Top mount vs under mount sink?

9 years ago

Hi,

In my last kitchen I did an under mount sink with granite surround. Loved the look but over the years I did accumulate a few chips in the granite from fumbled plates, pots, etc. and the seam did need to be periodically cleaned out and re-sealed (15-minute job, not a biggie).

Now I'm doing a new kitchen and considering doing a top mount to correct that.

Opinions?

Related: I was going to do stainless (indestructible), but what's the deal with the Blanco Silgranits that a lot of people seem to love?

Thanks!

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Joseph Corlett, LLC

9 years ago

halgreene:

You want to think of the tradeoff between durability and renewability.

A granite sink cut out with a larger radius will get fewer chips than one with a smaller one. These chips are fairly easy to repair.

A stainless steel drop in sink is pretty tough, but dents are near impossible to remove and you've got the crud catching lip.

Silegranit is very tough, but you'll not repair it with today's technology and you've got the crud catching lip if you drop one in.

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Comments (9)

olympia776
9 years ago
I went with a top mount that can be flush mounted. I was too concerned with the potential chipping. I'm happy with it. I tried to go kind of utilitarian on the things that get used and shiny and pretty on things like lighting and cup pulls

Here is a link that might be useful:
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lam702
9 years ago
I have a stainless drop in. I don't understand all the talk of crud catching in the lip, I don't find that to be the case. Regular cleaning around the sink area every day makes that a non issue for me.Having never had an undermount sink I can't say, but it would seem to me that more crud would catch in that area than in a top mount. I've never dented a stainless sink, I would guess you'd have to drop something pretty heavy in it to dent it. I guess it depends on how thick your steel is? But I do hate the water spotting on the stainless. Everything has its trade offs I guess. For the most part I find the drop in stainless pretty tough and easy to care for.
sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
To me, the only pro of a drop-in sink is that it's replaceable if you change your mind. The fact that with an undermounted sink, you can much more easily clean the counters around the sink made it a no-brainer for me (I had a top-mounted sink for 20 years, and have now had undermounted sinks for close to 10).
annkh_nd
9 years ago
I had a stainless sink over laminate for 25 years, and when we removed the sink during demo, there was not a layer of crud under the sink lip. Apparently the key is to make sure there's a good seal between sink and counter? I'm not the greatest housekeeper either.

Now we have an undermount SS sink, and love it. It's only been a year, but we haven't had any chips in the quartz counter. We regularly wash cast-iron frying pans in the sink. The old sink never dented, and I don't expect this one to.

Good luck with your decision.
lam702
9 years ago
Undermount sinks look nicer, I agree, a more modern look. But I honestly don't see where the top mount is so difficult to keep clean. I've never found it to be so.
nosoccermom
9 years ago
What would you do for a rental?
debrak2008
9 years ago
With a bottom mount you can push water, food, whatever is on your counter, straight into the sink. You can't do that with a top mount. I find this comes in handy everyday in the kitchen and the bathroom.
Marc Johnson
9 years ago
We were on the same page w/DebraK when we decided undermount ... the ability to swish everything from the counter into the sink and run the disposal is something we've longed for!