DIY Network

DIY Basic: Buying a Kitchen Sink From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-207

The solid-surface sink of manmade composite materials is the most durable type of kitchen sink, but also the most expensive

Everything Including the Kitchen Sink

There's more to choosing a new kitchen sink than just finding one that's the right size. Below are DIY Basics from home improvement specialist James Young on selecting the right kind of kitchen sink for your needs.

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B

There are three basic types of kitchen sinks:

• Stainless steel;
  
• Porcelain
• Solid-surface
  • Stainless-steel sinks (figure A) are the most common and least expensive. Be aware that there are different grades of steels in sinks. The lower the gauge, the sturdier the sink. Look for an 18- to 20-gauge sink for the greatest durability.

  • The key with porcelain sinks is to pick the most durable one you can. Look for one that has porcelain coating over cast-iron (figure B) rather than sheet metal.

    DIY Factoid: "Porcelain sinks" are actually just porcelain coatings over some other surface. Chipping of the porcelain coat is possible.
    

    	Figure C
    	Figure D

  • The newer solid-surface sinks (figure C) are usually made with manmade resins, are extremely durable and are both heat- and stain-resistant. They are very tough to scratch or dent, but they may cost as much as three times the cost of a comparable stainless-steel sink.

  • Solid-surface sinks are also available in "seamless" configurations when you use the same color countertop as the sink material (figure D).
    

  
  Recap:
  
  • Stainless steel: most affordable but dents easily;
    
  • Porcelain: a good option, but susceptible to chipping.
    
  • Solid-surface: best all-around, but also the most expensive
  
  
  
  

  RESOURCES :
  

  Remodeling Kitchens (Black and Decker Home Improvement Library)
  Model: 0865736383
  Author: Creative Publishing international
  (April, 1999)
  To order this title from Amazon, click here.
  Creative Publishing International, Inc.
  Website: www.creativepub.com

  Kitchens: Planning and Remodeling
  Model: 0376013478
  Author: Sunset Books Editor
  (January, 2000)
  To order this title from Amazon, click here. Sunset Books
  

  Kitchens: Plan, Remodel, Build
  ISBN: 1580110495
  Author: Creative Homeowners Press Editor
  Order this title from Amazon.
  Creative Homeowner Press
  Website: www.creativehomeowner.com

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Cultured Marble Tub -- A DIY Habitat-House Project
  	Jay Baker Interview: Painting Laminate, Veneer Repair and more
  	Faux Finishing: Painted "Stone Walls"
  	DIY Basic: Buying a Kitchen Sink