Just make sure you pull it as far forward as you can and pick a faucet with a good reach so that you aren't bending to wash you hands or anything you hold under the water stream.

kippee - we have a 9" deep apron front undermounted. Our counters are just a hair under 36", so adding the countertop, that puts the bottom of my sink at about 26" off the floor. We also have the Delta Victorian faucet which has a 9" reach.

Long story short, I do wish the bottom of my sink were an inch or two higher.

lascatx, how far forward does your faucet extend? How deep is your sink? My current sink is a kohler cast iron 9" drop in and the depth works well. My DH suggested we keep the sink while going with marble countertops since my back doesn't bother me at this sink, but the undermount looks so much better. I just wonder if I am making a mistake.
Alice462, do you use a grid in the sink?

My sink is 10" deep undermounted below a 3cm slab and my pull down faucet is about a 10" reach. I also pulled my sink to the front of the cabinet.

Hi,
I've just spent a couple of hours perusing plumbing web sites. I, too, am concerned about reaching into a very deep sink. I came upon the Whitehaus WCUS-2918REC single basin stainless steel sink from FaucetDirect. (This is 30 1/2" wide - I'm not sure what width you want.) The depth is 8 1/2" which seems like a reasonable height to me. If you add the countertop, the cavity becomes at least 9 1/2" deep. Anyway, this may be of no help at all to you, but perhaps it will help someone!
Good luck,
Rose

I think it's important to address this question to those who already have lower back pain, as those who don't may not ever get it, no matter how low the sink. When we thought we were redoing our kitchen, I quickly realized I could not have a deep sink as I KNOW it would give me great pain to reach dishes sitting on the bottom.

I have a 8" sink that is soon to be placed w/ SS 8" sink. And yes, it does bother my back from leaning over. Now I see the above post from neilar & am worried when the granite is put in it is even going to be lower, if I understand correctly?

I had to get a new extended reach faucet in my last kitchen because I went too deep (and too far back) with the sink. The depth didn't bother me after that, but I'm certainly keeping it in mind with this remodel.

Funny how these things bother people of different heights differently though. I don't think the depth bothered me, but the reach sure did. I'm 5'1", with proportionate arms. :)

I've had problems with my lower back -- even more from my upper back and neck and bending, reaching, etc. I read things that said you should be able to put your knuckles or palms on the bottom of the sink without bending. That's ridiculous! I am tall and have long arms, but that would leave me with a drain just below my counters if I went with palms -- a sink maybe 3-4 inches deep if I went with knuckles. I'd need to install a floor drain and get waders for dish washing to handle all the splashing.

Think about how you use your sink. Yes, you need to be able to reach the bottom if you have a roasting pan you need to soak and scrub, but most of my time is spent with things held well above the bottom of the sink -- rinsing and scraping. That's where you want your greatest comfort zone to be. The reach of your faucet and the depth (front to back) of your sink need to work together to allow you that comfort in working as well as making sure that large pots are not too far forward (splashing you) or too far back (banging the back of the sink) and making it hard to wash those things generally hand washed. You want to make sure you have room to turn and rinse all sides easily. That's a function of height and reach.

Some people use grates as a means of raising the work level of their deep sink. Added bonus of also being a drain rack for large pans.

Maybe the sink designers need to come up with a farmhouse style sink that has a raised topmount the way some bath sinks are now. That would create a deep sink with a bottom that's a couple inches higher off the floor.

We ordered a custom depth sink just for this reason -- we wanted a corner mounted drain in a large single sink. But the only options were either too deep or too shallow. Custom cost us about $300 more...

I have lower back issues an this was a big concern for me. I went with a 10" deep sink undermounted on 3cm stone, pulled as far forward as possible with a grid on the bottom.

However, the key I found to my comfort was the faucet. The reach is extra important for the rinsing/scraping. So, I got the Kohler Vinnata (never would have considered this for my smaller kitchen cause it seems so huge) because, you can angle the pulldown head to spray more toward the front of the sink (like the old aerators on faucets). This feature was key! I love the faucet and it doesn't look as huge as I had feared! It has saved my back and I don't mind doing dishes as much as I used to.

