How To Fit A Belfast Sink

Home & Garden Blog

A traditional, ceramic Belfast or butler sink can be a real aesthetic focal point in a newly renovated kitchen.  Belfast sinks look great in a country-style kitchen and can be bought new from kitchen retailers or picked up more cheaply from antique fairs or reclamation yards. 

This is not a project for a beginner and would best suit those with some DIY and woodworking skills.  If you're unsure of what you're doing, you're best advised to consult a professional installation contractor, such as Wallspan Kitchens & Wardrobes.  The whole job should take you a day to complete.

Here's how to fit and install your Belfast sink.

What to do

1. First of all, make sure that the existing pipework and plumbing will comfortably reach the site for your new sink.  You may find that you have to extend the hot and cold pipes and the waste disposal system pipework in order to comfortably accommodate the new sink.  Carry out any necessary alterations to the pipework before you begin the installation.  
2. Because of its weight, a correctly-fitted Belfast sink should have an overhang to the front and rear of at least 10mm.  When making the cut-out in the work surface where the sink is to sit, ensure that it's deep enough to allow the top of the front top edge of the sink to overhang by half the thickness of width of the sink wall.  This ensures that the sink is adequately supported and stable in the work surface.  
3. The cut-out must be accurate.  Rather than using a jigsaw for this job, use jigs and a router to get a more precise result.  (Jigs and routers are electronically-powered woodworking tools used for cabinet-making tasks like hollowing out and planing).  
4. When assembling the rails and supports, remember to allow at least a 5mm gap between the edges of the sink and end walls to allow for expansion.  It's a good idea to have a trial run and fit everything together roughly before fixing it permanently into place.  
5. When you're happy that everything fits correctly, fit the under-sink rails and work surface supports beneath the cut-out, ensuring that all the incumbent fittings are in the correct position.
6. Use beaded silicone to fix the sink to the base unit and allow the fixing to set.  It's best to allow at least 24 hours for the silicone to completely 'go off'.  
7. Re-connect all the pipework, making sure that the cold and hot water pipes are connected to the correct taps.  
8. Finally, take the aerator off the tap and flush the system by turning on the water at the shut off valves.  Allow the water to run for a few minutes then reconnect the aerator.

14 August 2015