Pros and Cons of a Composite Kitchen Sink
When you look to buy a composite kitchen sink you’ll find it is often cheaper than stainless steel and cast iron sinks. However, it would be prudent first to find out why it is the less costly choice and whether or not it is appropriate for your needs and your kitchen design, after all, the kitchen sink is the centerpiece of your kitchen.
A composite sink is man-made and, although there is a lot of confusion on the components of this composite material, basically, there are three general types of the composite kitchen sinks – granite composite, quartz composite and a variety of aggregate composites.
Outside of the composite material options, kitchen sinks are also available in stainless steel, cast iron, plastic, natural stone, and porcelain-covered steel. Steel is the most popular kitchen sink material. However, composite sinks have been growing in popularity mainly because of price considerations. Composite sinks are generally stain resistant and easy to clean and because they are not made of pure stone, they are much lighter than the natural stone granite material kitchen sink.
The obvious advantages of natural stone sinks are durability and aesthetic appeal. However, because they are made of natural stone, they are definitely more expensive and heavier than a composite kitchen sink. Being of natural materials, they also tend to be more porous and therefore less stain resistant than the synthetic ones.
A composite kitchen sink may be further categorized into these types: granite and
quartz composite sinks, and solid surface composite sinks. The solid surface composite sinks are made of polyester or acrylic compounds. Although these sinks tend to be shinier than other composite sinks, they are easily scratched and chipped because of their soft material, but also because of their soft material, they are obviously lighter than other composite sinks. These sinks come in a variety of colors and are the cheapest among the choices of a composite kitchen sink with the longest warranty. They are easy to maintain as well.
Granite and quartz composite sinks are definitely more expensive than solid surface composite sinks. They are made of 70% natural stone and 30% acrylic compounds. They can withstand temperatures of up to 400 degrees and installation can be either top mounted or under-mounted. They are less glossy than the solid surface composite sinks so if you are looking for shinier alternative, granite and quartz composite sinks may not be your first choice as they are only available in matte finishes.
This material, however, is also a lot more durable than the solid surface option and a granite-based composite is more durable than a quartz composite material. They can resist dents and scratches during regular everyday use plus, they are able to withstand harsh cleaning materials that normally stain other types of sinks.
One thing to remember as you go towards the harder yet more durable composite material (that is, more stone content), there is a greater probability of glass breakage when you accidentally drop your dishes in these types of sinks because the harder material will definitely be less forgiving on your dishes.
More information about composite kitchen sinks can be found here. Browse by sink style, material, size or brand.