BlueFly 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2008 (edited) Hi Bluefly,When wil it b done? Pls post pics of it after... I m trying to check if the counter top can be cut with a grove (step), so that the sink sits on half the counter top. This way it will be just slightly lower the counter top.Thx.Sure, MLR, will post after work has been completed. Don't forget to post yrs too!ID said he's trying to push the carpenters to do the installation on Fri. That was yesterday but I expected that to happen la...Anyway, probably cabinets will be installed next week.Actually the sink usually sits on the wooden plywood base which has a step groove or depression cut into it so that the sink edges sit perfectly on the plywood base. Then the acrylic top sits over the sink, covering the edges completely.My goal behind undermounting the sink is :(1) to achieve a streamlined look, that means the acrylic top has to be flushed (or overlap slightly) with the vertical side of the sink. Dunno if the carpenter can do that properly. My experience has been that sometimes what you expect is not what turns out eventually and then have to wait for re-do's... (2) to avoid silicone that comes from top-mounting the sink, as the black alge stuff grows on the silicone after some years.. thus if i have to top mount my sink i will ensure no silicone is applied outside the edge, but inside and underneath the sink edges. Undermounted sink avoid the algae problem, as water seeping underneath the sink edges is less of an issue.(3) so that water is swiped clean on the acrylic top into the sink without collecting on the sink edges. Now, to prevent water and moisture around the sink edges seeping into the plywood base (altho the plywood base is waterproof grade), use silicone under the sink edges and/or have the acrylic top overlap slightly the vertical edges of the sink. That way water is unlikely to "sit" or collect on the sink edges.Will also mount the sink towards the front and leave a wider area behind so that the plumber will have less problem replacing the tap and/or soap dispenser in future, if need arises. Edited April 19, 2008 by BlueFly Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLR 0 Report post Posted April 23, 2008 Hi Bluefly Great minds think alike. I hv exactly the same idea..... we hv been renting for years, thus stayed in at least 5 different places in the past 10 years... we hv a pretty gd idea about wat not to do to the house. my no 1 problem is always those ugly and definately harmful to health black moldy silicone around sink, bathroom areas.... although theres non-mold silicone available, but with constant contact with water, it thens to deteriorate...Furthermore, now got little one... can't be too careful.My pc at home died (u wil notice that all my replies r during working hours)... , so not convenient to start a blog.... Stil deciding whether to fix or jus get new one.... burn more $$ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueFly 0 Report post Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) Hi Bluefly Great minds think alike. I hv exactly the same idea..... we hv been renting for years, thus stayed in at least 5 different places in the past 10 years... we hv a pretty gd idea about wat not to do to the house. my no 1 problem is always those ugly and definately harmful to health black moldy silicone around sink, bathroom areas.... although theres non-mold silicone available, but with constant contact with water, it thens to deteriorate...Furthermore, now got little one... can't be too careful.My pc at home died (u wil notice that all my replies r during working hours)... , so not convenient to start a blog.... Stil deciding whether to fix or jus get new one.... burn more $$ Yes, MLR, in Australia mold growing on damp walls and ceilings is a deadly serious issue, prospective house buyers look for that before anything else. If mold or damp is present they walk away without even looking at the rest of the house. Few ppl have died from mold inhalation, it seems. The mold strains here are less deadly, but still prevention is better than cure, right? The carpenters came on 21-Apr Mon 10.45 AM (at last!!) to fix up the kitchen cabinet. They were professional and meticulous, took only 30-40 min for lunch break, then continued until 9 pm at night. I did not expect kitchen cabinet installation to take so long! Actually they didn't cut a stepped groove in the plywood to seat the sink but used two pieces of plywood, the upper piece with a larger hole than the lower piece. The sink sits on the lower plywood piece, the thinner piece then goes on top and surrounds the sink edges. The picture below shows the plywood support structure much clearer.The acrylic guys (separate team) came to take measurements to make the worktop template for the acrylic top. They brought the template back to the workshop to produce the acrylic worktop for installation on coming Friday.More pics will be uploaded onto my blog later.er, sorry for the messy kitchen, as we had to move in on 1 Mar, when reno was supposed to have been completed. despite the delays and hiccups, our id did his best and is a good guy, so we were quite understanding & patient with him. Edited April 23, 2008 by BlueFly Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLR 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Hi