Stainless steel sinks offer a complementary look for quartz countertops and can bring out different colors and patterns in the natural stone. Stainless steel is durable and water-resistant. It's also easy to clean and lends an industrial, urban visual to your bathroom space.
There are two ways to install a sink with a quartz countertop. The conventional way is to mount it with its edge sitting on top of the countertop surface. This is referred to as an overmount sink. The alternative is to install a sink below the countertop, known as an undermount sink.
Yes, composite sinks can withstand boiling water. There is no issue with pouring hot water down a granite, quartz, or solid surface sink.
There are five common types of mounting installation options for a sink into your quartz countertop: drop-in, undermount (Zero Reveal, Positive Reveal and Negative Reveal) and farmhouse sink.
If you prioritize style, sound absorption, and a luxurious look, a quartz sink might be the best option for you. On the other hand, if you value durability, versatility, and a more affordable price point, a stainless steel sink could be the way to go.
1. Stainless Steel. When choosing your kitchen sink, you pretty much can't go wrong with stainless steel. This top kitchen sink material is extremely durable and able to withstand heavy drops from pots and pans while also resisting scratches from sharp knives and utensils.
Durability: This is a necessity in any kitchen sink. A quartz sink is long-lasting and strong, and it holds up well against scratches and chipping. It is also heat and stain-resistant.
Some say drop-in is generally the best option because it's easier to access all parts of the sink for cleaning. However, both types of sinks tend to accumulate grime along the caulk line where the sink meets the counter. Where an undermount sink rim and counter meet, the caulked gap can be trickier to clean.
Quartz is incredibly durable and is heat, scratch and stain resistant — ensuring it looks good for many years. Given the higher performance of these sinks, they generally also come with longer warranties. For example, the new range of quartz sinks from Hafele come with a 20-year warranty on manufacturing defects.
Rimmed sinks work well with all countertops. Whether you have a granite, marble, or soapstone countertop, a drop-in sink will go in without any hiccups. Undermount sinks, on the other hand, work well with all countertop materials except custom tile and laminate tops.
Quartz countertops are made with up to 90% quartz. The rest of the material is pigments and resin. Since the resin can only withstand approximately 150 degrees, placing very hot materials such as a pan directly out of the oven will burn the countertop and cause permanent damage.
Quartz countertops are non-porous, making them resistant to bacteria and staining. For this reason, harsh cleaners like bleach aren't required. In reality, bleach can damage the surface of your quartz or cause permanent discoloration to the slab.
The lack of a visible lip with an undermount sink makes it quite a bit easier to clean your counters; you can sweep any debris from your counters right into the sink. However, top mount sinks are the simplest of the two types of sink to keep clean themselves.
Pros of an Undermount Sink
Undermount sinks are: Easy to clean: Countertop cleanup is more streamlined with undermount sinks since you can wipe any spills or crumbs directly into the sink. Highly durable: Undermount sink types can be worth the price for their durability and quick countertop cleanup.
Because quartz composite sinks are not the same as solid quartz stone sinks, they don't deliver the same variation in pattern, shine (available in matte finish only), and color as natural stone sinks. Additionally, quartz sinks can be hard on dropped dishes, so be careful when you wash your fragile glasses or china!
Do you want it to last without spending a lot of time on countertop maintenance? Quartz is a great material but has its drawbacks, including being difficult to install, expensive, vulnerable to heat and having visible seams. Evaluate its pros and cons to make an informed purchase.
Your Karran quartz sink is produced from the highest quality natural quartz crystals and acrylic resins. With the right care it will last a lifetime. Cleaning and caring for your quartz sink is easy.
Since undermount sinks to not have anything above the counter to help carry their weight, they need more support. They also need more solid countertops that don't suffer easily from water damage. This often makes them a more expensive sink than other options and also makes installation more difficult.
An undermount kitchen sink is easier to clean. Since your countertops are below your sink, there will be little need for scrubbing them. You will also have less counter space, so cleaning will take less time. With less counter space, you will also have less waste from pans and pots.
The undermount sink is the more expensive alternative and will also cost more install. Undermount sinks are made to different specifications due to the intricacies of their installation requirements, making them a pricier option.
Granite is more porous than quartz. However, this doesn't necessarily mean it will last longer than a quartz sink. Granite's porosity means it has a higher absorption rate, allowing spilled drinks or food pieces to seep into the material and cause it to stain and wear down faster.
While quartz is scratch-resistant, materials harder than quartz can scratch it. For example, the bottom of some ceramic dishes may be abrasive enough to inflict minor damage to the surface.
It's bacteria-free, non-porous, very resilient, and non-porous. Consequently, it will need less maintenance and upkeep than granite. However, the look of quartz is uniform and although it imitates natural stones, it comes in well-established colors and designs.