There are many options for countertops, from cheap laminates to custom-molded concrete, to classic and elegant marble, granite, and quartz. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but we’ve chosen the all-time classic for our RTA bathroom vanities: granite. Granite is durable, beautiful, available in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and most importantly to our customers, strikes just the right balance of affordable initial cost, and value added to the home, due to its desirability.
Why Pre-Mounted Sinks?
We pre-mount porcelain sinks to our granite countertops before shipping for a couple of reasons. First, it’s much easier to center the sinks on-site, rather than after the countertop has been installed, from beneath.
Second, stone countertops like granite, quartz, and marble (basically all the desirable and popular ones), are very difficult to ship; they’re heavy, and while stone is immensely strong in its resistance to chipping, heat, and other daily wear and tear, it can crack during shipping under certain circumstances. In fact, it’s so difficult to ship, that we’ve had to put a moratorium on shipping our largest 61” granite countertops until the carriers can work out a way to consistently ship them without damage. It’s also one of the primary reasons we don’t carry kitchen countertops, which tend to be even larger, and even harder to ship safely, in addition to being needed in a much wider variety of sizes and shapes that would be impossible to stock consistently.
That said, pre-mounting the sinks adds the porcelain’s strength to the granite’s, making damage during shipping less likely, and ensuring your new countertops arrive intact and in perfect condition.
How Hard Is Granite to Install?
Your granite vanity top will come with complete installation instructions, but for your peace of mind, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. Granite is so heavy, it actually doesn’t need to be bolted in place. Just a bead of clear caulk is enough to hold it in place. The hard part is mounting the sink, but fortunately, we’ve done the hard part for you already!
Note that it is quite heavy, so you’ll almost certainly need help to be able to safely and gently lower it into place once the bead of caulk is laid.
If you’d prefer to let a contractor handle it, we maintain a list of contractors across the country who are familiar with our products and happy to work with our customers. Visit us online to select your new vanity and countertop, and to get in touch with a local contractor if you feel you need it. We’re happy to help!