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advantages of a farmhouse sink

13 years ago

I was curious whether the choosing a farmhouse sink with its front apron is purely a style choice, or does the apron serve to help keep water drips from damaging the cabinets doors below?

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steff_1

13 years ago

I loved the look of it first. On the practical side, it's nice and big and open in the front. So much better than the old cast iron double bowl. Mine has a thick front lip so it doesn't drip.

There have been threads about problems with drips over the front of some apron sinks. Some apron sinks need a drip rail below them to protect the cabinet doors.

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Comments (7)

bostonpam
13 years ago
I don't notice drips but I haven't been looking closely. What I really like is having the sink so close to me. My sister loved it when she was pregnant. In her sink she had to lean over so much and had a back ache. I also like that I have more room behind the faucet.
allnewappliances
13 years ago
I'm not sure about the advantages of it, I honestly got the Shaw farm sink b/c I love the look of it. When we first thought about the kitchen remodel, that was one of the first things I knew I wanted.
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I’ve had a 30” Shaw at a second home for 10 years and still love it but decided on the 33” Kohler Whitehaven for our new kitchen reno at home - it was such a price difference and looked so similar. I actually like it better! I especially like the slight slant of the bottom to the offset drain. Much easier to rinse scraps into the disposal. It’s still new but it does seems like the Kohler finish is easier to keep clean. We removed the Kohler logo (which was crooked anyway) so it’s just all white and looks great!
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Will a Farmhouse Sink fit in an Ikea Akrum 30" Sink Cabinet?
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Yes, I realize that. I meant here on the Houzz site - or perhaps on the IKEA Hacker's site. It would be great to see exactly how to adjust the non-apron sink cabinet to fit an apron sink. We have to do it nonetheless, so I might take pictures and post if I can't find anything else. Our sink is not as heavy as the 30" sink inserted into into a 30" cabinet, so the framing requirements should not be as stringent. Plus, the methodology there was to combine two cabinets together.
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Who has Ikea's farmhouse sink? (or farmhouse sinks in general)
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As far as I can tell, the nig bummer is that its meant to be a partial overmount with a flatish lip that goes over the counter. Unless you caulk well while installing, its moldville under that lip. I like that it's easy to clean and it always looks white. We got a third party grid that helps to keep pot marks away. The LACK of depth is a relief, I like the sink around 8 inches deep. If she uses 1/2 sheet pans frequently, she needs a different sink as this one will not fit those size things. I have a two burner pancake griddle - the cheap non-stick, for home use kind - and it won't fit that. It can sit on the top, and the front and back handles will rest on the sides - so I can still clean the pan. It will fit a regular roasting pan. The other two things that I don't like about the sink is the faucet is very far back (23" or so) in comparison to 19-21" for most undermounts. It acts funny if its filled with ice - just like a glass of iced tea, it will form condensate on the underside of the sink. I imagine that varies with where you live. I will get you a trash pullout picture soon.
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Oh no sink base too small for farmhouse sink
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Most farmhouse sinks require a special cabinet with shortened doors like in the picture above. If you have the special sink base cabinet - no problem. For remodels that are keeping the cabinets like I did, Kohler makes two apron front sinks in a "short apron" style which can be installed on a standard sink base. The shorter apron does not interfere with the doors on a standard cabinet sink base. Mine is in my "my pics" idea book. If you are using your old cabinets, make sure you ordered the "short apron" style of the Whitehaven. If you are getting new cabinets and specified a sink base for a farmhouse sink, order the standard Whitehaven which has the longer apron front - I think 9 inches rather than the short apron which is 7 inches. (I think those are the dimensions.)
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friedajune
13 years ago
Other than the pretty appearance, one advantage of an apron front sink (whether made of fireclay, stainless steel, soapstone, copper, etc.) is ergonomic. As Bostonpam noted above, your body is directly against the sink. Versus an undermounted sink where there is 4-5" of countertop between your body and the sink. Those inches create a slight lean to your body when working at the sink. Some people with back problems have found it to be a strain on the back if working at an undermounted sink for longer times. But an apron front sink will not have that issue.

One slight disadvantage to an apron front fireclay sink is that it is more difficult to install for your contractor. Sometimes the dimensions aren't perfectly even for fireclay and it is more difficult therefore to scribe the countertop around it. Not the end of the world by any means, as can be seen by the many beautifully installed apron front fireclay sinks on this forum. But your contractor needs to be experienced with its installation.
sayde
13 years ago
My Shaw's sink is not fully installed yet but is placed into the counter. I can tell that I am going to love having it close and I love having the single after having had a double. But one caution --my DH and I have already seen that when we are standing in front of it our belt buckles rub right on the outside of the sink. We are going to have to be careful to tuck a towel in there. Anyone else notice this when using the sink?
remodelfla
13 years ago
Dress schlepy like me sayde! It's all about the shorts, tank tops and flip flops... then you don't have to worry about belt buckles!
sombreuil_mongrel
13 years ago
I like that there's no counter lip to reach over; the sink is right there.
The surface finish is very tough, impervious to staining, and hasn't chipped yet for me (Installed 1/07)
Casey

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