Yotta,

We have talked with several quartz fabricators for our remodel. Some use the metal rod thingys,some glued the sinks in with silicone, and one recomended the sink be installed first like in your case.

I don't know but that that way sounds the strongest way to do it. If he seems knowledgable, I would follow his suggestions.

2 cm stone material requires a plywood subtob. 3 cm requires sink clips. No epoxying sink to counter at all.

my cabinets came with plywood tops. my contractor cut out the hole for the sink in the plywood, and it is resting on top, waiting for the silestone delivery. i think your fabricator knows what he's talking about.

my contracotr fashioned a temporary countertop out of plywood, so that is what you're seeing, not the silestone.

i just realized that these pictures are a little misleading because it does not show the shim required for the tops of these cabinets, specified by the cabinet company. i had such a hard time posting these (at least two of the directions for posting pictures are WRONG, and there was a lot of trial and error) anyway, tomorrow, i'll take the sink out to show you what it's laying on exactly.

If you sandwich the sink between plywood and the counterop how do you ever replace the sink without tearing out the counterop?

If you sandwich the sink between plywood and the counterop how do you ever replace the sink without tearing out the counterop?

You don't. Odds are, though, that you'll be sick of the countertop by the time the sink needs replacing. Or, if you're planning to keep the counters forever, then, personally, I'd go with a heavy gauge stainless steel or copper sink.

If I put in a granite countertop it better last my lifetime and the lifetime of my youngest grandnephew.

Hey nolamom,

Thanks for posting the pictures! Hmm... In your pictures, it looks like the sink sits below the plywood. Is this the final configuration? When the silestone goes on top of the plywood, wouldn't you see the side of the plywood between the top of the sink and the countertop?

darn, i can't remove the sink because the temporary countertops are screwed in. but i just want to point out that the strip of stained wood under the front lip of the sink is actually a long shim over the cabinet plywood top. without it, there would be no clearance above the cabinet handles. so, not only is the sink resting on the plywood cabinet box top, but also on top of a frame of 3/4" boards, which the silestone is later glued to.

live wire oak:
question: if not epoxy, than what is the recommended binding agent for 2cm? i have no idea what the fabricator will use. this is the first time i've even thought about it. but i'd like to know before we set the appt for installation. thanks for the info.

yottaflops,
just saw your question. this is when a picture is worth a thousand words! i have no idea why my contractor screwed in the temporary countertops--not like we can use the kitchen without a cooktop and sink. but he is mr. safety, and i should apprecaite that, right?

let me take another picture at a different angle. will be back after a few.

Oh! I see... I just realized that all the top plywood is temporary. Got it!

You have beautiful cabinets and a beautiful sink, by the way... I love European frameless cabs. They're so cool =)

i was concerned about the little ridge of the sink edge not being flush with the plywood substrate, and what effect, if any, it would have on the countertop. my contractor says the glue in the installation will even it out. otherwise, he would have had to router this edge, which doesn't seem right. this is not something to be concerned with, is it?

just another photo, from a different angle. you can see the a bit of the framework , under the temporary counter, and over the plywood cabinet top.

I would rout it