Franke Undermount Sinks

Nineteen Franke undermount sinks, also listed as under-counter. Franke's own description is exact: the sink is installed from underneath the worksurface and sealed watertight to the reverse of it, which gives an edgeless finish that is easy to clean. For the alternative, see drop-in sinks, or start at Franke.

What Undermount Asks of Your Worktop

Franke is direct about the limit: an undermount sink can be installed with any worksurface material apart from laminate, because water gets into the chipboard core and ruins the worktop. That leaves granite, engineered stone, solid surface and timber, and it means the cut edge of the opening is on show and has to be finished by whoever fabricates the top.

The practical consequence is timing. Because the opening is cut and polished in the worktop itself and the sink is sealed to the underside, the model has to be settled before the stone is templated, not after it is installed. Franke publishes a cut-out template for each sink on its product page, so the fabricator needs the model code up front. On a twin bowl undermount, decide which side the smaller bowl goes at the same time, because that is fixed in the stone too.

Fragranite and Stainless Steel

Seven of the nineteen are Fragranite, which Franke describes as its own composite of quartz and acrylic resin at close to eighty percent quartz sand. Those are the Maris MRG bodies in Stone Grey, Polar White and Black: MRG620-35-35, MRG610-72 and the 1160 by 500mm MRG621. The colour runs through the material rather than sitting on a coating. The other twelve are stainless steel: the four Smart SRX bowls, the Maris MRX models and the Nouveau and Trendline pressed sinks. Two of the Franke black sinks are undermount.

Sizes and Bowl Layouts

Single bowls start at the Smart SRX110-34 at 340 by 400 by 180mm and run through 400mm, 500mm and the 700mm Maris MRX110-70 to the 720 by 400 by 200mm MRG610-72. Twin layouts are written into the code as two numbers: SRX120-34-34 is a pair of 340mm bowls, MRG620-35-35 a pair of 350mm. Trendline TRN721 reaches furthest at 1500mm and 1800mm wide. If the second bowl should sit apart from the main sink, a prep bowl is the better answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an undermount sink be fitted to a laminate worktop?

No. Franke states an undermount sink can be installed with any worksurface material apart from laminate, because water gets into the chipboard core and ruins the worktop. Undermount leaves the cut edge of the opening exposed, so it needs a solid material that can be cut and finished, such as granite, engineered stone, solid surface or timber. On laminate, choose a drop-in sink instead.

When do I have to choose my undermount sink?

Before the worktop is templated. The opening is cut and finished in the worktop itself and the sink is then sealed to the underside, so the fabricator needs the exact model to work from. Franke publishes a cut-out template on each product page for that purpose. Ordering the sink after the stone is cut usually means reworking or replacing the worktop.

What is Fragranite, and which of these sinks are made from it?

Fragranite is Franke's own composite material, which it describes as quartz and acrylic resin at close to eighty percent quartz sand, with a non-porous surface. In this collection it is the Maris MRG bodies: MRG620-35-35, MRG610-72 and MRG621, in Stone Grey, Polar White and Black. It is a kitchen sink material rather than a bathroom basin material. MRX models are stainless steel.

Are any Franke undermount sinks available in black?

Yes. The Maris MRG620-35-35 twin bowl and the MRG610-72 single bowl are both stocked in Black. Both are Fragranite, so the colour is part of the material rather than a finish applied over steel. The remaining black bodies in the Franke sink range are prep bowls, and all of them are collected together on the Franke black sinks page.

Why choose undermount over a drop-in sink?

Franke's reason is the join. An undermount sink is sealed to the reverse of the worksurface, which gives an edgeless finish that is easy to clean, because crumbs and water wipe straight off the worktop into the bowl with no rim in the way. A drop-in sits proud of the surface and collects around the rim. The trade-off is that undermount needs a solid worktop.