What is the countertop for in the bathroom?
In fact, the importance of this piece of furniture for bathroom users is enormous. You can lay out washroom accessories on it and place a wall mirror.
However, its role is not limited to that of a simple shelf. It serves as a support for the sink. Very often a sink for a countertop in a bathroom is purchased at the same time.
Choice of shape and design
To make the tabletop comfortable to use, pay special attention to the supporting structure. There are floor and wall bases for the tabletop, differing only in the fastening.
The length of the rack is selected based on the individual preferences of the customer, taking into account the area of the room: in some bathrooms it is possible to place a countertop around the entire perimeter, while others have niches.
Tabletop requirements
This piece of furniture must have the following parameters;
- moisture resistance. A common problem in many bathrooms is high humidity. It leads to the fact that wooden furniture not treated with special means begins to rot very quickly;
- ease of maintenance. In the cramped space of a hygiene room, this is a very important indicator;
- aesthetics. Any furniture located in the bathroom simply must look beautiful;
- ease.
Tree
Wood vanity tops must be well sealed because these porous surfaces are susceptible to water damage, aka rot. The problem is the tightness of the seams where sinks and faucets touch.
However, wood creates a warm, cozy feel and an organic look when used as a counter. Keep in mind that it is thicker in width, plumbing connections may need to be modified.
Kinds
Bathroom countertops can be:
- hanging (hanged on the wall);
- linear (they are placed along the walls and their length can be equal to the length of the wall);
- corner. They are placed in corners, resulting in significant space savings.
Also available are countertops with:
- rounded edges;
- hard edges.
From chipboard
This material has long been traditional for furniture production. Furniture made from this board is distinguished by its aesthetics, relative lightness and low cost. But that's where the advantages end.
The disadvantages of such countertops are also very significant:
- relatively short service life compared to furniture made from other materials;
- Chipboard is very afraid of moisture and if it swells excessively, it can rot and collapse.
Therefore, if the owner nevertheless decided to pursue cheapness and chose a countertop made of chipboard, he must remember that its service life may be short-lived.
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Special connoisseurs of furniture made from particle boards should take a closer look at laminated chipboard (laminated chipboard).
MDF
Despite the fact that the material is based on fibreboard, MDF has sufficient moisture resistance, as it is covered with a durable laminated layer.
It will last a long time if the surface is not damaged. If moisture gets inside, the material will become unusable in the shortest possible time.
Made from natural stone
Many of our wealthier fellow citizens install a stone countertop in their bathroom.
Such furniture is made from a solid stone slab, in which a hole is made for the sink, then it is carefully polished. It is distinguished by ideal qualities for bath furniture - durability and moisture resistance.
But it is important to remember that marble countertops cannot be cleaned with bleach or acids. They corrode the marble surface and can cause great damage to furniture.
What to choose
By understanding the features of different types of these items, you can make a more informed choice. You should start primarily from the available space, and not from your financial capabilities - the costs may not be as high as it seems at first. In the end, you can save money, but changing the dimensions of the bathroom is possible in a very small number of cases.
The tabletop should take up little space in small spaces - a wall-hung one is best. In addition, it is easier to care for. If the area is large, then a cabinet with a work surface will definitely be the best choice, and with its installation you will get additional storage space. The disadvantage here is that to get a unique design, everything will have to be made to order, which is more expensive and will take a long time to wait.
Materials include wood or stone in classically designed bathrooms, while glass is suitable for modern stylistic solutions. Artificial stone will easily fit into all styles if you choose the right design. Budget models made of chipboard or MDF will be a good choice with a very limited cost estimate, but at the same time, you get the opportunity to buy a fully equipped cabinet with a sink, mirror and even small storage drawers. You can buy such a model and immediately install it on site - it will take very little time.
Made from artificial stone
The above material is obtained after gluing natural stone chips using acrylic or polymer resin. Countertops made from this material are also very durable and moisture resistant.
When caring for them, you should not use only those detergents that contain abrasives. Therefore, an artificial countertop for the bathroom is a rather practical solution.
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Glass table top
Glass countertops have gained popularity relatively recently. Glass is not susceptible to the negative external influences that the bathroom microclimate has on furniture.
Glass built-in countertops in the bathroom look very aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, if the glass is handled carefully, they are very durable.
Made of plastic
Modern industry produces high-quality countertops from durable plastic. They have a number of undoubted advantages, including:
- budget (the cost of such products is very low);
- aesthetics, a wide variety of shapes;
- ease of installation in the bathroom;
- moisture resistance.
But they also have one significant drawback - fragility. Plastic is a fairly fragile material that can break.
In addition, its surface is characterized by an effect such as fading, which can appear after 2-3 years.
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How to do it yourself?
A home craftsman, with some skill, will be able to make this furniture on his own. For such products, it is most convenient to use drywall.
The surface of the future table top is cut out from a plasterboard sheet along the contour. Then a hole is made in it to accommodate the sink.
A homemade countertop is fixed to the wall and finished with tiles or mosaics. It is generally accepted that the stele should be lined with the same material.
If the owner finds it difficult to choose a project to make on his own, then a photo of a do-it-yourself bathroom countertop, which can be found on the Internet, can help him.
The tabletop is the most important element in the interior of a modern hygiene room. It makes the bathroom much more comfortable, beautiful and practical. More and more owners are installing this furniture in their apartments and houses.
Individual differences
The main general differences between countertops are listed above; it is important to take them into account when choosing the right module. However, there are also individual differences that do not have broad characteristics and depend only on the desires and capabilities of the buyer.
- For example, the shape of countertops - straight, angular, combined, asymmetrical - is chosen depending on design preferences and the architecture of the bathroom.
- Also, parameters such as height and width of the product are determined by the buyer himself and depend on the measurements of the bathroom and the height of family members (presence of children, etc.).
- Based on financial capabilities, a distinction is made between budget models (the buyer purchases what is created by the manufacturers according to a template), made-to-order (the manufacturer implements the countertop according to the measurements and parameters of the buyer’s bathroom) and designer models that come in single copies (premium class models, exclusive ).
- binary sinks are becoming increasingly popular . This solution allows two people to carry out hygiene procedures simultaneously and independently of each other. This is both romantic and extremely useful in the morning, especially if the family is large and everyone is in a hurry.
