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Zeek's University |
| Countertops 101 |
| Zeek's U | Kitchen Ren 101 | Cabinets 101 | Countertops 101 | Bathrooms 101 | Moldings 101 |
| Lesson #4 - Sinks | Prev | Next |
| Sinks come in three basic varieties: stainless steel, solid
surface and stone.
Stainless Steel Stainless steel sinks are by far the most popular. They come in two basic types: single bowl and double bowl. With a double bowl sink the two bowls can be the same or different sizes. Also, you can have undermount or topmount sinks. Topmount sinks are used mostly with laminate countertops, however, they can be used with any countertop. With these, you simply cut a hole in the countertop and drop in the sink. With an undermount, you attach the sink to the bottom of the countertop, thus you eliminate the lip that a topmount creates so you can easily push water from the countertop area directly into the sink. A stainless steel top mount single bowl sink starts around $75, a double bowl $125. An undermount single bowl starts around $150 and a double bowl $250. Solid Surface Solid surface sinks are generally used and integrated with solid surface countertops. They come in one bowl or two bowl varieties but are typically only used as undermount sinks and sold only with installation of the countertop. Stone Stone sinks are made by using a stone (like quartz, granite, slate or other material) and molding it into the shape of a sink. They are similar to stainless steel in that they come in top or undermount and single or double bowl, however, unlike stainless they can come in many different colors. The price will depend on the material used to make the sink and can be less or more than a comparable stainless steel one. There are also other types of sinks like cast iron, cast polymer, copper, clay, etc. that are less common. Last, there are farm (or apron) sinks. This is a sink that has a large front edge to it that you lean against when you use it. The countertop only surrounds three sides of the sink, the front is left exposed. Farm sinks come in many different materials, shapes, colors and patterns, and can be quite ornate and expensive. In addition a special sink base cabinet needs to be purchased to accomodate the farm sink. If you think you want to go with a farm sink, you need to pick out the model before you order the cabinets, so you get one that fits. Below are three pictures of farm sinks. |
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Typical Farm Sink | Decorative Farm Sink | Copper Farm Sink |