How Much Space Do You Need?

Plan the installation of your bathroom vanity counter top with care. Measuring your countertop for replacement allows you to estimate not only how much space you have but will also help you determine the cost of your replacement materials. Because the top side of your counter is such a large prominent work surface and the fact that a fair amount of activity in the washroom takes place here. There its presence normally dictates it as being the centerpiece of your overall bath design.

If your surfaces are looking a bit dated or is damaged and needs replacing, there are many solutions on the market that are affordable and durable. In many respects planning and measuring your countertop for replacement is easier than planning for any other room in your home because bathrooms are normally the smallest room in your house.

Although space restrictions may limit the size of the work surface of your vanity as well as whether or not you have purchased a stock vanity base, there are still options you can incorporate into your design to overhang and increase the usable surface area of your vanity countertop.

The Center Piece of Your Design

Just remember when designing and measuring a lavatory countertop for replacement that it should not overwhelm the vanity or the room but fit comfortably into the space to balance the rest of your fixtures in your lavatory.

Your countertop is one of the first things that you notice as you enter the room, an off kilter work surface will create an unbalanced look and possibly unsightly tapered edges where the top surface meets the backsplash.

You can purchase building materials by the foot or by square footage, either way, before installing a new tabletop for your old vanity; it is paramount that you make sure the cabinet frame is level.

Calculating The Square Footage

The tools you will need when measuring your surfaces for replacement are: a carpenter’s level, measuring tape, ruler, pencil and some graph paper to record your dimensions. To calculate the length, width and square footage you must first begin by measuring and recording the flat top side of the back working surface of the fixture.

This is important when remodeling your bath because even if your counter is not in a straight line, this measurement will help gauge the amount of material you will need to obtain when evaluating the surface for replacement. When measuring, a good rule of thumb followed by most renovation professionals is to measure three times for accuracy.

Also to get an accurate account of the width, try to measure at the side edge so that the width of the backsplash does not interfere with your measurement. A typical bat h countertop measures about thirty-four and a half inches long.

Will Your New Counter be Larger or Smaller?

An important consideration before you measure your vanity top is whether you will be using the same area occupied by your current work surface or whether your remodeling plans incorporate an expansion of your existing counter space.

If you find that you can squeeze out more surface area out of your present layout by extending the ledge past the vanity and along an unused wall then you must realize you will have to purchase a much larger slab of surfacing material in order to build your custom expansion. Of course, the only stipulation with an extended counter is to make sure there is enough room to move around without bumping into other fixtures in the room.

There are many choices in affordable surface materials that are heat and stain resistant to be used for your grooming station. So keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to make an expensive investment in granite when there are numerous prefabricated resources available.

Another thing to remember when replacing your vanity top is that you should measure the distance from the ground and also take into consideration the floor area occupied by the counter and vanity unit, not just the designated top of the work [...]