Kitchen sink has detached. Should the surveyor have noticed issue?

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895757#Comment_81895757

Was it like that when the survey was done? Would you be able to prove that was the case?

silvercar

The sink must be held up by more than sealant ! even if the sealant has fallen apart, whatever was originally holding it up should still be in place, though the sealant should now be replaced to ensure no leaks.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895757#Comment_81895757

Sinks are typically just held in place with clips, if they are a drop in style as this looks they are fairly superfluous and just the weight of the sink in a well cut hole and sealant will mean it doesnt move.

It's very unclear what's happening here… the sink in the right sized hole won't fall through with no clips and no sealant. Water would get round it but that wouldnt damage the quartz but would damage the cabinet overtime.

It could be that the sink has been replaced with a smaller one than the hole is for and hence there is a problem and the additional supports (though not sure how strong they really are). What all the black stuff is under the counter is a bit odd, mould generally doesnt grow well on the quartz/plasic.

As long as the cabinet is ok it's a modest job to fix and if thats the biggest problem you have on a newly purchased home you have done very well.

Emmia

Replace it with an overmount sink, undermounts are lovely but can have this issue.

Herzlos

A sink shouldn't be able to fall through; there's usually a lip, so it seems like the sink is too small (or the hole is too big).

A surveyor should have spotted it assuming it wasn't obstructed during the survey. But that's a mess around the top so I can't see how it could have been.

What did it look like when you looked at it?

I'd just get a new sink that's fitted properly instead of trying to re-bodge that. I doubt it's going to be worth the hassle of trying to claim anything from the surveyor.

stuart45

As Emmia said, it will be an undermount sink. They can be repaired insitu, although they are easier to fix properly with with the worktop upside down. As stated they can fail over time, especially not fixed correctly to start with.

theyiddo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895773#Comment_81895773

Yes - the previous owner would probably confirm if I asked them to (I have a contact number for them)

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895864#Comment_81895864

So the vendor didn't tell you about this either? Charming.

Since your worktop is a quality type that cannot be affected by water, then there is no issue or damage here other than the sink needing to be reattached. And that is a simple and straightforward task.

I don't know if these props are the correct items for this purpose, but I would certainly include one and not rely solely on adhesive/sealant.

My bro was telling me a year ago about a friend who'd had a new kitchen installed with one of these underslung sinks which the fitter 'bonded' in place. It also detached. The installer was adamant that the adhesive alone (no idea what type) was all that was required, hence my bro asking me for my opinion. My thoughts were it couldn't be - the weight of water and pans and the physical impacts from a good scrubbing will almost certainly be too much for this after a while. Yes you can fit clips, but who wants to drill into a quartz top?

So, a good clean, rebonded using a proper adhesive-sealant (I won't say StixAll, but certainly don't just rely on silicone), and a solid adjustable prop that sits over the base unit's central leg position. Jobbie jobbed.

Worth pursuing the surveyor? I wouldn't have thought so.

stuart45

Clips like these are resin bonded to the underside of the worktop.

daveyjp

Probably not, its not a major structural matter. It is however something a curious buyer would have noticed when they had a good poke around the property.