Installing your own Mexican sink

Step 4 Prepare your countertop.

We wanted a tiled countertop. We thought it would best set off the colours in the sink and add to the 'hacienda rustico' feel we wanted in our bathroom. Note: I don't speak Spanish.

Again, my dad made a simple plywood top. It had a backsplash and a small border around the edge. It would all be tiled. We made a template for the sink and cut the hole out. This took a bit of fine-tuning, as store-bought sinks come with a cardboard template. Mexican sinks don't. It took two or three cuts to get the shape of the overflow correct. We also cut holes for the faucet. Be certain that the lip of the sink won't overlap the holes you need for the faucet. Very important!

The trim around the edge was narrow, just wide enough for our 1" tile. The backsplash had to fit under some wood trim in our bathroom that was not coming out. If you are handy with a table saw, these customizable things are a better option than buying a vanity in a store, where you are stuck with just what they have.

The guy at the tile store will help you buy enough tile. We ordered 1 full square less than what he recommended and still ended up with a full piece leftover. We were taking into account the void left from the sink, but we didn't want to be left short either.