Switching out a double sink for a single one is expensive, one way or the other
Q: We're looking to replace a double-bowl kitchen sink with a single-bowl sink. Ideally, we would swap out the old one for the new one, but as we look for new sinks, it seems that the sizes don't exactly match. And now I'm hearing (from a granite dealer) that the entire countertop might need to be replaced. The opening in the counter for the current sink is 8 28 ⅛ inches by 14 ⅞ inches. Must we replace the countertop, or is it possible to find a single bowl sink that can be used in this situation?
Ellicott City, Md.
A: You’re correct: Mass-market manufacturers don’t offer a single-bowl sink in the size you need, at least judging from what’s available online from numerous stores. But that doesn’t mean the sink you want isn’t available. It’s possible to have a custom sink made to fit the dimensions you need. Whether that will save money compared with buying a new countertop and sink depends on the size of your countertop and which material you choose to replace it. Calling a countertop company with your specifications would clear that up.
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Metal fabrication companies skilled in bending, welding and polishing sheet metal make custom sinks from stainless steel, copper, zinc, pewter, brass or bronze. The full range of style options is available: under-mount, drop-in, flush mount and farmhouse-style, including with elaborately decorated aprons. You also decide the position of the drain and any faucet cutouts and the bowl depth. And you have options for the finish of the metal — polished, hammered, rustic, etc., although with stainless steel sinks, you probably get just a few options.
(In your case, you need gently rounded corners on the sink to match the cutout in your countertop. But if you were starting from scratch, you would also have the option of tighter-radius corners for a more rectangular sink. If you were starting from scratch and wanted a farmhouse sink, you could choose an elaborately decorated apron with embossing or a woven design. You could have a matching backsplash or a backsplash that joins seamlessly to the sink, or an integral drain board.)
David Bentz, whose Handcrafted Metal company in Austin (800-755-0310; handcraftedmetal.com) has been making custom sinks for 25 years, said most people who order custom replacement sinks are looking to switch out badly worn or damaged sinks, or, like you, they’re hoping to switch from a double sink to a single. “Then they find that the company does not make an exact single-bowl sink the same size. I get that over and over. ‘I had this divider. I want one big sink so I can put my turkey in it.’”
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If a customer has a model number for an existing sink, Bentz can usually track down spec sheets and drawings as a starting point for a new sink. If a customer doesn’t have that, he suggests they make a template. “The best way is to tape craft paper over the opening and then carefully run a razor blade around the opening, using the stone as a guide,” he said. He then makes a template from the paper and sends it back so the customer can check the fit and make any notes, such as “add one-sixteenth inch here.”
Once the design is set, his crew cuts the pieces from flat sheets of metal, bends them, welds all the joints, then grinds the welds smooth and polishes the surface. With stainless steel sinks, he offers two options: straight-line grain, which mimics the finish often used on refrigerators and dishwashers, or matte, which has fine grain lines that aren’t in a specific direction. Bentz said many customers say the matte finish is less prone to showing fingerprints. “It’s kind of what an old stainless finish winds up being anyway,” he said.
Bentz’s typical cost for a custom, single-bowl sink is about $2,800 including delivery, he said. Complex custom sinks with multiple compartments can run up to $4,500. The company uses 14-gauge stainless steel, which is 25 percent thicker than the 16-gauge stainless touted by manufacturers of some high-end mass-manufactured sinks and about twice as thick as the 20-gauge stainless steel sinks that command the lowest prices at home centers.
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