I haven't tried this -- just wanted to post and say that I think it is a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing it with us. I look forward to reading other posts on the topic.

Live: I have poated several threads here on this topic. The Counter Seal can only be used with their own proprietary sinks. The Rube Goldberg I mentioned was my idea of substituting Corian for the fiberboard underlay on the sink cabinet and gluing the laminate to it. Lots of complications with fabrication and sealing the sink hole. My thought was to actually make the quartz portion a half inch deeper than the rest of the counter and curve the ends to mate it at the cabinet edges. That way it would resemble a farm house type of sink. The minimum install price has me worried though. If that is true in my area too then this idea would probably not be wise. I already have a bid of over $7000 for 76 sq ft of Cambria, that was our second choice. We will have to get firm estimates for the 180fx job to see where we are.

You have overlooked the fact that there are now sinks available for undermounting with laminate.

I am in the same boat, or similar boat anyways.

Everyone says don't over spend for your area. I have WAAY over done that already just for the bones and structure. But also granite, while it is gorgeous, just isn't that important to me and I don't have high end finishes anywhere else. Although what I do have is what I wanted, so if I wanted granite, I would find the budget for it. But since it isn't that big a deal to me and since I am also nearing the end of my $, the countertop is one place that I can save some money and upgrade later if I want to.

As far as looking funny for the next owners, will cross that bridge when we get to it. I plan to be here for the long haul unless something unforeseen happens.

So for now, I am all about function and saving a few $ in the process if possible.

So we have gone hi-res laminte all the way around, but my sink is in the corner, and might not have been the best choice for a corner, but oh well, I love it anyways. So I am going to have to do something different in that corner with the countertops.

My other countertops should be here in a week or so. I think I will live with those for a little while and go from there. We have grown use to no countertops around the sink. We don't have to open the drawer to get out the silverware. :-)

(the microwave is only there to try to hold the dishwasher down while the racks are pulled out. I only use the dishwasher as a dish drain)

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

We are using the high end laminate as well and will be having an undermount sink installed.

Check out the Karran website.

I agree with the other post that your way might be a little odd looking with the solid around the sink.

Nerdyshopper--Another option is to try to find some second hand Corian on the cheap. Craigslist perhaps.

A DIY'er can work Corian w/ power tools, from what I've read. So you could make the sink cutout. Or have a pro fabricator make the cutout for you. Assuming, that is, that there is a glue or Contact cement that will work w/ both Corian & laminate. W/ Corian underneath, you shouldn't have any worries about the substrate decomposing on you.

One of the laminate manufacturers used to - and maybe still does, offer some Corian-like solid surface colors and patterns that match their laminate, so you can use solid surface just in the sink area and not have it look different.

I saw a sink, called Quartzite IIRC, that is designed for seamless laminate installations. It's not undermount, and it's white or gray rather than stainless steel, but the result yields what most people want the undermount sink for - no raised lip around the sink to catch dirt. It installs rather like one of those tile-in sinks - the border around the sink will match the sink color, not the countertop color, but it is completely flush with the countertop with no gap. I can't recall the manufacturer.

I've also wondered why you couldn't do a bullnose wraparound on a laminate countertop where the sink goes on at least two sides, and maybe all four if you're careful and creative at the corners, and eliminate the seams. However, part of the issue with undermounting a sink in laminate is that the countertop must support the weight of the sink from underneath, so the internal particle board or substrate can't be allowed to deteriorate or else the sink would fall.

What if the sink edges are resting on the walls of the cabinets?

Meagain, You're working against mother nature...look at the Grand Canyon and what water has done to that! And that is rock! Your laminate and particleboard subtrate will eventually be affected. Consider Corian if you're on a budget Or do the laminate and then do waterproof material that butts up to your sink....like a stainless drainboard, granite/quartz or wood or Corian. But that could start to look hodgepodge. Depends on your layout I guess.