Countertop under the sink and washing machine: types and choices in the bathroom

The worktop that unites the sink and the washing machine is a beautiful and useful element of the interior. Its presence in small rooms is especially important. In the article we will tell you what bathroom countertops are, how best to choose and place them.

A bathroom, a toilet, a washbasin and a washing machine in a small room look quite cumbersome. A single worktop unifies and streamlines the environment. This solution is ideal for interiors where every surface matters. On the countertop, you can put on-line hygiene products, put a towel or a toothbrush during morning procedures.

Large bathrooms will benefit from this kind of furniture too. But here it is possible to install a long countertop - from wall to wall, and under one surface to assemble not only a washing machine and a washbasin, but also shelves, niches, and all kinds of boxes. The design has other advantages as well:

• masks communal pipes;
• the countertop effectively supports the design of the room;
• makes it possible to functionally use an additional surface;
• protects the washing machine from external mechanical influences;
• space is used rationally;
• a machine located next to the washbasin creates fewer problems with the supply of water to it.

Before installing the countertop, you should also consider the negative points:

• repairing communications under the countertop is more difficult, it will have to be removed (there are other options, for example, a self-leveling model that cannot be disassembled);
• it is difficult to clean, especially if there are leaks;
• due to the horizontal position of the pipe, the drain may become clogged more often than usual;
• some types of surfaces are too expensive.

The size of the countertop for the sink and the machine is determined by the place and material chosen for it. The parameters for height, thickness, length and depth are different. For the rest, the product does not have a constructive variety. By location, the coverage is divided into angular or straight... According to the method of combining the sink with the countertop, several more types are distinguished.

In this case, a hole is cut out in the canvas, the size of which coincides with the sink, the bowl is tightly inserted into it, and then the communications are connected. In this version, the sink is below the level of the countertop, it is less noticeable and may not be too expensive. Here it is better to focus on the surface itself, showing the beauty, for example, of stone or wood.... Due to the ease of installation, many choose the most budgetary options: chipboard or plastic.

Overhead washbasins "sit" on the countertop surface, they are on public display and should look beautiful and stylish... In this embodiment, the coating can be any. But expensive materials are often chosen, since the surface does not need to be particularly disturbed, only a small hole is needed for draining. A snow-white sink with beautiful geometry looks spectacular against the background of a dark coating.

This type of surface can be considered the most expensive, hygienic and flawless. The design combines a tabletop with a bowl poured or cut into it - it all depends on the material chosen. The shell is cut in a single piece of thick solid wood, knocked out in stone, filled with liquid stone or resins. The result is a one-piece monolithic product. A small drain hole is made in the sink, then communications are connected.

In addition to location, there are other design variations, for example, the location of the crane. The faucet can rise from the base of the sink or from the wall. In the first case, the underwater paths will pass under the tabletop, in the second, they will be walled up into the wall.

Countertops are also installed in different ways:

• on the frame;
• on a special table or cabinet, inside of which there is no content (it becomes a typewriter in the form of a box and is covered with a table top on top);
• attaching to the wall on stable brackets - these are the lightest and most elegant types of structures.

The specifics of the bathroom impose certain requirements on the material. Products must be resistant to water and hot steam, which means they must have a minimum porosity. Materials that do not meet these requirements, for example, wood or chipboard, undergo a special treatment and are covered with a protective layer.

Different types of stone are used to create countertops: onyx, malachite, granite, travertine, marble. Such coverage looks amazing, expensive and respectable. It is not afraid of water, temperature changes, resistant to fungal manifestations, easy to care for and lasts forever. But there are also negative aspects:

• the stone is heavy;
• difficult to transport;
• difficult to assemble;
• difficult to restore.

It has minimal porosity and surpasses natural counterparts in technical characteristics. Artificial stone can be divided into several types: acrylic, agglomerate and liquid stone (casting). The composition of acrylic products includes white clay powder, acrylic resin and polymers, coloring pigments may be present.

Agglomerate is difficult to distinguish from natural stone, since it consists of 95% natural chips (marble, quartz, granite), contains decorative additives, dyes and polymer resin binders.

