December 30, 2017 Karly Labruzzo

GUIDE TO SELECTING THE RIGHT KITCHEN SINK WITH EASE!

Dawn DSU3118 kitchen sink

Originally published by Dawn Kitchen & Bath

Measure Twice

Your choice of sink will be restricted by the size of your cabinets and counter top. When looking for a sink be sure to pay attention to the minimum cabinet size. Your cabinet size can be determined by measuring from left to right and from outside edge. You will need to factor in 2 to 3 inches for the mounting hardware on each side of the sink. For example, a 36" cabinet can accommodate a 30 to 32" sink. Most kitchen cabinets are a standard width of 24" when measured front to back. The width of your sink can be determined by this measurement and whether or not your counter has a back splash. If the counter top has no back splash and the cabinet is of standard size, a sink that measures 22" width will fit. If the counter top has a back splash, measure the thickness of the backsplash and subtract it from the cabinet's width. This will give you the maximum sink size and allow enough spacing for the installation.

Material

Kitchen sinks are manufactured using various materials. Just to name a few, stainless steel, enameled cast iron, porcelain on steel, corian, quartz composition, granite, and vitreous china can be found in today's modern kitchens. Regardless of the wide variety, stainless steel has emerged to become the most popular choice for new installations. This is due to its low cost, lightweight, and almost unbreakable construction.

It is important to understand that various qualities of stainless steel coexist. For example, light-gauge stainless steel or 20-gauge is more susceptible ti denting and scratching. Furthermore, stainless steel is available in a mirrored finish, which gives it a shinier appearance, but also increases the likelihood that visible scratches will occur. Brushed-stainless, also called satin, is the newest trend because scratches are less visible. That does not mean it is scratch resistant.

Accessories

Do you find yourself short on counter space? Once you have decided on your perfect sink, don't forget the many optional accessories available including form-fitting cutting boards, drain mats and colander baskets. Dawn has a few options where units are specially designed to accommodate colanders and drain mats on a rim manufactured on the inside, making it easier to drain food without tipping the container and spilling contents into your sink. Most sinks also have optional faucet hole for convenient attachments like drinking water dispensers, soap dispensers and a pullout side spray for your faucet.

Dawn suggest checking manufacturer's websites or the literature available at most showrooms to get more specifics about the brand or model you are interested in purchasing. It is important to remember that not all sinks are created equal.

Filed in: accessories, Becoming an Educated Consumer, countertop, dawn kitchen & bath products, direct sinks, directsinks, how to, Kitchen, kitchen accessories, kitchen sink, kitchen sink guide, kitchen sinks, measure, mounting clips, sink, sink accessories, stainless steel, stainless steel sinks, undermount

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Frequently Asked Questions About Kraus

Kraus has been, and continues to be, one of our most recommended brands for several reasons. The Kraus product quality is consistently high. On par and often exceeding the finish, features, and styles of brands priced a lot higher. Speaking of which, the brand is priced extremely well. Kraus’ popularity has grown exponentially and demand for their sinks and faucets is not slowing down. This leads us here: Questions and Answers about Kraus that, we at DirectSinks, are asked quite often. If you have other questions not mentioned below, please call, email, or stop in!

Kraus was founded in 2007. They are headquartered in Port Washington, NY.

Really good actually! The majority of Kraus Kitchen Sinks are made of 16-gauge stainless steel, which is more than adequate regarding thickness of the metal. The sinks have a generous amount of undercoating and padding which results in a very quiet sink. The faucets are very well made and easy to install. We recommend their products to our own friends and family, and we also have their sinks, faucets, and accessories in our own homes.

Kraus' Full Warranty can be seen here

We Summarized the Kitchen Sink and Faucet Info Below

Faucet Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty

Kraus USA Plumbing, LLC (“Kraus”) extends this warranty to the original purchaser for personal household use of the Faucet when purchased from an authorized Kraus dealer and in the location of original installation. This warranty is non-transferable.

Kraus warrants the structure and finish of the Faucet to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for as long as the original purchaser resides in the residence in which the Faucet was first installed.

