Once you’ve looked at granite samples and narrowed your choices to a few varieties, consult the fabricator—the company that will be cutting and installing your stone.

For example, if you choose a granite with large crystals, joints between sections may be more obvious than those between finely grained stone. Besides, some richly figured stones are more likely to crack or spall when subjected to everyday use. A fabricator’s practical concerns can be a good counterpoint to a kitchen designer’s artier point of view. In any event, cabinets and the plywood substrate must be installed before measurements for a stone countertop can be made.

1.

An experienced installer takes nothing for granted and will scrutinize substrates for high and low spots before anything else. However, it’s a general contractor’s responsibility to make the substrates flat—not the counter installer’s.

► Solid-surface sinks are usually manufactured from the same material as the counter and glued (chemically bonded) to the underside of the counter for a seamless, leakproof joint that won’t catch food scraps.

As with counters, solid-surface sinks are stain resistant, nonporous, and easy to clean.

And you can sand them smooth if they get gouged or scorched.

For aesthetic reasons, solid – surface sinks are rarely

installed with dissimilar Solid-surface sinks are chemically

counters; although a near-cousin, quartz bonded to a counter of the same

composite, looks enough like granite that it material, creating a leak-free seam.

contrasts well with other counter materials.

Cost: $200 to $750 for a solid-surface sink.

► Acrylic sinks have a lot going for them.

They’re lightweight, nonporous, and easy to keep clean. They’re also stain and crack resis­tant, available in many colors, and reasonably priced. However, compared to solid-surface materials, acrylics are relatively soft, so they should be cleaned with nonabrasive cleaners.

They can be damaged by extreme heat and may be incompatible with petroleum-based cleaners and caulks. Cost: $150 to $300.

Mounting style. There are a number of mount­ing styles, although almost all require a bead of sealant along their perimeter to keep water from getting under the sink rim. Mounting styles include self-rimming, undermount, integral, flush mount, and separate rim.

► Self-rimming sinks (see p. 320) are popular and easy to install because the sink rim sits on the countertop—after you’ve applied a bead of silicone sealant around the perimeter of the sink cutout. Heavier sinks, such as cast iron, are held in place by the adhesion of the sealant and the weight of the sink; whereas lighter sinks, such as stainless steel, require clips on the underside of the counter. When a self-rimming sink is set under a countertop, as shown at left, it may be called a counter-under sink.

► Undermount sinks are placed under a counter whose sink opening must be finished because it isn’t covered by the sink rim.

Counters with undermount sinks are easy to keep clean because there’s no rim to block food scraps; just sweep them into the sink.

Typically, clips attach the rim to the underside of the counter; many contractors also add framing inside the sink cabinet to support the sink when it’s filled with water.

I Sink-Mounting Details

Counter and sink are same material, bonded chemically.

► Integral sinks are bonded to a counter of the same material, creating a seamless, leak – free joint. Integral sinks are common to solid – surface and quartz-composite counters.

► Flush-mount (tile-edge) sinks, have a rim the same thickness as the tile layer, when both rest atop a thin-set mortar bed. Such sinks are typically enameled steel or cast iron. You can fill the tile-sink rim joint with grout or silicone seal­ant, but acrylic latex sanded caulk has the best qualities of both and comes in several colors.

► Separate-rim sinks are usually stainless steel and employ a separate stainless-steel rim to cover the joint between the small sink rim and the edge of the counter. To prevent leaks, you must seal both the sink-side and the counter-side of the rim.

INSTALLING A KITCHEN SINK

Because self-rimming sinks are the most com­mon, this section focuses on their installation. If your sink has another mounting device, follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

FLUSH-MOUNT OR TILE-EDGE SINK

Lay out the opening. Mark the sink cutout (opening) on the counter or the plywood sub­strate. Most sinks come with a paper template of the cutout; if yours doesn’t, make one of card­board. To do that, turn the sink upside-down onto the cardboard and, with a felt marker, trace its outline. Next, use a yardstick to draw a second outline, M in. inside the first, on the cardboard. Sink rims are typically 54 in. wide, so the inner line represents the size of the cutout, and the outer line shows how much clearance the sink rim needs. Position the cutout template on the counter so there’s clearance on all sides; then use a felt marker to trace around the template.

Cut the opening. Drill a hole at each corner of the cutout for your jigsaw blade; if you use a hole saw to drill the corners, its arc should match the rounded corners of the sink body. As you cut each side of the sink opening, stop just short of the cor­ner hole. Then drive a shim into the saw kerf—from the underside of the counter—to keep the cutout section from falling. (A wood shingle is a perfect shim.) With a few shims in place, finish cutting

I Cutting Out a Sink Opening

to the comer holes and lift the cutout section, using the corner holes as finger holds. Use a wood rasp to smooth rough cut-lines or splinters.

Install the sink. Wearing heavy work gloves, put your fingers in the sink drain and faucet holes, lift the sink, and lower it into the cutout. Two people should lift and set the sink if it’s cast iron; put wood scraps around the cutout to set the sink on so it doesn’t crush your fingertips. Check the sink’s fit in the cutout—look under the counter as well—before lifting the sink out. Trim the cutout as needed. Then mount the drain basket, faucet
assembly, and accessories to the sink; they’re harder to attach once the sink is in place. To cushion the sink hardware and create a water­tight seal, use the flexible seals or plastic plates provided by the manufacturer. If the unit has a hollow body, put a bead of plumber’s putty beneath its lip. Dont do this ifthe countertop is stone; the oil in the putty may stain the stone. Silicone will work, too, but it can make the faucet difficult to remove if you decide to replace it.

