Bathroom Vanity Tops in North Charleston, SC
A new vanity top cut to your cabinet, your sink and your faucet, for bathrooms all over North Charleston.
- Quotes in writing
- 8 areas covered
Need a new top on your bathroom vanity? We come out to your North Charleston home, measure the cabinet, and have the top made to that size. Then we fit it, with the sink and faucet holes cut where your new fixtures will sit.
Pick the sink and faucet first
The holes in a vanity top are cut once, so we ask you to settle on the sink and the faucet before we take the final measurements. Send us the model numbers and we'll mark every hole from them.
Shopping for a faucet anyway? The EPA says bathroom sink faucets with the WaterSense label use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute. Compared with the standard flow of 2.2 gallons per minute, it says that can cut a sink's flow by 30 percent or more without losing performance.
Stone, quartz or solid surface next to the sink
The OSHA and NIOSH hazard alert on countertop work groups marble and granite together as natural stone. NIOSH says engineered stone goes by other names too, such as artificial stone, manufactured stone, or quartz.
If you like marble, we'll talk it through with you first. The U.S. Geological Survey says marble is mostly calcite, and that calcite dissolves when acids in polluted air and rain react with it.
A Department of Veterans Affairs design guide calls solid surface an acrylic-based product that is solid and nonporous, with a smooth look and no seams that show. On the solid surface we fit, nonporous means there are no tiny holes for water to soak into. The guide says it is easy to clean and, with proper cleaning, does not support the growth of mold.
We fit vanity tops in granite, quartz, marble, solid surface and porcelain, and each one has its own page if you want to read more.
When the job reaches the pipes or the outlets
When we set a new top on the same cabinet with the sink in the same spot, the job stays simple. If you want to move the sink, add a second one, or add an outlet, we'll go through the City of North Charleston's rules with you first.
- The city's plumbing permit page says no work can be done until a permit is issued.
- The plumbing application needs a proposal or contract with a detailed scope of work, including the cost of materials and labor, and the total fixture and water heater count.
- Work on the sewer needs an extra permit with the sewer district, the city says.
- On the electrical side, the city says only a licensed electrician or residential home builder can get an electrical permit.
If your plans go that far, we'll tell you when we measure, before you sign anything.
Damp air and the seam at the wall
We plan for water around the vanity from the start. The EPA's mold guide says the key to mold control is moisture control. It also says that wet or damp spots dried within 24 to 48 hours after a leak or spill will, in most cases, not grow mold.
The Rehab Guide for kitchens and baths, from a housing program run with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, calls the backsplash a shield that protects the walls around a sink. It says the seam between the backsplash and the counter top tends to collect water, bacteria and dirt. When we fit your top, we seal the joint where it meets the wall with caulk, a soft sealant we run along the gap. The EPA says not to caulk over mold, so if we find mold behind the old top, we'll show you before we seal the new one in.
Your quote, line by line
We give you a written price once we've measured. It depends on the material, the size of the top, the edge, and how many holes we cut. Whoever you hire, ask to see these on paper:
- The material by name, and how thick the top is.
- A drawing with the sink and every faucet hole marked.
- The edge you are getting.
- Whether the sink comes with the top or you buy it.
- Whether removing and hauling away the old top is included.
- Who unhooks and hooks up the sink and faucet.
Questions about bathroom vanity tops in North Charleston
Will my old vanity cabinet hold a new stone top?
Often it will, but we check it before we quote. The Rehab Guide says that when a cabinet's frame or its side and back panels are warped and damaged, the cabinet may not sit level. If yours is like that, we'll tell you and talk through the options.
How long is a North Charleston plumbing permit good for?
The city says permits are good for 6 months. If no inspection is done in that time, the permit expires and the holder has to start over.
Who books the city inspection?
The city's plumbing permit page says the permit holder must call in his or her own inspections, unless an authorization letter was sent to the Building Department beforehand.
Do the outlets next to my vanity need GFCI protection?
The city's electrical permit page says countertop receptacles must be GFCI protected. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says a GFCI, short for ground-fault circuit interrupter, watches the electricity in a circuit and shuts the power off in milliseconds if current leaks to ground, such as when an appliance falls into a sink full of water.
My house was built before 1978. Does that change the job?
It can. The EPA says about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still have some lead-based paint. If taking out the old vanity disturbs painted walls or trim, the EPA's rule says anyone paid to do that work must be certified.
Can I save water without buying a new faucet?
The EPA says an aerator is an accessory that fits easily onto the faucet you already have. It says changing old faucets and aerators for WaterSense labeled ones can save the average family 700 gallons of water a year, about the water for 45 showers.
Why should I ask where my top gets cut?
OSHA says cutting, sawing, grinding or drilling stone makes crystalline silica dust, with particles at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand. Ask anyone you hire where the cutting happens and how they control the dust.
The bathroom mold keeps coming back. What helps?
The EPA says more fresh air and more frequent cleaning will usually stop bathroom mold from coming back, or at least keep it down. It says to run the fan or open a window when you shower, and to try to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent.
Can you take out a worn top and put in a new one?
Yes, we can pull out the old vanity top and set a new one as part of a countertop replacement job. If the top only has a chip, we'll look at it first and tell you whether a countertop repair makes more sense.
Get a quote for a bathroom vanity top
Call us, or fill in the quote form with your ZIP code and how many bathrooms you have in mind. We'll measure, show you materials and edges, and put the price in writing. For everything else we fit, head back to the North Charleston Countertops home page.
Ready to talk about your countertop job?
Call us or send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.