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Soapstone sink - five slab vs. carved

13 years ago

Hi Everyone

I'm new to this forum and just have to say what a great resource this is! My first stop for any question I have is googling 'gardenweb' and the topic. Thanks!

We're going with soapstone countertops and sink. Re the sink, we are going with a 30" one bowl apron, but can do either the five slab, or the carved. Most pictures I've seen seem to be the five slab variety. I know normally the carved is much more expensive, but because the dealer isn't carrying the carved anymore, they will sell the last one to us for only $150 more. It has the drain in the centre, but if we go with the five slab, we can have the drain offset -- which I'm thinking is a good idea.

Would love to hear your opinions on which is better.

Comments (7)

User
13 years ago
I have a slab and my mom has a carved soapstone sink, both from Bucks County Soapstone. The carved one is not only much prettier but is also MUCH easier to clean with the rounded corners. It is one of my bigger regrets that I didn't choose the carved one when I was trying to fit everything in my budget.

If you can afford it, the carved one is worth it, especially at that price.
portland_renovation
13 years ago
I've heard the same thing about the carved vs. slab -- that things tend to collect in the seams, so the slab sinks are harder to clean out. It takes a lot more material to make a carved sink, thus the extra expense and relative rarity.
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Wow, what a lot to think about. florida_joshua - I'm happy to see you chime in here. I've read so many of your posts regarding SS. I'm curious as to what you mean when you say that the less talc, the less like soapstone it is. What properties am I giving up by going with the harder stone? Will it be shinier, like a granite? Here's a photo of one of the Anasazi slabs they will be getting in: As far as sink construction, the only thing I know for sure is that the bottom is fabricated to slope towards the drain and that the seams are seamed together using epoxy. I will definitely ask about how the joints are made. I've included a link below that shows photos of their sinks. I don't know if you can tell about the quality from the photos, but I thought I'd put it out there... palimpsest - thanks for your honest opinion about your sink. Our home is only 12 years old, so your comment about the feel of the house makes me wonder if I need to go with the SS. lithigin - the thought of the gunk has me questioning if this is the best choice too. They ARE beautiful...*sigh* What to do, what to do? Here is a link that might be useful: Soapstone Sink Photos
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Hi- We have soapstone countertops, but no soapstone sink. I went with a silgranit sink (Blanco) because I knew I didn't want stainless, and at the time I was choosing sinks I didn't really consider getting a soapstone one (I'm not sure why). We've only had our countertops since the end of July, and have really only been using the kitchen completely for about 2 weeks. Sometimes I wish I had gotten a soapstone sink, because they are sooooo beautiful and I think the idea of having integral runnels on the side of the countertop is such a great idea. But-I think I'm glad I didn't go that route, mainly because I'm clumsy, I bang things around in the sink a lot, and I think I would be making lots of little nicks and chips. Our soapstone is sort of middle of the road with respect to hardness, as far as I can tell, but I think I would have driven myself (and DH) crazy if the sink were also soapstone. But that's just me. I do LOVE the countertops, though. HTH
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jacduf
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the info. Cleo, does your mom have a centre drain in hers, and if so can she still put a drain rack on one side? Did you do an offset in yours, and do you like that?
User
13 years ago
Yes, my mom and I both have center drains. We both have runnels so we don't use dish racks.

I think my mom's 27 inch carved sink was almost $2500 whereas mine was $999. You would be getting a major deal if you were paying only $150 more.

On the other hand, an offset drain would be nice for the space under the sink too. Sorry I can't be of more help.
sabjimata
13 years ago
I had a slab sink and am getting another. The reason being that I want a really big sink. If you can get a carved sink in the size you want, and the price is right, I would say go for it!
jacduf
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks everyone for the input. Just called to arrange a time to actually see the carved sink and found it had sold, so decision made, I'm going if the slab. Now I just have to decide whether or not to offset the drain....
jeri
13 years ago
We had a center drain in our last kitchen and this worked very well. We were able to have a full size disposal and turn both of the door fronts into pullouts that each held a tall kitchen trash can. If we didnÂt have a center drain, then this would not have been possible. DH did have to plumb it right to free up all that space, but if you plan for that going in, it should not be a problem. The kitchen we are in now has a 48" triple sink Â but the plumbing is all over the place so it is all wasted space which is sad.

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