One of the things I really, really, really wanted in our new kitchen was an undermount sink. I was so tired of crud getting stuck against the ridge of the sink. I longed for the day when I could just wipe crumbs off the counter straight into the sink with no obstructions! (Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but you get the idea).
When we decided to go with laminate countertops for our kitchen, I thought my wish for an undermount sink was impossible. Because the MDF under laminate countertops gets ruined when it gets wet, you can’t install a normal undermount sink. Water gets in there, swells the MDF and warps your countertops.
But I did what I do for every single DIY project, and started combing the internet like an obsessed crazy woman. And that’s how I found out about Karran sinks. They are specially constructed to be undermounted with laminate! Who knew, right?
You can imagine my happy dance. I immediately sent an email to the company to see if they would like to work with me here on the blog, and I’m so happy they said yes!
So first, here’s my beautiful, sparkling new, giant undermount kitchen sink:
Do you see that full size cookie sheet and full size sautee pan in there with miles of room to spare? This thing is huge and deep and amazing!
We installed the sink ourselves. The process is a bit different than a regular sink installation, so I’ll walk you through the process.
The first thing we did was watch THIS YouTube video about 85 times. If you’re going to DIY a Karran sink, I would definitely watch the video too.
This is what a Karran sink looks like before installation:
The first think you have to do is decide on the placement of your sink. We taped a piece of paper down on the bare MDF countertops and drew the sink on with pencil. We also drew in where the faucet would go. We kept adjusting things until we felt happy that the sink was centered under the window and that it was the right distance from the faucets and the front edge of the counter.
The next step is to cut a hole for the sink. This hole should only be big enough for the bottom part of the sink to fit in. The white band around the top should sit on top of the hole.
First drill a pilot hole, then use a jigsaw to cut the sink hole.
Lower the sink into place and check that the white edge sits flush all the way around. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to adjust things until it is perfect.
Drill a pilot hole big enough for the router bit to fit through.
Isn’t it great? I got my wish for an undermount sink, even though we chose laminate countertops! I love that I can just wipe crumbs right into the sink and there are no icky ridges where junk gets trapped. I also love the clean, sleek look of it.
Comments & Reviews
I didn't know this was even a thing! Very cool and you did it all yourselves. I'm seriously impressed.
Thanks so much, Pamela! There were some moments there where we though, "WHY are we doing this ourselves?!?!?!" but we worked it out and love how it turned out.
Hi there! This looks incredible! What is the name and color of the laminate you used? Thanks in advance!
Hey Jenna, I wrote a whole post about the laminate countertops here: https://www.thecraftpatchblog.com/2016/10/how-to-diy-laminate-countertops.html
Hi Jennifer,
I am also looking for a rectangular sink similar to yours (Karran E-340).
Can you tell me the dimensions of your cabinet (inside), is it more than 31 3/4 inch?
The E-340 is 30 7/8 inch (outside dim.) but I don't think it can be installed in a 31 3/4 inch cabinet.
Your input is appreciated,
Lucie (from Canada)
How did it go Lucie(I’m from ontario)
A year later, how are you liking your under mount sink? Has the laminate stood up well?
Great question! It is holding up perfectly. It looks the same as the day we installed it!
I do wish we had purchased the wire rack to go in the bottom of the sink. We have a few scratches in our stainless steel that could have been avoided if we had the rack to protect it.
Thanks for replying!
Can you tell me what type of glue you used to attach the laminate? I'm looking for something that lasts a LONG time. Thank you!
We used contact cement.
Can you tell me what type of epoxy you used around the sink for the laminate to adhere?
Any peel up issues around sink edge?
Thanks in advance.
What type of epoxy did you use around the edge of the sink?
Looks great!
Thanks in advance.
I’m interested in buying the sink. Before I contact the company, do you use an affiliate link? I want to make sure you get credit for any commission since I probably will end up doing it over the phone.
You are so sweet to think of that Joni! Thank you so much. I don’t have an affiliate link or any commission with them, but you could definitely mention my blog name. That helps lend credibility to the blogging industry and how we help drive sales. Thanks again… and I hope you love your new sink as much as I love mine!
Thanks so much for sharing this info. I’m so glad I across this blog post. I’m wondering about the price of these sinks. The website doesn’t list that info.
Now it’s years later, is the sink and laminate still doing well? I am being told by laminate installers they will not install a sink like this.
Yep, it still looks great! We dropped a heavy pot once and it did chip the laminate edge just a teeny tiny bit, but it’s not very noticeable. I would still choose this sink!
What type of epoxy did u use around the edges? I seem to be having a hard time finding it ir I am over complicating it. Thankyou.
It was called JB weld two part epoxy.
You said you used Bondo to bond the sink to the MDF and create a waterproof join there. Is the JB Weld epoxy between the sink and the laminate sheeting?
