Composite granite sink in granite tile top

Users who are viewing this thread

chris813

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
We are tiling our kitchen countertop with 12 X 12 granite tile. We bought a granite composite sink that we plan to drop in. I read somewhere that dropping in this type of sink can load the granite in tension. Can we create supports underneath so that the cabinet frams carry the weight of the sink and the added weight of liquids? If so, what is the best way to do this?

What should we be using to adhere the upper lip of the sink to the granite tile?

Thanks,

Chris & Jeff
 

Jimbo

Plumber
Messages
8,918
Reaction score
18
Points
0
Location
San Diego, CA
Well, I assume those 12X12 are fairly thin, and therefor, regardless of the the sink set up, the tiles need to be well supported underneath. I would think you need a countertop of 3/4" plywood, with 1/4" or 3/8" cement board on top of that. Now your granite tiles will be well supported, and- there should be no issue of the sink laying on top.

A drop in sink should have a good bead of silicone applied UNDER the lip as it is set down in place. Any silicone which squeezes out should be immediately cleaned up, leaving only the tiniest caulk joint. This creates a very clean appearance, and is easy to keep clean. With 100% silicone, you need to use denatured alcohol, not water, for the cleanup.


Now, note that we have created a countertop with a total thickness approaching 1½". This will be an issue for the faucet shanks . You need to plan in advance. Some faucets have extra long shanks, some manufacuterers have extension shanks available....just figure this out in advance. Don't wait until you have the whole clan coming tomorrow for thanksgiving dinner, to find out you can't install that foo-foo designer faucet you fell in love with!
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
A sink cutout can be fairly large, and it would depend on how far the ply was cantilevered from the cabinet edge. You could always add a 2x4 frame around the opening for the sink, tieing into the cabinet frame to help support things, but leave room to attach the faucet! I like to see 2-sheets of ply under tile. 1/4-inch cbu is all you need and you could end up with a slightly thinner layer if you used a membrane like Ditra from www.schluter.com instead of the cbu. A good place for help with tiling is www.johnbridge.com.

Make sure you use a thinset, not a mastic (something from a bucket) to attach the tiles. You might find a medium bed mortar works better for you (often called marble and granite mortar).
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks