sinks, faucets and wood counters-- outta the box ideas?

5 years ago

I'm really thinking I want to do wood countertops, primarily because I just can't find any stone that I really love. I'm considering marble, but I'm afraid of stains. Etching I can deal with.

I've had wood counters before, except I haven't had to deal with them around a sink. I will have two sinks in my new kitchen so I'm really brainstorming options here. One of my sinks will be against a wall. I'm thinking I could do a wall mounted faucet and that might help with drips and splash? I also thought an apron front sink would minimize one edge of water touching. I came across these two ideas when digging around (see pictures) I like the idea of the inset marble piece in the first picture, but I'm wondering how large it would need to be proportionally to not be weird? My island is 8x5 so a big wide landing zone like this wouldn't work.

In the second pic, it looks like they just pulled the sink forward a bit to make a wider section behind for the marble inset for the faucet. Is that what I'm seeing? or do you think this is a narrow sink?

Got any other thoughts/ ideas?

Featured Answer

bbtrix

5 years ago

I wouldn’t be afraid of marble if you don’t mind etching. I’ve had mine over 4 years and no stains and minor, unnoticeable etching. I also have Walnut plank finished with Waterlox. No water damage! My DH made the counter and I finished it. That’s Danby marble on the perimeter.

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We also did an inexpensive birch counter from Menards in my DDs kitchen. It’s finished with one coat of Rubio Monocoat. It’s 2 years now with no water damage.

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Comments (13)

Zalco/bring back Sophie!
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Wooden counters are very common in the UK. No problem around sink. Of course you need to know what you are doing, but there is a way to get what you want.
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Marci thanked Zalco/bring back Sophie!
rainyseason
5 years ago
I have wood counters (ipe) and 3 sinks, two of which are undermount. Sealed with many coats of waterlox. It has lots of "patina" as despite the sealing, we could not keep it free of etching. There is no issue with water damage or rot at all. I really don't think there's much to worry about regarding the sink but rather whether you can tolerate a surface that will be imperfect with use. I know some people who installed inexpensive Ikea wood counters as a temporary fix as they couldn't agree on a granite. They ended up liking it so much they left it.
Marci thanked rainyseason
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skmom
5 years ago
I have a solid walnut island top with a prep sink. We used Waterlox on the walnut with extra coats around the sink edge and under the area where it mounts since it’s an undermount sink. Water damage just doesn’t happen with the Waterlox. (I also have two bathrooms with waterloxed walnut countertops, one is our much used powder room, the other is the bathroom my three teenaged boys all share.)
Marci
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Whoa! That's beautiful skmom!!

Who did the waterlox for you and made the island--a cabinet guy? My husband used waterlox on a project years ago, and it had pits and bubbles. I'm sure it was user error-- but I definitely wouldn't want him touching my counters!

Do you have much sheen on the wood?
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skmom
5 years ago
Should add: agreed with rainyseason... Waterlox isn’t a perfect solution for everything. I still get “patina” on the wood. The finish likes to get little scratches here and there, especially with the heavy use my kitchen counter gets. If you place a damp magazine or something on the wood, the print can transfer. It’s cleanable with a little elbow grease, it does come off without any damage, but that not a concern with other countertops. You can’t use bleach on a Waterlox finish, it reacts poorly with the Waterlox and things get cloudy. (My boys got some on their bathroom counter... so I know first hand... plus the manufacturer states you can’t use bleach on it. I’ll re-finish their vanity after they move out, LOL!) however, water damage is not something I’m at all concerned with. The water beads right up, it doesn’t even leave water rings or anything.
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skmom
5 years ago
Oh thank you Marci! Actually, my handy hubby designed and built all of the cabinetry in our kitchen, including the waterfall island top. I’m the one who always applies the Waterlox finish though... my hubby does any painting that uses a sprayer, he’s good with that. I do any painting that uses a brush, I do any polyurethane finishes, shellac finishes, and Waterlox finishes. That’s how we roll. LOL!
Marci
Original Author
5 years ago
That's very impressive skmom! We just don't have what it takes!
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skmom
5 years ago
Oh, I forgot to answer about the sheen... it’s really shiny at first, but with time it tones down. It’s not totally flat but it’s not super shiny anymore either. You can use the Waterlox original for most of the coats, and then use the satin sheen on it for the final coat (you’re not supposed to use the satin sheen for all if the coats, just the final coat) but I’ve never tried the satin sheen myself. I’d say with just the original with some time (a few months or so) it tones down to just a smidge shinier than a satin sheen anyways.
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Marci thanked skmom
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
I'd let edge grain wood tops at sinks suck down several coats of runny epoxy before any Waterlox.
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Nothing Left to Say
5 years ago
You could take a look at something like this (pricey) elkay sink.
Marci thanked Nothing Left to Say
Marci
Original Author
5 years ago
bbtrix- thanks for the thoughts and photos! Really beautiful combo of materials. I see too that you have the stages sink and Karbon faucet. I was wondering how you like them-- especially the faucet? We had the sink-- and I thought it was fantastic! But I had it paired with another faucet. Originally, I hadn't planned to reinstall in the sink in our (unexpected) remodel, but I can't find anything I like better. I'm thinking of giving the Karbon faucet a try this time.
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bbtrix
5 years ago
I love the faucet. It’s very different from a pull-down. I like the articulation and that I can position it and have it where I need it, leaving me hands free. It’s a milder spray than most pull downs I’ve seen but reaches all corners of the sink. The lifetime warranty is great too.
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sinks, faucets and wood counters-- outta the box ideas?

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Zalco/bring back Sophie!

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