Bluefly We changed our mind about the blanco sink, mainly bcos it is still a separate piece from the counter top and seepage can still occurs. We decided to get the sinks cast in the same color/material as the solid counter top which will be a single seamless piece. Costs us a bomb, but we feels it a worthwhile investment, since we are paying almost $4k for the kitchen cabinet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinkdewy 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Any comments on Snow sink? We just ordered 1 from Poh Joo for $250. Not delivered yet. Blanco is um... too expensive for us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueFly 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Hi Bluefly We changed our mind about the blanco sink, mainly bcos it is still a separate piece from the counter top and seepage can still occurs. We decided to get the sinks cast in the same color/material as the solid counter top which will be a single seamless piece. Costs us a bomb, but we feels it a worthwhile investment, since we are paying almost $4k for the kitchen cabinet. Wow, mlr, i can imagine the final look -- beautiful and classy! yr stds are so high! look fwd to yr pics when the sink is completed. btw, my worries abt repairs and maintenance of the undermounted sink were unfounded when i watched the guys install the worktop. the acrylic worktop fits nicely onto the plywood base without any glue, and is simply siliconed at the edges to keep out ants, damp, etc. this means if i need to replace the worktop (eg due to discoloration?) it is easy to do so in future without damaging the rest of the worktop / cabinet underneath. simply slice thru the silicon joint with a blade and lift up the acrylic top, likewise for the sink. both can be replaced easily. pinkdewy, i think the snow sink is beautiful and equally good too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLR 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2008 (edited) Edited May 2, 2008 by MLR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLR 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2008 Hi pinkdewy Sorry unable to comment, cos have not come across this brand. The most important point is whats the material, cos thats what makes the difference. Jus for info, heres a thread about kitchen top http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10990 We cook lots at home, that why the emphasis on the counter top/sink/kitchen... Bluefly, you are too kind. What brand is the acrylic top you are using? Looking forward to more posts in your blog Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SmartFool 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2008 (edited) Bluefly u using Corian? was looking for cheaper alternatives for acrylic top other than Corian. the sales gal also introed an alternative brand called Mondelli, $80 pfr MLR btw may i ask if it would be better to undermount stainless steel sink like what u have done (as in to prevent the black stuff)? cos at my current place, the mould is really sick to look at (in my bathroom) thanks Edited May 2, 2008 by SmartFool Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueFly 0 Report post Posted May 2, 2008 Hi pinkdewy Sorry unable to comment, cos have not come across this brand. The most important point is whats the material, cos thats what makes the difference. Jus for info, heres a thread about kitchen top http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10990 We cook lots at home, that why the emphasis on the counter top/sink/kitchen... Bluefly, you are too kind. What brand is the acrylic top you are using? Looking forward to more posts in your blog MLR, my acrylic worktop was made by Asuka directly. So I guess it is not branded in that the acrylic worktops are not produced for sale but made-to-order. The guys came to take measurements and made the template on the spot at my place. Then they went back to the fty to produce the acrylic top using the template. Dupont (producer of Corian brand) was the first to make and market worktops that competed directly against wood-based worktops that were mostly used 20 yrs ago. Now there are many who have the technology to produce worktops similar to Corian: simply buy the relevant polyesters and other chemicals, mix them together with dyes in a mould, allow to cure, and you get the finished product, which can be sanded and polished to give a lustre appearance. Prices have thus come down with the competition. To keep off competitors, Dupont came out with new innovations, to justify Corian's high price. So Smartfool, I am not persuaded Corian or any other branded acrylic worktop is superior in one way or other -- to me they are all basically the same as the base chemicals are the same -- some kind of acrylic polymer material that is generic. Just like plywood -- many years ago plywood brands were paramount and highly promoted. Today plywood is plywood, it has become a generic product, and nobody worries about whether one brand is superior to another, because all the plywood factories produced to very high standards already and differentiation became difficult. Maybe I am wrong, but that's my 2 cents opinion. Oh, btw, I have seen Corian worktops and other acrylic tops in friends' homes. Honestly I could not tell them apart, had not the host told me the brand! