Had a customer last year who tried to patch a crack right at the drain with one of those “miracle” epoxy kits. Looked fine for about two months, then the leak came back—worse than before. By the time I got called in, there was water damage under the cabinet and a nice patch of black mold starting up. Ended up costing them way more than just replacing the sink in the first place.
I get the temptation to save some cash, but those high-stress spots just don’t hold up with DIY stuff, no matter how careful you are. If it’s a hairline crack off to the side, maybe you get lucky, but around the drain? That’s just asking for trouble. Sometimes it’s better to bite the bullet and do it right the first time.
Had a tenant try the same thing once—epoxy kit right at the drain. Looked okay for a bit, but like you said,
Ended up with a warped cabinet and a musty smell that took ages to get rid of. I get wanting to save money, but in my experience, patch jobs in spots like that just don’t last. Sometimes you really do have to just swap the whole sink out and be done with it.“those high-stress spots just don’t hold up with DIY stuff, no matter how careful you are.”
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had decent luck with a good-quality epoxy kit—at least as a stopgap. Maybe it’s just luck or the type of sink, but mine held up for almost two years before I finally replaced it. Not saying it’s a forever fix, but sometimes you just need to buy a little time, especially if you’re not ready to shell out for a new sink right away. That said, I wouldn’t trust it in a rental where you can’t keep an eye on it.
I get where you’re coming from, but as someone who’s managed a few rentals, I’d be really hesitant to rely on a DIY epoxy job for anything longer than a couple months—especially if tenants are involved. Even with the best kits, you’re basically gambling on when it’ll fail, and Murphy’s Law says it’ll be at the worst possible time.
You mentioned,
—and that’s exactly my concern. Tenants don’t always report issues right away, and a patched sink can go from “fine” to “leaking everywhere” overnight. Then you’re looking at water damage, angry renters, and probably a much bigger repair bill.“I wouldn’t trust it in a rental where you can’t keep an eye on it.”
I get wanting to save money up front (who doesn’t?), but in my experience, biting the bullet and doing a proper replacement or pro repair saves a lot of headache down the road. Maybe that’s just me being overly cautious, but after a couple of messy surprises, I’m not rolling those dice anymore.
I get the hesitation around DIY fixes, especially in rentals. I actually tried an epoxy kit on my own bathroom sink last year—looked fine at first, but it started peeling within a few months. Ended up just replacing it anyway. Probably not worth the risk if you’re not there to keep an eye on it.
