New here - Please help me with a farm sink/counter issue!

13 years ago

Hi everyone. I have been reading your posts for months and they have inspired & helped me beyond words!

Now I desperately need some help and advice.

I have installed a farm/ apront front Shaw's 30" sink on my new Java colored shaker style cabinets. I selected Caesarstone Blizzard (nearly white) quartz countertops and found a company who would do a 2" thick edge.

The edge is done by mitering the front and the top together at the corner where they meet - some other places said they would laminate a 1-1/4" piece to a 3/4" but you would see a seam running long the front.

Now my sink is installed and they come to template only to tell me that I have 2 options:

Have the 2" thick counter all around my sink and choose the reveal I want. But they cannot do a radius edge at the back so it will be a hard 90 angle edge. If I have the reveal where I can see the top of the sink, that seems okay but they warn that over time the caulking/ silicone - even if it's clear - can become grimy and black. I'm talking years down the road. However, if I choose the slight overhang, because of the curve of the sink, I'll end up with a 1/2" overhang of the counter at the back and sides and I just feel like it will look like a mistake.

So, my question is: has anyone heard this concern about the caulking on this type of reveal?

And to make matters worse, if only they had looked at my plans more carefully in the beginning, I could have had my sink installed 3/4" higher and I could have had the 2" edge along the front but an 1-1/4" all around the sink - with the radius edge - and it would have looked great. But since my sink cabinet has been cut, we can't figure out a way to raise the sink and not have it look like an afterthought patch job.

UGH!!!!! You all seem like you have amazing ideas. Anyone?????

Thanks so much!

Shelley

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Comments (6)

marcy96
13 years ago
Can you raise the sink and put a piece of decorative molding or a shelf/ledge in the front to cover the space? I've seen farm sinks installed with a drip ledge, I think it's called, underneath them. That could be an option for you.
Circus Peanut
13 years ago
I'd also consider a drip rail. We did it to hide our shimmed up sink and love it! It's basically a bullnose that was nailed on after everything was installed.

You could also consider using a drip rail made out of a strip of your counter material - this looks great too.

Also, we have the negative reveal (you can see top of sink) and I LOVE it, much more than the positive reveal I used to have. It doesn't get "grimy and black" at all because you wipe it right down with the sink! To the contrary, the caulk on my positive reveal got a lot dirtier because I would forget to go peeking under there to scrub.

It's harder for counter installers to cut an exact negative reveal, so if I were the suspicious type I might quietly suggest that's why they're pushing the overhang. ;-)

here's my drip rail:

negative reveal:
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lilydixie
13 years ago
I also have a negative edge like circuspeanut's. I just wipe it when I'm cleaning the sink (every night) and I haven't had any problems. I prefer the look of the negative edge as well.
modgirl
Original Author
13 years ago
thank you all so much so far for the ideas. if anyone else has a drip rail please share pictures - or if you know anyone who put countertop material underneath, i'd love to see that too!

if i can't raise it up, do you think a hard angle edge at the back would look odd given that the farm sink has such soft corners?

i really really want my 2" countertop but not at the expense of this showpiece sink!

thanks again. you guys rock.
jrueter
13 years ago
I have a Kohler farm sink with a negative reveal and mitered counter edges and 90 degree corners. It is easy to wipe down the seam between the sink and counter each day during normal cleaning, and I don't think the corners stand out as looking wrong.
builderbob_2010
13 years ago
A good builder could take some matching face frame cabinet stock or wood from a cabinet filler and glue it in place with furniture glue and you would never know the sink was too low. Or they might remove the cabinet horizontal face rail and put in a taller one. Although, the molding or drip edge is the fastest and easiest thing to do.

New here - Please help me with a farm sink/counter issue!

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