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nekothecat

undermount sink question

16 years ago

Should there be some kind of a seal between an undermount sink and granite countertop? I just noticed mine is not sealed....it was just installed about a week ago.

Comments (8)

  • 16 years ago

    silicone or acrylic caulk should be used ONLY as a water seal to prevent leakage.

    the sink itself should be supported using mechanical means - either via
    clips installed into the underside of the stone, or via a cradle mechanism -
    holding the sink in place from under the sink.

    an undermount sink should never be installed using ONLY a glue to silicone
    bead to hold it against the underside of the stone - that's what pretend
    fabricators do.....

    call your fabricator back to address this at once.... be assertive but be nice -
    they could have just made an honest mistake.....

    HTH

    kevin

  • 16 years ago

    Kevin - the sink is installed using clips - what I really need to know is should there be a silicone caulk as well to seal between the sink and countertop? Because right now there is just open space.

  • 16 years ago

    nekothecat - ours was installed on Thursday. After the granite was in place and the sink secured, my installers did put a bead of clear silicone between the sink and counter, smoothed it in and wiped it down. It's not too visible, I just happened to watch them do the whole install. Good Luck.

  • 16 years ago

    Yes, there should be a bead of silicone between the top of the sink and the counter edge, to prevent water getting under there. Easy to do yourself - just get good quality 100% silicone caulk.

  • 16 years ago

    Sorry for the late response - it's 6:45am here in PHX........

    Circuspeanut said it 100% right.... YES you DO need a bead of either
    Silicone or Acrylic Caulk to act as a water barrier / seal - between the
    top rim of the sink and the bottom surface of the stone.

    You can either have your Fabricators come back to do it (which is what
    I would do if I were you - YOU paid for this to be done right in the first place)
    or..... you could do it yourself if you're so inclined......

    HTH

    kevin

  • 16 years ago

    As long as this subject is here, what IS the difference between acrylic versus silicone caulk?

  • 16 years ago

    acrylic is water based - 100% silicone is not....

    either will work - if your doing it yourself - acrylic is way easier to finish
    with a wet sponge or rag than silicone.

    100% Silicone on the other hand has a much more tenacious bond to a sink
    and to stone, and must be cleaned off (when it's just been applied) with
    de-natured alcohol. Silicone also has a really strong vinegar smell when
    it is applied - but that goes away after a few hours of curing.

    we use 100% Silicone - because I've been working with it for close to 35 years.
    Usually I use either GE, Dap or Dow Corning - I don't waste my time & money on the "Silicone II"
    or the "Siliconized" brands - for me - 100% Silicone is the way to go.........

    Acrylic is easy to use, but silicone will last longer IMHO

    kevin

  • 16 years ago

    Thank you. I seem to remember something about that silicone doesn't bond...to itself? to other substances? maybe paint? Maybe that was just for caulking around a tub? Maybe...

    Who knows, but I appreciate you clearing that up.

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