The top-mounted kitchen sink has been around forever. The most recognisable and most used type of sink in the home decoration universe, it has survived generations without much need for change. With the advent of undermount sinks growing in popularity we’re going to take a look at the main player in sink styles to see just how it’s retained record popularity across generations.
Top Mounted Sinks Support A Range Of Materials
While undermounted sinks can only be made of certain materials due to the relative strength of the mounting process, top-mounts can be made from anything you like. The lip that sits on top of the counter takes a lot of the strain away from the precisely placed clips of undermounted sinks. This means that heavier materials like stone can sit in the cutout and be filled with water without collapsing the cabinet beneath it. Naturally this leads to more styles choices when it comes to the top-mount. It can also be placed on any type of kitchen counter – any MDF-based counters aren’t recommended to hold undermounts.
This Style Of Kitchen Sink Is Easy To Install
With most home installation projects the general consensus is to leave any potential DIY disaster to a professional who knows what they are doing. However, it is so simple to install a top-mount sink that any homeowner should be able to do it themselves. All it takes to install is a layer of caulk inside the perimeter of the lip, pop the sink through the counter cutout on top of it and clip it into place from below. Undermount sinks are much more fiddly and delicate to install so it’s best to leave those to the proper workers.
It’s Cheap
Near the top of anyone’s list of requirements for any product is that it’s good value for money. Because of its heritage as the oldest game in town the top-mount sink has been refined and perfected over the years to maximize cost-effectiveness. Not only are the material and manufacturing costs less than an undermount sink but if you install a top-mount yourself you can save yourself another pretty penny. As we’ve stated the installation of an undermount sink is too risky to attempt without professional knowledge.
Classic and Lasting Style
For most people the image of an undermount sink is a much cleaner and more modern one than the top-mount. A lot of us refer back to our parent’s home or our first starter apartment and the chunky stainless steel top-mounted sinks they had. As times and other types of sink have changed, however, so too have top-mounted sinks. They are now available in slimmer, low profile styles that fit into a 2020 kitchen just as well as an undermount.
Everything and the kitchen sink have been thrown at the top-mount to dislodge it from the top spot. The simplicity and functionality of this design makes it difficult to see anything coming along that is more effective at the job. Before you consider a flash-in-the-pan trend take a look at the original.