Choosing Type of Kitchen Sink

There are many styles of kitchen sinks to choose from today. Stainless steel goes with anything but it will show water spots and can scratch. The lower the number, the thicker the gauge of steel.Stainless steel sinks are lightweight and easier to work with than a heavy cast iron sink. Thicker gauge steel will not dent and scratch as easy as the thin gauge and also transmits less noise.

American Standard 7504.103 Culinaire Kitchen Sink Stainless Steel

I chose a gray granite composite sink for my kitchen remodel. It was surprisingly lightweight and easy to work with. Doesn't scratch or show stains and water spots. Granite sinks are available in gray and beige.

Porcelain sinks probably give you the most variety of color choices. They are made of cast iron and covered with porcelain so they are heavy. The porcelain coating can chip over time.

Acrylic sinks also come in a wide varitey of colors but they tend to scratch easily and you have to be careful with hot pans around them.

Before choosing a sink you need to know what type of countertop material you are going to use. Sinks are made to either mount above the countertop or under the counter top. Undermount sinks make cleaning the counter easier because there is no lip for food to get caught under. If you have a granite or stone countertop you may want and undermount sink. If you countertop is laminate you must use a sink that drops in from the top. Installation is somewhat easier with a drop in sink.

You need to consider how many holes you want in the sink for the faucet, sprayer and maybe a soap dispenser. Sinks are available in different depths. I chose to get a sink that was deeper than the sink that came with my house. You also need to notice where the drain holes in the sink are. Some are in the center and some are set farther back. If the drain holes in your new sink are in a different location than your old sink, you can expect you will have to move your drain pipes.

Your kitchen sink is no doubt one of the most used things in the house. Think about how you use your sink, or how you would like to use your sink. Does it make sense to have two equally sized bowls or would you prefer one of the newer styles that has a large bowl on one side and a smaller bowl on the other? Which side do you want the smaller bowl on?

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Flexible PVC Drain Trap

The reason I replaced my kitchen cabinets is they were flooded several times. I didn't know my kitchen drain pipes leaked until the day they were stopped up. They don't leak at all as long as the drain is running freely. If you are replacing your cabinets and need to remove your sink, it's a good time to update your plumbing. Leaks are the last thing you want on your new cabinets!

You can order a custom under sink liner from Doug Mockett and company. Other suggestions I have read say to caulk around the bottom shelf of your sink cabinet so the water doesn't run through the cracks if and when there is a leak. Putting vinyl stick on tiles on the bottom shelf will help to protect the shelf from standing water. A large plastic storage contatiner on the shelf would also be helpful to catch plumbing leaks.

I found these great flexible pipes made by Fernco. They are made of flexible PVC material which allows you to bend and twist them a bit if you pipes aren't perfectly aligned. Besides allowing for easy installation they make it easy to remove clogs. You can often just squeeze the pipe to dislodge buildup. If that doesn't work just loosen the clamps, remove it and rinse it out. The flexible trap can be used to replace a 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" plastic or metal drain trap. For the larger pipe you just cut off the narrow top of the J trap.

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