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

silvercar

I’ve just checked my undermounted sink, fitted under a quartz worktop. The cupboard has a top, in which a hole has been cut to which the sink is attached, looks to be over mounted to the cupboard top or clips at least. On top of that is the quartz top. No sealant visible. Viewed from above the finished cut out in the quartz for the sink is smaller than the sink size, so the quartz overhangs the sink and no need for sealant.

theyiddo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895922#Comment_81895922

Thanks - I've had a quick look, and can see (and feel) the clips are still attached to the worktop (albeit the one I can see is a a wonky angle) - but obviously they're not attached to the sink anymore. Maybe I'll be able to slide the sink onto them again to temporarily help hold it up until I get a plumber to do a proper job on it.

theyiddo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895970#Comment_81895970

Much like one of the previous posters, when we opened the cupboard under the sink, unless you ducked down low, you could not see the state of the sealant or the fact it had rotted away from the sink - and the 2 props just looked like part of the pipework - obviously I now know better.

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81896080#Comment_81896080

Ah, that's interesting. They may have simply come undone, or perhaps one or more has detached.

They simply 'catch' the flat flange around the top of the sink, and pull it up against the worktop underside - they don't 'attach' to the sink as such, afaIk.

If the wing-nuts slacken at all, the clamp part can just slip sideways and no longer catch the sink. If they are all present, then hopefully it's an even easier fix. If the full quota of clips are still there, then silicone sealant should be enough as it won't need to contribute too much to the 'hold'.

lfc321

Sorry if this sounds patronising, but little things like this are going to go wrong in your house all the time, for the rest of the time you own it. That is just what home ownership is like. There isn't someone to blame for all those things. This is a very minor repair - and you'll find that things like kitchen and bathroom sealant need doing relatively often anyway, so no harm in getting it nice and new now. It sounds like the only additional work here is replacing the clips.

Forget the surveyor, get it fixed, and get on with your life.

TheJP

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

That's classed as hearsay unless they or you have physical proof then you wouldn't be able to prove that the sink issue was identifiable at the time of the survey.

I doubt it will cost much to fix or replace. Welcome to home ownership.

TheJP

The house could be held together by string, the vendor has no obligation to highlight issues unless specifically asked beforehand "is the sink in good order etc".

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895893#Comment_81895893

theyiddo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81896951#Comment_81896951

Things do go wrong - that's obviously to be expected, but I would like to think that a sink collapsing would take a smidge longer than 1 week into ownership.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81897486#Comment_81897486

The house is second hand though - and when things will go wrong depends on how long ago they were installed and also how well the work was done. If this is England then there is no warranty from the vendor that the house and everything inside it will last for any specific amount of time.

stuart45

Those types of support kits are used on some new installations, so a surveyor seeing them in a cupboard under the sink wouldn't think there was a problem. There are a number of different methods used to hold the sink in place. I know some kitchen fitters rely on the sealant between the sink and board to hold a light one in, but I wouldn't trust that method without any clips or support brackets etc.