finishing the laundry sink – part 1
Many many months ago, I built the base cabinet for the laundry sink. While finishing the utility room, I installed the cabinet, and there it has sat for months.
Base cabinet
Today I began the process of creating a counter top. I’d looked into solid surfaces, both synthetic and natural, but the estimates for this small cabinet (24″x42″), including sink and faucet, were around $1,000 – most of that the cost of the counter top material itself. Corian can run $50+/sf, and granite starts at $50/sf.
Luckily, one of the granite companies I visited was slow in getting back to me with a quote and stone samples from their warehouse. In the intervening days, I happened to see a spot on DIY about using granite floor tiles as a counter top medium to cut costs. Maybe not glamorous enough for a kitchen or bar, but at only $5.49 per 12″x12″ tile, it’s perfect for the laundry room. (For the mathematically challenged, that’s $5.49/sf, which is about 1/10th the cost of a solid surface).
First, I made a plan and a cut sheet, taking into account the thickness of the tiles to be used as an edging for the counter top. Then I started with a 4′x4′ piece of 3/4 inch plywood and cut a substrate for the top. The piece is a little too large for the table saw, so I used the circular saw. To get a nice straight cut, I like to clamp a level to the board as a guide. I used my 4′ level for the long edge, and my 2′ level for the short.
Plywood substrate
The sink I’ll be installing is black composite granite.
The sink, exposed!
Of course, the sink came with a template for cutting the hole.
Sink template
Five minutes of jigsawing later, and voila!
The Jigsaw
In a wet application, it’s best not to mount tiles directly to plywood. Concrete backer board, such as Durock, will stand up better. Also, instead of a wood edge for the counter top, I plan to cut thin strips of the granite tile to finish the edge. Adding another 1/2″ on top of the 3/4″ plywood substrate provides a heftier edge for attaching those strips.
I used the plywood as a template for the Durock. Backer board is heave stuff, so it typically comes in smaller sheets that drywall. This piece was 3′x5′. For the edge cuts, it’s just like drywall; score one side deep enough to cut the embedded nylon mesh, snap it, then cut the mesh along the back. To cut the sink hole, I used the jigsaw. It tears up a blade, but that’s a small price to pay for the precision.
Laying out the backer board
The Durock in place. I’ll affix it to the plywood substrate with construction adhesive (Liquid Nails) and a few screws.
Cut backer board on top of plywood substrate
The dry fit. It’s a dual-mount sink, meaning it can be under-mounted or surface mounted. I am planning a surface mount because tiling the inside rim of the counter top would be difficult and, more importantly, wouldn’t look good and would be prone to moisture penetration which could compromise the plywood substrate. So it will be permanently installed once the tiles are in place.
Dry fit. Ah, the irony
So the layup is 3/4″ plywood substrate, then 1/2″ of durock. The granite tiles, when installed, will add another 3/8″.
Menage a trois: sink on backer board on plywood. The granite is still in its box and it
Coming soon… part 2 – tiling