The Counters Blog

What Things Are Made From Granite Why Get Marble Countertops For Your Kitchen?

How To Attach An Undermount Sink On A Stone Countertop

Wipe the top lip of the sink that will contact the countertop with a clean rag and acetone. Insert the sink into the cabinet underneath the sink opening in the countertop. Insert the bottom ends of two bar clamps through the drain openings in the sink. Lift the sink into place and hook the top ends of the bar clamps over the wooden brace to support them.
How To Install An Undermount Kitchen Sink To A Granite Countertop Step By Step | Duration 6 Minutes 39 Seconds Make any adjustments to the sink by tapping it on the sides with your hand. Tool the excess silicon that has squeezed out from around the joint between the sink and countertop using your finger, a clean rag and acetone. A piece of scrap from the countertop is ideal for making the blocks. The fast-setting epoxy hardens rapidly, so you will need to work fast. Although several methods are used to install undermount sinks, many professionals can safely glue the sink in place using silicone sealant and a two-part epoxy. This eliminates the need to drill holes into the bottom of the countertop to support studs, which could weaken the stone and cause it to crack or break. Wipe around the bottom edge of the countertop that will contact the lip of the sink with a clean rag and acetone. Apply a 1/2-inch chord of silicone sealant around the entire perimeter of the sink on the lip that will contact the countertop. Place a wooden brace long enough to span the sink opening on the countertop. Tighten the bar clamps until the sink is tight against the bottom of the countertop. You want to position the sink so that the countertop overhang is even around its perimeter. Mix a small portion of two-part epoxy on a square of cardboard according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Apply a small amount of the epoxy to the stone blocks and position them around the sink so they span both the bottom of the sink lip and the bottom of the countertop. Remove the clamps after the epoxy has hardened but do not hook up any plumbing or garbage disposals for 24 hours while the silicone cures. Installing the faucet and supply lines to the countertop before setting the sink is much easier.

Wood Kitchen Counters Pros and Cons and FAQ {My Experience} by theinspiredroom.net

How To Install A Kitchen Sink Granite Counter Tops | Duration 3 Minutes 9 Seconds Why did you choose wood instead of a stone counter top like granite? We had to do so much out of necessity, we were as mindful as we could be about how to save money by making one choice over another. We were originally going to use soapstone on our counters and wood for our floors. But, when we realized how much it was going to cost us to rip out our brick colored tile to install hardwood, we decided it just wasn’t worth the expense to do the floors at that time. Who made the wood counter and what kind of wood is it? How did you keep them from getting water stains or scratches? We caressed it and babied it, kept it clean and dry all day, and didn’t set harmful objects directly on it, and never left water glasses on our counter. There were even a few incidents where we left the filtered water faucet running into an overflowing cup on the counter and that meant water went everywhere. Someone could have put a water ring on our counter or scratched them! They learned to put dishes away instead piling them up on a counter. If our kids had friends over or we had a party, we didn’t make a big public deal about protecting our precious counter tops. In other words, we realized we were the only ones who were going to care enough about our counters to keep them clean and free of potential harm. If necessary, we just waited until everyone left and then we’d go in and clean up the kitchen our way, no harm done. It was quick and easy and the counter looked just as beautiful after the second treatment as the first. She, like you, just takes them off and throws them in the laundry when they get dirty. You could soak them in water and they would be okay- just like you soak a boat. I was warned about crock pots with my new countertops too! I just had my ancient cabinets repainted and opaque glass inserted and molding elements added. Now how do your plank counters compare to butcher block ones? Although our counter isn’t a deep colour like yours, it does help warm up the space and break up a large bank of floor to ceiling cabinets. I thought of my counters like a wood table, we didn’t eat or set food directly on the counter. I absolutely loved how they felt and would find myself touching them a lot, too! Even without being super careful (didn’t cut on it), we never had a water stain. We had them installed when we redid our kitchen in 2008. We were trying to get away with only doing what was necessary or gave us the most bang for our buck in our kitchen remodel.

