Daniel Boulton, Business & Product Development Manager at Clearwater, explains the enduring popularity of stainless steel sinks.
The kitchen sink is an under-rated workhorse – a staple part of the room’s make-up that these days needs not just to perform functionally, but style-wise too. Extremely durable and highly versatile, there’s small wonder that stainless steel remains the most popular material in kitchen sink manufacture and sales. For the end user, this is a material that matches seamlessly with virtually any décor, while for installers, stainless steel is usually the cheapest of all the materials available too. With a range of installation options available too, including inset, undermount, apron-fronted and lay-on, the versatility of stainless-steel stretches way beyond its looks.
It’s not difficult to realise why stainless steel remains the most popular medium for kitchen sink production. It’s heat resistant, so hot pans can rest on the sink directly from the stove; it’s a non-porous surface that is easy to keep clean, so subsequently more hygienic; and it’s the most forgiving material for impact.
An attractive option for the end user then, but stainless steel is also packed with benefits for the builder. It’s a material you’ll already be familiar with, so you know what you’re getting straight out of the box. This is particularly handy when time is of the essence and you’ve got multiple kitchens to fit out on a single development on a predictably tight turnaround. The lightness of the material when compared to materials like ceramic make stainless steel sinks much easier to install, and they tend to have fewer mounting clips, saving time.
Installing with ease
Because the material has been used for sink manufacture for so long, manufacturers have had time to hone their techniques too, with insight into installation challenges provided in feedback from customers being used to introduce innovation and clever solutions that make the job of the installer that bit easier still.
Inset, or surface-mounted kitchen sinks are by far the most common in UK kitchens. The raised lip around the outside makes them extremely easy to install. Simply drop the sink into a hole cut into the countertop and seal. As with all good things though, this does have its downside and for the installer in a hurry that can be ensuring the sealing is neat for a quality finish. Enter Clearwater stainless steels – with a pre–fitted seal which speeds up the installation process and makes it a cleaner job, not having to use silicone around the sink that can get on to the worksurface. This inventive feature can be found on most stainless sinks in our range, including Solar, an elegant sink range with sharp corners, symmetrical draining flutes and robust engineering ensuring ease of installation and enduring good looks.
This kind of ingenuity is one of many reasons why stainless-steel remains the premium material choice for kitchen sinks – it’s a material that just keeps on giving. If well looked after stainless-steel sinks can last for decades of course, so once installed you should have happy customers and no complaints.
Installation
The Clearwater Solar sink features a pre–fitted seal which speeds up the installation process and makes it a cleaner job, not having to use silicone around the sink that can get on to the worksurface.
Solar from Clearwater Products is an elegant sink range with sharp corners, symmetrical draining flutes and robust engineering ensuring ease of installation and enduring good looks. Combined on this installation with the Clearwater Rocco tap in brushed nickel.
Monza from Clearwater Products stainless sink is designed to be inset into any worktop, with a pre-fitted seal making seamless installation and a water-tight finish simple. With reversible handing available on the single and 1.5 bowl options, Monza is a versatile choice that can be used flexibly in any setting.
For further information on Clearwater Products visit Home | Sterling (sterlingdistribution.co.uk).
