Hack Away Undermount Sink And Replace With Top Mount?

[jtec14 0]

Hi all,

JUst collected my keys for a resales unit. Kitchen cabinets/ solid suface top are still in good conditions thus are keeping it.

However the kitchen sink is too small and undermounted. Am thinking is it possible to hack it away and replace with a top mount one since if i am to use back undermount, the whole solid surface will have to go. Dunno if it will damage the cabinet below or not. Also will be changing hob & hood.

Can anyone share your comments? Thanks

[yokine9a 1]

Pic will be good for us to visualise your problem.

Most undermounted sink are using cement to mount to the table top... since you are replacing with a bigger top mount sink, very likely the surrounding solid surface will be damaged... not sure if you can cut a small piece of solid surface & join it with existing one... cabinet below might be ok but can't comment much without pic.

Solid surface is usually customised made according to the exact length of sink, hob & bottom cabinet... since you are changing hob at the same time, should consider to redo the whole solid surface.

[jaskel 2]

Pic will be good for us to visualise your problem.

Most undermounted sink are using cement to mount to the table top... since you are replacing with a bigger top mount sink, very likely the surrounding solid surface will be damaged... not sure if you can cut a small piece of solid surface & join it with existing one... cabinet below might be ok but can't comment much without pic.

Solid surface is usually customised made according to the exact length of sink, hob & bottom cabinet... since you are changing hob at the same time, should consider to redo the whole solid surface.

To me is not only that, cabinet below will have to go also.

[jtec14 0]

Pic will be good for us to visualise your problem.

Most undermounted sink are using cement to mount to the table top... since you are replacing with a bigger top mount sink, very likely the surrounding solid surface will be damaged... not sure if you can cut a small piece of solid surface & join it with existing one... cabinet below might be ok but can't comment much without pic.

Solid surface is usually customised made according to the exact length of sink, hob & bottom cabinet... since you are changing hob at the same time, should consider to redo the whole solid surface.

To me is not only that, cabinet below will have to go also.

Hi all,

thanks for your inputs. as the kitchen cabinet are in good condition, top can be done with some polishing. So i am thinking to cut costs by change hob, hood, sink only.

The sink i am looking at could be of same dimension but with single & deeper wash hole (not too sure what the correct word to use) instead of the original dual wash holes.

Just to check, for the new hob, i don't think i can one with the same dimensions as the old exactly.. which one will be more impt to take note of , actual dimensions or cut off size.

Pictures as attached

[hihihi 0]

Hob and Hood can be easily change coz they comes in pretty standard sizes.

Changing the sink will involve very unconventional way.

Your biggest challenge would be to find a replacement sink which has nearly the same hole dimension as the solid surface cut out hole. see below pic for illustration. Measure the existing cut out hole size, then approach sink sellers to search for you. This is not something ID or renovator likes to do for u, coz these are sheesh jobs that doesn't earn them profits.

[vinmiche 0]

sorry to hijack the thread... just to ask a simple qns. is undermount sink better or overmount? i'm thinking more of the water seepage problem from high usage and wear and tear. thks!

[dean 5]

wow, your kitchen cabinet is so good condition. no need to spent much.

what shape/size of kitchen cabinet - L 10 ft top & L 11.3ft bottom cabinet?

10 ft is a small kitchen cabinet right?

[hihihi 0]

sorry to hijack the thread... just to ask a simple qns. is undermount sink better or overmount? i'm thinking more of the water seepage problem from high usage and wear and tear. thks!

overmount: water easy to spill out and over. Prepare to do alot of sweeping water back into the sink.

undermount is the more logical choice. long term usage problem is likely to be the silicon seal between the solid surface and the sink will grow mould and turn black, which is quite unavoidable.

seepage problem won't occur coz they really pump in quite abit of sealant. between sink and solid surface.

[aubrey 0]

i heard undermount potentially has more issues should there be leaking or anything along those lines. hence if there's a need to be replaced, its a tedious process.

so which is more recommended? under or top?

[yokine9a 1]

Leaking for undermount will be unlikely unless the workmanship of your worker who applied the silicon is no good… but replacement for undermount is tedious & almost impossible without damaging the table top and/or bottom cabinet.

I have topmount sink in my house but my parents’ place is using undermount sink… I don’t have the habit to sweep water from table top into the sink, so no much diff to me in terms of day-to-day usage.

[aubrey 0]

but over time there is wear and tear right? how to gauge things like workmanship when applying silicon? still toying with either top or under mount sinks.

[yokine9a 1]

Every thing under the sun will go thru wear & tear, be it topmount or undermount sink

To gauge the workmanship, you have to ensure the silicon is thick & apply evenly, with no holes or gaps.

wait aubrey, I have been following thru your t-blog, I thought you are moving back to your renovated house today?! How come you are still toying between top or undermount sink??

What is the mounting mode of your old sink? If you & your mom are comfortable with that way of using a sink for the past 30 yrs, I think it is ok to stick to it ba

[aubrey 0]

it has been delayed! my granite top and my s/s backing not up yet, acid wash to be done tomorrow. today jason came by to measure the granite for me and told me that with granite worktop i can only top mount my sink as the granite will be cut by hand, to undermount they cant cut the granite to curve it. true?

my old sink ar? wow its not top or bottom, its just the BIG piece of thing with a sink attached to my wall.

[yokine9a 1]

Don't know true or not... I am using granite top for my kitchen cabinet too... but when my tiler was installing my sink, he misunderstood it as undermount sink, so he started to do what was needed for undermount sink... Luckily I was there & quickly stopped him... So, in the end, my granite top was up, then the sink sat on top of it with silicon sealed at the edge.

Maybe you should clarify with uncle Ah Soon.

I know how your old sink is like... my previous owner used that kind of sink too...

[jaskel 2]

it has been delayed! my granite top and my s/s backing not up yet, acid wash to be done tomorrow. today jason came by to measure the granite for me and told me that with granite worktop i can only top mount my sink as the granite will be cut by hand, to undermount they cant cut the granite to curve it. true?

my old sink ar? wow its not top or bottom, its just the BIG piece of thing with a sink attached to my wall.

I was doing granite top also but my sink is under mount...