How To Choose A Farmhouse Sink For Your Kitchen
Help with how to choose the best farmhouse sink for your kitchen
The Best farmhouse sinks for your kitchen.
There are many different types of kitchen sinks on the market and it can be overwhelming when you walk into a store and don't know exactly what you want. One of the most popular in households is the farm kitchen sink. Before you start looking for one, however, you should learn more about these types of kitchen sinks.
If you search online, you will have no problem finding a perfect country kitchen sink for your new home. With contemporary design and style, these sinks easily find their way into today's modern kitchens. There is a few considerations you should be aware of before you spend your money on a new farmhouse sink. Just liking the style isn't enough to ensure you get a sink that lasts and is suitable for how your family will use it.
The post below offers a few factors to consider when selecting a farmhouse sink:
The style of Farmhouse Sink
Traditionally mounted sinks
Since these sinks were originally intended for farm use, they still have that traditional look. When you look at some of these sinks you should be able to imagine how they would fit perfectly into your kitchen. While they can be very similar there are a few factors that define the different styles.
How you are going to use this style of sink has more of an impact than you might believe.
Traditionally installed farmhouse sinks do extend past the edge of your kitchen cabinets. This look offers a really traditional style, however, if you are someone who will stand at the sink and hand wash your dishes, this might not be a fantastic long-term solution. A Flush Mounted farmhouse sink might be better for you. They are installed to be perfectly in line with the edge of your cabinetry which means that you aren’t reaching over the sink and may suit you better.
If you use a dishwasher for most meals and you are not going to be standing over the sink for extended periods of time, the mount might be a lesser factor.
This flush mounted Butlers sink (above) might be better suited than a traditional mounted farmhouse sink.
They are usually set to protrude slightly outside your cabinetry, however if you have back challenges or have lower cabinets, you might be better to purchase a sink that can be set completely into your benchtop.
Under bench Vs inset mounted sinks
Would you prefer the sink to be mounted under your benchtop or not? Having your benchtops extend over the top of your sink will mean that any challenges with your sink will mean the complete removal of your benchtop, however, you may prefer that look. This style of installation will also enable you to simply swipe debris off your benchtop straight into the sink. The ability to do that might far outweigh the cost to pull apart your entire kitchen if you do ever need to replace your sink.
If you choose not to have your benchtops extend over the lip of your sink you do need to ensure that the sink is properly sealed.
The longevity of your farmhouse sink
One of the most important factors to consider before buying a sink is its durability. You don't want to install a new sink every year, do you? Common materials such as cast iron, stainless steel, and copper are used to make kitchen sinks on the farm so they are definitely durable. They won’t all age at the same rate though.
Copper sinks are amazing to look at however, even if they are sealed, they will patina and age far quicker than a ceramic sink will.
Ceramic sinks can be prone to scuffing and marking however these days this is far less likely. Ceramic sinks can be protected by plastic or rubber inserts to stop pans and knives from damaging them. However - with the evolution of production processes this is less and less likely to be a consideration.
Enamel sinks are probably the backbone of all farmhouse sinks and they do look fantastic. If your sink is properly installed you shouldn’t have any more challenges with an enamel sink than a ceramic one, however, enamel can chip and crack over time. Smacking a heavy frying pan into an enamel sink runs a higher risk of damage than a polished metal farm sink would get. If you have teenagers not happy about their clean up duties and some crash banging of utensils is bound to occur, maybe you should avoid an enamel sink.
Double or Single Sinks
Farmhouse sinks are traditionally just one trough. This is great for fitting in all your pots and pans, but not so great for the amount of water you need to fill the sink. A twin sink might be your best option if you are doing smaller loads of dishes and water is or can be restricted.
A double sink also offers you the ability for pre or post-wash rinsing.
How big a sink should you get?
Most sinks available in Australia are offered in relatively standard sizing. Farmhouse kitchen sinks can come in a variety of sizes and can be made compact for small kitchens. Make sure you check your available size before you go shopping.
The cost of a farmhouse sink
You are never going to get a designer sink for the same price as a standard kitchen sink, however now that they have been around for quite some time, farmhouse sinks are priced much more competitively than they were even 5 years ago. Consider looking at last year’s model for hefty discounts and if you have no problem with it, chat to your local supplier about taking last year’s display stock off their hands. That can be a great way to get a great discount on a sink that has never been used.
Prices usually start at around $700-$800 for the smaller single trough farmhouse sinks and can go up to $3200 for the top of the range. They are not cheap in comparison to a standard kitchen sink, however they are not just a kitchen appliance, they can be the main design focus of your kitchen.
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