A kitchen sink is one of the elements in filling the working space of the kitchen, giving it functionality. Therefore, the quality of further operation of plumbing depends on the correct choice and installation of a sink in the kitchen with your own hands.
How to choose and install a sink in the kitchen worktop
Before proceeding with the choice of the method of installation, determine the choice of model. The sink is selected based on need. For cafes, restaurants and other catering establishments, industrial-type sinks and sinks are used, differing in size and quality of execution. For the home, standard household types of designs are suitable, where the main focus is on design.
Design features
For the kitchen, options with a deep sink and a low mixer are best suited, which prevents splashing of water on the sides. A shallow sink will not fit a pan or other dimensional product used in the kitchen, so using such a sink will be less practical. The interior of the sink should be such as to fit the set of dishes that the family stacks after lunch or dinner.
Material quality
The easiest way to mount a sink made of stainless steel. Among buyers of budget models, sinks for kitchens made of enameled steel are popular. Although artificial stone products are gaining demand, they have a large number of advantages and are more convenient in operation.
Customer reviews of kitchen sinks posted on the Internet clearly illustrate buyers' interest in purchasing high-quality sanitary products, even if you have to pay more for the sink from the family budget, it is better to spend them in order to purchase reliable plumbing than other unforeseen expenses.
Kitchen sinks: variations on the theme ...
There are many technologies for installing sinks for the kitchen. The installation method is selected based on the product you purchased, type of construction:
- Overhead. Such sinks are considered budgetary, therefore they are ubiquitous in the market. Of all the options, this is the easiest installation scheme. The sink is mounted on a separate stand. The only negative is the presence of gaps between the sink and the kitchen table, which subsequently leads to damage to the kitchen furniture.
- Mortise. Such a sink is installed in the countertop, having previously cut a hole in the working surface. You can do this yourself, but keep in mind that work requires high precision. Therefore, if you do not have carpentry skills, it is better to consult a specialist with the question of installing a sink in the kitchen.
- Tabletop. This innovation has appeared on the market relatively recently. Products belong to a more expensive segment. Thanks to the unique fastening - below the countertop - they provide high-quality sealing and a spectacular look.
What you need to install a sink in the kitchen worktop
Getting started, prepare the inventory that will come in handy during the installation process:
- sealant;
- self-tapping screws;
- set of screwdrivers;
- jigsaw;
- fasteners (supplied with the sink).
Important! When starting to install a sink in the kitchen, do not forget to treat all the seats with sealant before final fixing the sink. Through high-quality waterproofing, you will protect the chipboard from possible damage due to contact with moisture.
Installation of the sink
Overhead (built-in) sinks look attractive. Made of stainless steel. Mount products on a separate unit in the kitchen. The sink completely covers the top of the module. Installation is not labor intensive. To install an overhead sink in the kitchen, use a set of special L-shaped mounts with an oblique slot. To install one sink you will need 4-5 products.
Important! Before installing the structure, install the mixer in the sink in the kitchen and mount the sink with the equipment already connected. Performing actions in a different order may be inconvenient.
How to attach a sink to a pedestal
The wizard will easily cope with the task by following the step-by-step guide:
- Prepare the fasteners, attach them in the intended places and make notes.
- Where marks on the pedestal have been made before, screw the screws so that about 5 mm remains from the side of the free end. Suitable 15 mm products.
- Cover the end of the cabinet or drawer with a sealant that will not only protect the furniture, but also provide the sink with additional support. This is a little trick in the process of installing a sink in the kitchen.
- Then mount the sink on the screwed fasteners, ensuring a full fit to the surface.
- Fix fasteners, and wipe off excess sealant. Having finished work at this stage, you can begin to connect plumbing to the water supply and sewerage.
Installation of mortise sinks
Installing a sink in the kitchen according to the overhead type is not difficult. With mortise designs, the situation is more complicated, but such a sink is more tightly in contact with adjacent surfaces, providing a high level of tightness, giving the countertop a solid, neat look.
The question of inserting a stainless steel sink for the kitchen is simple to handle. The only thing that needs to be done is to cut a hole under the sink in the countertop.
Algorithm for installing a mortise sink in a kitchen worktop
Performing the actions in the correct order, the novice master will be able to achieve the task:
- Having decided on the installation location of the sink on the kitchen countertop, based on the design features of the sink, determine the shape of the future hole. To do this, prepare a cardboard template by turning the sink upside down and outlining the surface area of the sink with a pencil. If the acquired sink is of complex geometric shape, then a ready-made template is included to install a stainless steel sink in the kitchen.
- The prepared template for installing the sink on the countertop in the kitchen is applied to the work surface, stepping back from the edge of 7-7.5 cm, and begin to cut. From the edge of the template deepen 1.8-2 cm, leaving support for the sides of the sink.
- A hole is made on the cut line with a drill, a contour is cut out using an electric jigsaw. From the bottom side, the treated area of the countertop is fixed so that it does not fall during cutting and does not damage the edges of the kitchen countertop.
- Sealant is applied along the contour of the saw and the lower places of the junction of the kitchen sink.
- Now you can start installing the sink in the countertop in the kitchen. It is pressed with clamps that come with the kit.
- Having fixed the sink and removing excess sealant, proceed to the connection of communications.
Installation of structures flush or below the tabletop
The mortise sink can be mounted in different ways:
- Flush with the countertop, but this process is laborious due to the removal of the countertop layer under the side. It is important not to overdo it when working with carpentry tools, and not to sink the sink too low. The depth is determined by the height of the side, adding to it the thickness of the applied layer of sealant.
- Below the top level of the cabinet. If the installation height of the sink in the kitchen is below the level of the countertop, use the help of specialists. In this way, sinks made of natural and / or artificial stone are mounted. For mounting, you will need a special set of tools: a jigsaw, saws with diamond spraying. In such sinks, there is often no drain for water. This is due to the fact that under industrial conditions, the complete sawing of sinks from natural, artificial stone is not carried out. For fixing products made of material, special mounting glue is used.
What do experts advise craftsmen
For those who are going to install a sink for the kitchen from stainless steel, acrylic, artificial stone or other material, there will not be superfluous advice:
- Replace rubber seals with silicone sealant. Rubber does not provide such a reliable fit, and the life of the gasket is lower than all filling hermetic composition.
- When working with products made of artificial stone or natural granite, resort to the help of a partner so as not to drop a heavy sink and damage the product.
- When fixing the sink to the work surface or cabinet, screw the screws in manually. Using the tool due to excessive stress on the working surface can cause damage to the structure: the formation of chips, cracks, scratches.
General installation rules
Having graduated from the installation of a corner sink for the kitchen, we proceed to connect the communication systems. Hoses for cold and hot water supply will be connected to a common water supply system.
Important! During connection, use rubber gaskets to seal joints.
Having fixed the hoses, the work continues in the following sequence:
- an S-shaped siphon is introduced into the sink; bottle bottles clog too quickly;
- a pipe (angular rigid or flexible corrugated) is brought to the siphon;
- the outlet from the siphon is introduced into the sewer;
- test compounds to detect leaks.
Sometimes it happens that the diameters of the sewer and siphon pipes differ significantly. In this case, use an adapter - a sealing cuff. Without rubber or silicone gaskets, the joint may leak, which will lead to mold, mildew due to mold and quick damage to pipes and furniture.
Having completed work with connecting the sink to the sewer and checking the system for proper functioning, the installation of the sink in the kitchen can be considered completed.
The sink is ready for first use and further use. Without a sink in the kitchen can not do, because most of the technological processes involve the use of water.