Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash
Buying a brand new sink can often be an exciting experience; after all, you’d be getting something new and shiny to add to your possessions.
More often than not though, this excitement would make you choose a sink merely on impulse, without enough consideration to whether or not said sink is the right choice for you. While you might end up with a good enough sink this way, you would have most likely gotten something much better if you had taken the time out to give it some more thought.
We’re here to help make sure you don’t make that mistake. Below are the top 7 things to consider before choosing a new sink.
Things to Consider Before Choosing A Sink
- The Type of Sink Needed
Photo by Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash
Here’s probably the first thing to consider. You see, there are different types of sinks, and these different sinks can’t always be used interchangeably. Before buying a brand new sink, you would want to make sure it is the exact kind of sink you need. You do not want to end up in a situation where you bought a bathroom basin when what you intended to get was a kitchen sink, now do you?
- The Kind of Material
When it comes to buying sinks, you’d also want to pay attention to the kind of material the sink is made from. Depending on the material used to create your sink, you might need to clean it more or less frequently. You might even need to use special cleaning agents.
Below are common sink materials you can choose from including:
- Stainless Steel Sinks: These sinks easily resist scratches and are easy to clean. They however can very easily develop water spots and often get detached from the counter over time.
- Granite Composite Sinks: Great low maintenance option sinks, these nonporous sinks are resistant to most everyday damages like dents, chipping, scratches and colour change. They also don’t have the issue of getting disconnected from the counter.
- Copper Sinks: Copper sinks are known for being highly anti-microbial and are great for cutting down on germs. Over time though, a patina can begin to form on sinks made of this material, and while that increases the microbial effects, it also causes discoloration. Acids and abrasive cleaners should be avoided when using this kind of sink as they strip off the patina and increase discolouration.
- Porcelain Sink: Smooth and glossy, these sinks are easy to clean but can easily be scratched and chipped. Their surfaces are also easily stripped off by acidic and abrasive cleaners.
- Natural Stone Sinks: With all the positives of composite granite sinks, the only but with these sinks is that they require frequent sealing since they are porous.
- The Overall Design of the Room
Photo by Simona Sergi on Unsplash
Chances are, you want your sink going well with the décor of your kitchen. You do not want your sink ruining that design, instead, you want your chosen sink complementing it. So instead of simply picking the first beautiful sink, pay attention to the room’s design before you choose that brand new sink.
When considering the design of the room, there are a couple of things to think of. There is the colour scheme of the room; you don’t want to choose a sink with a colour that would stick out like a sore thumb. There is also the design of the countertop. Is it something you can get a matching sink for? Then, that’s the sink you want to choose.
- The Mounting Style You are Looking to Go for
Are you looking to go for an under-mount sink or would you prefer a top-mount sink design? The mounting style you are looking to go for should affect the kind of sink you get. This is because the mounting style of a sink affects everything from the kind of faucet that can go with it to the potential cabinet configuration e.g a countertop basin would require a longer faucet while an under-mount sink can use a short fancy tap.
- Size
Photo by Christian Mackie on Unsplash
This might look really obvious, but you would be surprised how many homeowners make this mistake. And why wouldn’t they? When we talk about size, we mean more than just the size of the sink compared to the countertop. We also mean the size of the sink compared to the cabinet. Would it fit perfectly or would the cabinet need to be adjusted? Would the sink fit perfectly into the allocated section or would it obstruct other things? These are things you’d want to consider before getting your brand new sink.
- Additional Accessories
Sinks nowadays are often multifunctional additions to any home, especially kitchens. From sink grids to built-in soap dispensers and so much more, there are so many extra sink accessories that could be added to your sink. Most of these accessories don’t fit just any sink however and you would want to get sinks that have been built to accommodate said accessories if you want to be able to properly install such accessories to your sink.
- Your Budget
This is pretty obvious, right? You don’t want to choose a sink that’s way higher than your budget. Well, sinks way above your budgets aren’t the only kinds of sinks you should be saying no to. You also want to turn down sinks way below your budget, after all, why go for a cheaper low-quality sink if you can afford something better?
When it comes to sticking to your budget though, the price isn’t what you really want to pay attention to, it’s the cost-efficiency of the sink i.e the value you’d be getting per penny spent. This is because you don’t just want to get a sink that is within your price range, but because you want to buy the best sink your money can buy.
