What's the best way to recaulk my kitchen sink?

Question

I have a ceramic kitchen sink that sits on formica. When we bought our house, we noticed that the caulking was old and there was some water seepage. We tried to recaulk but that didn't work due to the moisture underneath. What would be a good way to fix this problem? I'm afraid if I just let it go, the formica and wood underneath will rot/warp causing more problems.

Answer 1

That sink is held in place by clamps that go underneath and hold tight onto the plywood when their screws are tight. The piping also keeps in it place. You need to loosen all of that and lift the sink up.

Turn off the water and get a wrench that you can use to turn the connections counter clockwise. Get a larger wrench and turn the retaining rings on the drain piped so they can slide up and not hold on. The drain rim and the faucet can stay attached.

Now look underneath at those clamps and turn their screw heads counterclockwise so that the clamps can come off.

Pull the sink up and scrape clean the underside of the sink and the top of the plywood that it touches. Dry both carefully.

Get a tube of silicone-based caulking (kind that says it is good fro 50 years) or silicone adhesive. Put a generous covering of that stuff under where the sink rim will be resting (wearing gloves to keep your hands clean). Now lower the sink into place and put the clips on and slide the pipes into position so the sink is down on the plywood. TIghten the clamps uniformly. Then twist the pipe connections tight.

Answer 2

You're right, if you wait you'll have more trouble. The best way is to remove the sink, let everything dry, clean the area, apply caulk and set the sink into it, wiping the excess.
You might get away with leaving the sink in place and just cleaning around it as much as possible, then caulking.
Use a good silicone caulk, but look carefully and and avoid any that state "mildew resistant" or words to that effect. They contain arsenic, which is something to keep away from the kitchen.

Answer 3

Remove all old caulk......give it a few days for the moisture to dry up and recaulk.