Any tips for a bathroom vanity with heavy load?

[Dan]

HI... new here but have been using the Kreg Pocket hole jigs for carious projects around the house.
I've got 3 builds coming up very soon though that I need some advice on.

1) I'm building two identical bathroom vanities that will have to be sturdy enough to hold a 1" thick, 32" x 24" marble top... yes its heavy... but on top of that I will be installing a 35-40 lb petrified wood sink. The vanity itself (hopefully) is more of a Mission open design with a drawer in the top section and two shelves below to hold a few towels and other smaller baskets etc. The sides have been designed to be open as well. The unit itself is not as wide as the marble top and will have approximately 3" clearance on both sides (one is a necessity to discreetly hold the toilet paper holder. I can brace the unit to the wall in behind so will be building the back flush to the wall and even with the marble top.

2) The other unit is just an open Tower Shelf unit 6' high by 18" x 14", housing a laundry hamper below and then just some shelves the rest of the way up.

The vanity and the tower shelf will be made of 1" thick African Mahogany.

We like the design but I've no clue as to how to build it so that it won't come tumbling down with all the weight on top.

Any tips?

Hopefully I can scan the sketch I have made of it and post it here if that is any help.

[Ken Darga]

Dan,

There's lots of wood working books on todays market.

Perhaps you can find some, at a local home center, on building vanities and methods of securing them, using your currently available tools you have on hand.

[Dan]

HI Ken... I've probably got as many woodworking books at home here as they do in the library and local book stores combined... but none of them talk about load... I also have all the necessary woodworking tools, but am not a woodworker and have done little joinery other than with the Kreg tools which I am comfortable with.

That's why I asked the questions I did on this forum... given the load that the vanity will be bearing with the marble top and petrified wood sinks will the Kreg Pocket Hole Joinery method be strong enough (if used with glue) to withstand the weight of what will be going on top of it?

And, does anyone have any tips as to construction. I'll post a scan of the plan I have drawn up later today when I'm near my scanner.

[Ken Darga]

Dan,

With the stone top size and weight plus the sink, as you describe,

the vanity sides can be made of 3/4" plywood material---

butted to the stone top and the floor.

OPTION:

Frame and panel cabinet construction.

1 x 3, (3/4 x 2-1/2"), vertical members, (softwood or hardwood), at the outside corners, joined in an "L"--- 

horizontal members butted to the vertical members---

1/4" panels fitted into grooves.

ALTERNATE: 1/2" panels fitted into a rabbet joint in the frame members.

This will result in the panels set-in 1/4" from the frame sides.

Vertical members to butt with the stone top and the floor.

Bottom front to back members, 1x4.

Face frame construction for the front.

Vanity with open back, to clear plumbing.

Provisions in the base section for a toe clearance area.

Kreg pocket hole joinery can be used for joining the frame members.

Use min of 2 screws, joining the horizontal member to the vertical member.

(Two screws to prevent rotational movement a the joint).

REF:

Structural properties of lumber

http://www.woodweb.com/Resources/wood_eng_handbook/Ch06.pdf

http://www.awc.org/pdf/wsdd/C1.pdf

http://ucanr.edu/sites/WoodyBiomass/newsletters/Hardwood_Handbook36...

[Don Foley]

Dan,

I've attached a picture of my vanity during construction.  While it does not have open sides as you have planned the pic does show how I used face frame construction not only for the front but for the bottom and top.  Each frame was built using Kreg joinery and glue, then the pieces were glued and screwed together (using pocket holes for the front and through the sides into the top and bottom face frames.  This vanity holds a 3/4 plywood top covered with ceramic tile and a glass vessel type sink.  There are additional photos in the projects section of this site.

Don

[Dan]

Thanks Ken and Don

that gives me a good base to work from... no doubt I'll be back for more advice but should be able to get started from what I've got now.

dan

[Dan]

next question and one that we originally figured would involve gravity... what would anyone suggest for securing the marble top to the vanity? Will a string of caulking be sufficient? I obviously won't be drilling into the marble from below.

[Ken Darga]

Dan,

Add a 1/4" bead of clear adhesive caulk, around the top edge of the frame base section, where the underside of the stone top will make contact with the wood.

Place the stone top in place, wiggle it into into its final resting place, let it set 24 hrs, allowing the adhesive to cure.

[Dan]

Thanks Ken... I was hoping that might be the ticket! I have some Kerdi-Fix left over from the tiling job and it does a great job of bonding. I suspect that would work fine for this application as well.

[Ken Darga]

Hi Dan,

I use "Silicon Adhesive/Caulk".

This rubbery material, when dried, will absorb "shock".

(DO NOT USE a material that sets-up hard).