On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 23:25:32 -0000, "John Stumbles"
] wrote:

"PoP" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 16:57:27 -0000, "BillR"
wrote:

The 3 pedestal basins I fitted all came with double ended bolt system for
mounting the basin securely to the wall independently of the ped. which
was
apparently only decorative.

I guess I might be playing devils advocate a bit here - but surely
replying upon the basins hanging from a couple of screws, no matter
how well attached those screws might be, is asking for trouble?

The basins are made from porcelain, and porcelain doesn't give me
great confidence that it can sustain tension stresses as gravity tries
to pull the basin away from the wall? Wouldn't this tend to create
shear stresses in the area around the screw fixings?

I tend to think in terms of porcelain being okay for compression
stresses (as would be found in the pedestal as the weight of the basin
bears down on it), but not tension stresses.

I thought so too until I fitted one - you could probably climb on it!
Believe me these are seriously strong fittings (14mm dia hole for the wall
plug) and the basin designers have done their homework on the stregth of the
thing. These are continental design btw - not at all like the traditional
Brit design with 2 wimpy holes in the bottom of the basin purely for pulling
the basin in to the wall, with the weight being taken either on the pedestal
or (in Ye Olde Days) on a couple of iron brackets (or various other bits of
metal hardware). Mind you you could probably climb on a properly installed
bracket-supported traditional basin too (though there the strength is down
to the metal, not the pottery)

How do you know when to stop tightening the bolts though? I daren't
tighten mine anymore, it's not 100% but I'm worried about breaking the
basin and I don't have a pedestal to rest it on either, stupid half
pedestal idea of mine... that bit hangs off the basin on springs. ;-)

Mark S.