My husband sent me a link to your blog post about building your own countertops. You’ve sold him on building them ourselves. 🙂 But when I read your article I had to click the link to the drop in sink. I haven’t had time to think that far in our kitchen planning, but I love the easy clean up potential of it! I just can’t wrap my head around how do you never have water get between the sink and the laminate sheeting and make it’s way to the MDF. I’m sure that would be disastrous! But, you also shared that you’ve not had any problems yet. That makes me want to do it all the more. Where did you use the JB Weld? Is there really no caulk or anything at that seam?
We used Bondo to fill in the gaps between the MDF and the sink. We used the JB WELD around the sink opening when we glued the laminate sheet onto it. Everywhere else we used contact cement, but the JB Weld is the secret to getting that edge to seal once you cut it open. Click on the video I linked to and you can watch the manufacturer install the sink.
As far as how it’s holding up, it is GREAT and we haven’t had any problems with water leaking under the laminate. It’s been several years since we completed the kitchen remodel and we have four rowdy kids who aren’t careful with anything. I’m very pleased and would choose this sink all over again.
I’ve been rewatching the video again and again, and I think I’m understanding the JB Weld and bondo applications now. 🙂 Where did you source your sink? It seems it’s not available to purchase from the manufacturer. Some of the other sources can be quite pricey… I think my husband is sold on it anyways, haha, but I’m the budget-minded one and I’d love any tips on getting a good deal.
home depot has them available for order and some stores have displays of the seamless laminate
Thank you for doing this Blog because we met with a sink/counter top place yesterday and they told us about this product however I was worried about installing it and years later it would be destroyed. I like that you did this so now I feel more confident about ordering it.
Does the sink need to be banded or supported in anyway from underneath? How did you repair the chip to keep the water tight integrity of the laminate? I’d really love this type of sink but encountered negativity at the home improvement store I went to.
We didn’t do anything special to support the sink. The chip didn’t break through the epoxy seal, so we didn’t do anything to repair it. It’s still water tight.
How do you uninstall a Karran undermounted sink from laminate countertop – is it possible without destroying the countertop? I want to replace my present Karran undermounted ceramic sink with a Karran undermounted stainless steel sink. Think it’s possible?
I’ve never done it before, but just thinking through how it’s built, I would say it’s probably not possible since the laminate goes over the sink ledge. I don’t know how you’d get the sink out without damaging the laminate.
Jennifer, I’ve visited every laminate fabricator in my area WITH my laptop and showed them your blog, not one of them will touch these sinks! Why do you think??? I sooo want this sink and counter. What should I do? Can I pay your hubby to do mine?
I don’t know why that would be. Have you looked on the manufacturer’s website for more information? Karran may be able to help you locate a tradesman who can help.
I would have avoided all that work and just ordered new laminate countertops with integrated sink from the factory. That way you don’t have that sharp edge around the sink from when you cut out the laminate. The factory integrated sinks are literally molded in so no chance of water intrusion. I just ordered new countertops and the additional cost to have the sink integrated (including the sink) was $600 so you figure the average sink costs $250.00 so for an additional $350 it’s done right. Not saying your way wasn’t done right.
Steven, That is a great solution for some people, but we actually built our countertops (glued the laminate sheet to the MDF underlayment) so it wouldn’t have worked for us. The cost for countertops for our entire kitchen was $400 and we were quoted $3,000 for laminate countertops from the store, so even though the Karran sink was a little more, we still came out WAY ahead by doing it ourselves! Several years later and our sink is still fantastic.
so I take it you can’t use an undermount sink if your laminate countertops are already finished
That’s correct. If you have already installed laminate countertops, you could not use a Karran sink.
I am using marmoleum instead of laminate. Would this work the same way.
Love all of comments. I am ready to to the same in a few weeks. My fabrication teams uses only Karren sinks for undermountint using laminate. Just curious but I don’t see anywhere in the article or comments about the Formica color used in this. It’s a gorgeous color. It this Basalt Slate?
Yes, it is basalt slate in the scovato finish. We LOVE it!
Thanks for the reply. I love it also. How is it holding up? The Basalt slate that is. I have heard of others complaining of scratches from normal wear. My fabricator says its all in the way people take care of them. Again beautiful pictures! Thanks so much for posting. I can now get a better idea of how mine will look 🙂
Our countertops have held up great! We do have a few tiny knicks and scratches, but we also USE and ABUSE our kitchen with four kids and daily cooking of all three meals. I would absolutely choose these countertops again, especially for the price. We could replace the counters many times over before we would reach the cost of stone.
Thank you so much for this blog. I can’t find any reviews for folks that did the under mount on laminate. When I told the lady at the store I wanted to do this and she looked at me like I had lost my mind. She launched into the water getting under the seal etc. it looks like you have not had any issues!!
Hello
I am a Showroom Associate for a kitchen and bath showroom in Indiana. I am considering ordering this type of countertop and undermounted Karan sink for my home, and happened upon this blog searching for information as to the longevity of the product. It sounds as though this has held up pretty well for you. We have a company that will fabricate this for us and take most of the labor intensive work out of the mix. I just have to find a contractor to install it. Thank you for blogging about this!