A quick, easy ceramic sink installation. Oh - wait .........

[woodbutcherbower]

I'm not going to write anything about today. The pictures tell their own story. I'm just glad that the guys didn't point and laugh when I told them I'd broken something.

Enjoy  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]

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Kevin

 

[pixelated]

I agree, the one without the broken corner feature looks better.
[smile]

 

[squall_line]

Adapt and overcome.

Good thing they had one in stock, eh?

Nice recovery, and beautiful sink opening!

 

[woodbutcherbower]

[big grin] It's my first-ever breakage. And you're right - great stock levels are the most important reason why I always use this supplier. They also have 800 depots in the UK, so even a non-stock item is almost always available at another nearby depot. I've been one of the top 10 spenders in this particular depot now for the last three years running, so the good guys let me have the replacement sink at cost price.

Still feel like a chump, though.

 

[Peter Kelly]

O/T but sinks with an integrated drain board are great and for no good reason, totally uncommon in the US. You see them installed everywhere in UK and EU and I've no idea why you wouldn't want this.

 

[FestitaMakool]

You got thoroughly celebrated today judging by the photos.. Haha.

Things happen, though the install looks great! Really liking the sink.. and two handled tap.. you still do in the UK, love two handles myself. They are easy serviceable too. I must look for them here, as 99% are one handle design. I’ve already bought one for my new kitchen to come cause I liked the design (Traditional design)

 

[MikeGE]

On one of my trips to the UK in 2020, just before the world-changing event, I bought a Belfast sink from B&Q for use in my basement sharpening station.  At the time, I could not find any vendors in Germany who knew what a Belfast (or butler) sink was so I decided to buy one from the UK. 

I had it shipped to me by Mail Boxes Etc. in Solihull, but it did not survive the tender mercies of the FedEx.  Fortunately, I paid for the loss/damage insurance and MBE replaced it.  The second sink arrived in perfect condition with more packing material.  In the interim, my wife changed my mind and I installed a stainless steel sink instead.  I still plan on using the Belfast sink somewhere else.

 

[smorgasbord]

Isn’t it weird that you have to cut out for the drain board side as well? 

As for two handles, I have those in my shower, but one is volume and one is temp. Directly controlling hot and cold is a royal annoyance.

 

[squall_line]

Isn’t it weird that you have to cut out for the drain board side as well? 

As for two handles, I have those in my shower, but one is volume and one is temp. Directly controlling hot and cold is a royal annoyance.

In a shower, I definitely agree.

In the kitchen, I personally find myself using straight hot or straight cold most of the time, depending on whether I'm washing dishes (hot), filling a pot to boil (hot), or rinsing cold vegetables (cold).  The only time I generally use medium temp is when I'm filling the water glass for the toddler, or if the hot has gotten too hot.

I definitely wish I could go back a year and a half and tell my younger self to go for the "one volume, one temp" setup in our renovated shower; we have a single handle, which is fine other than when I just need a small trickle of water or want to just rinse some things off in the tub instead of running it full bore all the time.

 

[Cheese]

Cool looking van Kevin, not a van guy but I'd purchase something that looked like that. Especially if it was full of nice tools... [big grin]

I feel bad about the sink but if you were a true trend setter, then all the discussion in a recent post about some custom cabinet offered for sale in California for $14,500 and everyone hypothesized about if a bent nail jammed into the wood surface would be making a political statement...that broken ceramic corner could have been your answering salvo...had you stuck with it. [big grin]

However, reality intervenes at some point and that statement may not have made your client too happy and would probably have delayed your payment, as well it should.   

You're very fortunate that the suppliers you support have product in stock. I've been there and the Robern supplier I use was 10 days out.  [mad]  "Hey honey...just use that Porta-Potty in the back yard for another 10 days", that certainly helps domestic affairs.  [eek]

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Cool looking van Kevin, not a van guy but I'd purchase something that looked like that. Especially if it was full of nice tools... [big grin]

Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member]. It’s a Ford Transit Custom. NAINA sadly. In that case, you might want to head down to your nearest Ford dealer and persuade them to start importing them;
https://systainer.works/vehicles/uk-ford-transit-with-custom-fitout

[member=70363]MikeGE[/member] yeah, they’re very popular, especially amongst owners of traditional out-in-the-countryside properties. Apart from the integrated drainer one I broke, there are also traditional butler, double butler and undermount versions. They all look great and function really well, but they don’t like adjustable wrenches being dropped on them;

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[peter halle]

Interesting that they are called Butler sinks on your side of the pond and Farmhouse sinks on our side.  I like Butler better.  Or was that Butter better?

Peter

 

[FestitaMakool]

Isn’t it weird that you have to cut out for the drain board side as well? 

As for two handles, I have those in my shower, but one is volume and one is temp. Directly controlling hot and cold is a royal annoyance.

In a shower, I definitely agree.

In the kitchen, I personally find myself using straight hot or straight cold most of the time, depending on whether I'm washing dishes (hot), filling a pot to boil (hot), or rinsing cold vegetables (cold).  The only time I generally use medium temp is when I'm filling the water glass for the toddler, or if the hot has gotten too hot.

I definitely wish I could go back a year and a half and tell my younger self to go for the "one volume, one temp" setup in our renovated shower; we have a single handle, which is fine other than when I just need a small trickle of water or want to just rinse some things off in the tub instead of running it full bore all the time.

