Undermount Sinks are the Standard for Granite Countertops
Once upon a time, most counters had drop-in sinks. You know, the kind with a lip that sits up over the edge of the counter.
Now, most new stone countertops have undermount sinks. This type of sink works with granite counters, and for countertops made from marble or quartz (or quartzite).
This page has lots of examples of undermount sinks installed under granite counters or under marble countertops.
You can see that the opening must be perfectly cut for the size and shape of the sink. Also, the edge is polished, just like the top of the counter. The edge is called a flat-polish edge and is the same regardless of the style of edge profile you pick for the other edges on your countertops.
Since 3cm granite (the typical thickness found in Austin) is about 1 and 3/16-inches thick, this makes the undermount sink seem a little deeper than it actually is. The sink is as deep as the depth of the sink PLUS the depth of the granite. So a 9-inch deep sink woud be over 10-inches deep once it is installed.
Your countertop can have polished-edge openings for square sinks, rectangular sinks, oval sinks, circular sinks, or apron-front sinks that stick out of the front of the cabinet like in some of the photos. Really, we can cut just about any opening you want, even for a custom-made sink with an unusual shape.
The Sink Template: Getting the Sink Shape Right
To make sure the opening in the countertop is perfect for the sink, we need the template that comes with the sink in the box. When you buy an undermount sink from us, we already have the template. Actually, when you buy the sink from us, we have the sink AND the template at our shop which saves you some running around.
We sell sinks as well as granite counters. When you come in to our Austin granite shop off North Lamar, we can show you a catalog of popular sink styles. You can also bring in one from somewhere else to go with your new countertops.