How to Safely Install a Mexican Ceramic Sink
Sink Installation
Please read and follow the suggestions below for successfully installing your beautiful hand painted Mexican sink.
NOTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN!
It is important that your plumber read this information as well. All our sinks are examined thoroughly for any flaws before shipping. We will not replace any sink that has been damaged during installation.
The only reports of damaged sinks have been the result of professional plumbers over tightening the drain assembly.
Preparing the cutout:
All the sink size and profile options we offer are top mount sinks. We do not offer bottom mount options.
We reccomend that the sink be kept safely in the original packaging until you are ready to install it. Once you have created the cut out in the vanity/counter top and are satisfied with the fit (use a level across the rim to check the sink front to back and side to side to make sure the cut out is large enough to allow it to sit fully on the rim. If mounting the sink on top of tile you should select very flat tile to use around the cut out opening to make leveling the sink easier.
The drain pipe:
Install the drain using a bead of plumbers putty around the decorative flange of the drain assembly (the putty should be warmed by working in your hand until very pliable). Place the drain through the hole in the bottom of the sink and gently press on the flange to seal it against the bottom of the sink. Slip the rubber washer over the drain pipe and then the hard washer. Move both washers up against the bottom of the sink and then slip the large drain nut over the drain !and thread it onto the drain pipe. Once hand tightened, VERY gently snug it down with a wrench but be extremely careful to avoid breaking the sink. You’re only trying to get the rubber washer snug against the bottom of the sink--don’t crank it down hard. There are some good Youtube videos showing this process. Do a search for “Installing a ceramic bathroom sink”.
Installing the sink:
Carefully apply a bead of silicone seal around the cutout at the edge of the opening and lower the sink into place. Make sure it is aligned properly and check that it is level. If needed, you can use a shim just under the edge of the lip to make it level (avoid getting the shim back into the bead of silicone). Once the silicone has cured (see label), remove the shim and grout the sink rim to the vanity surface. We recommend using a sanded acrylic grout that is applied using a caulk gun. You can smooth it out using your finger. Wipe up any excess using a damp (not saturated) sponge. The acrylic grout surface will dry fairly quickly so you may want to do a quarter of the sink perimeter at a time and let it set up before doing the next section. Once the grout has “skinned” over, do not touch it...let it cure before moving on. If you have any large voids to fill, the grout may shrink in this area...simply apply more grout after the first layer has cured to fill it in. Make sure you do a really good job removing any excess. Make sure that your grout joint is not overfilled and has a nice finished edge while it is still workable.
If you are unsure of your ability to install the sink, we encourage you to hire a plumber who is familiar with ceramic sinks to install it for you.