SFA: What's the Answer?
Seam at the Sink: Really?
Dusty G Premium Member
Premium Member
When did putting seams in through the middle of sinks become the go-to? I have been in the industry 9.5 years, and the three shops that I have worked for did everything they could to avoid seams in sinks. It was this way due to it being the most heavily trafficked, and the potential of failure from boiling water and the weight of dishes in a loaded sink. I have most of my experience in the Kansas City area and I cannot tell you the number of times that I have had to go fix someone's broken sink rail/failed seam.
Obviously people are going to do it, and sometimes it is unavoidable, but I have seen a recent upcurve in the number of posts on reddit and other forums where people are very adamant about them going with seams in the sink rails. I didn't think seam location was based purely on aesthetics; I thought as fabricators we were also supposed to be looking at the longevity of our products and go with the way most likely to avoid failures. To me having seams in sink is equal to putting a seam over a dishwasher.
How does everyone else feel about this? I am truly curious.
Shiny rocks make happy thoughts.
AOwen Premium Member
I avoid them as much as possible personally. To me, it adds risk into production, transportation, and installation. When I template, I see more people asking about them, however. So I guess the public has been informed that it's an option to minimize seams aesthetically. It's easier to say no problem than to explain why it is a problem, and I think a lot of negative trends in our industry -- thinking of dinner plates for countertops but plenty of others available to rail about -- can be attributed to that. Alex Owen Granite Busters, Arnold, Mo.
Angel Premium Member
QUARTZ: We do them all day, no issues. Natural stone: We avoid it. Angel Rosario GraniteWorks Portage, Mich
colin Premium Member
I can’t recall ever putting a seam through a sink in 20 years of owning and running my business. Colin Precision Counertops Spooner, Wis. colin@pctopswi.com
Andy Ross Premium Member
Absolute last resort for me. It sometimes makes sense in a large island. Andy Ross Rock Solid Surfaces Kalamazoo, Mich. 269-372-1777
ryanberglind Premium Member
We do them sometimes, mostly in quartz. We are also a 2cm market so there's 3/4" ply under them which I'm sure helps support the sink therefore supporting the seam. I've only had to repair rails done by others. Fiberglass rods and B-150 setting material for natural stone and no rods and silicone setting material for quartz. I'm actually more against using dinner plates for countertops. Hahaha Thanks for that Alex. Ryan Berglind Scan-Top Inc, Redwood City, Calif.
Coop Premium Member
When you strap, not clip or block, your sink in place, you've turned the sink into a 9" deep truss which supports the front and rear sink rails, seam or not. Use an apron-front sink and avoid the front seam altogether. Coop Simply Sinks Acworth, Ga.
ufGatorHarv Premium Member
We've seamed at sinks for 10 years, and have had one, yes one, separate. It is not a big issue like many think it is. Chris Harvey Jacksonville Countertops Jacksonville, Fla. www.JacksonvilleCountertops.com
AOwen Premium Member
I can agree that it's perhaps being overstated. On quartz, I don't really care one way or another. Between the ease of material handling and Integra, I think there's roughly zero risk, but I do think it adds a potential wrinkle in natural-stone fabrication that's generally avoidable. Because of that, last resort is our policy on sink seams. 1 in 10 years is impressive for sure. Are skim-coat-only repairs includable in that count? If so, I'll just start a slow clap with an extremely jealous look on my face.
colin Premium Member
I don’t put seams at the sink because: 1) We do a lot of fragile natural stone. 2) Having four separate planes to line up at the sink seems to be more challenging. 3) The customer will spend more time at the sink than anywhere else; I don’t think they want to look down and see a seam there. 4) I don’t think the seam will hold up over the years when it is only 4" long.- Perhaps up here in northern WI, where the soil is often sugar-sand and the humidity and temperature swing so dramatically from winter to summer, there is a lot more movement in the house then there is in southern states.
Matt Kraft Premium Member
Sink seams can be a problem solver when veined areas won't line up. Find two 4" sections with no veins to line up, the field color will match easily. We've also had the rare occasion where two pieces with sink seam nest together to come from the length of the slab, where a straight seam and a cutout won't. Matt Kraft Custom Marble Inc. Millstadt, Ill. matt (dot) kraft@custommarble.net
ufGatorHarv Premium Member
We haven't had any calls for skim coats (that I can remember), but that's not to say they're not out there. We do a few things: We make sure the seam is on plane if at all possible; We shim it flat so we don't have to put it under much vertical tension one way or the other; We make sure it's well supported by shims on both sides if there's any gap; We cut small a small grove on both sides (like a biscuit, but not that precise); We FILL the seam so it oozes out top and bottom, and; We compress it with a ratchet strap spanned between two clamps or shims at the end if it's wall-to-wall. We also glue a block on the inside front face of the cabinet with a healthy amount of silicone that supports the front lip of the sink and the seam as well. We don't do the volume that many of you do, but I hammer it into the fabricators that I expect pieces to be mock-seamed at the shop and polished as one. If I can't get the front and the two rails to line up without lippage, they are going to hear about it when we get back. I make a big deal about it. Same goes for both sides of bar seams and the front of standard seams as well. I gotta shake hands and kiss babies at installs ... ain't got time to be feathering out seam edges, lol.
DustyG Premium Member
I have not seen many homes with the wire cradles and I do agree that those are for sure the best method if you have your seams in the sink. I also think that a farmhouse sink alright because it’s just two planes with not weight to bear, so not really doing much stress. With the rise in pretty much all homes having a dishwasher the loads that sinks bear is probably drastically reduced. I cannot fathom people not seaming straight/butt seams up and fabricating them together. I would be curious as to who taught them that was even remotely close to OK. Unless it’s a key or euro seam that makes a 90° I would def put a stop to that. I spent 6 years on three different bridge saws with Coroplast®/ clear sheet plastic templates, worked with slabs that had all sorts of movement, both vertical and horizontal. and I never once had to put a seam in a sink because I couldn't get them to flow together, even with picky customers that wanted specific spots of their slabs in certain areas. I miss getting to use color match Integra on quartz, that stuff is the tits and makes life just so much easier.
LukeUK Premium Member
It’s something I’ve never really done. I wouldn’t be happy with it or want one for myself. We will get a much better join on a full edge we can use the Gorillas on and generally stick with that. Luke Donegan Marble & Granite Cutting Services Derby UK