On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 12:15:57 +0100, Paul Mc Cann
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 13:36:10 GMT, David McNeish
wrote:

I'm wanting to replace a beech worktop in our kitchen which is past its
best, particularly where it's been wet, like around the Belfast sink
(exposed edges of worktop around the sink, which is mounted beneath the
worktop).

Looking in the Google archives for advice, it seems that laminated
chipboard worktops are a Bad Idea for that style of sink, because of the
ease of water getting into the chipboard.

You're dead right about this! I took extra special care to seal the
cut edges around the aperture for my Ikea ceramic sink. I first
applied a copious amount of white silicone sealant to the sawn faces
of the cut-out in the chipboard, really pushing it into the surface
with a putty knife, then I applied the mastic sealant strip that came
with the sink and pushed the sink in firmly.

Nevertheless, over the last year since the sink was installed, water
has obviously managed to get into the chipboard somehow, as the
worktop is already showing signs of warping and the melamine surface
lifting.

snip

The only answer I can think of to insetting a Belfast sink into a
laminate worktop would be to have the worktop specially made using
'Formica' applied to marine ply core with edges surrounding the sink
finished with the same Formica or possibly a water resistant hard wood
such as teak with the laminate overshooting the hardwood lipping.

The best answer would be to forget the bloody Belfast sink which is only
a style accessory similar the fog lamps on cars.

So? Is that any reason why people should not fit one if they like
them? You could write off just about anything as a "style accessory".
Kelloggs Crunchy Nut has this ridiculous and entirely unnecessary
addition of nuts and honey, obviously a melange for consumers with
more money than sense. Why can't people just eat bog-standard
cornflakes without sugar and be thankful?

MM