I used undermount oval lavatories with laminate in all three of my bathrooms. BUT, I fabricated the countertops myself & used plywood for the substrate and backpainted the underside of the plywood with an oil base swimming pool paint. Used a narrow strip of laminate to cover the raw edge of the plywood Then I caulked the seam where sink mounts to the plywood---and periodically inspect it to make sure it's holding up. They're holding up quite well some 6-8 years down the road. (Alternately, you could also laminate the underside of the countertop for extra protection--especially in the case of a kitchen sink. Wouldn't need to laminate the whole back side but just enough to have laminate extend 6 inches of so around the sink cutout.) The basics probs are that most countertops are prefabs and use particle board for the substrate. (Particle board realllly hates water.) And cutting a hole leaves you with a raw edge and no way to finish it...or almost no way. There is a cheesy looking system available but it isn't something I would use. Am planning to use an undermount sink with a laminate countertop in the new kitchen. Need to keep an eye to how tight the bends are at the corners of the sink (for the edge banding)...but using a hair dryer or heat gun would make the laminate easier to bend, I'm thinking.

I just saw an example of this kind of installation on the Crown Point website. I don't think I can link directly to the photos of the kitchen I'm thinking of, but its one of the kitchens in their "Recent Images" sections. The kitchen is on the second page of kitchens, and is the second kitchen on the second row. Looks like they made it work by mounting the sink a bit higher than the countertops. Love that kitchen, especially the color of the cabs. Nice change from the white cabinet look. Hope this helps! Here is a link that might be useful: Recent Images from Crown Point website

Thanks, CircusPeanut, for posting the photo. That sink is made like mine, with the rim around the sides and front, so it gives me a good idea of how mine will look up-mounted (not sure that is the technical term) from the counter tops. I've just got one window to work with, so I'm hoping the build out won't be so obvious with a deep window sill over it. I do wish I had thought more about the build-out factor before talking DH into this modification :) I saw Arlosmom's buildout and think mine will end up looking a lot like hers. Thanks for those extra pics you sent me :) Anybody else willing to show pics of buildouts for the sink or comments about the process? Terry

this is a gorgeous kitchen! More on India ink as stain: I've used it on furniture a lot. Be SURE you get permanent India ink. It has some shellac in it to make it more waterproof. It has amazing coverage. I have done an entire armchair frame with only an ounce or two. It's also very messy if you drip it, so wear old clothes and get some disposable latex gloves. It may raise the grain on some woods. Sand the wood smooth before applying it, then do a very light sanding after it's completely dry, if it feels at all rough. Apply a second coat if the sanding removes any of the color. The color is a warm black. It's opaque but the grain of the wood will show through, unlike with paint. It's a pretty unique finish. I have never used Waterlox over my ink finishes, since they were furniture. I think you do need something though--the finish doesn't seem to be super permanent even though the ink is labeled permanent. (That's more for when it's used on paper, not furniture or counters that get a lot of wear and tear.) I used beeswax on the furniture which seemed to seal the ink pretty well. I don't think I would use it on wooden chair seats, though. Too much risk of rubbing off on clothing down the road.