Help! Making Vanity but question fabricator statement

14 years ago

Hello All. Hope someone can help. My mom has a small under stair bathroom. We are replacing her wall hung sink with a vanity made out of a purchased cabinet. The sink was 17" x 19" and found a cabinet that would fit in the space. We found a granite remnant and I took it to a fabricator who cut the center hole for the undermount sink and a hole for the single hole faucet.

The sink is a hammered copper 15" diameter with the bowl 12" in diameter. I left the sink with them and fabricator said it would be mounted to the granite piece and I did not need to leave the cabinet. He said I could take off the top of the cabinet and epoxy the granite top to the vanity top.

Yesterday I picked up the granite top and the copper sink was not attached to the granite. When I asked about it, he said copper does not adhere to granite. He never stated that prior to fabrication even when I left the sink. It made me wonder if he actually knew this prior to trying to adhere the copper sink.

The fabricator is suggesting keeping the cabinet top on and making a hole to drop the copper sink into, then adhering the granite to the cabinet top with the sink sandwiched between this using liquid nails. He then recommends doing a silicone bead around the rim of the granite and copper sink to provide the water-proofing.

My questions:

1. Will this technique actually work to form a waterproof barrier, if he was not able to attach the sink to the granite?

2. Is there a better option to make sure the sandwiched sink is waterproofed well?

3. Does copper adhere to granite? If so, what process/technique should I use to adhere the two components together?

Thanks for any suggestions.

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Comments (5)

User
14 years ago
I'm a novice at this stuff, but from what I understand, sinks are not supposed to just be glued to the granite, for a couple of reasons. 1. if it's glued and your sink breaks (applies to non metal sinks of course) how will you be able to change it if it's glued to the granite? 2. I keep hearing that eventually, that the epoxy will fail and your sink will start to separate from the granite and can fall.

The sink should have come with clips or fasteners that are used to attach the sink to the granite. If your sink didn't come with those, I would do exactly what the fabricator is suggesting. At least you'll know for sure the sink will have proper support and not fall and yes, caulking is how they are all sealed.
sonepi
Original Author
14 years ago
thanks lukkiirish.

The fabricator said they do generally adhere porcelain or ceramic undermount sinks to vanity tops, but not copper. My concern is if this information is correct regarding the copper sinks and if only putting the silicone beading around sink and vanity will be enough to "waterproof" the vanity top.

Hopefully, someone will know something more about these copper sinks. :-)
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MongoCT
14 years ago
I've never used adhesive alone to adhere an undermount sink to a slab.

There have always been sink clips used, or wood battens secured to the cabinet sides. And silicone to seal the sink flange to the slab.

The negative about sandwichign the sink flange between the cabinet top and the countertop slab is that were you to ever want a new sink, the slab would have to be pulled to remove the sink.

Regardless, that method has been used.

Install your plywood cabinet top and cut the opening for the sink bowl. Then use a router to rout out a recess wide and deep enough for the sink flange.

Run a light bead of silicon in the recess then bed the flange into the silicone. Run a heavier bead of silicon on top of the flange then install your stone slab.
brickeyee
14 years ago
Copper may interfere with the cement curing correctly.

Do a test run with scraps and the exact materials.
sonepi
Original Author
14 years ago
Mongocot - thank you for the detailed information. I've heard about sink clips but my sink from Overstock did not come with any. I was just thinking of clamping the granite and sink together, but if clips work best, I'll be happy to buy theml This has taken so long - I don't think this sink and bottom will EVER be replaced! LOL My mother actually loved it when I brought it up for her from TX. She had not ever seen what I'd selected except granite counters.

It looks like I need to route out the top edge of the cabinet hole (not planning to use plywood, just the cabinet that is on the top), to make a "lip" to recess the flange so the flange is flush with the top of the cabinet. I was wondering about that! That would answer my concern about water leakage between the two surfaces when they were not flat.

Brickeye - thanks for more specific info on copper and cement curing. Unfortunately, they did not save any scraps from the fabrication. I can use the cabinet hole I will cut for the sink. I'll definitely post pictures when it is done. Mom is deciding on floors now and I don't want to install it until they are in and the old wall-hung sink is out.

IF anyone has any other suggestions, they would greatly be appreciated. Thanks again to brickeyee and Mongoct.

Help! Making Vanity but question fabricator statement

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Help! Making Vanity but question fabricator statement

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