KITCHEN DESIGN - PLUMBING

by Joseph Davis


What's the thing in your kitchen you use the most? Fridge? NO!   Coffee pot? NO! Cookie jar? Maybe for some of you lard-asses, but usually NO! IT'S THE SINK!

Think about it, you wash your hands after doing a chore, you fill a glass of water, rinse stuff off, arrange flowers, let alone what you use it for when actually cooking...
 
When doing my own kitchen over I bought a "satin-stainless" faucet at Home Depot, I figured it did what I wanted, looked good, was inexpensive, so why not...

Eventually, I figured out it was satin-finished plastic which water spotted like mad,  and the hose for the pull-out got kinked up under the cabinet all the time. It was a piece of crap, so I'll quote myself  "Cheap is Expensive."  It was then I realized it was the thing in the kitchen I touched and used more than anything else in the entire room, so why not buy exactly what I wanted.  So I did, and oddly, each time I use it I realize how cool and well-designed it is. My faucet it's not a showstopper visually, but its works beautifully and has awesome features.
 
When designing a kitchen you need to pay serious consideration to the sink. If you're a serious cook then you need to put some major thought (and bucks) into your sink(s), where they are, etc.  If you cook casually you don't need the MacDaddy uber-huge sink with drainboards, etc.
 

THE LEXICON OF PLUMBING

SINK MATERIALS
STAINLESS STEEL SINKS


Stainless steel is the most popular kitchen sink. This model is a self-rimming with a four-hole faucet drill.  Stainless sinks can be prone to scratching and water spotting, to combat potential negative aspects of stainless, choose a model with a satin texture finish, not polished.

There are two main things to look for in choosing a stainless steel sink: 

1) the thickness or gauge of the steel;  remember that the lower the number, the thicker the steel and hence the higher quality sink (e.g.; an 18-gauge sink is more durable than a 23-gauge model). 
2) the sound deadening ability (which determines how loud the noise is when something is dropped into the sink) look for spray coatings and special sound pads underneath the bowl. 

CAST IRON SINKS


Cast iron sinks feature an iron base coated with an enamel finish. This double bowl sink has a  four hole faucet drill.  Cast iron sinks come in an array of colors, the main disadvantage is that they can chip or scratch, exposing the black surface underneath. When this surface is exposed, it can often lead to rusting.

PORCELAIN

Porcelain is a very durable material used as a protective coating for sinks and can be made in any color or pattern of colors.  It can chip or scratch if a heavy pot or dish is dropped into it.

COPPER SINKS

 Copper sinks are stunning in bars or rarely used places, but a freeking nightmare in the kitchen as the finish is totally susceptible to any acidic foods(isn't that everything?) and you cant use kitchen cleaners on it. Metal sinks like copper, brass and nickel are a pain in the ass and even seem icky because they never feel or appear clean

NICKEL SINKS


This beautiful Farm Sink has a ball-peen hammer finish with an antiqued nickel color. It shown with a polished nickel goose-neck Bridge Faucet  It's very pretty but the antiquing will eventually wear off and look odd

NATURAL STONE SINKS



These handmade stone sinks are made from solid pieces of stone, or cut slabs; they can have finely carved or smooth polished fronts.  They look dirty constantly. And, they  need sealing and polishing often too.

GRANITE COMPOSITE SINKS


The most scratch resistant sink material on the market today is a "granite composite." They offer extreme chemical and scratch resistance. These sinks offer the highest level of durability thanks to an extremely high density of rock particles at the sinks surface. They do show soap scum and various soap and food particles. Granite-based sinks are only available in matte finishes. This one has a single hole faucet drill.

SOLID SURFACE SINK


Solid surface sinks are an integral unit with the counter-top. This one shows a single hole drill.  This is great if you want that plasticky tract-house look and feeling surface. Integral sinks have no exposed edges from countertop to sink.  Solid surface is not a hard material, it can nick, scratch and dent, but can be repaired.

ACRYLIC SINKS

Of all the types of composite sinks available, polyester/acrylic are the lowest performing in terms of scratch and stain resistance, as they are made from soft materials that can cut and nick easily (CRAP!). This one shown is an undermount model.


INSTALLATION OPTIONS

UNDERMOUNT SINKS
(best option)


This large stainless undermount sink has an integral drainboard and is under-mounted to the bottom of the countertop.  This is shown with a brushed nickel single drill hole faucet.

SELF-RIMMING SINKS

This enameled cast-iron drop-in sink is "dropped" into a hole cut into the countertop. It has a single hole for the brushed stainless faucet These are used primarily for laminate, wood or tile counters.

FARM SINKS
This porcelain sink is an undermount farm sink, detail below.


Dude seriously... I'm so sick of Farm-sinks I could just puke they're sooo circa 2000. Farm sinks also splash more than other sinks when the water hits the bottom.

INTEGRAL SINKS
An integral sink is one that is fabricated seamlessly from the same material as the counter-top. This stainless one shown with a three hole drill faucet on 4" centers.

TROUGH SINK

This long narrow enamel cast-iron sink is an under-mount. Its used for several things, vegetable prep or even as a cooler for bottled drinks during a party.

D-BOWL SINKS


This undermounted sink is D-Shaped fabricated from Stainless and is shown with a single hole faucet. This style sink leaves a bit of space around the upper edges of the counter for soap dishes, paper towels, etc...

BAR SINKS

Bar sinks are usually smaller sinks, they come in many sizes, shapes and materials. Edge choices are self rimming or under mount depending on the countertop material.