How To Install Undermount Sink In Granite Sink Setter | Duration 4 Minutes 59 Seconds We really wanted the floors to be wood to balance out the hardness of stone counters. So we kept the existing tile floors and went with wood counters on our island and soapstone just on the counter around our stove. What you see is its natural color after the sealer is applied. But secondly, we treated that counter like it was a fine piece of wood furniture or our own child. You can see in the above picture we used my grandma’s doilies under some of our accessories before doilies for decor became chic again! And a side benefit was our counters were never piled up with dishes or mess because we loved them too much to leave dirty dishes on them! Yes, it was a bit risky to have beautiful wood counters like that in a busy family kitchen. But, we taught our kids about setting dirty or wet dishes in the sink, dishwasher, or on a place mat rather than directly on the wood. I might also note here that this was the second kitchen where we had wood counters (and kids). We didn’t want to make everyone feel uncomfortable at our house because we were always in a big panic about our counters. Nor did we put food directly on our counters or use them as a cutting board. If you are at all like me and appreciate beautiful things, taking care of something lovely is not really a burden at all. I use white slipcovers and have stainless steel appliancs, and they take a little maintanence, but you are so smart to just give your opinion on the level of care and then let people decide for themselves. But you’d think so after reading about our slipcovers and wood counters! Boats don’t get water stains and neither will the countertops! We will use the panels that were removed for cutting boards on this kitchen counter tops. Our children from day one knew to put a hot pad down, use a cutting board (much more sanitary,) etc. It also helps to tie in the wood floor and ceiling that are in the rest of the space. We do give them a little extra care, but that is just a good way to learn to take care of things and keep the kitchen cleaner. If you don’t mind, or even like, a “lived in” kitchen, go with the wood! We used cutting boards, didn’t set wet or hot dishes directly on them and never had a problem.

Under Mount Sink Or Over Mount Sink That’s The Question by marble.com

How To Install An Undermount Sink To A Granite Countertop | Duration 5 Minutes 42 Seconds Deciding whether to install an under-mount or over-mount type sink is typically the first step, as the decision can have an impact on other options. Laminate countertops have an underlying particleboard base that isn’t strong enough to support an under-mount sink. Once the cut-out is made, installing the sink generally takes less than an hour. Additionally, the removal and replacement of over-mount sinks can be done easily and without damaging the countertop. Under-mount sinks, by comparison, offer a sleek modern look that works in any kitchen, and they are easier to clean. A combination of style and functionality, a sink is expected to perform for more than just a few years, so it’s important to find the right one. Under-mount sinks, by comparison, are installed from beneath the counter, and although there is a rim around the sink it attaches underneath the counter and is therefore not visible. Drop-in sinks can be installed on any type of counter materials. Installing an under-mount sink generally takes more than two hands and the cutout must match the sink exactly. Under-mount sinks are much more difficult to remove and replace. With an over-mount sink, although all the working areas are accessible, the rim sits on the counter and tends to attract dirt and mold. Under-mount sinks allow easy cleaning of countertops as crumbs and spills can be swept directly into the sink and are considered by many to be more hygienic because there’s no place for dirt and grime to accumulate. The disadvantages of over-mount sinks are generally related to their cleanliness.

Marble Farmhouse Apron Front Kitchen Sinks by plumbingsupply.com

Cleaning on a regular basis will help prevent hard water deposits and staining. Since they’re made from natural stone, marble sinks can weigh well over 200 lbs and the cabinet you plan to install them in must be prepared for that weight. To clean your solid marble sink, simply use a soft soapy cloth, sponge or nylon brush and be sure to rinse the sink thoroughly after cleaning and dry it well. Stone sinks are considerably heavier and need to be supported accordingly. The manufacturer recommends that the cabinet and supporting framework should be reinforced to hold up to 300 lbs securely once the sink is installed.