As with all home renovations, the biggest challenge for designers and architects is finding the perfect balance of aesthetics, quality, and cost. Deciding which sink to install is no exception to this balancing act. After buying expensive appliances like fridges and dishwashers, and choosing a benchtop, sinks are often a bit of an afterthought for customers. However, the type of sink you install can significantly affect how a kitchen looks, how easy it is to maintain and the budget.
There are two main classes of sinks, the more traditional, cost effective top mount, and the modern, stylish undermount sinks. Everhard Industries newest line of sinks from Squareline Plus offers a range of three sinks, all of which can be installed as either top or undermount.
Top mounted sinks have long been the more favoured style. With these sinks, installation is very straightforward. They are simply placed over the space left in the benchtop and sealed around the edges with caulking. Once the sealant dries, the installation of the plumbing and faucets is straightforward. These sinks can be identified by the presence of a lip between the sink and benchtop. As the sink is supported by the benchtop, they are not only easier to install, but they are safer, as it’s unlikely that the sink could separate from the benchtop and fall into the cabinets below.
Additionally, as the plumbing and installation are fairly straight forward, you keep more of the storage space below the sink compared with undermount installations. Given the importance of storage in any kitchen, this benefit is significant.
Although the top mount is more cost effective, undermount sinks can substantially improve the look and functionality of a kitchen. These are the sinks that simply drop off form the benchtop, without any lip. Subsequently, as there is no lip, the benchtops can be easily cleaned simply by wiping them down into the sink.
With the recent trend moving toward more natural stone benchtops like granite and quartz, undermounts have become more popular, as they expose more of these stunning these benchtops and maximize their functionality. Also, undermounts offer more variation, so you can tailor the style of the sink to the benchtop.
The downside of undermount sinks is that they require a more sophisticated installation. However, this relatively minor increase in cost will dramatically improve the looks and functionality of the kitchen, and it is a relatively minor upgrade compared to, for example, upgrading your fridge or floorboards.
By providing the option of having the sink you prefer installed as either top or undermount, the Squareline Plus range enables the designer or architect to present their customer with all the flexibility to strike that all important balance between aesthetics, functionality and budget.