In a shower, yes. But in the kitchen especially I agree with you. You quickly learn how to set the handles to get the approximate mix when needed.. those single handed are mostly very difficult to adjust as they often “miss” and go either to warm or too cold. On the two handle ones its very easy.. chose whatever dial/lever and increase/decrease.

And yes, the latest Transit vans looks very good, they drive well too.
Not too often I see them in clean white - its very suited to the design.

Mike, I’ve had the thought and nearly did the same some years ago; thinking of ordering a sink from UK.. and feared what you experienced  [embarassed]
Actually, UK fine carpenters and suppliers should be more present in Europe than they are.. I’ve always looked to UK for inspiration, as well as some Swedish cabinetry and interior designs.

 

[jimbo51]

While we are on sinks, I will be replacing a sink in a kitchen where there is a question of raising the height of the cabinet surface and thus the sink above standard counter height. The user is tall and older so working at the bottom of the standard sink is causing back pain. I would like such a feature to be reversible without too much work. I am thinking of a 4 inch insert of some sort between the cabinet top and the laminate counter top. The cabinet is solid wood frame front and composite sides and back.

Ideas?

 

[Cheese]

While we are on sinks, I will be replacing a sink in a kitchen where there is a question of raising the height of the cabinet surface and thus the sink above standard counter height. The user is tall and older so working at the bottom of the standard sink is causing back pain. I would like such a feature to be reversible without too much work. I am thinking of a 4 inch insert of some sort between the cabinet top and the laminate counter top. The cabinet is solid wood frame front and composite sides and back.

Ideas?

A 4" insert sounds fine along with some Dominos to align and keep the insert in place. Don't forget to design the plumbing to also be easily changed back.  [smile]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] that's one of those things that "just happens". Eventually, after as many years as you have been doing this, something will creep up on you.
Good job that there was a local supplier that could get it sorted quickly.

The thing that strikes me most is how different something as simple as a kitchen sink can be.
Even though majority of houses the US have a dishwasher, they still have double-bowl sinks.
Very few, at least in my experience, have ceramic surface-mount either. Most are either stainless steel or solid surface (which are undermount and integral)
Solid wood countertops are rather rare too, especially with a sink.
I have never seen one like that, with the side draining section, in ceramic, only a few in stainless.
The other odd feature is the overflow port. In the US, those are only in bathroom sinks. You would not see one in a kitchen sink.
I have seen and done myself, the draining grooves routed into a solid surface top, but those are rare too.
In the end, that's a great looking job.

 

[kitfit1]

Ahhhhhh, unlucky Kev. I must admit that's not happened to me with an inset sink...........yet  [smile].
I have had plenty that were delivered in that state though. Let's hope the cost doesn't dig into the profit margin too much.

In reply to what others have said, inset sinks are the norm in the UK be they ceramic, stainless steel or composite.
As Kev has said, in rural areas solid wood worktops are very common in the Uk. Although so is granite, Acrylic and manufactured stone now days.

You may remember this one i did from a few years ago Kev. It was a complete pain to do because at the time the sink was new on the market and there was no template available. I had to make my own template plus fabricate and fix the window reveal before routing the sink cut out.

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[mino]

...
The other odd feature is the overflow port. In the US, those are only in bathroom sinks. You would not see one in a kitchen sink.
...

True, even the mini-sinks in dedicated toilets have them.
I guess it has to do with risk management - apartments form the bulk of the market here. Add to it that even old single-floor houses commonly had basements that could be flooded..

---
A water fixture for a washer literally exploded in my bathroom 17 yrs ago, resulting in about 450k Kč (€ 40k at today prices) damage to appartments below .. thankfully the insurance covered that. A child forgetting to close a valve ..

I imagine that in a wooden framed house, kitchen on a raised first floor, the damage would be minimal - the damage to the appartment we rented was only some paint and replacement of flooring in the hallway - 14k from those 450k of damage.

@ OP
Pleasure to look at!

Would not want it - too fragile. But what a beauty!

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] & [member=76994]kitfit1[/member]  Both your under mount sink installs look great when new but what finish do you guys use on wood that is expected to be abraded and wetted repeatedly?

 

[woodbutcherbower]

[member=76994]kitfit1[/member] I remember it well, mate. It’s a lovely-looking job.

[member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] I personally use quick-drying (3-4 hours) tung oil. But every kitchen installer has his own preferred product. Put it on liberally, allow it to soak in for 30 minutes, then wipe off the excess with paper towels and buff dry with a soft cloth. Some guys use the plethora of commercial ready-made countertop oils, some guys use Danish oil, some even use various Osmo products. Oils give the most natural-looking ‘wood’ surface though. Many of the others make the top look like it’s been varnished.

The key is to absolutely saturate the timber with oil to make it as water-resistant as possible. Keep repeating the above process until it won’t absorb any more. But then do it again anyway. And then again maybe.  It’s also important to apply the same treatment to the underside, otherwise the bottom surface will absorb moisture from the air, it will swell, and you’ll end up with a countertop which has a beautiful cup along its entire length. The ‘underside’ treatment is always done before the tops are cut and installed.

The other important factor when considering oiled timber tops is that they need to be maintained by re-oiling 2-3 times a year. It doesn’t take long to do - but folks inevitably don’t do it, no matter how dire are the warnings given. This applies especially to the exposed endgrain around the edges of undermount sinks and similar cut-outs.

With a little maintenance and care, they’re surprisingly durable - and can of course be re-sanded in the event of a minor disaster.