Kohler doesn't provide sink templates anymore?!?!!!

10 years ago

Seriously? My fabricators are at the house, they cut the sink holes on-site. Caxton sinks purchased from Keller, a plumbing supply house didn't have templates. I drive all the way into town, Keller opens eight Caxton boxes - no templates. Kohler is closed 'for the holiday'. I'm now at office max trying to have them print a template off Kohler's website but it is in a format called dfx that they can not open. Apparently it is an autocad program and I have to find a flipping architect to print this?! Meanwhile the fabricator is back at the house. This remodel is going to be the death of me and I'm MAD at Kohler. Under mount sinks without templates?!

Featured Answer

jacqueline5
Original Author

10 years ago

Thank you everyone for your responses! The counter with the sinks is in and is absolutely gorgeous! We still have the shower curbs and faucet holes yet to go for fabrication (hole delay is my fault - decision paralysis!). They'll be back tomorrow. Photos to come after plumbing, electrical and glass.

In this day of DIY I'm astounded that Kohler decided to stop providing templates and then only make them available in an autocad program. If DH and I were brave enough to DIY counters, we'd be in big trouble. Every other sink mfgr on the shelf at the plumbing supply have templates. I wrote to Kohler but we'll have to wait for them to be back from the holidays. I'll let you know their response.

For those who were concerned about my fabricator - thank you but don't be. We've used these guys for several stone counters over the last ten years. I actually made a huge mistake five years ago and hired a young 'professional' with fancy laser equipment and a beautiful showroom because my guys were really busy and honestly I was dazzled by the technology v. my old dudes in hip waders, with hoses and grinders. Huge huge mistake. Mr fancy pants screwed up my Azul Bahia island (cha-ching!) and guess who had to fix it? My old dudes with grinders - the artisans. They may not be fancy but they know everythingbthere is to know about stone fabrication. The business has been handed down from father to son continuously since the 1800s. They are now the 4th and 5th generation to run the shop. They started with tombstones and and still provide them (now referred to as monuments) as well as being the oldest counter fabricators around. They do the cutting and edging in the shop as well as all kinds of cool hand crafted treatments and cut & polish the holes on site outside on special tables. There really isnt dust due to the water. They are true artisans. The template was more for me to be able to visualize where I wanted the sinks placed in my Calacatta counter. I wanted to get it just right. They had no problem making templates from the cardboard box. If you're in Northern CA, I can't say enough good things about them. Feel free to pm me for their name and info. --- I sound like a commercial -- perhaps I should ask for a discount on our next project hehe.

Comments (10)

jackfre
10 years ago
I just installed 4 Kohler sinks and all had templates in the box. We are most of the way through our re-model and I get the feeling that it can kill you. Look on the bright side. At least you will have spent all your money before you go.
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
Jackfre, thank you for making me laugh for the first time today! I definitely have spent all my money but I'd like to be around to enjoy the fruits of my labor (and frustration!).

I would have switched sinks at the last minute to any manufacturer on the shelf with a template except my toilet and clawfoot tub are Kohler biscuit color so I'm stuck with Kohler.

Out of sheer desperation, I also called Home Depot, Lowes, Ferguson and JW Wood, none of their Caxton sinks have the templates in the boxes! JW Wood said Kohler stopped including them to save money and force the fabricators to match the sinks to the counter holes. Honestly? I would rather have templates perfectly and uniformly matched to the sink. My fabricator has made his own out of cardboard and is doing it the old fashioned way. It'll work, but sheesh! who ever heard of undermount sinks without templates? I'm really glad I didn't try to talk The Husband into DIYing the counters!
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raehelen
10 years ago
How frustrating! I ran into a similar problem with my faucet! No template in box or online, no measurements of height and width of faucet...when I contacted customer service, she had to get permission to retrieve the numbers off of the architect's drawings, but she couldn't send me a template...not allowed, and she said not available yet (though fixture was a model at least 2 years old). I ended up taking the faucet with me to fabricator's. He drilled holes and then we tested to make sure faucet fit.

You would think that with more and more DIY'ers than manufacturers would try to make it more user friendly!
Gracie
10 years ago
My fabricator stocks the Caxton sinks, so he has installed dozens of them. He told me that oval sinks are never perfectly oval. To compensate, he makes the sink cut-out a perfect oval and has the countertop slightly overhang the sink edge by about 1/4". So I doubt he even used a template.
jackfre
10 years ago
It would be a simple matter for Kohler to print the template on the side of the box. I like my Kohler fixtures but agree with you totally about template.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
10 years ago
I can't believe a fabricator would cut sink openings on site. Is he doing this out in the yard? Dust collection? Mess? PPE?
sloyder
10 years ago
you can print the dxf file with the following free software

Here is a link that might be useful: dxf print software
_sophiewheeler
10 years ago
Any halfway reputable fabricator knows how to print a dfx file if they need to. Or owns the equipment that reads the file to cut the hole. NO reputable fabricator cuts a sink hole on site. You're not dealing with reputable pros here.
divotdiva2
10 years ago
I bought a Kohler sink for the powder room and it came with a template. It's not an undermount though, it's one of those that sit half way in to the counter.