Kraus warrants the Faucet's sprayhead assembly (including the engine, aerators, structure, restrictors, back flow preventers, sprayer hoses, braided supply line hoses which encompasses nylon, silicon and stainless steel) of the product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase.

Kraus warrants the Faucet's cartridge to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for a period of five (5) years from the date of purchase.

Any product reported to the authorized dealer or to Kraus as being defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced with a product of equal value at the option of Kraus.

Kitchen Sink Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty

Kraus USA Plumbing, LLC (“Kraus”) extends this warranty to the original purchaser for personal household use of the Kitchen Sink when purchased from a Kraus authorized dealer and in the location of original installation. This warranty is non-transferable.

Kraus warrants the structure and finish of the Kitchen Sink to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for as long as the original purchaser resides in the residence in which the sink was Kitchen Sink was first installed.

Any product reported to the authorized dealer or to Kraus as being defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced with a product of equal value at the option of Kraus.

Absolutely. If you call their offices, they actually pick up. If you write in, they respond.

Business Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am to 8:00pm (EST)
Address: 12 Harbor Park Drive Port Washington, NY 11050
Call: (Kraus Customer Service): 1-800-775-0703
Text Kraus At: (631) 212-0703 (Message and data rates may apply.)
Email Kraus Directly:Info@KrausUSA.com

Not normally. First, if you dig into the internet deep enough, you will find a complaint about every sink brand and rust.
Kraus is often mentioned simply because of the popularity of the brand.
Most frequently, something that looks like rust shows up in the first few weeks after the sink is installed.
Why? During the countertop fabrication process a very fine dust is created (like sawdust from wood, but very fine). If this dust is on the sink after installation and gets wet, it may show oxidation on the surface of the sink.We see this as the most common cause. Typically after the sink is thoroughly cleaned after installation, no stains will show up. Another situation that can cause a stain or mark is if something is left in the sink and it's wet, especially flatware, pots and pans, and steel wool. The composition of your water can also contribute to this. Water with high iron content will leave stains frequently.

Really great information about this can be found here, at Bar Keepers Friend

Kraus typically has the items shipped in 2-3 days. Most items will ship with UPS from their New Jersey warehouse. Some small items, such as faucets or accessories may ship out of their N.Y. location.

No, unfortunately our clients can not pick up from Kraus

DirectSinks will often have various faucets and sinks at our location. Generally, these items are stocked for our local clients such Kitchen and Bath Designers, Builders, and Countertop fabricators. If you are on Long Island and want to pick up something from us, please call first. We do not keep stock of everything. Please call and ask before making the trip!

Normally, you won't find Kraus on display. However, exceptions are out there. We have several Kraus faucets and sinks on display in our Cabinet Showroom. Some of our local Kitchen and Bath clients also show some various Kraus items.

Observations and Opinions

	Kraus	Ruvati	Advantage
Overall Quality	Excellent	Excellent	Both Great
Warranty	Limited Lifetime	Limited Lifetime	Both Great
Availability	Low out of stock issues. Pre-Order from inbound shipments available Out of stock items shipped earlier than expected	Low out of stock issues Pre-Order from inbound shipments not available Out of stock items shipped when expected	✓ Kraus
Customer Service	Consistently Excellent with Great Communication	Inconsistent & lack communication	✓ Kraus
Style & Design	Vast Selection of Kitchen Sinks and Faucets Decent, but more common bathroom sink designs	Vast Selection of Kitchen Sinks, No Faucets Large Varity of Bathroom Sink Options with many unique options, including stainless steel. No Bathroom Faucets	✓ Kraus if you need a Kitchen Sink & Faucet ✓ Ruvati if you are looking for a Bathroom Sink
Value and Price	30" Small Radius Undermount Sink KHU100-30, Standard Online Price $329.95 Often has Sales. In this exact example, the Kraus sink has been on sale for less than the Ruvati	30" Small Radius Undermount Sink RVH7300, Standard Online Price $299.00 Infrequently has Sales	Can go either way. Kraus often has sales that bring this example to their advantage Check the current pricing with the links below: Kraus KHU100-30 Ruvati RVH7300