VEGETABLE SINKS

Vegetable sinks usually imply a sink that's used specifically for cleaning vegetables, not washing dishes. Often they come with racks and draining trays as this one does from Elkay.

UTILITY SINKS 


This self-rimming sink is enamel cast iron. Utility sinks are usually 10" to 13" deep to accommodate a bucket or soaking clothes.



APRON-FRONT WALL-MOUNT UTILITY SINK

These enameled cast iron sinks are usually for utility purposes which is why they're wall-mounted. The "apron front" means there's an extra panel of porcelain that hides the outside of the bowl from the front view.  This is shown using a wall-mounted "bridge" faucet set.

OFFSET SINKS


This stainless steel sink with two different sized bowls is called an offset sink. This sink is shown with a single hole drill and is under-mounted. These are just really stupid sinks, both are too small to do anything in.

THREE, FOUR OR FIVE DRILL-HOLE SINKS


This enameled cast-iron sink is a five hole drill.  Most sinks are available in any number of drills.

CUSTOM SINK CONFIGURATION


With the many choices, personalized configurations as shown above are the newest trend: A Drainboard sink, a waste sink with disposal and a deep sink.


FAUCETS

SINGLE HOLE FAUCETS

These look best on a countertop; less clutter and less detail to clean up. The pull-out sprays are the smartest type.

MULTIPLE HANDLE FAUCETS

This type of faucet is perfect for the old-fashioned country kitchen, but I still think they're dumb. Let's say your hands are covered in chicken guts and you want to wash off the cutting board you've been working with... you really wanna adjust the temperature with two different knobs, then pick up a separate spray nozzle with those nasty hands?  Didn't think so...

BRIDGE FAUCETS




Big trend ten years ago, everyone wanted an "English Country Kitchen" now that's dead but the bridge is still around.  I don't get it, it's just more exposed surface to clean.
 
POT FILLERS




These are the items that the socially competitive types need in their kitchens - a sort of bragging right... Really?  They're practical as it means you have running water close by. However, they drip on the stove-top leaving more spots to clean up, and sometimes they're so hot from the burners below you cant touch them.  I prefer the newer versions which are deck mounted; they can be pulled away from the heat and also used for filling flower vases and other non-stove related things.
 
COMMERCIAL STYLE SPRAYERS

Guys love this testosterone filled commercial style sprayer. But, actually its a pain in the ass; it's original design intent is to spray dishes hard enough to knock off all the food before putting them in the dishwasher, eliminating scraping. Hence, it has such force the water splashes everywhere, creating a huge wet mess all around your sink and backsplash.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SINK AND FAUCET FOR YOU

Sinks
  • How tall are you? If you get a deep sink, you will  be hunching over to work in it. You don't need deeper than 8".
  • Shallow sinks suck too, don't get shallower than 5".
  • The best sink is stainless steel which cleans well with Comet and if you dry it, it'll look even better.
  • Porcelain or Cast iron sinks are great in small kitchens with white countertops to visually create more space.
  • Small double-bowl sinks are absolutely useless, Christopher Peacock of Peacock Kitchens always says ONE large sink is always adequate.
  • Multiples of sinks (regardless of size) in one location is not usually as functional as one would assume.
  • If you have room for a smaller alternate sink elsewhere, then add it in.
  • Consider what you do now with your sink, if a different type sink can enhance your existing routine, then get that one. People's food-prep habits don't usually change - so buying a sink with 5 configurations and 8 components is usually a waste of space and money. (been there, done that!).
  • Get a sink with an almost flat bottom, and no deeply curved bottom edges - otherwise glasses fall over and break, etc.
  • Get a simple rectangular sink for the main sink, no curvy-schmurvy crap.
  • The sinks with the square corners look the most clean lined and architectural.
  • Drainboards are OK if you let hand-washed things air dry. I don't, I dry them and put them away quickly, so I wasted 18" of valuable countertop with ribbed stainless steel. I also prefer to use a colander to dry my hand-washed food, because I can put the colander in the dishwasher and not have to hand wash that...
  • You should always have a sink fairly close to the range
  • A sink for vegetable prep is good, maybe it's close to fridge or fridge-drawers specifically for the produce.
  • If you have a large family and generate a lot of dishes or a serious cook and use a lot of pans a separate sink adjacent to a pair of dishwashers would be a good idea. 
  • No sink should be any farther back than 3-4 inches from the front edge of the countertop. Marble fabricators will whine about it, but you don't want to lean over and deeper to do what you need to do, it's hard on the back.
Faucets
  • Get a single "high-rise" gooseneck faucet.
  • Get a pull-down (not "pull-out")head which has an easy-to-use spray/flow button.
  • Get an instant-stop button (on the head) that allows you to move the portable head from item to item and totally stop the water, dead.
  • Get either stainless steel; polished or brushed chrome; polished or brushed nickel. Period.
  • Polished brass looks flashy and tacky, especially when it's used with a stainless sink... duh!
  • Get a single-lever temperature control; it can be deck mounted or stem mounted which I prefer.
  • Get a good brand faucet, Kohler, Delta, Dornbracht or Waterworks.
  • Don't show off with the faucet, you'll be sorry.
  • Don't get built-in pump soap dispensers, they always break. Just get an attractive countertop pump bottle.
  • If you get a filtered water dispenser, try to make it appear to be apart of the same suite as the faucet (this is why modern style faucets are best).
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