Want to undermount sink in laminate counter

hedygs

16 years ago

I know this can be done but I don't remember the product/company that people have used. Do you?

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

iamnodiy
16 years ago
This topic has come up a few times here. This what I found when I googled undermount sink in laminate counter. It is from bobvila.com

Sink Limitations
A drop-in or self-rimming sink is typically used with laminate kitchen counters. The raw edge around the sink must be sealed properly so water can't penetrate between the sink and the countertop. As long as the edge is sealed, problems like delamination are unlikely.

If water problems occur, they typically affect the substrateÂthe particle or medium-density fiber boardÂto which the laminate is bonded. When penetrated by water, the substrate actually swells and deteriorates, leaving unsightly warping, bumps, and gaps.

Undermount sinks are typically discouraged with laminate counters because it is so difficult to guard against water penetration. If you are determined to use an undermount sink, consider Counter-Seal's undermount sink system or work with a fabricator to make an impenetrable seam between sink and counter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Counter- Seal
3katz4me
16 years ago
I got a Karran undermounted sink with new laminate counters at my lake place earlier this year. I'm lovin' it so far. I did get a sink with a faucet deck so if I ended up having some kind of problems and had to get a different sink I could just swap it out and not have to deal with faucet holes in my laminate. Plus something about the faucet going through the laminate just made me think more potential complications. The contractor who did the work said his counter guy had done quite a few of these with good results and felt it was a "good system".

I do think the sink itself is a bit more prone to staining than the Corian sink I have at home and takes a little more effort to clean than my Corian sink. That kind of thing doesn't bother me but I know some people hate it so I wanted to mention it.

The other thing I do sometimes wonder about is chipping the edge of the laminate around the sink. You know how those edges on a laminate counter seem to chip. I am careful not to bang things against the edge. Overall though I really like it. So nice to be able to just wipe things into the sink plus I have more counterspace without the big edge I used to have with my cast iron sink. Here's a picture.

{{!gwi}}
Related Discussions
Pix/feedback: undermount sinks & laminate counters + faucet ?
Q
Comments (0)
DH and I have settled on Basalt Slate laminate as the most affordable and attractive option for the counter that will hold our sink. We're happy with that decision, except I would love to have an undermount counter. I'm hoping some of you who have used systems such as Counter-Seal or Karran can share your pictures and experiences. Specifically, I'd like to see what the inside edge of the laminate counter looks like. Have you been happy with the system? How long have you had it, and would you choose something different next time? Additional question: I've found what I think is a good price on a dark-colored Silgranite sink that would blend in with the Basalt Slate counter. (If I have to have a drop-in sink, then at least it won't stand out.) However, the faucet can only be put on the back corner of the sink. Our sink will be a single bowl, about 24", centered under our kitchen window. Do you think it would be weird to have the gooseneck faucet off the the side - essentially beside the cabinets - rather than centered at the middle of the sink and the window? Thank you for your help. I did searches; unfortunately, I can't pull up any of the threads that might help. Hopefully that's a temporary problem with the site repairs; but, just in case it's not temporary, I thought I'd get my question out there.
...See More
Undermount Sink with Laminate Countertops
Q
Comments (7)
You can use the CounterSeal method with some standardized size stainless sinks. They have to have the template on file. It's not cheap, and you end up with a ring of Corian around your sink attached to the laminate. YOu still have seams around your sink, which is the weak point in laminate. There was a poster on here who had that fail---badly. ANd you're locked into the Corian colors which may or may not match your laminate color well. Done right, the color match looks great. Done badly, it' looks like exactly what it is, a ring of off colored plastic around your sink rim. Although there are some sources that will sell on the net, it's designed to have a trained fabricator install it. It won't be warrantied if you DIY. The Karran process uses solid surface sinks (solid acrylic) in white or bone and the only thing that keeps the assembly watertight is the thin skin of your teeth laminate thickness. You have to have a licensed installer to do this, and it's not an inexpensive choice. Not available DIY that I'm aware of, and it's not warrantied if it is. There still isn't a method to undermount a sink in laminate that is as inexpensive as the laminate itself. It will cost $300-$600 to be done, and must be done by a licensed fabricator to have a warranty. I don't trust any of the methods for longevity and I would not put them in my own house. Gibby's looks great, but I have to point out that it is a vacation house and doesn't receive everyday usage. I'd have to recommend that if one of your goals is to have an undermount sink, you shouldn't make do with questionable half measures in laminate. You should redo your budget to include the acrylic/stone surface that you love, plus the undermount sink---from a reputable fabricator.
...See More
Countertop options for undermount sink
Q
Comments (12)
Call this number for Costco Countertops: 1-877-483-6226. If you are not a member and they ask you can tell them you would be willing to join in order to purchase your countertops through them, but you want to find out if it would be worthwhile first. If you are already a member, great. Tell them you want to find out if countertops are available in your area. They will have the sales person for the company that does Costco's counters in your area call you. He/She can give you an idea of the cost of granite, Corian or Zodiac Quartz in your area throught them. If you are interested after that, they will come to your Condo, bring all the samples and colors to choose from, measure, and give you a firm quote at no charge. Then if you decide to use them, you actually pay Costco in advance and Costco pays them when the job is done. The other least expsensive way I found was to find out who the local builders and tradesmen use. Sometimes a smaller shop and sometimes not, but if it is a smaller shop, they will often give you a better price than you can get elsewhere. It might be more than they get from the tradesmen but less than what the tradesmen would charge you. I also found going through a local lumbar mart that caters to the trades netted me a quote about 700.00 less than what I was quoted by a large company and it is the same large company that does it for the lumbar mart! They just don't mark it up any where near as much. Let us know how you make out. Sue
...See More
Acrylic undermount sink with laminate countertop?
Q
Comments (11)
Nolamom, sorry for the late reply. I hadn't checked this thread for a while. We used a Corian Counter-Seal ring. The KD says something seemed to have changed in the adhesive Corian tells the fabricators to use, as during a 2 year period about 5 failures like ours happened (2007-late 2008). The fabricators swore they were using the approved stuff and were certified, so it wasn't their fault. The Counter-Seal people said it was past the 1 year warranty, so it wasn't their problem. The KD quit selling the undermount rings as he couldn't afford to cover more new counters for replacements. I just saw some ads for a new overmount sink that has a very flat thin lip, so it seems to almost look and work like an undermount sink. Here's the info--it's from an article on CNET. "How about an easy-(and inexpensive) to-install overmount sink that gives you the look of a flushmount? That's what you get with MicroEdge, the latest offering from Blanco. It's an ultrafine rim--1.25 mm--that installs over virtually any counter material for a precision, near seamless edge. The sink isn't cheap--you'll spend around $600--but the install is standard enough that you can do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you for far less than a flush or undermount." I'm was actually glad I didn't see these sinks before we ordered the granite, as I might have given in to my DH's desire to just replace the sink section of the laminate and do an overmount sink this time. If granite/quartz isn't an option, these new sinks might be workable for OP. Good luck!
...See More

Want to undermount sink in laminate counter

Comments (2)

iamnodiy

3katz4me

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US