Just before installing the sink in its opening,
apply a cushion of sealant for the sink rim to rest

Once you’ve identified several reputable coun­tertop shops in your area, get bids. For your protection, develop detailed floor plans and, as you proceed, put everything in writing. That way, you’ll be sure that quotes from different shops reflect similar details, deadlines, and so on. The following guidelines are adapted, with permission, from Sullivan Counter Tops, Inc. (visit www. sullivancountertops. com).

Visit suppliers in your area. Look at counter­tops in several different showrooms, and discuss your options with the salespeople. Share any information—samples of wall paint or cabinet finishes, magazine ads showing counter surfaces, photos of sinks or sink fixtures—that will clarify the style and look you’re after. A salesperson’s willingness to spend time and answer questions says a lot about a supplier.

Get bids. Provide a floor plan, drawing, or sketch to the countertop suppliers, and ask each to gen­erate a written bid. The bid should also specify a completion date, terms of payment, and the scope

of the installation. In most cases, quoted prices will not include plumbing, electrical work, or adjustments to the cabinets such as sink cutouts and leveling plywood substrates. Tearing out old countertops is usually extra, too. Based on bids and supplier reputations, choose a supplier.

Schedule the job. Most installations require two visits from the supplier: the "measure date” and the "install date.” It’s difficult to pinpoint a meas­ure date until the cabinets are installed, but in general, 2 weeks’ to 4 weeks’ notice should be enough. Typically, solid-surface (such as Corian) and plastic-laminate countertops require about 1 week between the measure date and the install date. Quartz-composite countertops (such as Zodiaq) require about 2 weeks. Most countertop suppliers will allow you to change the installation time without penalty, provided you give them enough notice.

Be prepared for meetings. The measure date is your last chance to give input on details such as underlayment issues, color, edge treatment, and splash detail. Whatever you finally decide on, get it in writing. During this meeting, the supplier will review job site conditions, so the general contractor should be there, too.

Important prerequisites

► Cabinets must be set before the job can be measured. In other words, the cabinets must be screwed together and screwed to the walls, not just pushed into place. The cabinets cannot be moved even И in. after the countertop supplier has measured because countertops are fabricated to close tolerances.

► Cabinets must be set level. As general rule, cabinets must be set on a level plane within % in. over a 10-ft. length. Such stringent requirements are a concern not only to installers but also, in some cases, to manu­facturers as a condition of warranty.

► All appliances and sinks should be on the job site at the time of the measure. The fitting of sinks and appliances is often critically close. Design or construction issues that could cause problems or delay the installation should be resolved on the measure date. If the sinks and appliances are on site, the supplier can inspect them. If there’s a defect, damage, or, say, a sink rim that won’t fit the countertop, you’ll need time to replace the item before installation.

Kitchen Sinks

Because a kitchen is one the most-used rooms in the house, do a little research before choosing its most-used fixture.

CHOOSING A KITCHEN SINK Keep four criteria in mind when considering sinks: size and number of bowls, sink-hole compatibility with faucets and accessories, mate­rials, and mounting styles. Size and number of bowls. Sinks are available in dozens of sizes and shapes. For the record, a 22-in. by 33-in. two-bowl unit is the most popular, perhaps because it fits neatly into “standard” sink cabinets 24 in. deep by 36 in. long. Two bowls allow you to prep food in one, and put used bowls and pots in the other, during the mad dash to din­ner. Typically, there’s a garbage disposer on one side. If you’ve got a dishwasher and don’t need to wash dishes in the sink, a large single-bowl sink is best suited to washing pots and pans; 10 in. deep is optimal. If you’ve got plenty of counter space and two family members like to cook, install two separate sinks. By the way, three-bowl sinks (45 in. wide) are overkill for most home kitchens. Most sinks have one to four holes. Typically the spout and faucet handles take up three of those holes, but some single-lever faucets require only one hole. Filling an extra hole is generally not a problem, what with soap dispensers, hot-water dispensers, spray units, filtered-water dispensers, and so on to choose from. Incompatibility more often occurs when a faucet assembly’s valve stems have a different spacing than the holes in the sink. Always measure the sink and the faucet assembly to be sure. Likewise, if the sink is undermounted, an installer must drill holes into a countertop, making sure they have the same spacing as the faucet to be installed. Materials. Sink materials include many of those used for countertops. You can use almost any­thing that will hold water, but ideally it should be	light enough to install without breaking your back, easy to clean, durable, moderately priced, heat resistant, and stain resistant. Few materials fill the bill as well as stainless steel. ► Stainless-steel sinks represent roughly three-quarters of all kitchen installations. Typically, they have a brushed or polished finish; brushed finishes are easier to maintain
Templates are useful for transferring accurate measurements to any sheet material or flat surface, whether it’s a piece of drywall that needs to be notched beneath an exposed stair or a new door that must be fit to an old, out-of-square door frame. When the going gets rough, the pros make templates. Nowhere is this truer than when those large sheets are granite slabs. Often, countertop suppliers create templates during the "measure date" described in "Ordering Countertops," on the facing page.
This enameled cast-iron farmhouse sink is big enough to rinse as large a turkey as you can lift. The faucet’s spout swings out of the way for complete access to the sink. (Fixture available from www. bathsfromthepast. com.)
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The more complex the site conditions or cutouts, the more information the template contains. This small section notes the type of granite, edge bevels, and thickness and the location of the sink cutout. The template’s back edge registers to the window width.

because water spots don’t show as conspic­uously. A sink’s gauge (thickness) is the real differentiator. Thicker gauges (16 gauge to 18 gauge) are harder to flex and dent and are quieter to use; whereas thinner gauges (20 gauge to 22 gauge) are less expensive, less durable, and more inclined to stain. Cost: This can range widely, from $40 for a 22-gauge single-bowl