Mounting a soapstone sink
Hello everyone. So, we are doing a gut kitchen remodel, about which I may be posting several threads. This is my first one though (so be kind!) We're putting in soapstone countertops with an apron-front soapstone sink. I have both in my current kitchen and love them. There have been several threads on this site about sink mounting, but the ones I have found are either pretty old, or don't answer my specific question about how best to mount the sink.
I have seen the "sink mount kit" mentioned here several times. Sink Mount Kit I've looked at the video, which aside from the single-proprietor vibe seems like a terrific system. My question is, why has no one that I am working with heard of it?
My soapstone guy uses the 2x4 method, shown here. He is not excited about the sink mount kit, thinks the screws will eventually pull out of the cabinet side.
But I agree with many that this is not only space-intensive (in terms of how much cabinet you can put below the sink) but also difficult to adjust, should things settle or (God forbid but we live in a cold climate) there is a water leak.
My cabinet guy is recommending "angle irons" which I imagine are L-shaped pieces of metal that will go into the sides of the cabinet. Which is more economical space-wise than a 2x4...he is confident the screws will hold and says if I am really worried he can put bolts all the way through the cabinet sides. His boxes are 3/4" particle board, which he points out is actually 1.5" of potential material to hook into, if there are cabinets on each side of the sink base.
My GC has never installed a soapstone sink (small town, he seems like a generally competent and clear-thinking person but hasn't seen this one) nor heard of the sink mount kit. All three of these folks have been doing their jobs for a long time, and certainly seem to know their business!
Again, nobody has heard of this adjustable, metal mounting kit. My question is why? Is there a catch, something I'm not seeing? I would really like to use it because it will allow (I think) for the under-sink pullouts that I want to have for trash and cleaning supplies: (I copied this from a prior thread and apologize I've lost the author's name) This picture is not an apron front but I've done the math and have 10 inches to play with for the sink.
Thoughts? I really appreciate and value folks on this site but am a little intimidated to even ask, worried that I may have missed a thread which addressed this already!
Comments (6)
palimpsest
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Soapstone sink
Comments (2)There are a lot of soapstone sink owners on the forum and I have never heard of any complaints. I am in the process of making a soapstone sink. Maybe you've seen my post here in the kitchen forum. The sink will be in my bathroom though. I will post a link. Here is a link that might be useful: Finally the Plans for Soapstone Sink Taking Shape!...See MoreBuying soapstone sink & soapstone countertops at different times?
Comments (3)jejvtr, I have a Belle Foret sink at the cabinetmakers. But I would like ss counters and sinks in the kitchen and will use the fireclay AF sink in the laundry room. If all ss sinks are created equal, I can order them now and get the ss counters later. Trailrunner has wood counters with ss sinks. It looks quite nice and the counters have held up well. If I can not afford ss initially, I will use wood for the time being....See MoreTop mount sink on soapstone counters
Comments (19)We currently have a, now discountinued, cast iron Kohler sink with a drainboard, and we like the drainboard a lot. So, my initial gut thought had been to look for one with a drainboard. Initially we had been planning to reuse this sink but the rethought that thinking we would be fools to invest that much money in countertops to install an odd-sized sink that could not be replaced if something happened to it. The micro-edge does look lovely and we may yet end up with a stainless (even though I am more of the porcelain look person myself) solely because of some other issues we have with size constraints. We too learned many years ago that you get what you pay for, and an initial larger investment upfront pays off in the long run. Perhaps some of those complaints about disgusting looking stainless sinks were from people with the really low end sinks. Even though I know that the top mount sink came later than the era of my house, I too to seem to prefer them aesthetically. Perhaps it is because of the feeling they evoke of kitchens from a earlier era. It's too bad there isn't something similar to the microedge availabe in cast iron. OTOH, I can definitely also see the idea of thinking of my kitchen as not a period piece but as something that has evolved over the decades and has not been static set in one time. I'm sure the housewife who first coccupied it would have been thrilled to be able to upgrade portions of it to the latest technology like micro egde sinks....See Moresink choices for soapstone counter
Comments (9)I can't comment if anyone else has been confused but I knew what you meant by flush mount. In my case just trying to illustrate that even with an undermount sink I haven't experienced any chips or dings. But then again, I've only had my kitchen for 6 months so more time will tell how well it holds up. I've worked it hard though! I would expect you would fare very well with a flush mount sink, and I have found the zero radius no more effort to clean than my previous sinks with curvy corners. As for how to find a harder soapstone the best I can suggest is to get samples and abuse them. Suppliers are notorious for using different names for the same thing, but any supplier that has a decent understanding of soapstone (not that common) should be able to help you out in finding a harder variety as if that is what you are looking for. If you are considering M.Tex as a supplier, mine is from them and called Anastacia. They also have Belvedere which sounds pretty bullet proof from others on this forum. My first test was with a fingernail - If I could scratch it with my fingernail it was out for me. Sadly that eliminated a lot of really beautiful stones but I just couldn't handle that degree of softness. Then use a few other common kitchen things and see how the stone fares. Scratch it with a fork, throw your keys on it a few times, hit it with a soup can. My Anastacia fared quite well - not the hardest but I was satisfied with it's performance and with my ability to sand out the I created imperfections. hth...See Moregardengrl66 z5
2 years agogardengrl66 z5
2 years agogardengrl66 z5
2 years ago
PPF.