Is There a Standard Sink Size?
Your sink size ultimately comes down to personal choice and external factors such as usage, price, and design. It must complement your kitchen settings and leave enough room to move around and do other chores. However, there are more common sizes available in the market across all brands ranging from 450mm to 900mm in length. You have the choice of single bowl or double bowl sink. You can choose to have a draining board or without. Wondering why it is important, and what is the standard size of a kitchen sink? Read the article to find out.
How Can You Pick the Right Size?
To pick the right size sink for your kitchen, you need to invest time into knowing what is available in the market today. What was trending 10 years or even 5 years ago, will be completely different from what is out now. Not only have the styles and designs changed but the new sink technology and colour ranges will blow your mind when comparing. The ranges and options you have are long. You have the options of having a double bowl, single bowl, single bowl with 1/4 bowl, with or without drainboard, different depths, different sizes and shapes like square basins or round sink, colour choices and the list goes on. Once you have had a look around online or in-store, keep in mind these key factors below, once you have answered and ticked off these points, you should have a clear understanding of what type, style, and size will be right for you.
SPACE: Look at your kitchen and think about the layout, where the sink is located? Is it on the counter or island? How big is this area? Do you have a small kitchen? Consider the countertop space. To achieve an appealing design there should be a balance between the size of the countertop space, your kitchen sink, as well space for your faucet. Not only to maximise functionality for the space but to obtain the design style you desire. Also, consider where your kitchen cabinets are. It is always good for functionality purposes to have them close to your kitchen sink, especially when you are washing dishes and putting them away in the kitchen cabinets.
INSTALLATIONS: There are three options on how you can install your new kitchen sink. There is topmount, undermount, and flush mount. Topmount or otherwise known as a drop-in sink is when you have your sink sitting on top of the bench. The lip/edge of the sink is displayed. This method is easy to install and remove if you ever wanted to upgrade your sink.
Image Source: S. Ungermann
Undermount sinks sit under your benchtop, this allows you to showcase your bench and have a seamless and modern design. However, this is a harder installation process and could be more costly to install. Not to mention if you ever need to replace your sink you would have a much harder process to do and can be costly.
Flush mount is a highly difficult installation process for your stonemason, as they would have to have all the measurements correctly cut out to have the lip of your sink sit and have it be flush to the bench. So when you run your fingers across from the lip to the benchtop is seamless and is like one piece. You need to be aware of these methods as some sinks are limited to a certain type of installation when factoring in your budget they can vary in cost to install.
USAGE: Simple question, how do you use your sink? Will it be used more for food preparation? Will you use it more to wash large pots and pans? Understanding how and what you mainly use your kitchen sink for will allow you to decide what style and size is right for your kitchen space. As this can help you break down the selection process, big pots and pans can equal a large single sink bowl. Taking the time to think about this answer can assist you in your design and apply a more functional kitchen space that will fit your needs. Not to mention it could end up saving money as you're wasting your money on accessories you don't use or having to replace the sink completely because it is not the style you needed.
COLOUR: There are so many new sink designs out on the market these days, the trend lately has been adding a statement look with coloured sinks and matching tap wear. Deciding if you want a coloured sink early will save you so much time for a few reasons, firstly there are limited style ranges out in the market compared to the traditional stainless steel. Having a limited selection also translates a direct impact to your sink size, again for the reason being there will be only selected sizes available. Coloured sinks can be more expensive, so keeping that in mind so you don't waste time exploring this option if from the start you knew it might not work within your set budget. Knowing early on in the planning stage will help inform you if you can get a coloured sink size that fits in your design and also saves time looking at options that don't apply to you.
Image Source: Buildmat
STYLE: When referring to the style of a sink this is talking about the design and look of the sink. We have come a long way in the designs and styles available in today's market. The norm was one sink bowl and your selection was the size. Nowadays the options available is extensive, not only do you have choices in configurations there are colour and material options. Single bowl vs double bowl? With draining board or without? Farmhouse sink? There are so many variations out in the market. It reflects a personal choice of what you like, what you think would look good in your kitchen yet also fulfills its functional purpose.
Choosing a Kitchen Sink
Now you have taken the time to understand how you use your kitchen sink, the design styling, and determine the colour you want. It's time to talk to your builder/ kitchen maker. Through their experience and expert knowledge, they are a helpful tool to give you useful information, insight, and direction. Having this discussion with them will concert your understanding and ensure your decision is right for you. You will gather ideas of what the market has to offer, where to look for your products and what pro tips to be looking out for. They can educate you on installation methods like undermount sink or topmount, these are other factors that will affect your decision of what sink and sink size you need. When it comes to the size of your kitchen sink, there is no rule or standard size.
Is there a standard sink size for a laundry sink?
Due to the multifunctional use of laundry sinks, their average size is usually wider and deeper than kitchen sinks. They average at around 510mm to 600mm in length and 450mm to 500mm in width. They typically have a bowl capacity range of 30L, 40L, 45L, and 70L for a larger one. Choosing the right size all depends on your laundry sink needs and the size of your laundry room and countertop space.
Image Source: Z. Gudakov
How Can You Pick the Right Size?
Like your kitchen sink, it’s important to consider how you plan to use your laundry sink when choosing its size. If you plan on only using your laundry sink for occasionally hand-washing fragile clothes, consider a 30L or a 40L single-bowl sink. But if you intend on using it to wash your dogs or have a large household, then a large single-bowl sink with a 70L capacity may be needed. Although take into account the depth and height of your countertop to where the sink will sit, since deeper sinks tend will have you reaching down more and could be detrimental for your back health.
One thing to note is that it is uncommon for laundry rooms to have a double-bowl sink because it takes a lot of counter space along with the fact that there aren't many double-bowl sinks designed for the laundry that is currently on the market. We recommend choosing a larger sink if you were wanting more sink space instead.
SPACE: Another consideration before installing your laundry sink would be to note the space availability in your laundry room. Some laundry rooms have enough space to include a countertop for folding clothes and storage, which is where the laundry sink can be installed into. In this instance, determining the size of your laundry sink would also be dependent on the size of your countertop.
Installation methods would be similar to kitchen sink installations, where you have the choice of undermount, topmount, and flush mount. Just make sure you research which installation method is the best choice for the material of your countertop or have a chat with your builder about it. If you were wanting an apron-front/farmhouse sink style for your laundry, make sure to buy a sink with that particular style of installation. Also, try to place your sink as close to your washer as possible to limit water leakage when transferring clothes.
Other laundry rooms that have less space could mean that having a separate free-standing laundry unit would be the most ideal. For this option, you have to take into account the space of where you want to have the laundry unit be placed to determine the size of the sink unit. Another option you could do for smaller laundry rooms is to get a sink that can be wall-mounted to allow for extra storage space below.
Choose the size you'd like to use!
Being a new homeowner often raises questions regarding home appliances such as what the right or standard size for kitchen sinks and laundry sinks are. There is nothing that we'd consider as standard and we recommend choosing something that fits your personal needs.
Hopefully, this article has helped you learn of the common size ranges of kitchen and laundry sinks that you can choose from. It's all up to your functional needs and space availability to determine which sink is the right size for you. Don’t forget to pick one that complements the theme and style of your room!
Read More
Related Posts
