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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Kitchen Design/Remodeling > kitchen sink
Expert: Scott A. - 10/30/2009
Question
Cant seem to find the right size for my kitchen sink. Someone said when measuring the hole you can drop a couple of inches on all sides when buying sink. is this true. its a drop in top mount.
the existing one has the metal band around it. old i guess. and do i measure from end of metal band to end of metal band. someone said measure from middle of band. help
Answer
Hi Joe, thank you for your question.
With the sink you are describing, I will assume you have a laminate (aka Formica) countertop. The style of sink with the metal band is not typical anymore. In fact, Kohler is the only company I would know of that still makes them. I checked their website for you, and they do still have two models available; a single bowl or a double bowl. I will put that link at the end of this message for you to 'cut & paste' into your web browser.
My initial suggestion is to get away from the metal band sink altogether. They are almost 'extinct'; limited in size, color, and material; and usually more difficult to keep clean around the metal band. If you are going through the time, effort, and expense to change the sink anyway; now may be the time to update the overall sink appearance.
As long as the new drop-in sink is wider and deeper (front to back), then your project is relatively simple to do. Standard drop-in sinks are generally 33"x22" for double or 1 1/2 bowl sinks, and 25"x22" for single bowl sinks. For drop-in sinks, those measurements coincide with the OVERALL/OUTSIDE dimensions. If those sizes are larger than your metal band - then you will have lots of options. If they are not, you will need to look for a larger overall dimension sink. Unless your sink cabinet is very small, you should be able to cut the sink hole slightly larger without too much difficulty. Access to the underside of the sink for installation is important with most all style sinks (stainless steel, acrylic solid surface, etc). Cast iron drop-in sinks though, are heavy enough that do not have to be secured to the countertop from underneath. A good silicone caulk (clear or sink color) is plenty to keep the heavy cast iron sinks in place.
The last thing to look for when measuring your existing sink and comparing it to a new one is radius corners. If the sink you have is relatively square (or a very small radius), the new sink may have to have a similar radius to cover. The last thing you want to see after buying a new sink and hiring a plumber to install it; are spaces in the countertop at each corner because the new sink did not cover the entire hole from the original sink.
In any construction project, and especially here, the "measure twice, cut once" theory definitely applies.
I hope this will be of some help. Thank you again for your question, and good luck with your project.
- Scott
PS - here is that Kohler link for their metal band sinks:
http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?from=thumb&frm=&module=Kitchen...
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