Undermount versus overmount sinks

Remodeling your kitchen is one of those home improvements that, if done tastefully, will pay off by increasing your home’s value, efficiency and elegance. The kitchen is the nerve center of a home, so making it beautiful and more functional will only enhance your overall enjoyment of it.

One of the decisions you will need to make when you hire a professional granite fabricator in Charlotte to custom fabricate and install your granite countertops, is the style of kitchen sink you want installed. In most cases, kitchen countertops and kitchen sinks are updated at the same time.

There are two leading methods used to install kitchen sinks: mounting the sink underneath a counter top, and mounting the sink above a counter top. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. To help you choose the right type of sink for your new kitchen countertops, we have listed below the pros and cons of each type of sink. When in doubt, the professionals at Custom Granite Solutions will be able to help determine what style of sink is best suited for your needs.

Under-mount sinks

Undermounting is a fairly new method of installing kitchen sinks that is gaining popularity, especially among homeowners who have opted to have granite or quartz countertops installed. With undermount sink, the edge (or lip) of the sink is installed “below” the countertop surface and held in place with strong adhesives. In essence, the sink hangs underneath the countertop creating a continuous flow from countertop into sink.

Undermount kitchen sinks are best suited for natural stone and engineered stone countertops like granite, marble, quartz, soapstone, limestone, etc…They are not well suited for laminate since the border around the sink will be exposed to water regularly.

With undermount sinks, there is no unsightly rim and no caulking around the sink to keep up with. Undermount sinks make cleaning and wiping food scrap off countertops easy. Scraps can be swept right into the sink without getting caught up in the rim of the sink.

undermount sink

Undermount kitchen sinks usually cost more than overmount sinks and are best suited for water resistant countertops. Faucets must be attached to your kitchen countertops or backsplash.

Undermount sinks are low maintenance. However, if you choose this style of sink, you should be careful not to overfill your sink as it could damage the adhesive used to hold your sink to the countertop. To ensure maximum durability, you should hire a professional company like Custom Granite Solutions to install your countertops and undermount sink.

over mount kitchen sinks

Over-mount sinks

Overmount sinks are very common. The edge of the sink rests on top of the counter top so that the weight of the sink is supported by the counter top itself.

Overmount sinks are easier to install than undermount sinks and provide added protection around the opening where the sink will fit through. This is particularly important if you have a softer material like marble for your countertops that could break easily at the edges.

Many people find overmount kitchen sinks unsightly on slick looking countertops made of granite or quartz. With overmount kitchen sinks, food scraps easily get caught in the rim of the sink.  This can lead to the growth of mildew and bacteria.