How to Install a Sink Base

The sink base is an integral part of your kitchen cabinetry. It requires a few different considerations since it will serve as the support for your new sink. It will also provide the space beneath for drainage and water access. For trouble-free sink installation, a little preparation is in order.

Instructions

1

Allow enough room. When youre planning to install new cabinets, choose your sink base first to accommodate your sink and fit the other base cabinets accordingly. The standard width of a sink base is 36 inches but if you are installing a large custom sink, the base must be bigger. Allow at least 2 inches on all sides of your new sink when measuring for the base.

2

Prepare the plumbing stubs before you install the base. Depending upon the method of plumbing, the water and the drain will either enter in the wall behind the sink or they will extend into the floor below. This is your choice but the general rule is to avoid putting plumbing in an exterior wall in cold climates.

3

Find and mark the studs behind the sink space. Use a stud finder or tap sharply with your knuckles on the wall and listen for a solid sound, indicating a stud lies beneath. Draw a line on the wall above each stud.

4

Fit your sink base into position and drill out a hole in the bottom of the cabinet if floor plumbing is present. Usually, the back of a sink base is open so if the plumbing runs into the wall, no extra cutting is necessary.

5

Level your sink by placing a carpenters bubble level on the top extending from side to side. Use shims underneath if one side needs elevating. In addition, level the front vertical edge and the sides. Since your sink base is the first one installed, it must serve as the level for the rest of the base cabinets.

6

Screw the back of the sink base to the wall through the attachment strip. This is a piece of wood that extends downwards below the back rim of the sink base. Use the markings you made earlier and put the screws through the attachment strip firmly into the stud behind the wall. This is the only secure way to install your sink base.

7

Attach cabinet doors, finish the plumbing and top off your sink base with a countertop and sink to finish the project.