In my 1990 remodel I yearned for a deep sink and got it along with a nice pullout spray faucet. The sink holds and hides everything you want it to, and it cleans up beautifully.

Then, or gradually, I developed osteoarthritis, and to make a long story short, I can't stand at the sink to work without unacceptable pain. My solution? Open the cabinet doors under the sink, borrow an office chair from another room, slide nearer, and sit to work at the sink.

It's dopey looking to have an (armless) office chair in my tiny kitchen, but it minimizes pain. I eventually bought an office chair expressly for the kitchen, and it stays in there, a visible signal of my love of cooking and my rotten back.

As I plan (and re-plan and re-plan) my remodel, I confront but can't decide on a solution. Shallower sink? Lowered countertops? Universal design principles? Many variables; no decision yet.

Good luck!

rc
in
VT

I've had mine for 5+ years and have not even had a twinge of back pain from it. I'm pretty tall, at 5'7", and it doesn't bother me to work at the sink.

I went from a 6 1/2" deep sink to a 10" deep sink, undermounted below a 3cm slab. I use a grid. My pullout faucet has a 9" reach. I'm 5'7" tall.

I'd say the new depth was noticable for about the first 2 weeks after the sink and faucet were installed (noticable, not painful). After that, I got used to it. I've had them for a year and have had no back pain. And wash a lot of dishes!

While researching sinks, I was concerned about back pain as well. I walked around a show room one day and pretended to wash dishes in all of the display sinks. I carried my measuring tape with me. DH thought I was nuts, but it eased my mind.

We currently have lowered countertops, about 34" high with a 10" topmount sink. I am 5'4" with lots of spinal issues and I hurt if standing for any length of time whether it is doing dishes or doing prep.

In our upcoming kitchen remodel, we decided that 36" high countertops with an 8" deep undermounted sink would be a good compromise for my taller husband and I. We are getting a faucet that has a single lever with 9" pullout spray to make it easy for both of us to use. My DH is a leftie while I am a rightie. Thanks for the tips on pulling the sink forward tho. We hadn't thought about doing that as well.

And Gardenburgher, I think you are a very smart woman! It is amazing how we choose things based on looks and sometimes cost but totally forget about seeing how practical it will be after it is installed in our home.

kippee - I do not use a grid in my sink, but may try that after reading more posts here. While I think the sink depth is a challenge, I agree with lascatx, the faucet is the greater issue -- the reach and the height of it are just not quite right.

I don't hide stuff in the sink. Stuff in the sink is a pain in the tochas to me. An empty sink is a happy sink!

I'm happy this topic came up. I do get some pain from the increased depth (5'7") even with a grate (1"). I also end up covered in water cause I'm pressed completely up against the edge of the cabinet. When doing pots, its just a little far down there and I would have been happier with a sink about 2" less deep (mine is nine inches). It must be partly arm length.

I lust after a sink that is completely out of my range - and kitchen space. It was designed by Mick De Giulio. Its HUGE, raised a few inches and has different sliding grids near the top. So you may want to consider an orca with a grid. The grid is only about 4 inches below the surface. Best of both worlds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deguilio signature collection

My SIL cautioned me on this after she chose the same sink model she'd had before but in an undermount version not drop-in. She's a few inches taller than me and said that it does make her back ache when she has to reach in or when she's lifting a large pot full of water.

I had planned to use the same model I currently have but now I'm hesitating. If I did this, I'd have one bowl 11 1/4" below the countertop as opposed to current 9 1/2" (10" deep bowl that sit 1/2" above countertop). The other bowl is about 2" shallower so this side won't be a problem. It's the almost 1' foot deep sink that gives me pause. I've already had my share of back problems, don't need to add to them but I'm not sure how this will affect me.

So many of the sinks I see are the same depths regardless of mount style. While I can understand this from manufacturers' point of view (fewer design modifications, reduced cost), it does mean that we consumers are often stuck.

