You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve looked at the displays. Your friends, neighbors and relatives have all weighed in with their experiences and opinions. You’ve heard terms like: gauge, undermount, top mount, single bowl or double bowl. Now it is time to decide what is going to work best for you and your lifestyle and what will look great in your new countertop.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help make sense of it all!
Gauge
This is the thickness of the steel in the sink. The lower the number, the thicker the steel and the stronger the sink. Typical gauges are 16 and 18; 16 becoming more and more the standard.
Sound Deadening Pads & Undercoating
A good quality sink will always have sound deadening pads and undercoating. Quite simply, they make the sink feel more solid. Without them, running water and other daily tasks can make the sink sound “tinny” and cheap.
One Bowl, Two Bowls?
Single Bowl
Pros: Having one large basin
- You can soak things like a baking sheet or broiler pan or anything with a handle so that it can lay flat.
- Having a get together? Stack your dishes in the sink until later, not on the countertop, leaving space for more prep work.
Cons: It can be difficult to juggle different tasks that require using your sink such as soaking dishes while needing to rinse off fruits or vegetables.
Double Bowl
Pros: There are two variations to choose from; equal bowls or small bowl / large bowl configuration.
Cons: Having one side be significantly smaller means that dishes may not fit, leaving one bowl only to work in. Large items (mentioned above) cannot be left to soak.
Installation Options
Under mount: Having an under mounted sink is more traditional for stainless steel and are installed this way almost 100% of the time This is especially true for stone or solid surface countertops. The top edge of the sink is hidden under the countertop which is preferred by most people, as it makes it easier to clean off the counter by allowing crumbs and other items to be pushed directly into the sink.
Top mount: This type of mount is rare unless installed in a laminate countertop.
Farmhouse style: These sinks are very different and give a vintage feel. The front of the sink visible and these are typically one large basin.
Maintenance
These are not the sinks that you may have had while growing up or in your first home away from home. Stainless has come a long way over the past decade. While they may still scratch, it is much harder to do so than you may have remembered. A quality sink by Accent Custom Countertops can give you a lifetime of quality and durability. Simple maintenance will leave your sink looking new for a long time to come. Wiping out the sink after use will keep hard water deposits from “spotting”. Using a stainless-steel polish every now and again will bring back the shine and remove fine scratches that occur with normal use. Many sinks now come with a grid that sits in the bottom of the basin that prevents scratching as well.
If you’d like more information, call us at any time. We provide only the finest sinks available that we would all put in our own homes. Call us today!
