Kitchen Remodel Question - Undermount Sink Sizing

[Mark Patoka]

We are going to remodel our kitchen in 2016 and are beginning to look at everything we are going to replace. One item we're having a hard time finding is a new undermount stainless steel sink. We are replacing the drop-in sink/laminate countertop with quartz. The base cabinet is the standard 32" wide by 24" deep, inside opening is about 31" x 22". My current double-bowl sink size is about 29" long x 14" wide (with room for the faucet holes behind it).

We are having a very difficult time finding a sink that is only 14"-15" wide but still roughly 28"-29" long so there is enough room to install the faucet behind. Almost every sink we see is at least 20" deep or require a 30" deep cabinet. We'd prefer a double-bowl sink but the only option that comes close is a farmhouse style sink (which we may have to go with) or maybe even putting two separate bowl cutouts side-by-side.

Is it just me or are kitchen cabinets now much deeper than 24" so a larger sink option is now the standard or am I relegated to a very limited number of sink options (think only 1 or 2 at best). We've only searched online and haven't spoken to our countertop dealer yet to see what options they have. It just seems so difficult to find what should be a simple replacement for a typical kitchen remodel job.

[George Bokros]

Many kitchen and bath designs use a deeper cabinet for effect. This eliminates the flat front on the run of cabinets and gives some depth to the design. I did this in the new vanity I built last winter for our hall bath.

[Nike Nihiser]

Plenty of sinks out there that fit your criteria. Remember since it's undermount the dimension of the bowl itself is the critical measurement, not the overall (larger) dimension of the actual sink itself.

[Neil Gaskin]

mark,

"Most" kitchen sink bases are 36" wide. But that most is a majority, not necessarily a standard. There are many other sizes. A 32" wide sink base is a little on the narrow side of things. Standarad cabinet depth for kitchen cabinetry is 24". You should still be able to find numerous sinks that will fit your sink.

"Most" kitchen sinks we install are in the range of 33" wide x 18" front to back. 18" will work for your 24" depth of cabinet. You probably do not want to do two indvidual bowls because that would be a fairly weak piece of material down the center in a high use ,high traffic area. quartz is very resiliant but still.

Look at Kohler, Elkway, and Blanco for top of the line, Kraus seems to be a good brand we have used several times, and a good value brand is Mr. direct. Mr. Direct is very inexpenive and so far seems to be a good brand for us, but I do worry about the quality long term which I do not have experience with. We started using them about 3 years ago and so far have not had a problem. Generally I suggest spending more to get a good quality sink since changing it later is a real pita for a host of reasons.

Depending on the adutting cabinets, you can sometimes sculp the side panel of the sink base in order to accomodate the bowl if things are too tight.

If you have a Ferguson Plumbing Showroom they are usually pretty good and should be able to help find a few options based on your size requirements.

Becareful with the "free sink" promotions that many fabricators run from time to time, some are a good deal, some are awful sinks.

Keep in mind, all stainless will scratch, Elkay Lustertone, seems to be the worst, most can be buffed back out but it's a lossing battle. You can either buy a grid for the bottom of the sink or you just live with it for a few months and it will eventually patina out to an even finish. I dont mean to be patronizing with this comment but Ive had several customers bring this up so we now make it a standard disclaimer.

also keep in mind, most new sinks are much deeper than older sinks and undermount adds an inch + to that. This can require the drain line to be lowered in the wall if it is not low enough now. This is not a big deal and to date I cant think of a time we had to remove the cabient to do so, we cut the back of the cabient and then apply a new skin to cover the back of the cabient. If removing the cabient is practical it does make it easier. all of this is real easy with the countertops off and the sink not set. Its a nasty surprise for a plumber once the sink and tops are in place. around me, countertop installers set the sink, not the plumber. A good installer will catch on the front end, but it can also easily be overlooked. If youre going to contract the kitchen yourself and hire the countertop installer and plumber seperately the first may not watch out for the ladder. If you're hiring a remodeling company they should cooridante all this for you.

The last bit of my long winded post will wrap with check out Cambria Quartz if its availble. We use a variety of brands but Cambria is our house standard. My opnions are it: offers the best color pallete, single price for all designs, made in USA, and very customer service friendly in my experience.

[Mark Patoka]

Neil, thanks for your detailed reply. After going to a couple of granite places, we've narrowed it down to a Cambria quartz and one or two granite patterns we like. The sink size was no issue for them. It just seemed like we couldn't find anything online that would fit but I'll leave that to the pros that do it everyday.