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July 8, 2008
stainless steel undermount kitchen sinks
I'm thinking about buying an undermount stainless steel sink from the Elkay Lustertone line. Anyone have anything great/terrible to say about their sinks? Also, if you love or hate your stainless steel sink, could you share? I'm desperate for some guidance. Thanks!
Comments
stainless steel is the best - doesn't stain and is durable. Have loved mine. Have seen ones made of some white material that scratch and discolor soon.
Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 3:39 PM
Also have the Lustertone w/Reveal (whatever that means).
Shines up really nice (Barkeepers friend), very easy to clean, but has scratched more than I would have expected (but that may be our fault, likely is)
Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 4:15 PM
Have Kohler extra-deep SS undermount and I love it. It did get scratched but, barkeeper's friend make it look great.
Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 4:22 PM
I've got an Elkay in my kitchen. Cheap, reliable, easy to clean. What can you say about a sink?
Posted by: Steve at July 8, 2008 7:32 PM
Our undermount ss sink has fallen off three times in seven years. Make sure the counter top guys know what they are doing.
Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:15 PM
I've had great luck with my Kohler ss undermount sink. I've even stood on it - and I'm not a small guy - though I wouldn't recommend you do the same. No scratches or any problems. You can't leave things like le creuset pans in there overnight while wet, since it will corrode, but otherwise bulletproof for me.
Posted by: slopenick at July 9, 2008 9:12 AM
Here is a little secret that not many people know (I didn't, I found out by accident). There is a company called AmeriSink. They are the actual maker of Franke and, I believe, some Elkay sinks. But since they are a fabricator, you get those sinks for half the price.
The only wrinkle is that I am not sure where you buy it (http://www.amerisink.com) but I am getting mine through the company that is fabricating our stone countertops.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 9:34 AM
Thanks, everyone, for the insights. Question for 9:34: Would you mind sharing the name of the company you're buying from?
Posted by: taomeow at July 9, 2008 10:14 AM
Amerisink may also make Blanco too. I am not sure, but their products look the same. Blanco and Franke both have beautiful sinks.
Posted by: Ray at July 9, 2008 2:43 PM
I have an Elkay Stainless and love it. Elkay also makes faucets which are excellent. Finally, their website has the stainless steel grids which are made to fit into the bottom of their sinks. The grid helps prevent scratches - especially if you use the sink for heavy duty washing of pots and pans (and who doesn't?)
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 3:28 PM
what's to discuss?
An extra-deep stainless steel sink is no-brainer. Sure, some would JUST DIE without there soapstone sink or their pured concrete sink or whatever silly thing is in style, but a stainless sink is the most intelligent thing to get, especially if you undermount it on a granite or high-quality quartz or corian counter.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 3:45 PM
um, what if it's going to be undermounted on a wood counter? am i insane to do this?
Posted by: taomeow at July 9, 2008 4:03 PM
undermount on wood counter is not a good idea as the edges that face into the sink will get a lot of moisture. Over time it could delaminate or just rot. A lot of polyurethane may solve this, but it is risky
a word on undermounts- if you can try to make the counter top edge 1/4" smaller than the sink edge, that way you don't see the joint between the sink and the counter top-which is often not pretty.
-an architect that does a bunch of kitchen renovations
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 4:43 PM
taomeow,
Poster 9:34 here.
You can Google AmeriSink and order them on line (there is a place that charges no shipping and no tax). You can also order them from www.brooklynplumbingsupply.com. We sourced ours through a company called Lace Marble in Brooklyn (718.854.9028). They were slightly more than the company on the Internet but they were doing our countertops, had them in stock and it was just simpler all around for other reasons.
By the way, some of the AmeriSink undermounts are as little as $200 depending on the size and in some cases the person doing the countertops will include them for free (at least the low cost ones). It is worth checking out. I have the exact same sink that Franke sells for $1,400 and paid a little over $400 for it (not sure of the model number).
As far as mounting a stainless undermount to wood, I defer to the architect who clearly has more experience than I do. I would say though it can be done. We have a stainless steel undermount sink and butcher block countertops in a small home in the Catskills and have had no problems with it at all. I guess it depends on the use, the quality of the butcher block, how the sink is mounted...all that.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 6:30 PM
9:34. thanks. I just read this and found a sink that is liek what i wanted from franke and it is only $300. you saved me $200 dollars. what kind of wood butcher block is good?
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 6:38 PM
do not undermount on a wood counter. it will rot. you need stone or synthetic stone.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 6:58 PM
You can undermount a sink in a wood countertop providing you use something like this:
Posted by: Steve at July 9, 2008 8:11 PM
That's ridiculous. Don't undermount a sink on a wooden counter under any circumstances.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 8:18 PM
Your creds for saying it's "ridiculous" are what exactly?
The principle is sound. It creates a sealed barrier around the end grain of the wood, overlapping the top of the counter exactly the same as would a top mounted sink in the same counter.
This product is used and warrantied by several manufacturers of solid wood, period-style counters, not just butcher block. I learned about it on Old House Web from a user who installed it on his mahogany countertop four years ago. He's sold.
Posted by: Steve at July 9, 2008 9:31 PM
I work for a custom stainless steel fabricator in Saint Paul, MN. We design and fabricate metal sinks and countertops which we ship nationwide to your specifications. If you're interested or would like to know more, please visit our blog at: http://www.metalcountertops.blogspot.com
Posted by: divisionv at July 30, 2008 2:45 PM
You might want to check out www.Lavello-sinks.com. The only think they sell is stainless steel sinks. They've got regular undermount and farmhouse sinks which look cool. I would go for a 16 or 18 gauge steel.
Posted by: bearsfan at October 15, 2008 12:34 AM
Best goods and machinery from stainless stell (not just sink) you can find at http://euromilam.de
Posted by: euromilam at February 25, 2009 1:31 AM
free stone; stone sink; mosaic
www.chinasink.com
www.2stone.biz
Posted by: jone5455 at July 7, 2009 10:32 PM
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