- Self-rimming drop-in sinks with clamps. This type sink is very common in stainless steel double sink or single sink models for kitchen use, and porcelain or stainless steel for bathroom use. Self-rimming drop-in sinks feature a "rim" or lip around the perimeter. They drop into a pre-cut hole in the counter top so that the rim rests directly on the counter top, and are fastened in place using special clamps below. CAULKING is applied around the rim to provide a water seal; or plumber's PUTTY is used under the rim. - Self-rimming drop-in sinks without clamps. This type sink is simply dropped into the opening so that the rim rests on the counter top; clamping underneath is not necessary. Usually porcelain or ceramic, they are held in place with a bead of CAULKING around the rim. This holds it to the counter top and provides a water seal. Unless the specification called for some kind of epoxy adhesive (for what purpose I can't imagine) your contractor has probably used a silicone sealant and is pretending it can't be removed because he doesn't want to take the time to remove all of the residue so the new adhesive will adhere.

Ossiemom - I feel your pain and know exactly how frustrated you must be. We've been living in our basement (thank goodness for that since it would be an even bigger issue if we were in a hotel!) for 2 weeks now while the floor company tries to get our hardwood floors to look decent. And I say decent since I'll accept even that at this point! So what should have been a 4-5 day job is now going into week 3 and we still may have to start over - it's infuriating! Anyway, I'm sure they must have done this, but just thought I'd ask to make sure - did they seal all the granite when they put it in? The reason I ask is that we used 2 slabs of Cambrian black that weren't from the same lot and they looked completely different before sealing. One was much lighter than the other, however after sealing they look exactly the same to me. We knew this though PRIOR to buying them, so it wasn't a surprise. For some reason one slab already had sealer on it and the other didn't when they were brought to the stone supplier. We had them put sealer on a test piece from the lighter one just to see how it looked and we couldn't tell the difference. I would think that they would have sealed your granite if it requires sealing though, so then it definitely isn't acceptable if they look different! Good luck - I hope you get everything worked out to your satisfaction!

When my granite was installed, I sat and watched the whole thing (wasn't going to let anyone near my cabinets with heavy slabs of rock without me watching!) . . . and there was not any water anywhere. A few small rags with acetone to clean off excess caulk. My cabinet installers were responsible for installing the whitehaven sink flush before templating. I agree that they were likely using a wetsaw to cut something on site. I'd definitely plan to be in the room from now on whenever this crew is there. And, have plenty of drop cloths and plastic available. . . Hang in there!

I realize some people think ovals are "dated." Dated - schmated. Oval sinks are classic, not something that even can be "dated". On the other hand, I would care that the sink shape matches other things in the room. The (navy) Hall Bath sinks are too close to the side walls (another design glitch that should have been considered by the designer, but it's too late to change), The sinks are attractive ... but, yes, they are too close to the edge and will always be somewhat uncomfortable to use; that is a person using them will always have to stand a bit to the side of the sink instead of "straight on" because they're so close to the edge. I have this very problem in my girls' bathroom. They share a ridiculously long 13' vanity with two sinks on the very tippy-tippy ends. Just as I described above, they end up standing "to the side" of their sinks to avoid their arms hitting the wall. Is it the end of the world? Not at all, but it's poor planning. If you could wave a magic wand and have it done, I'd say re-do /go with a single sink and a stack of drawers on each side. However, I don't think that's a choice. The $500 option isn't enough to make up for this mistake. I'd ask for $1000 ... and live with it. Re-doing would mean more time, bringing in more countertop, and in the end, the sinks would be your preferred shape ... but would still be too close to the edge. Your master bath looks beautiful by the way. Yes, it does ... simple and tasteful. The hall bath does too. I am concerned that my retro-looking faucet Okay, I agree with you ... but I think it's a minor issue. The faucets aren't installed yet, right? Why not change the style of the hall bath faucet? In fact, this is a good reason to demand more than a paltry $500 ... you now have to return /choose again. It’s a slippery slope we go down once we allow these kinds of things to slide. You specified oval; they ignored you. Now the onus is on you? Unacceptable. I can't disagree with a single word here. Who's the boss in this situation? It oughta be YOU. What do you think of larger mirrors that are NOT centered over sinks but extend beyond? For the hall bath, I'd go with one big mirror. Why? As I described above, people using these sinks are going to end up standing slightly to the side of the sink to avoid touching the wall ... which means that if they have individual mirrors, they're going to stand looking at the mirror's border, not their own reflection.