The composition of the liquid stone includes decorative fillers and polymers. As a basis, additional material may be needed - for example, MDF. The thickness of the filling layer is 5-15 mm. Due to its plasticity, artificial stone can be cast in any shape. The poured surface is smooth and seamless.

The stone is easily restored, although it is quite difficult to damage the material, since it can withstand large temperature drops, does not swell or crack. Artificial stone, unlike natural stone, has no radiation background, it is completely safe and much cheaper.

The most original material for creating countertops, because it produces fantastic surfaces. Epoxy resin is plastic, has a transparent structure, it can be poured over everything: a cut of a tree, shells, sea pebbles, printing products, a herbarium. If necessary, coloring pigments are added to the composition, making the surface even more effective. The material has almost no porosity, it tolerates hot vapors well and does not absorb foreign liquids.

The wood looks rich and presentable, it attracts with its natural, environmentally friendly structure. There is a misconception that wood and water are incompatible, but it is enough to recall the ships of our ancestors, which plowed the oceans for decades, to refute this theory. Wood perfectly tolerates moisture, even if you make a washbasin out of it. When choosing a material, you just need to consider two things:

• wood should be among the hardest types of trees (oak, plum, larch, ash, walnut, hornbeam), that is, have the least porosity;
• it should be subjected to a special antifungal treatment, which will have to be repeated periodically.

To create a wooden surface it is not necessary to use a whole array. It can be assembled from two large pieces glued together under high pressure on presses. The main thing is to fold the drawing as effectively as possible. From a large solid timber, beautiful countertops with monolithic sinks are created, which are cut into the material itself. Together, the worktop and sink create a sophisticated and unified composition.

Slabs are among the most unique and expensive wood surfaces. This is a cut of a large tree with raw natural edges, cut across the thickness of the table top. For such products, they choose rare and beautiful tree species with a unique pattern and color. After antimicrobial treatment, the surface is covered with layers of varnish or epoxy.

Particle boards are among the most unsuitable materials for use in rooms with high humidity and hot fumes, but they have a budget cost, so the choice often falls on them. To create a countertop in the bathroom, the slabs are laminated. They should be treated with care: if the protective layer is damaged, moisture will quickly begin to destroy the material, it will begin to swell and exfoliate.

For countertops with a sink, glass is still used, but it does not belong to popular materials, plastic surfaces can be found much more often.

For the countertop, you should choose a practical, waterproof and durable material that tolerates temperature fluctuations well. It is necessary to carefully examine it for chips and scratches, otherwise these defects will eventually cause the destruction of the product. To make the bathroom look harmonious, a surface that immediately catches the eye, should be stylized to match the environment.

You need to stock up on a special siphon with an additional pipe so that it is possible to connect the drains from the machine and the washbasin. Before buying, you should check the components: fasteners and other parts.

Since the tabletop is the same for the washing machine and washbasin, the place for the unit is chosen next to the plumbing. To install the machine correctly, you will need to follow some rules:

• it is important that the selected area is at least 120 cm;
• leave a small space behind the equipment for placing the hose and connecting the filters;
• the height under the countertop should not interfere with the installation of equipment;
• the typewriter should not enter the niche too tightly; gaps must be left for possible vibration of the equipment;
• the tabletop is arranged in such a way as not to interfere with the maintenance of the unit (loading the hatch, filling in the powder, etc.).

After using the bathroom, wipe the countertop with a soft cloth. This applies to all surfaces, but otherwise the care will depend on the texture of the selected material. Glass, glossy, polished countertops are damaged by the use of abrasive and powder products. Wooden surfaces should be periodically treated with special oil.

How good the countertop is in the design of the bathroom, you can understand by looking at photos of some of the interiors.

When a room is endowed with complex geometry or small dimensions, corner furniture models help out.

Having a minimum of space, you can fill it nicely and comfortably by including warm rich wood in the interior in the form of a table top, a shelf and a decor for a mirror.

The two-level wooden surface efficiently organizes the space.

Glass coverings seem fragile, but they look modern and can satisfy all bathroom requirements.

Onyx looks great, has a rich color range and is in harmony with any type of washbasin: built-in, monolithic, overhead.

The majestic brown marble contrasts flawlessly with the white fixtures.

For information on how to make a drywall countertop in a bathroom, see the next video.