Kitchen Sinks

How to choose the right kitchen sink for your work surface.

The sink you choose for your kitchen, as well as installing the sink in the most suitable method is both key factors in ensuring a long-lasting and functional wash-up area of your kitchen design.

The sink space of your kitchen is one of the most well-used spaces in your kitchen, used for food prepping, cooking, clearing up, and cleaning so it’s no wonder it’s such an important consideration, especially as so much in our kitchens these days is open plan and on-show. The good news is there has never been such an abundant choice of sinks ranging in style, colour, and materials.

And the same can be said for work surfaces. Laminate, timber, granite, marble, solid surface, quartz, ceramic, and stainless steel are some of the most chosen surfaces, and with worksurfaces accounting for around 20% of the visual area in a kitchen they make a significant contribution to the overall design of the room. While of course providing a practical and hygienic area for food preparation.
With so much choice on both your sinks and tops – knowing what goes with what will assist you to narrow down your choices and make good choices on the design combination you pick.

INSTALLATION METHODS EXPLAINED
First up, it’s important to understand the three different styles of sink and how they are installed – Inset, Flushmount and Undermount.
1. Inset – the sink is installed from above the worksurface into a pre-cut hole and sits slightly proud of the material.
2. Undermount – the sink is installed from underneath the worksurface and the thickness of the material forms a visible edge around the bowl. It, therefore, requires a solid worktop such as granite, stone, or treated wood, and is not compatible with laminate worksurfaces. Butler/ Belfast sinks are another form of under-mounting suitable for ceramic sinks.
3. Flushmount – the sink is installed from above the worksurface, but the material has been routed for it to sit totally flush giving a perfectly streamlined look and feel.

The below infographic gives you an easy overview of the sink and worksurface combinations that work together, and which combinations should be avoided.

INSET EXPLAINED
This installation method is simple and most popular, where the sink is ‘set into’ the worktop material into a suitably sized cut-out that has been made. The rim of the sink sits onto the worksurface and is sealed with silicone to the worksurface giving stability and a watertight finish.
Worksurface combinations: An inset sink is compatible with any worksurface material.
With a growing trend in customers seeking streamlined installations – many stainless steel and granite sinks now feature a slim or low profile edge that sits almost flush with the worksurface. Ceramic is not just for the traditional the Butler and Belfast style – with inset options also available for a modern, hard-working kitchen.

UNDER-MOUNT EXPLAINED
An under-mount sink is installed from underneath and sealed watertight to the reverse of the worktop. The solid thickness of the material forms a visible edge around the bowl and is also waterproof. Prior to installation, the edges will have been polished and sealed by your fabricator.
Undermount sinks have grown to be a desirable design choice for the streamlined style that they create with smooth, uninterrupted kitchen surfaces. There are a growing number of materials and price points to choose in under-mounts from that have widened their usage and popularity. While stainless steel is the most popular material, granite under-mounts, are available in a range of colours and are ideal to contrast or harmonise with your worksurface material and colour. And lastly, the lustrous glaze of a ceramic under-mount can bring a classic twist to a contemporary kitchen design.
Worksurface combinations: Everything except laminate is suitable with under-mount sink installation, as water will get into the chipboard core and ruin the worktop. Timber will also need ongoing care to be waterproofed and therefore is a less ideal choice.

FLUSH-MOUNT EXPLAINED
A flush-mount sink is installed so that the sink and worksurface material blend seamlessly into each other on the horizontal plane and meet at the same height. The worksurface material is routed out to accept the thickness of the sink rim and the sink is then bonded in place with silicone. The result is a perfectly streamlined look and feel. A flush-mount sink requires precision manufacture and attention to detail by the installer too, to achieve what many regard as a top-end look.

Worksurface combinations: Everything, except extra care, should be taken with solid timber and laminate surfaces with a chipboard core. They must be properly sealed and maintained to prevent water penetration.
We hope that this gives you a better understanding of the myriad of the sink and worksurfaces combinations available to you and wish you the best as you plan your new kitchen.

Written By Bianca Rust, Franke

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