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rosiew

Is add'l reinforcement needed???

rosiew
13 years ago

Read yesterday some gal saying her cast iron sink was tremendously heavy - she gave a delightfully funny weight in the thousands of pounds.

I've been given an old Kohler sink - really nice and deep, but the danged thing is so heavy I can't even tip it over. My question is should I add to the base cabinet framing to ensure it can handle this monster?

Thanks much for any advice you have.

Rosie

Comments (10)

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    How is it going to be installed?

    The counter top spreads the weight out very nicely.

  • rosiew
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    It will be installed on top of a laminate counter - and not by moi!

    My kitchen had thermafoil cabinets, and are framed.

    Thanks for helping me noodle this out.

  • Buehl
    13 years ago

    I don't know, but you might have to reinforce the sink base...
    (and bump!)

  • berone
    13 years ago

    Assuming that your cabinets are in good shape and solidly built, and the counter is a typical particle board with laminate, doubled up for thickness on the front edge, I would say "no". It's unlikely that the sink, as heavy as it seems to you, weighs more than 150 lbs. That's less than me standing on a counter and I've never gone through one yet!

  • rosiew
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Appreciate y'all's posts. I wish I'd done a better job on the subject, adding SINK WEIGHT - oh, well.

    Also wish I was more of an engineer. It seems that a ledger board installed on the back would provide strength, but what do I know.

    The cabinet sides are 1/2" MDF, and not very dense MDF IMO.
    Anyone????

    TIA, Rosie, the OLDEST of the group doing a reno.

  • berone
    13 years ago

    Are you concerned about the cabinet collapsing or the counter breaking? I continue to think neither will happen, but some photos of the existing cabinetry and counter and the new to you sink would help. Is this cabinet stand alone, or is it in a run of cabinets? If it's in a run, even with 1/2" particle board (more likely than MDF) the cabinets are reinforced by the adjoining cabinets. And does the sink base have a back?

  • rosiew
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    berone, will ask my neighbor to help with pics.

    You are correct - I have particle board, and backing. And it's in a run.

    I'm asking this because I would die a thousand deaths if I hadn't and something bad happened.

    BTW, I forgot to click on message responses sent to my email, so not as quick to read.

    Thanks all,
    Rosie

  • texaskitchentoo
    13 years ago

    You will need to build a wooden frame to support the sink. The sink probably weighs about 100lbs, then if you fill it to the top with water??? another 100 pounds? What about the disposal? You may be able to reinforce the sides of your cabinets with 2x4 and that would be enough. Your countertop installer is probably pretty familiar with cast iron sinks.

    I was looking at a Kohler cast iron as an option (undermount). My cabinet bases are particle board and not thick either. There is a gap between cabinets and I was going to run a 1" board down between the cabinets to the concrete and notch the top of the cabinets so I can support the sink from these boards (one at each corner) so that there is pratically no weight on the cabinet. Hard to describe. There are rails you can buy that can span across from side to side with adjsutable screws that will support the sink.

    You may want to go to the Kohler web site and download instructions for mounting a sink similar to yours.

  • portland_renovation
    13 years ago

    I have a kohler cast iron sink that also weighs 10 gazillion pounds. It's a huge double bowl sink, and if you get both of the bowls full of dishes and water, it can be quite hefty.

    My cabs are all 3/4" plywood, and my carpenters reinforced the sink base because they were worried about how much the sink weighed. They ran 2x4 framing around the cab as reinforcement. It only took them a few minutes to install the framing, and it was worth the peace of mind knowing that the sink was reinforced. I will try and stick my camera up and under the sink cab to take a picture tonight, but I'm not sure you can really see the framing/reinforcement anymore since the sink is now in place.

  • rosiew
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Portland gal,

    Is the added framing just four pieces of 2x4 attached to all sides? If there is enough room, I could do that myself. The laminate folks will be here to measure next week and I'll ask them for their opinion too. Thanks for the reassurance. My cab frames are only 1/2". And I hadn't even factored in the weight of water and my heavy dishes. Yikes!

    Rosie

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