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chocolatebunny123

Sink cabinet sides cut away....potential problem for new sink?

I'm sorry if my title question does not make sense. Let me try to explain further.

My house is 20 years old and I am not the original owner. The cabinets are birch with a reddish-brown stain, an upgrade from the builder for the PO. The countertops are laminate with a wood edge where the stain is starting to wear.

I would like to update the kitchen with new countertops, sink and backsplash. We are keeping the original cabinets as it's not (nor probably won't ever be) in the budget to replace these.

The current sink is a drop in Kohler double bowl cast iron sink. While I do not know the model, it has similar dimensions as the Brookfield. The sink is 33" L x 22" W x 9-5/8" D.

According to Kohler and other sites that sell the Brookfield, it is made for a 33 inch base cabinet, so I assumed that was the cabinet size I have and started looking for a new sink. I really like the Blanco Precis Double Bowl sink (measurements 29.75" W x 18.125" D) and wanted to undermount it on quartz countertops.

However, upon actually measuring my cabinet, it turns out it is a 30 inch, not a 33 inch cabinet. In other words, the builder/fabricator put a sink meant for a 33 inch cabinet on a 30 inch one.

I took some pictures from underneath and it appears that both sides of the cabinet have been completely cut away in order to accommodate the current sink. This picture is the side against the dishwasher; the white is the dishwasher insulation. The dishwasher is to the left of the sink.

Here's another picture showing that the entire side has been cut. The right side looks exactly the same but it came out too blurry for me to post.

This below shows how the sink extends beyond the cabinet doors. Sorry for the mess in the sink. You can also see where the wood trim stain is wearing down.

I was quite upset to discover this as it seems like the entire weight of the sink is supported by the countertops. If I were to get quartz, it appears that the new sink would have to be attached to the quartz itself as there is no support on the cabinet walls at all.

Sorry for the length of this post; bottom line - is it "normal" to cut away that much of the sides of the cabinet to accommodate a sink? Can a new sink be mounted to quartz, or do the sides of the cabinets need to be built back up first? Can this current cabinet even support the weight of quartz + a sink + water/pots in a new sink?

I was really hoping to update but if there are structural issues then than plan is out the window. Any advice or thought are appreciated. I also want to make sure I am not overreacting over nothing.

Thanks in advance.


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