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLR 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2008 Bluefly u using Corian? was looking for cheaper alternatives for acrylic top other than Corian. the sales gal also introed an alternative brand called Mondelli, $80 pfr MLR btw may i ask if it would be better to undermount stainless steel sink like what u have done (as in to prevent the black stuff)? cos at my current place, the mould is really sick to look at (in my bathroom) thanks Hi SmartFool According to what I know, you can't undermount stainless steel sink. Undermounting do eliminate the mold around the sink, but theres still silicon around any joints/edges of the top joining the wall. You hv to keep area dry and sterilise everyday with a bleach/water to reduce the mold and any other harmful agents. Theres anti-mold silicon available in the market now, so can also request for contractor to use that. Anyway, silicon deteriorate over time, so there will be a need to redo them after some years. Hope this helps... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SmartFool 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2008 Bluefly well noted i cant tell the difference as well just want to achieve the same look and quality with lower costs So need to go to a distributor in case there are problems in the future MLR well noted need to check around and decide what sinks we want thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crrabb 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2008 Some feedback after installing and using the Blancometra 9 sink for a few months: + Nice looking and solid + Big basin good for washing woks and bigger size utensils, or simply putting more bowls and plates inside - Food bits leftover at the basin further away from the drainer, perhaps because the base is quite flat, and the water flow is not enough to wash the food bits towards the drainer - Not familier with using the drainer; If pushed in too deep, the water is blocked; If pushed in lightly, the food bits does not get trap in the drainer and flows in between the grap and drainer into the pipings directly If getting this sink, suggest to get a kitchen tap that can "reach out further", so as it's easier to wash away the food bits towards the drainer. Kinda regretted that we never consider doing that semi-undermount i.e. sitting the sink into the solid surface top such that the sink edge is level with the solid surface. Did the usual overmount. Because our sink surface area is limited, the hump of the sink edge prevents us from placing chopping board besides the sink. Also gotta wipe digilently when water spills over the edge, so as to prevent the moulds. Also regretted choosing white solid surface .. Though nice looking, it's very easy to dirty and stain it if not careful. Sigghh.. Beware home owners, best not to sacrifice practicality over looks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maxden 0 Report post Posted July 18, 2008 Some feedback after installing and using the Blancometra 9 sink for a few months: + Nice looking and solid + Big basin good for washing woks and bigger size utensils, or simply putting more bowls and plates inside - Food bits leftover at the basin further away from the drainer, perhaps because the base is quite flat, and the water flow is not enough to wash the food bits towards the drainer - Not familier with using the drainer; If pushed in too deep, the water is blocked; If pushed in lightly, the food bits does not get trap in the drainer and flows in between the grap and drainer into the pipings directly If getting this sink, suggest to get a kitchen tap that can "reach out further", so as it's easier to wash away the food bits towards the drainer. Kinda regretted that we never consider doing that semi-undermount i.e. sitting the sink into the solid surface top such that the sink edge is level with the solid surface. Did the usual overmount. Because our sink surface area is limited, the hump of the sink edge prevents us from placing chopping board besides the sink. Also gotta wipe digilently when water spills over the edge, so as to prevent the moulds. Also regretted choosing white solid surface .. Though nice looking, it's very easy to dirty and stain it if not careful. Sigghh.. Beware home owners, best not to sacrifice practicality over looks Also gotta wipe digilently when water spills over the edge, so as to prevent the moulds. you can try using 1 type of silicone which deter the growth of mould, will be more expensive and the normal silicone use by contractor. hope this helps Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
carelinwen 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2008 Hi all, Need help from those whom had their blancometra9 overmounted. Can I check how is the sealing between the sink and the solid surface done? Now mine has silicon applied between the outer edge of the sink and the solid surface, which I complained to my ID that it's ugly and that it should not be such a finishing. But he said it will still be trimmed later... Is this how it should be done for better seal? I'm worried that I will still be able to see a significant silicon filled gap. Can someone show me how a overmount sink edge finishing should be like? TIA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
