I couldn't find the thread. Maybe its only in my imagination. Anyway, IMHO, here are some examples of what I would not want. The wet hands turning off the faucet handles will drip on the counter and constantly need wiping up. A bigger issue if you have hard water: [Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by Redwood City General Contractors Hughes Construction, Inc This one will wet behind the sink and need mopping up all the time. [Rustic Powder Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-powder-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_713~s_2111) by Truckee Architects & Building Designers Ward-Young Architecture & Planning - Truckee, CA Here are sinks that have no interference with the water going into the sink: May not be your style and it is huge :) [Rustic Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2111) This one would work because the on/off is at the end of the spout, so drippy hands fall into the sink. [Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Boston Interior Designers & Decorators Bunker Workshop [Modern Bathroom Sinks[(https://www.houzz.com/products/modern-bathroom-sinks-prbr1-br~t_481~s_2105) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers House + House Architects And of course my sink, again ;)

If the sink will be on top of the underlayment you will have to make sure there is never a failure of the seal from the tile to the sink. Any failure here would allow water to get to the underlayment and damage it requiring extensive rework of the counter for repair. The problem will be in even seeing if leakage is occurring until it has thoroughly saturated the underlayment and can be seen from below (if you remember to check). Even with a membrane you can still have water issues if there is not a drainage path. At the very least, exterior plywood with a painted on sealer on the edges and around the opening might help, but water can travel a long way in very small gaps through capillary action.

If fit makes a difference, most steel in China is recycled from US scrap... I've heard that the pads work very well. The Blancos seem to be loved long after installation.

What sort of jobs do you do in a utility sink, e.g. clean paint brushes, wash the dog, rinse off dirt from outside? My laundry sink does that sort of job as well as clean up wet disasters big and small. The operative word is wet and dirty. With an under-mount sink, I would be afraid of the possibility of hidden mold forming even if I were vigilant about disinfecting with bleach. Isn't there at least one side of the sink you won't see easily when scrubbing? I solved the problem with a free-standing utility sink.