Can an Undermount Sink Be Used With Laminate Countertop

Ane of the things I really, really, really wanted in our new kitchen was an undermount sink. I was and so tired of crud getting stuck against the ridge of the sink. I longed for the day when I could just wipe crumbs off the counter straight into the sink with no obstructions! (Okay, maybe I'm existence a little dramatic, but you get the idea).

When we decided to go with laminate countertops for our kitchen, I idea my wish for an undermount sink was impossible. Because the MDF under laminate countertops gets ruined when information technology gets moisture, yous can't install a normal undermount sink. H2o gets in there, swells the MDF and warps your countertops.

But I did what I do for every single DIY project, and started combing the internet like an obsessed crazy woman. And that'south how I found out nigh Karran sinks. They are particularly constructed to be undermounted with laminate! Who knew, correct?

You can imagine my happy dance. I immediately sent an email to the company to see if they would similar to piece of work with me hither on the blog, and I'm and then happy they said yes!

So first, hither's my beautiful, sparkling new, behemothic undermount kitchen sink:

This is the Karran E-540 Edge Serial Sink. Isn't it pretty?! Karran sells several different styles and sizes in their Edge Serial that are compatible with laminate countertops. You can run across all of the choices HERE.

Do you see thatfull size cookie sheet andfull size sautee pan in there with miles of room to spare? This thing is huge and deep andamazing!

We installed the sink ourselves. The process is a flake different than a regular sink installation, so I'll walk you through the process.

The offset thing nosotros did was picket THIS YouTube video well-nigh 85 times. If you lot're going to DIY a Karran sink, I would definitely lookout man the video besides.

This is what a Karran sink looks like earlier installation:

See that band of white around the edges of the sink? That's what makes a Karran sink special. You cut the sink hole so that the white ring lays flush with the surrounding wood and the laminate countertops comprehend that section to give y'all the seamless, h2o-tight installation.

The starting time call back you have to exercise is decide on the placement of your sink. We taped a piece of paper down on the bare MDF countertops and drew the sink on with pencil. Nosotros also drew in where the faucet would get. We kept adjusting things until we felt happy that the sink was centered under the window and that it was the right distance from the faucets and the forepart edge of the counter.

The next step is to cutting a hole for the sink. This hole should only be big plenty for the lesser part of the sink to fit in. The white band around the height should sit down on top of the hole.

First drill a airplane pilot hole, and then use a jigsaw to cut the sink hole.

After you lot've cutting the hole, you should be able to rest your sink in it so that the white ring is sitting on top of the wood.

Trace around the edges of the white band.

Then road out the section of countertop so that the sink will sit affluent with its surrounding. It will look like this:

Lower the sink into place and bank check that the white border sits flush all the mode around. If information technology doesn't, you'll need to adjust things until information technology is perfect.

Use Bondo to fill up in the seams. When it'southward dry, sand it down until the sink and countertop are seamless and completely apartment and polish. Warning: Bondo stinks. A lot. But it'south as well crawly because information technology dries and then rapidly and is really easy to sand.

When you are satisfied that the sink is perfectly fifty-fifty with the surrounding countertop, drill holes for faucet placement.

I lined the top edge of my sink with blue painters tape to protect information technology during the next few steps.

Now it's time to glue down the laminate. I explained all well-nigh the process of installing DIY laminate countertops HERE. With a Karran sink, you simply lay the laminate sheet right over the elevation of the whole sink, so cut it out later on. Contact cement takes xxx minutes to dry, and so afterwards the required 30 minutes, mix up a two office epoxy and spread it around the edges of the sink. This stuff has a five minute dry out time, so yous have to do it at the very last second, and so hustle to glue down the laminate.

At this point, your sink volition be underneath the laminate.

Drill a airplane pilot pigsty large enough for the router bit to fit through.

Then carefully route around the edges of the sink. This office was fun because suddenly the sink appeared from under the laminate! First we used a affluent cutting laminate fleck to become a crude opening. And so we switched to an eight degree chamfer bit for the last precision cut. The manufacturer recommends using a 10 degree bit, but it wasn't readily bachelor at Dwelling Depot and we couldn't wait to order it online, and then we figured the eight degree bit was shut enough. And it was. And so we advisedly sanded the edges with a metal file until everything was polish and perfect.

Echo the process in smaller scale for the faucet holes. Drill a pilot hole…

…then route out the circles.

They will expect like this:

Our sink came with four plastic guards to protect the laminate effectually the faucet holes, so nosotros put them down in the holes before installing the faucet.

Do you want to see the finished sink? Of class y'all exercise!

Isn't information technology great? I got my wish for an undermount sink, fifty-fifty though we chose laminate countertops! I beloved that I can just wipe crumbs correct into the sink and there are no icky ridges where junk gets trapped. I too dearest the make clean, sleek wait of it.

I am over-the-moon thrilled my new sink. Thank you lot Karran, for making such a smashing, innovative product!

Read all about how nosotros installed laminate countertops ourselves Hither.

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Source: https://www.thecraftpatchblog.com/an-undermount-sink-in-laminate/

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