Pedestal sink specifications are full of terms that sound alike and mean different things. This glossary covers the twelve that most often cause a wrong order or a failed inspection. Read it once, then paste the relevant lines into your spec.
1. Full pedestal
A column that runs from the floor to the basin, hiding the drain and supply lines. Classic look, smallest footprint, but no under-sink storage and no accessible knee clearance — so it is not ADA compliant.
2. Half-pedestal (semi-pedestal)
A shorter shroud at the wall that leaves the floor area open. Keeps some of the pedestal look while freeing the floor — a common choice where a wall-hung basin feels too clinical but a full column is too bulky.
3. Wall-hung (wall-mounted) basin
Mounts to the wall with no floor contact. Provides the knee clearance a full pedestal cannot, which is why it is the accessible-compliance option. Requires structural backing in the wall.
4. Non-ceramic sanitary ware
The product category under Chinese standard JC/T 2116-2012 that covers solid surface (artificial stone) basins. It is the correct category name; "ceramic" describes a different, fired-clay material we do not make.
5. Solid surface (artificial stone)
A homogeneous composite of mineral filler and binder resin, cast in a mould. Color and texture run through the full thickness — which is what makes field repair possible.
6. Water absorption
The percentage of water a material takes on. Tested to JC/T 2116-2012, a good solid surface basin sits around 0.1% (limit 0.5%). Lower means stains and bacteria do not soak in. This is the single number most worth putting in a spec.
7. Barcol hardness
A surface-hardness measurement. Around 46 is typical for a quality solid surface basin — high enough to resist indentation in daily use.
8. Overflow
A hidden channel in some basins that diverts excess water to the drain before it spills. Many pedestal basins are made without an overflow, which changes the drain you need (use an overflow-free drain). Always confirm before ordering the drain hardware.
9. Drain opening
The hole size in the basin. Our basins use a 45 mm drain, which lines up with the US 1.75-inch standard using standard lavatory hardware. A different hole size needs different hardware.
10. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)
An Incoterm where the seller handles everything to your door, including import duties. Our retail model is quoted EXW; door-to-door DDP is available on request — trade orders are usually quoted FOB with duties handled by the buyer's forwarder.
11. FOB (Free On Board)
The seller delivers goods onto the vessel at the named port; risk and cost transfer to the buyer there. This is our standard wholesale term and gives the buyer control of freight.
12. MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
The smallest quantity a supplier will quote on the trade side. Ours is quoted per model and programme rather than published as a single number — request the current tier sheet for the models you are considering.
Using this glossary in a spec
When you write a bid, the terms that actually change the order are full vs half vs wall-hung (footprint and compliance), overflow yes/no (drains), and water absorption (performance). Name those three explicitly and most specification disputes disappear before they start.