Sticking a sink to granite worktop

[drjim]

I have decided you lot will know the answer to this.

My kitchen has a nice big black stone worktop, and a medium OK stainless sink. The sink always had a suspicious leak around the edge, but over the last few days I have noticed the damn thing is falling off. Sealant is peeling back around about 1/2 the sink, and it's going to be sitting on top of the stuff in the cupboard below shortly.

My plan is to support it with a bottle jack/bits of wood, cut out the remaining sealant, squirt some new stuff in then jack it up tight against the stone overnight to set. I do have some kitchen silicon stuff, which should do - but do I need something more adhesive like? I have a couple of tubes of sikaflex at the garage - would that be a better bet?

So what's the best thing to use??

Ta

Jim

 

[Drains]

Sikaflex rocks. It's worth checking if there's a sikaflex primer for either stainless or stone or both. The primer can make a huge difference - but very expensive. It's that or plumbers mate. Awful stuff.

Actually, sticky-backed expanded neoprene glass sealant stuff is pretty good. Screwfix do it.

 

[Paul.]

Jim
A good quality silicone based sealer would probably do it, If you have 2 flat mating surfaces, a ptfe closed cell gasket strip like this would probably be the way to go, I use it in food processing applications, sometimes in conjunction with silicon.

 

[drjim]

Paul

Does that strip stick on both sides? I really like the fact it is NATO approved!

Jim

 

[madkayaker]

Lots of stuff that RS sell is NATO approved can't get much harder testing

 

[Paul.]

No its only sticky on one side, 7mm, wide and 3mm thick and compresses as you tighten the joint, Ive used it to seal burners to industrial ovens, never had a leak (yet).

 

[mileshc]

Hello All,

Most current SS sinks have an integral possibly, butyl (EPDM) strip bonded on, it is possible to use a self adhesive butyl tape, which is a bit cheaper than the PTFE, this should last a long time. A similar tape is used in windows & roof & pond fitting.

With the last sink fitting i did on oak block, I did not use anything due to the factory seal & screw down clips, sink sat on top, unlike yours. But the one prior to this, on laminate/chipboard I used plain old transparant silicon. This held for 15 years. Cleaning & prep being 90% of the job.

I just recalled; I also used gripfill. This was used to bond a SS 90deg strip to ceramic tiles & oak. This is a very good adhesive but a bugger to clean when set & remove, destructive.

 

[drjim]

I think the kitchen sealant I have will be doing the job, I'll use some sandpapery stuff to clean the old gunk off and make sure I have a clean surface to stick.

Hopefully be fixed on Saturday - I'll let you all know how it goes!

 

[scarecrow]

I know the guy who makes granite worktops silicone Jimmy we call him well I guess that answers the question

 

[Justme]

Use silicon sealer remover. New silicon wont stick to old so all the bits that wont come off even with sand paper will weaken the seal. Thick that the sealer goes into all those microscopic gaps to get a grip. They will already be filled with the old sealer Y you wont remove it with sandpaper alone.

Justme

 

[drjim]

Sealer remover, where do they sell that??

Sounds like good stuff though, wonder what it tastes like

 

[madkayaker]

Screw fix i guess or B&Q. Probiley a lot like tooth past.

 

[Hitch]

Screwfix, Toolstation, diy shop.... they all seem to do it

Scrape off the large bits with a stanley blade first

Often called Silicone Eater btw

 

[drjim]

OK sounds easy enough to find.

Great response as expected, I wonder whether the forum name should be changed, something like wecanansweranything.co.uk

 

[madkayaker]

This is what happens when you become a trades man or engineer you learn heaps of stuff that is not related to your trade

 

[mileshc]

MK you have hit it on the head, ouch!

Don't forget to clean both surface after you have removed the old Si with Si-remover as JM has said.

I have used one or the other of, meths, acetone & carbon tetrachloride in the past, so it is chemically clean & ready for a good bond, hmm bondage.. ohh sorry, excuse me.

 

[Ratty]

Don't forget to clean both surface after you have removed the old Si with Si-remover

will that work on Drains then?

 

[Sparkey]

Haha!!!! well spotted Rats!!!
hehe, Si-remover...