Kitchen sink replacement nightmare

Hello. My home was built in 1988 and the kitchen remodeled sometime after that; roughly 2000 I would assume. Everything was replaced then (cabinets, granite countertops, all fixtures.) The sink is a white american standard 33x22 composite of some sort (not cast iron) that has seen better days.

I bought a new drop in stainless steel, also made by american standard and also 33x22 exterior dimensions. I thought it would be cake to install with it being the same brand and size...nope!

The old one came out fine. I have to assume the hole for the sink was cut on site and it is not very nicely done and there was a lot of dust still around it.

The new sink, being stainless, has a c-channel around it for clips to secure it to the underside of the counter. My sink hole is not big enough for these. My cut out is 20.25 by 31.5. The new sink needs 21x31.75.

So, I am stuck and have a few options:

1. see if I can get the hole enlarged on site. I know it CAN be done, I am just concerned with the cost and the mess. I do not have a grinder to do it myself and I wouldn't exactly be comfortable doing so anyway.

2. try to remove the c-channel on the new sink and secure the sink with silicone only. Concerned here that trying to remove this would distort the lip of the sink making it not sit properly on the counter. Also not sure I can even get this off.

3. return what I have and try to find something that fits in the cut out I have. This is tough as the cut out info is hard to find (many manufacturers do not include this info and only include a cut out template.) What I am seeing now too is that most cut out dimensions are bigger than what I have, even for sinks that are not stainless.

Not sure what to do here. I bought a new faucet to go with the new sink as well. I would hate to have to return all of it. For now, I put the old one back in while I try to figure out what to do.

You are correct in your decision not to attempt to remove the sink clip rail.

You can obtain, or rent, an inexpensive 4" angle grinder, a masonry cutting diamond wheel, and cut the opening yourself.

I've accomplished this myself using a wet/dry vac and a squirt bottle.

Where you need to be cautious about is cutting the narrow sections of granite, the front and back, because of heat and cracking. you also need to be aware the the cabinet below may restrict the clips, if you choose to use them.

I'd simply set the sink in a bead of POLYSEAMSEAL and load or brace it until set.

If what I’m thinking of is that T slot like metal channel that runs around the bottom that the clips go into that clamp the sink down are in the way, it would be pretty hard to remove as I think it is welded to the sink. You would have to cut it off with a angle grinder and maybe the heat would travel thru and discolor the top. It could be done but would be a lot of work and then you would rely on just the sealer to hold it down.


That’s quite a bit of material to remove from the counter with a grinder also. I have never worked with stone like that so not sure how much work that would be DIY. I might try a small spot and see how it went grinding it wet as an experiment.


The easiest thing I think is to find a sink similar to your old one and swap it out.

I feel your frustration. I run a handyman business and here is what I've learned through my experience. Definitely don't cut the new sink that you bought. You need those tracks to anchor it in place. Gluing it alone won't be sufficient. (That's why those tracks are there.) Cutting the granite is a possibility but the risk of cracking it in narrow sections is pretty high. Plus, cutting granite it's just dirty, dusty work. Be prepared to have the entire area covered in a coat of dust.

FWIW, my approach would be to measure the hole you have in your countertop then go find a sink that will fit it without having to do any additional cutting. You are basically trading the time to do one job for the time to do another. The difference is, shopping for a sink is dustless, won't crack your countertop, and you won't be sweaty and stinky while doing it.

Thank you for all of the replies. I have priced out buying a grinder and blade to do this; I already own a shop vac. I am fairly handy and normally do not shy away from a project, especially when I get to buy new tools but for some reason I am still hesitant on this one.

We are reaching out now to get some quotes to have it done just to see what those look like.

I have been searching for 2 days now trying to find something that will fit in the cut out I currently have. It's not easy as many manufacturers are not listing this information; instead, the install instructions have you use the included template for cutting and have no dimensions listed on it. Either that or I am finding those that do have things listed are still too big for my cut out.

Go to your big box lumber stores. Explain your situation and ask for the name of counter installers they sub out to.

Look for a plumbing/fixture specialty shop. They should have the best access to what you need and certainly a better option than a big box store, hardware store or even an internet based store like faucets.com etc.

Coburn's might be a good option if you have one near you, but they can be pricey. They tend to have a lot of plumbing supplies you can't find at big box stores though. They should have access to dimensions of products & if they don't they can ask the manufacturers. Sometimes you can find pdfs of the product specs (HomeDepot usually has them on their website) that will give exact dimensions of the channels & such. Most of the pages for the sinks list the cutout sizes in the product specs on the page. It seems most of the 33" sinks require at least 32"x21" minimum.

Is Menard's considered a plumbing/fixture specialty shop?

Soonyb, what did polyseamseal get it's name changed to now? I vaguely recall it's not called that anymore. Trying to remember the current name & brand.

Yikes, I do not envy you. I hope everything works out, though!

All granite guys have down time and I'm sure would come out and enlarge the hole for a few bucks. My granite guy is very helpful with homeowners and if he can keep busy, he will do it. Not every job is a $10k project.

I searched through the options on the HomeDepot website & it seems like they all require larger cuts than you have on your countertop. If you got it at a big box store, you might ask them for the name & number of someone who could cut the counter for you if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself.

I have a quote from a local granite company to cut the hole and it isn't bad. However, after days of searching, I may have found a drop in stainless that should fit in the hole I have as it is using a different style of clip. It is on order and should be in next week so we shall see.

Good luck with that, Blivit. Please let us know how it turns out.

It just keeps getting better. So I found a sink with dimensions that I thought I could make work. It was still a bit bigger than my cut out but it was close and had a particular clip design that I thought I could modify easily to make work. I did see different dimensions for the same part number depending on where I looked so I contacted the manufacturer, told them what I had and asked them for exact dimensions. They were nice, responded with what I needed and even sent me the cut out template with dimensions on it. Based on that, I thought it could work.

I bought the sink online from HD and not from the manufacturer directly (maybe that was an issue.) However, I did receive the correct part number according to the box. What I received though does not have the dimensions the manufacturer said it would, and the clips are different.

I still may be able to easily modify this one to make it work compared to my first purchase though I have contacted the manufacturer to see if there was a production change...or some other reason they gave me incorrect information about their own product.

Blivit said:

It just keeps getting better. So I found a sink with dimensions that I thought I could make work. It was still a bit bigger than my cut out but it was close and had a particular clip design that I thought I could modify easily to make work. I did see different dimensions for the same part number depending on where I looked so I contacted the manufacturer, told them what I had and asked them for exact dimensions. They were nice, responded with what I needed and even sent me the cut out template with dimensions on it. Based on that, I thought it could work.

I bought the sink online from HD and not from the manufacturer directly (maybe that was an issue.) However, I did receive the correct part number according to the box. What I received though does not have the dimensions the manufacturer said it would, and the clips are different.

I still may be able to easily modify this one to make it work compared to my first purchase though I have contacted the manufacturer to see if there was a production change...or some other reason they gave me incorrect information about their own product.

Click to expand...

That sounds very frustrating. I've had that happen where they give incorrect product information. I hope you can get the new sink to work though.