Thinking about swapping to a pedestal sink - tips or regrets?

When I swapped out my old vanity for a pedestal sink, I went without silicone at first, figuring gravity and plumbing would handle it fine. And yeah, it was stable enough at first glance. But over time, between the occasional bump and uneven tiles (my bathroom floor's definitely seen better days...), it started shifting slightly. Not enough to fall over or anything dramatic, but just enough to annoy me every morning.

Ended up pulling it back out and doing the job properly with silicone around the base - made a noticeable difference. If you're budget-conscious like me and want to avoid redoing work later, I'd recommend spending that extra 10 minutes now to secure it. Also, definitely second checking your floor level beforehand; it's easier to shim or level things out before installation rather than after everything's connected and you've got water everywhere. Learned that lesson myself too.

"Ended up pulling it back out and doing the job properly with silicone around the base - made a noticeable difference."

Glad you mentioned this. You wouldn't believe how many calls I've had to handle just because someone skipped that silicone step. It's one of those small things you might think you can get away with, but trust me, gravity alone isn't your friend here. Pedestal sinks look great, sure, but they're notoriously picky about uneven floors. Did you notice any shifting around the plumbing connections when yours started moving? Sometimes even slight movement can loosen fittings over time.

Your advice about checking floor level beforehand is spot-on too. I've seen plenty of situations where folks install everything first, then realize it's off-level by a hair...then they have to undo half their work just to shim it right. Definitely not fun when water's involved.

A quick tip: if you're working on an older tile floor that's seen better days (like yours), a little prep work can save headaches later. Sometimes I'll lightly sand or scuff up the tile where the silicone bead will go, just to give it a better grip. Doesn't take much effort and makes things way more stable over the long haul.

Sounds like you've got it sorted now though - nice job catching it early before something worse happened. Nothing more annoying than a wobbly sink first thing in the morning...

Good catch on the silicone - it's funny how often people underestimate that step. Did you end up using clear or white silicone? I've found clear usually blends better, but it can yellow over time depending on the brand. Also curious if you had any trouble lining up the drain after reseating everything...sometimes even a tiny shift throws things out of whack and causes leaks later on. Glad it's sorted though, nothing worse than chasing mystery drips under a sink first thing in the morning...

I went with clear silicone - figured it'd blend better with the tile behind it. Haven't noticed any yellowing yet, but it's only been about a year, so fingers crossed. Lining up the drain was definitely a pain...took me a couple tries to get it right. Ended up using plumber's putty around the drain flange too, just for extra peace of mind. No leaks yet, but I'm still paranoid enough to peek under there every now and then.

Clear silicone's a solid choice, I've had mine about two years now and it's holding up pretty well - no yellowing yet either. Did you have trouble hiding the supply lines behind the pedestal? Mine still bug me a bit...