Flush mounting sink into walnut worktop?

[proftanda]

Hi,

I'm planning on replacing my kitchen counters with a solid walnut (stave) worktop and a new sink.

I like the look of flush fitting sinks and my worktop supplier has said they can do CNC cutting for this kind of fitting but I'm worried that this type of fitting might not be suitable for wood in the long run.

Eg. Would moisture get in the edge or could it be sealed?

Would expansion or warping from moisture be more or an issue than with undercounting?

Any experiences or thoughts welcome!

Thanks!

Nick

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have to ask why you'd want a flush-fitting (inset) sink when it is more normal to have something like a ceramic Belfast or butler sink.

If you are talking in terms of an undermounted (steel) sink with a walnut worktop then you'd probably need to think in terms of supporting the sink independently on the cacase rather than hanging it from beneath the worktop (i.e. making a support frame in the top of the carcase)- that way any timber movement would not be a problem (providing the worktop/sink joint is adequately sealed). This approach is certainly used in the USA. I'd recommend considering something like wood hardner (e.g. Bonda-Voss Wood Hardener) on the exposed edges surrouding the sink before oiling the wood - I've done this with beech, sycamore and maple tops in the past, but not with walnut - so I'm unsure if it would be visible on the finished item

As to CNC cutting I can only ask why? Any competent carpenter should be able to form an accurate opening with power tools and even falling drainer groover can be cut using a router and falling drainer jig. Having run CNC routers in the past I have to say that in this instance CNC is just another way of throwing £100k worth of machinery at a £100 problem, IMHO

 

[proftanda]

Hi, thanks for the tips! I hadn't considered a ceramic butler sink before but this might well be better than what I was thinking. I'll take a look.

One particular limitation for the sink is caused by the height of the drainpipe from the floor. I live in a highrise block, and the drainpipe passes horizontally (with a shallow incline) through the wall below the sink. The other side of the wall is a communal down pipe which passes down through the building which I cannot access.

This means the drainpipe is only 23cm below the underside of the worktop.

I assume the exit for the waste/trap from the sink must be level or higher than the drainpipe - therefore limiting the depth of the sink. Is this correct?

Thanks again!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

....This means the drainpipe is only 23cm below the underside of the worktop.

I assume the exit for the waste/trap from the sink must be level or higher than the drainpipe - therefore limiting the depth of the sink. Is this correct?

Yes, because water cannot flow uphill. You'll also need to accommodate about half the height of a bottle trap or S-trap (say 50 to 60mm). Bear in mind that it is possible to obtain shallow inset stainless steel sinks, such as these ones but that such sinks are generally regarded as unsuitable for use in solid wood worktops (mainly because of sealing issues, I'd say) whereas undermount sinks are much more common. Another type of sink to consider in your situation would be an "overset" sink such as the IKEA Domsjo. These are mounted on top of a cabinet and actually project slightly above the level of the surrounding worktop:

This means having to consider something like a separate drainer board or a draining cupboard with inbuilt rack over the sink, but it does at least answer your height dilemma

 

[foxhole]

Is the bathroom adjacent, might be able to plumb into that waste at low level.

 

[AronSearle]

Wood swells and shrinks in response to moisture content changes, so a perfecly accuratly cut hole will change size.

Bad idea basically.

(sealants do not stop moisture change from atmospheric conditions, just short term exposure (such as spillages)).

 

[matz]

wooden worktops are bonkers IMO. People get carried away with the notion that wood is somehow superior asthetically etc but in reality it only looks good when it is new. After use, you get discolouration, black staining, bleaching or darkening and it needs fussy upkeep. Good quality laminate on the other hand just needs a quick wipe down and is much more hygenic.

(the above coming from someone who has worked in wood for nearly 40 yrs!!! so its not that I dont like the stuff its just I dont like it on worktops)

 

[proftanda]

Thanks for all your responses!

I'm having second thoughts about wood for a top now so looking at a laminate.

It looks like there's quite a few IKEA sinks that will fit the depth constraints for the sink. They also offer a service called UNDER-GLUING where inset sinks are glued in place - level with the top of the laminate. See their blurb below.

Has anyone got experience of IKEA laminates or under-gluing - good or bad?

Thanks!

Nick

Under- glued sinks are offered with our PERSONLIG custom-made worktops. They’re factory-fitted and ordered at the same time as your worktop, leaving the work to us. Under-glued sinks give your worktop an uninterrupted, clean look, and make cleaning your worktop easy without any obstructions for food scraps to catch on. Have a look at our PERSONLIG sink range to see which sinks can be under-glued.​

Good to know
Under-glued sinks are sealed to be 100% watertight. Prices include your sink, fitting it to the worktop and an ATLANT strainer and water trap.

 

[joe-90]

Matz is right. Wooden worktops always end in tears.