What's a chalk channel?

I assume she meant "caulk" rather than "chalk".

My sink is undermounted with a slight negative reveal. It's been installed for 9 months and the white caulk is pristine.

Whoops-must have auto-corrected. Yes, I meant caulk.

My counter overhangs my sink a bit (negative or positive?) and I love it. Actually it seldom gets wet under there.

I've had undermount sinks for several years and have no had a problem. We live in a humid area and every few months I spray a little bleach under the granite where the caulk is and leave it for a few minutes . Then brush the area with a scrub brush and every thing is like it was new. It is improtant that they have sealed it with the proper caulk.

Well, that makes more sense - I just thought it was something I didn't know about. Now I get it. Our sink has a tiny positive reveal. We've had no trouble with mold or yukky gunk at all. I suspect the cleaners at that ladies' room are slacking, or maybe the owners have cut back on cleaning services.

Thanks for the photos, badgergal and Suzanne.

I've had an undermount kitchen sink for 13 years, one bathroom sink for 8 years and one for six months. No gunk or mold. People really shouldn't be afraid of this. If you clean the sides of your sink, it's just part of it. I don't know who started this "gunk" fear :o but I know it was a concern even 13 years ago. I guess if someone never cleaned their sink it could happen.

Oh, I don't regret it at all! Love the extra counter space, the ease of cleaning and the less cluttered look of an undermount.

I think I inspired this thread. I told risforremodel in another thread that I am rethinking an undermount sink after staying a couple of hotels with them.

I do my hair in front of the sink. Hair gets in the sink. I wipe it out with my fingers to prevent drain clogs. In both hotels, they had a negative reveal, and my fingers would catch on the unfinished underside of the counter. I found it thoroughly disgusting.

I have never seen a sink or counter with a perfectly sharp, square edge. There is always a slight rounding to it. So even if your sink and counter are perfectly lined up with no reveal, there's going to be a gap. I guess you could fill it with chalk ;) but I suspect I'd find that just as unnerving. I much prefer my 1980s cultured marble integrated sink.

I will be getting an undermount in my current bath remodel, but I've never had one. My old kitchen DID get gunk in that space, I had to clean it out with a toothpick. But that is from food and particles splashing up in there. I really think a bath sink won't be as bad. I'm going for it! My other two sinks were a pedestal, and then a vessel. Both very 'clean' options as well. :)

AmberM, does your 80's counter have a recessed oval bowl (the depression around the sink that catches water before it spreads out)? Our hall bath has an 80's white recessed oval cultured top in very good shape. Our Master had a pedestal sink so I always use the hall bath for the counterspace & have grown very fond of cultured marble (gasp). My kitchen has Quartz but somehow it seems the smooth curved line of the CM countertop flowing into the sink seems more soft and appropriate for a bath than the almost right angle formed by the Quartz top & polished side.

Amber, the funny thing about the Tere-stone top (like high end CM that is heat resistant) that I am considering for the master is that it is considerably more expensive than a granite remnant but anyone who looked at it would probably be more impressed with granite because they would think it was "just cultured marble." We may sell our house in a year or two, so it is a concern.

No, my 80s sinks (1990, actually) are flat to the sink edge. There's a lower spot for soap next to the faucet. And they are hexagons rather than ovals. :D

If you're going to be selling soon, I'd do the granite. It seems the best balance of cost and "must have".