out and no room to cut the copper pipe

[@ivancazessus3133]

what creates a better seal? The compression fitting or the soldered fitting?

[@itech301]

Well, the soldered connection. The compression connection, however, is not likely to leak. The ferrule practically molds to the pipe. That being said, if properly tightened, the compression connection is less likely to leak because there's no possibility for a solder-joint failure. Simply put, they are pretty similar. Rubber-gasket compression connections, on the other hand, are MUCH more likely to leak as the rubber degrades over its lifespan.

[@ivancazessus3133]

iTech thanks !

[@itech301]

No problem ;) It was fun to think about lol

[@99GrandAM3400]

Soldered of course. Just like in wiring. A soldered connection is better than a butt connector. But sometimes it's easier to use a shark fitting or a compression fitting in areas where soldering would be impossible or it would ruin something.

[@itech301]

Sharklops you cannot use the old ferrule. You actually have to cut away the section of pipe it was attached to because it’s deformed and hard/impossible to get another water-tight seal with.

[@BigcatMilo]

Does Richard own stock in Plumber's putty??

[@almightiej]

you like skipped through the drain connection explanation

[@alvarogarcia3109]

He forgot the escutcheons 🤭

[@Bigbacon]

could have just taken the handles off the shut offs.

[@youarehere1251]

Let me know when it's done, honey.

[@root8272]

Completely skipped the countertop removal.

[@matthewkromer9256]

Missing 2 escusions a one stop wrench and a 1 1/2 socket saver

[@azizbah555]

الافضل ان يكون خلاط الصنبور مشترك

[@louietheplumber3609]

A kiss at the end , Richard sexual harassment

[@dillonphillips313]

Richard, why can't you glue PVC right?! Love your content, though.

[@kylefogle6022]

Darn cabinet installers always cutting sloppy holes to large for my escuthions to cover. Oh wait that was me!

[@arlenecohog3185]

Cabinet installed by plumber not cabinet maker

[@scalp340]

Drilling those sized holes in the vanity for the water, he could have just taken the handles off the shutoffs and it would have saved the trouble of shutting off the water to cut off and then replace the shutoffs. Just put the handles back on after the vanity is installed.

[@shauntampa]

He should of borrowed better tools from norm.

[@orijimi]

Oh man, why lop off so much of the pipe like that? Always leave as much as you can.

[@99GrandAM3400]

He probably didn't want a ton of the copper pipe to be sticking out in the vanity with shelving and such under there. i did the same thing in the one i installed. Not hard to solder on a length of pipe but it's hard to fit things on shelves with 5" of extra pipe and a valve sticking out.

[@saulgoodman2018]

There's like 4 inches of copper coming out, that would be enough.

[@alejandrobetancourt6699]

Hello

[@rhinomate8026]

Why didn't he use any cover plates for those copper pipes to hide he's holes cause that would of look way better

[@wabashstudio]

1:17 Poor editing. They were pretending to just brought in the vanity but you see them lift it up then put it right back down. Should have edited out 1 more second. ;-)

[@RonaldRegan314]

Lol true

[@johnboychuk6790]

Lol thanks. I was so confused as to why they lifted and dropped it.

[@notafanboy250]

lol nice catch

[@MrJramirex]

Wrong, the old one has no backing and the new one does. You can clearly see the first one does not have it at 1:17

[@timothymbess]

@@MrJramirex Jorge is correct. Look at the back panels, they're different. Of course these people are so boring these literally replace a vanity with one that's practically identical to the old one.

[@billyandjohnny7734]

Oo

[@mluqman]

Wow, Can’t believe you went to Steve Bannon’s house

[@arlenecohog3185]

Steve replies: Thought I would catch up on some renovations since the Donald fired me.

[@stephend]

Believe it! Have you see the freaks and weirdos that Richard follows on Twitter? Total right-wing nut-jobs.

[@2-old-Forthischet]

Wow, old school, no power tools!

[@flat-earther]

What are you talking about Richard used a power tool in this video.

[@TommysHouseOfMunch]

Man do I really hate the clients in these videos

[@BatJordo]

Richard, you could have left the valves on and just taken the handles off.

[@toms7947]

Tear that nasty looking tile out while your at it.

[@Chuy1988]

There's alot weight up there

[@PorcelainDR]

No eschetion Richard!? What a disgrace...

[@joeferaco9896]

The husband looks like he doesn’t know anything Richard told him just stay out of here.

[@LoveStallion]

The husband seems like he could give two sh**s that this is happening.

[@bigweiner92]

A compression valve, aka I'm too lazy to solder on a proper shut off

[@BiggyOuncy69]

Use clear cleaner and primer not purple

[@Homepros888]

Why bother taking the sink out. Just take out the counter top with the sink.

[@lythsian]

Charged by the hour of course.

[@tomgeromanos6948]

Horrible primer job. Sloppy glue joints.

[@balderoine]

21th

[@chrisballou5623]

Does this guy rich not believe in power tools whatsoever I never see him using power tools and anything

[@flat-earther]

What are you talking about he just used a power tool with hole saw in this video.

[@zizoumonk10]

They went from a bland vanity to a bland vanity

[@palli987]

9th?

[@thevistahack1]

You fucked it up

[@billjones3071]

Always level no shims or problems, this show blows

[@waantapfilms3231]

7th?

[@Engineer9736]

8th

[@arturo123G]

5th?

[@bhstone1]

4th

[@JYanta90]

2nd

[@diesel508]

6th

[@wms201]

how can intelligent people allow themselves to become so unhealthy?

[@rif6876]

Huh? Did I miss something?

[@denieledwards6893]

GREAT JOB