Kitchen Sink Installation

An important part of your countertop is, of course, the sink. The sink is often considered the center-piece of the countertop because it usually is placed somewhere near the center of the counter and is generally an eye catching fixture of the countertop. Caveman Countertops offers a wide selection of sinks and faucets and our installers take great care in ensuring that the installation of your kitchen sink is flawless. Listed below are a few of the common ways in which kitchen sinks can be installed with a new countertop. If you have any questions about our kitchen sink installation, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Self-Rimming

With most types of surfaces, "self-rimming" sinks can be used. Self-rimming sinks sit in appropriately-shaped holes cut in the countertop using a jigsaw or other cutter appropriate to the material at hand and are suspended by their rim. The rim then inherently forms a fairly close seal with the top surface of the countertop, especially when the sink is clamped into the hole from below.

Bottom Mount

The materials also allow the installation of a "bottom-mount" or "under-mount" sink. With these, the edge of the countertop material is exposed at the hole created for the sink (and so must be a carefully finished edge rather than a rough cut; this cut is generally done at the fabricator's workshop). The sink is then mounted to the bottom of the material from below. Especially for under-mount sinks, silicone-based sealants are usually used to assure a waterproof joint between the sink and the countertop material. The advantage of an "under-mount" sink is that it gives a contemporary look to the kitchen but the disadvantages are extra cost in both the sink and the counter top.

Seamless Sinks

Solid-surface plastic materials allow a third option: sinks made of the same plastic material as the countertop can easily be glued to the underside of the countertop material and the joint sanded flat, creating the usual invisible joint and completely eliminating any dirt-catching seam between the sink and the countertop. The disadvantage is that the sinks do not have the same impact resistance of stainless or cast iron and may differentially expand and contract with extreme temperature change (as might be caused by a pot of hot water dumped into the sink). In a similar fashion, with stainless steel, a sink may be welded into the countertop; the joint is then ground to create a finished, concealed appearance.