Fitting Sink Into Worktop

[megawatt]

Hi Guys,

I'm about to fit a sink into solid oak worktops and have a couple of questions.

The sink (astracast granite) comes with pre-fitted securing clips which I spring out and tighten up after the sink is lowered into place.

Trouble is, a number of the clips are inaccessible due to ...

2 sitting behind the back rail in the schreiber base cabinet and 2 are in the "dead area" formed by the corner.

The only way I can see to get to the corner clips is to cut away a piece of the hidden end wall so I can get my hand in ... Is this the norm?

The two clips in the main sink carcass behind the back rail are a little confusing though as all sinks are pretty much the same and I can't see how I can get to these without cutting into the back of the unit which will obviously show ... Any ideas?

One last question ... Is there any preference to where the sink should be positioned between the front and back of the worktop? I was aiming for central with maybe a slight tendancy towards the back but grateful for any advice.

Thanks loads.

 

[2scoops0406]

A lot of fitters never bother with the clips, simply run a bead of clear silicone on the underside of the sink, put the sink in position, weight it down, wait until the silicone goes off, trim off the excess with a razor blade or similar. Oh, before doing that that the precaution of sealing the edges of the sink cut out. This is how I did mine a couple of years back, I've had no problems.

 

[Scrit]

I'm with Eddie. You don't need a full set of clips as silicone will do the job for you. I'd still put in some of the clips, though. As he says, make sure that you seal the edges first - an as it's a wooden top oil the top/bottom faces, etc BEFORE you put the sink in.

As to where the sink goes I tend to plant them in the middle of the worktop. Too far back and you'll struggle withh the pipework, too far forward and the sink bowl won't clear the carcase stretcher (which you may need to cut in any case).

Scrit

 

[Thermo]

yep i agree, i try to get a few clips in just to help, but most of the clips are crap, and spring off under tension or are completley unreachable.

 

[masona]

I used to fit many kitchen and found the best way was to fit the sink into the worktop first before fitting the worktop, if you're fitting the sink into the already fitted worktop then a mirror and a long screwdriver does the trick

Is there any preference to where the sink should be positioned between the front and back of the worktop? I was aiming for central with maybe a slight tendancy towards the back but grateful for any advice.

Try and fit it forward as much as you can, surprising how many people suffer backache unless you have a dishwasher

 

[Nestor_Kelebay]

I normally only use 3 clips; one on each side of the sink and one at the back near the faucet.

What I do is drop the sink into the hole and move it to the left, right, forward and back as far as it'll go as far as possible in each of those 4 directions, and mark the furthest extent of it's travel with a piece of masking tape.

Then I position the sink in the middle of those 4 pieces of masking tape so that I know it's centered in the hole, and trace the perimeter of the sink lip onto the counter top with a felt pen.

Then I roll up plumbers putty and position in inside that felt pen mark drawn on the counter top.

Then I lower the sink in and drop it down carefully on top of the plumber's putty and twist, turn or push it in the direction it needs to go so that it ends up on the felt pen tracing. I have to keep removing plumbers putty as I push down cuz it comes oozing out.

Then, once the sink is pretty well down close to the counter top, I'd put the three clips on under the counter and use a bar clamp on the front lip of the sink to tighten it down the rest of the way.

Then remove any excess plumber's putty and connect the drain piping.

 

[2scoops0406]

surprising how many people suffer backache unless you have a dishwasher

It's also rather daft that the height of kitchen units is too low for a lot of people now (I know they're adjustable), can't the "standard" be raised a few inches to reflect societies greater elevation these days?

 

[masona]

surprising how many people suffer backache unless you have a dishwasher

It's also rather daft that the height of kitchen units is too low for a lot of people now (I know they're adjustable), can't the "standard" be raised a few inches to reflect societies greater elevation these days?

Can't really win because what if you're selling the property?

Adjustable floor level me think

 

[2scoops0406]

Just put it in the details, would not suit a short ar5e!

 

[Scrit]

surprising how many people suffer backache unless you have a dishwasher

It's also rather daft that the height of kitchen units is too low for a lot of people now (I know they're adjustable), can't the "standard" be raised a few inches to reflect societies greater elevation these days?

If you use adjustable legs on the units I don't see why you can't have a 200mm plinth

Scrit

 

[megawatt]

Taken the advice and it all looks good.

Only additional thing I had to do was to cut a hole in the hidden corner unit end wall big enough to get my arm through to get at one of the end clips ... This was a "feel only" job

I managed to get to all the clips great and gently eased it down onto the silicone and it sits lovely

Thanks all for the advice, great as always.

 

[AdamW]

It's also rather daft that the height of kitchen units is too low for a lot of people now

When building my kitchen I had wondered about this, but I now have anecdotal proof that it is not a big issue.

I am 6'2" and my girlfriend is 5'1", so we are probably at the ends of the 95th percentile of height. She appears perfectly comfortable chopping ingredients at the same worktop level I am comfortable with. The only height issue experienced so far has been due to me storing my knarly old Le Creuset pans on the top of my wall units. No big deal for me, but too heavy and too high for her to reach so she either climbs up on a stool or I reach them down.

Her parents are quite short and their surfaces are about the same height as mine, but their wall units are much lower.

Mirrors were a surprise issue to me as I hadn't really thought about it: a friend of less-than-average stature used my bathroom and was unable to shave due to the positioning of my mirror.

 

[2scoops0406]

May be personal, but I have to have a 3 inch thick chopping board for mine to be comfortable, I'm only 6 foot, without though, too much stooping.