KITCHENS It's best to sink money into this

Don't skimp on the sink. You probably spend a lot of time there.
By MARY ELLEN SLAYTER
WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON -- Where else in the house do you scrub dishes, clean vegetables, soak beans, dye your hair and even bathe a baby (presumably rinsing between uses)?
Yet after you spend $30,000 on appliances, countertops and cabinets, it's easy to make the kitchen sink an afterthought -- and be tempted to scrimp a bit. Resist that urge, said Jerry Weed, president of Kitchen and Bath Studios Inc. in suburban Washington.
Given that you'll spend more time standing in front of your kitchen sink than probably any other spot in the house, "it's not a place to save money," he said.
Although not usually "the driving force" in kitchen design, the sink is important, said Weed, whose clients typically spend $300 to $1,000 on a sink, as part of a $30,000-to-$50,000 kitchen.
The simplest sinks sell for under $100, but a high-end kitchen designer can find you a functional sculpture to soak your pots for several thousand dollars.
It pays to understand your options before picking a new sink. Should it go next to the stove, for convenient cleanup? Or in front of a backyard window, so you'll have a pretty view while you scrape pans? Sinks can be wide and deep, for washing large pots, or they can be just big enough to catch vegetable peelings as they are sucked into the garbage disposal. Would you prefer one bowl or two? Shapes and materials also vary, and choices depend on budget, function and aesthetics.
Placement
Traditionally, kitchens have been designed as a triangle, with the stove, refrigerator and sink serving as the three points, but that's not the standard option anymore, said Amy Rymiszewski, a kitchen designer at Southern Kitchen Design in suburban Alexandria, Va. Of course, it was never the only option -- galley kitchens, where everything is in a straight line, are also common, especially in row houses. Islands can be part of traditional work triangle, or they can be a completely separate additional work space. Most people put their sink under a window for the view, she said, but if it is placed in an island, it can be turned to face company. The sink is generally near the dishwasher for plumbing reasons, and sometimes the only workable design has the sink's user facing a windowless wall.
Weed said he is seeing a lot of larger kitchens, especially in new construction, and multiple sinks are almost standard. That requires a different approach in kitchen design. As the kitchen gets bigger, efficiency is harder to achieve. In roomy kitchens, people will install two separate sinks: a prep sink in an island, facing a social area, and a cleanup sink, under the window. Multiple sinks also make it easier for more than one person to work at the same time.
But island sinks can be messy, said Bob Kay, owner of Kitchen and Bath Factory Inc. in suburban Arlington, Va., noting that any dishes or vegetables washed or rinsed in that sink must be carried over the floor instead of a countertop. An island sink also requires extra pipes.
Size
Once you figure out where the sink is going, you will have an idea how big it can be. Widths are usually 16 to 20 inches, to fit into most countertops. You'll find greater range in lengths. If you have room to spare, a 28-inch-long rectangle works. A little less room, and a 21-by-153/4-inch model might work better. Really cramped for space? Consider a 111/4-by-131/4 sink. Bigger sinks hold more, obviously, but take up more counter space. You'll probably want to leave space on one side for a dish rack. Kay said undermount sinks require at least six inches of space on either side to avoid the risk of cracking the countertop.
You'll also have a choice in depth. Weed said he is selling more sinks that are 10 inches deep instead of six to eight inches, as once was standard.
Deep sinks are great for washing big pots, but they're not ergonomically correct if you are especially tall or short. Try standing in front of one in a showroom: If you have to bend down to touch the bottom with your fingertips, you could be buying yourself a decade of back pain. Too, an extra-deep sink leaves less space under the sink, where most people store cleaning supplies.
Shape
Sinks come in a few basic shapes. Rectangles and squares are common. Circles or ovals are most frequently used for prep sinks, so they tend to be small and shallow.
The D-shaped sink is another popular option. The curve of the D is along the back of the sink, and the faucet is set off to the side, giving you a roomier basin than a comparably sized rectangular bowl.
How many bowls do you want? A sink can come with one, two or even three. An extra bowl is handy if you do a lot of cooking, especially if you frequently prepare vegetables. One bowl is used for cleanup, the other for prep work, such as peeling or soaking produce. Many people use one bowl for washing and the other for rinsing. That second bowl can also hold a dish rack, keeping water off the counter. Bowls are often the same size, but they don't have to be. If there is a garbage disposal, it generally goes under the prep sink.
Your next choice will be the drain placement. If space isn't an issue, a center drain is fine. But if your kitchen is small, consider a sink with the drain set to the back or in the corner. You will find no cost difference among those options, but you will increase access to cabinet space under the sink. That's especially important if you have a garbage disposal, which takes up a lot of room.
A D-shaped sink, with a disposal in the back, gives you the most convenient access to the under-sink cabinet.
Material
Sinks can be made of granite, enameled steel, quartz, titanium, porcelain, cast iron, Corian, fireclay, vitreous china, stainless steel and many other materials. Rymiszewski said her customers tend to choose stainless steel and fireclay, a durable, stain-resistant ceramic.
Stainless steel is by far the most popular: sturdy, easy to maintain, and available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The gauge of the metal is the best indication of quality, with 18 gauge or lower preferred. Commercial kitchen sinks are often made with 12 gauge stainless, but that is overkill in most home kitchens. Higher than 18 gauge, and the sink will be noisy and dent easily.
Noisiness is the biggest drawback to stainless steel, and many manufacturers attach soundproofing material to the underside of their sinks. Ikea's 18-gauge stainless sinks, which start at $39, also have a layer of soundproofing.
If quiet water flow is important to you, consider cast iron, porcelain, or Corian or a similar synthetic solid-surface material. Their thick, heavy construction make them practically soundproof.
"Corian is such a great product," said Kay. It is attractive, durable, heat-resistant and easy to clean. People worry about it cracking, he said, but he remembers that happening only twice, both times because of mistakes made by plumbers.
Weed said he sells some fireclay and porcelain, which can be customized to "wild" colors. He considers that impractical because the colors easily show specks and watermarks.
Mounting
Sinks are generally set in the countertop in one of two ways. An overmounted or "self-rimming" sink sits on top to the counter, and they're cheap and easy to install.
An undermounted sink, while more expensive, has several advantages, said Rymiszewski. You get an extra 11/2 to 2 inches of depth, it's easier to keep clean because there is no lip to catch crumbs, and you get a cleaner line along the countertop, she said. It's also less expensive to do a cutout for an undermount in granite countertops.
Weed and Rymiszewski both said they do very few overmounted sinks.
A third way to install a sink integrates the sink with the countertop material. Weed's showroom featured a Corian sink built into the counter. Such sinks are expensive -- $1,100 to $1,200 -- but counter cleanup is a breeze, Weed said, swiping his hand across the counter to show how easily water and debris can be wiped into the basin.
Kay's showroom also features a built-in Corian sink. He said the single-bowl, D-shaped sink, with a slightly angled drain board incorporated into the counter, would cost about $550 as part of the rest of the countertop. Integrated sinks, long common in bathrooms, are becoming more common in kitchens as their prices come down.
The big exception to the popularity of regular undermount sinks is the farm sink, which has one big bowl and an exposed "apron" in the front. The apron can be painted, decorated with tiles or left plain. Farm sinks can be overmounted or undermounted, but they're heavy, requiring extra support in cabinetry. They can be made of porcelain, ceramic, stainless steel, copper, natural stone, and of course, cast iron, the makings of the original farm sinks.
Weed, whose showroom had a Kohler farmhouse sink on display, said he is not a fan of the style because it is hard to get a good seal between the countertop and the sink. The farm sink has no practical advantages, he said, but "it is a look."