"Use a removable silicone bead instead of caulk around the base—makes dismantling less painful."
Wish I'd thought of that earlier. Had to swap out a pedestal sink last summer, and the previous owner had caulked it down like it was never meant to move again. Ended up cracking the base trying to pry it loose...lesson learned the hard way. Definitely second keeping spare fittings around too—nothing worse than running to the store mid-job because you're missing one tiny connector.
"Ended up cracking the base trying to pry it loose...lesson learned the hard way."
Been there myself—wish I'd seen this silicone tip sooner. When we swapped ours out, I was overly cautious about sealing it properly (water damage paranoia), so I used a pretty heavy-duty caulk. Removing it later was a nightmare. Now I stick to removable silicone beads and keep a small container of spare plumbing bits handy. Definitely worth the peace of mind and fewer emergency trips mid-project.
Pedestal sinks look nice, but honestly they're a pain to work with. Last one I installed, the homeowner had sealed it like Fort Knox—took forever to pry loose without damaging tiles. Silicone's definitely your friend here...just don't go overboard. Less is more.
"Silicone's definitely your friend here...just don't go overboard. Less is more."
Totally agree with this. Learned the hard way myself—had to replace a cracked pedestal a while back. Previous owner went nuts with adhesive, and I nearly chipped the floor getting it out. A thin bead of silicone, just enough to stabilize it, saves you headaches later. Good luck with the swap...they do look sharp when they're done right.
Yeah, silicone's usually the way to go, but honestly, I've seen plenty of pedestal sinks installed without any adhesive at all. The weight and plumbing connections alone often keep it pretty stable—unless you've got kids swinging off it or something (been there, done that...). Just make sure your floor is level first; otherwise, even silicone won't save you from a wobbly sink. Learned that one the hard way myself.
