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Cast iron undermount farmhouse sink?

caligirl_cottage

16 years ago

So I asked earlier about why all the farmhouse sinks are in ss or fireclay, and I just found this Kohler undermount in a cast iron white enamel finish. So what's wrong with this picture? Is this a bad idea for some reason I'm not aware of? Also a good price at $953.00 for a 33" single bowl sink.

I've been nervous of the stories about fireclay cracking, so this would seem like a good option, but since it's such an unusual find, I'm wondering if there's a reason...

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler cast iron undermount apron front sink

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Comments (5)

plllog
16 years ago
I don't really know much about apron front sinks, but got a partial answer about sinks in general from the manager of a high end store. Kohlers, according to him, are one of the best brands of cast iron sinks. But the reason there are so few porcelain on cast iron sinks nowadays is that they consider the enamel ones to be "higher quality". Enamel is baked at a higher temperature, so has a harder finish and is less prone to staining. It supposedly doesn't mark as easily to begin with as well.

But what I don't get is why they see all these folks going for unsupported solid fireclay and don't get that we want ceramic sinks!

The thing about enamel is that it feels like a metal sink. It clanks :) I mean, if it's well insulated it won't clank during regular use, but if you knock on it it clanks. Porcelain, fireclay and the like clink. Big difference :) Porcelain over cast iron doesn't feel any different than fireclay (though some of the glazing feels different) but it's not nearly as prone to chipping and cracking because of the big heavy thick metal substrate :)
sjerin
16 years ago
As I understand it (and of course I could be off,) they're not allowed to use lead in the finish anymore, which makes it more prone to chipping and peeling. Perhaps you can check this out with someone who is not selling the sinks.
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This is an old thread so not sure these folks are around anymore--you may have better luck posting a new question--but we have a Cape Dory that we put in about 12 years ago using the Kohler mounting kit. We did not reinforce it otherwise, though our cabinets have very solid plywood boxes. Our plumber installed the sink but we did the mounting kit piece since he hadn't used it before. There are also some options for third party straps that will work too--someone with more familiarity with those may be able to recommend one for the Irontones sink. We just used the Kohler kit because it's what we knew about and Kohler stood behind it in case anything went sideways, but it's been trouble-free. We wanted to be able to remove and replace the sink from below if needed without removing the counters, though happily have never needed to do this. We don't have quartz counters (ours are soapstone) but not sure that would make much difference since the counters sit on top of it.
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Can you explain what you meant by "Because of the width and length of the kitchen, I have opted to do an undermount sink instead of a farmhouse"? Does that mean that you think an apron front sink's size is an issue? You can get an apron front sink with a more farmhouse/traditional feel in several widths if your comment meant that size was a concern. I am thinking specifically of the Kohler Whitehaven sink which is enameled cast iron, and comes in 30", 33", and 36" widths. Furthermore, the Whitehaven apron front sink comes in both the traditional/typical apron sink height, as well as a shallower apron height for a less massive look. The corner drain also is great. I've had stainless steel sinks in past homes, and didn't like the scratches, water spots, and that it never again looked sparkly after about the first week or two. Kohler Whitehaven sink line
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Any of those will work, if they have experience with building a cast iron cradle. But if the stine folks wont do this, the tops need to come off, and the sink installed, BEFORE the counter is templated. Otherwise the cut risks being off.
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It is definitely a trend now. Which means that it almost inevitably will be uncool in 5 years You are wrong. Apron front sinks have been in kitchens since the 1800s. Saying it "inevitably will be uncool in 5 years" means you are not knowledgeable about kitchen design over the decades. "either a Shaw style enamel or one that is fabricated from the counter material... negative reviews of Shaw farmhouse sinks here - that they craze after a period of time, for instance, and that the sizing isn't uniform." You are correct that there are many reports of fireclay sinks (not just Shaw's) that craze and/or have uneven sizing due to how fireclay is made. I suggest you consider a stainless steel apron front sink where you won't have to worry about that, nor about pouring boiling water into it (isn't that a standard job of a sink? Yet some sinks will crack from thermal shock with boiling water). A stainless steel apron front sink is an easier installation too because it is lighter weight than the very heavy fireclay or enameled cast iron, and its dimensions are exact which fireclay's is not. If you change your mind to a stainless steel apron front sink, both Kohler and Elkay Crosstown make good ones. Elkay has a very flat apron which solves your issue of the protrusion of the sink will be (though I think you are overthinking, as this is not an issue - there are millions of apron front sinks in small kitchens). If you think that stainless steel can only go into a contemporary kitchen, that is not the case:
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caligirl_cottage
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the responses, but I think I'm still confused. If I don't mind that "clank" sound (which I never noticed with my other enamel sink), are they more durable or less durable than fireclay? I guess that's my bottom line; if I can get something that I don't have to worry about cracking, and it's the same or lower cost, what's the downside?
User
8 years ago
caligirl_cottage, curious to know what you decided in the end. Not sure if I'll get a reply since this almost a decade old thread. :)
banana suit
8 years ago
Do you cook with a lot of cast iron or other heavy pans? We do and I have a tendency to drop things so we decided to go with the cast iron kohler and a sink grid.

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