Understanding Your Options When It Comes To Kitchen Sinks
Written by Elizabeth Wood
Editor In Chief, United Home Improvement

When it comes to designing your new or remodeled kitchen, one often begins to feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the decisions that need to be made. Top priorities are usually granted to the design of the cabinets, countertops, and flooring. These three elements define the basis of a kitchens architectural theme, but it is the kitchen sink and faucet that compliment the design. People often forget to think about the kitchen sink and the wide variety of shapes, materials, sizes, and prices to choose from. It may seem like another daunting decision to make, but just think about how much time is spent at the kitchen sink and you’ll quickly see that this decision is just as important as the rest. Request for a no-obligation quote and in three simply steps you can have a kitchen professional in your area helping to make this decision less discouraging.

Kitchen sinks come in several different sizes. The most common style is a double bowl sink, typically 33 by 22 inches in size. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose between having both bowls equal in width and depth, or make them unequal. Some people even create an overlapping effect by placing one small bowl in the center of a larger bowl. Size, however, is not limited to the standard double bowl sink. For smaller areas, a single bowl and even a 1½ bowl sink are often more appropriate. Larger areas can fit a triple bowl sink. If you own a restaurant or just have a lot of extra space, even larger, commercial-grade sinks are available.

There are four main ways to mount a kitchen sink which include top mounting, under mount, tile in, and flush mount. Top mounting is the most common for it requires the least expertise. This is where you would simply drop your sink into a hole. Under mounting usually requires professional installation. If you have a tile counter, a tile in mount would work best. Tile in mounting offers the advantages of both top mounting and under mounting. Flush mounting is a term used to describe the fusion of the sink and the counter.

When it comes to selecting a sink material, remember that the kitchen sink compliments the design presented by your countertops and cabinetry. Your decision will be based on appearance, level of maintenance, and often most importantly, your budget. Different materials offer unique advantages and disadvantages. For example, stainless steal is considered the most widely used kitchen sink material because it requires very low maintenance and is long-lasting. Eventually, stainless steal does show its age. Prices start out low, with thinner gauge metal, and increase in price as the gauge thickens. Be careful, thin gauge metal often results in dent damage and creates a lot of noise. Other materials include cast iron, enameled steal, fireclay, soapstone, solid surface and composites. Composites are the most recent development in sink material. They consist of a composite of materials which include quartz and acrylic.

The amount of money you are willing to spend and how much remodeling you want to do on you sink project are going to determine the end results. To speak with a kitchen professional in your area and eliminate some of your questions, request for a no-obligation quote. It’s never too late to ask for help.

< back