Replacing bespoke sink unit

[David WE Roberts]

We have an ancient and rusting and crumbling Hygena brown enamel sink which is 1060 * 520 set into a work surface. The whole kitchen needs replacing but we won't get round to this for at least another year. I would like to replace the sink, but as cheaply as possible. I can't currently find a drop in replacement - most sinks are 1000mm or less - and the cheapest shed ones are even shorter.

I have no ambition to replace the complete work surface. Filling in the hole doesn't seem to be a viable option, given the lack of colour match with the old work surface and the problems of fixing and sealing. Putting another piece of work surface (or other material) on top to overlap the hole then cutting a smaller hole does seem to be a possibility. This would raise the sink and probably look quite odd but seems better than the alternatives. Has anyone done this? Does anyone know the thinnest work surface (or other material) I could use to support the sink?

Cheers

Dave R

[Peter Parry]

Not quite - but the same problem of a large hole and smaller sink. Solved by getting a local engineering company to provide a piece of plain stainless steel to cover the hole and go under the edge of the smaller sink. It was glued in place and held for 5 years at least.

[John Rumm]

Could you cut away the worktop over the base unit and fit a "sit on" style stainless sink/drainer rather than an inset?

[David WE Roberts]

Interestiong thought, but I don't think it would work in this particular case for two reasons

(1) I still have the issue of the size of the hole - bigger than your average 'sit on' unit when the old sink is removed.

(2) The current sink does not sit directly above a cupboard unit, but is offset over a double and a single so the 'sit on' unit couldn't go in the same location. I would also have the issue of the cut ends of the work surface being higher than the sink surface.

Some kind of thin layer above the work surface sounds a better option - perhaps stainless steel as Peter suggests (although I am not sure how expensive this would be).

I may have a similar issue when replacing the completely knackered Hygena halogen hob with a gas hob so one matching solution for both would be nice.

Cheers

Dave R

[Peter Parry]

When I did it about 7 years ago it cost about a fiver as the engineering company had an offcut of roughly the right size and an enormous great cutting machine that sliced it to the right size in about 5 seconds.