Once again what I thought would be a simple decision has grown in scale. Oy. So I'm going to ask hubby to make me a 1 3/4" tall booster to put at the sink to test out whether that difference will be a problem. If so, then I need to keep on shopping. (I think shopping for a sink with a tape measure is *very smart*! 'Course I say that because I do it, too!).

Our farmhouse sink is in an area of the kitchen only used for cleanup and we raised our toekick to 6" along this run of cabinets so the counter is 38" high rather than 36". Thus, although the sink is deep in and of itself and the granite adds about 1-1/4" to that, it is a very comfortable depth for doing dishes. We also have a sink grid so that helps also. Long before I heard about Christopher Peacock this part of the kitchen was designated the "scullery" on our roughed out kitchen plan. It actually was supposed to be a separate walled off room at one point but my grown up children insisted that the entire kitchen should be open. Now that it is built I see that they are right, but I digress. I do agree with all who state that you need to think about your back and take into account your height but also your proportions (leg versus torso dimensions b/c some tall people have short legs and vice versa). I'm the family shrimp at what I say is 5'5" and if the bottom of our sink wasn't as high as it is with the 6" toe kick I know my back would be aching if I worked at this sink for any length of time. HTH.

flseadog-- could you post a picture of your sink area?

Perhaps it is more of an arm-length issue than a height issue. I'm 5'11" and I am prone to back pain, but my 10"-deep undermount sink beneath 3cm of counter doesn't bother me in the least. I do have really long arms, so perhaps that helps. I also don't handwash a lot of dishes, so I don't spend that much time bent over it.

We just completed our kitchen remodel. I've gotten the huge,single bowl, 10" deep, ss,undermounted (which makes it even deeper, sink I've always wanted. It doesn't cause me any back pain, but I think it's because I'm only 5' tall. A tall person would need to bend over to wash dishes in a deep sink.

In general, standing on an anti-fatigue mat while washing dishes may help with leg/back pain.

I would advise not to buy a tall goose neck style faucet, as it creates a great deal of splashing, even on a low stream. It looks great, but it's not worth getting soaked. I'll need to live with this for awhile.

Good luck.

We finished our remodel in May and since then there have been many times that I question if I should have gotten a deeper sink. Mine is about 8" and I have a grid on the bottom. I'm 5'7" and the current height is very comfortable but I think a deeper sink would have been better. Or...maybe I'm just an aggressive dish washer and would splash myself and others no matter what the depth of the sink. (I don't have a history of back pain.)

Yesterday I went to Ferguson's to check out sinks, particularly the cast iron Kohler executive chef sink. I really prefer cast iron and a 60/40 sink with an offset drain, which I currently have. The sink measured at 9 5/8 plus the counter as it is undermounted. Leaning in bothered my lower back (I do have back problems) and with my short arms, I could not touch the bottom of the sink. The shallower side was 8" and was fine. I have not found another cast iron sink with the offset drain (I will put garbage under the sink so need the space.) If I use the grid it would be somewhat better. Or, I can wash out the smaller, shallower section except for casserole platters. Do anyone know of other companies that make cast iron? American Standard didn't seem to have it either.

My answer to this is yes, based on my experience. lower sinks such as under mount farm house sinks will cause or make existing back pain much worse. Dont despair though….i set a dishpan in my large sink on a white frame that raises it about 4” - it is a bit of trouble but worth the painfree lower back. also uses less water and i store the pan and frame under the sink when not in use so its out of sight.

24 years ago I started designing sinks and made a horrible mistake in my own kitchen - 10" deep sinks. Wow, what a back ache for me and just about everyone that used them. I about 8 years ago changed them out to 8" deep and the back ache disappeared. I thought the sink was the only culprit and I discovered it was also the faucet. In studying ergonomics, the most comfortable position for a person is to be able to stand up straight while using the sink. No significant reaching or bending! A faucet with a long reach in the home position does the trick. The combination of a shallow sink and an extended reach faucet has alleviated the back ache issues of many of my customers based on their feedback.