Crack in new sink drains homeowner’s enthusiasm

Q About a year ago, a plumber installed a granite vanity top with a porcelain under-mount bowl in my bathroom. This week, a hairline crack 6 to 7 inches long, beginning at the drain area, appeared. What do you think happened? Does it need to be fixed? Can it be fixed? According to the paperwork, the top has a "Limited Warranty" but not the bowl.

A It's interesting that the top is warranted but not the bowl. At any rate, the porcelain cracked, I think, because the chrome drain cover was installed too tightly. Maybe the plumber can help.

Some years ago, I got a call from a person whose Corian sink had cracked at the drain hole.

I guessed that it was installed too tightly and suggested she check with the Corian dealer. She got an immediate replacement.

If the bowl is not leaking, you can live with it. Or buy a new bowl and have it installed properly.

Q There have been signs of rotting behind the vinyl siding of my condo complex, some minor and some more advanced. Should we re-side the complete complex now or later? It was done 32 years ago and looks OK, but we don't know what's underneath.

A Decay can occur behind vinyl siding, from condensation behind the siding or from an outside leak caused by improper pressure washing that traps water behind the siding that won't go away for months.

If it's due to one or both problems, it can affect the entire complex. The only way to find out is to take off some of the siding and

If you re-side, I suggest red cedar clapboards stained with a semitransparent stain, which will not peel but has to go on bare wood. If you insist on residing with vinyl, I suggest you use Cedar Impressions. It looks like painted shingles. In the case of clapboards or vinyl, that 3/8-inch insulation is essential to success.

Q I had a kitchen renovation late last year. Since then, there has been an odor under the kitchen sink that is bothering me. Is it possibly a chemical or sealer used in the plumbing? I asked my contractor, who said he smelled it but that it would go away over time. It is still very strong when I open the cabinet doors under the sink. It also can be smelled in the adjacent Bosch dishwasher. It is strong enough to make me cough at times.

Originally posted here:
Crack in new sink drains homeowner's enthusiasm