Understanding Sink Lingo

You've spent hours researching sinks. 

Never in a million years did you think it would be this difficult. There are so many options- Sizes, shapes, materials, drain placements- That you never thought you would have to consider. 

Here is a little guide to understanding some terms you might see when researching sinks, and a little bit about our company.

Check out our post on Finding the Right Sink for Your Project for honing in on what you need to know for your project.

Terms :

Undermount: Undermount sinks are designed to be installed underneath the counter top. Typically, mounting clips will be secured on the underside of the counter and fastened to the lip of the sink- for added security, some installers will use 2x4 supports to the cabinet walls. 

Create Good Sinks offers high end, stainless steel, undermount sinks. On occasion, and specifically with butcher block counters, our sinks can be used for drop-in installation. The lip of the sink has a uniform finish with the rest of the sink, but does not have a beveled edge.

Our traditional, non-ledge models are listed here.

Ledge: A clever solution for busy kitchens, ledge sinks have a step built in to allow use of several different "accessories" in the sink. The ledge transforms the traditional kitchen sink into a multi-functional workstation.

We offer a huge selection of ledge sink models. Our sizes vary from 10" to 84" and we have all sorts of options in between.

You can view our selection of ledge sinks here.

Radius (Half inch radius): The curvature of the edges and corners of a sink are referred to as the radius. Zero radius sinks have tight, 90 degree corners that are difficult to clean. Gentle radius corners are curved so severely that you wind up losing several inches of work space in the bottom of the sink.

We decided to design all of our sinks with a smart, half inch radius design. Our sinks still have straight walls, which maximizes space in the basin, but you don't have those tricky, pinched corners that are so difficult to clean. The half inch radius corners are also welded on both sides, giving a superior look and stronger bond on the corners and edges than zero radius options.

Offset Drain: Drain placement is off to one side of the sink. This frees up cabinet space, creates more uninterrupted space in the sink basin, and makes the dish-washing process totally fluid.

We have a huge selection of offset drain options. We have a handful of center drain options, but the benefits of the offset drains far outweigh the traditional aesthetics of center drain placement.

When choosing an offset drain sink, we strongly recommend selecting a model that matches the side of the dishwasher to ensure maximum benefits (i.e. if the dishwasher is to the right, choose right offset drain sink).

Apron: Apron front sinks are designed to have the front of the sink exposed. This creates textural appeal in kitchen designs. Apron sinks are a great option for folks with back issues by bringing the sink closer to where you stand.

Our apron front sinks are built with the steel front seamlessly transitioning from the basin to the facade. We have options with and without a ledge. View our apron sink collection here.

Drainboard: A built-in drainboard offers a surface to dry clean dishes and work space for filling large pots or handling hot pans. They also create a visual statement in the aesthetic vision of custom kitchen designs.

Our drainboard sink collection can be viewed here.

All of our sinks are hand-made. The process begins with a solid sheet of stainless steel. The corners are laser cut, folded, and then welded by hand. 

Many stainless steel sinks are made through a process called "stamping," where the steel is heated and cast over a mold. This ends up stretching the steel and thinning it out. Our process ensures that the thickness of our steel is not compromised.

Our owner, Dan Sullivan, is the inventor of the seamless drain. All of our sinks come standard with this award-winning design (Best of at the National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show).

Our sinks come standard with drain kits that have all you need for installation. For information on choosing a disposal and installation, please check out our Installation Page.

We love speaking to people and are happy to go over any questions you might have. For more information, check out our post on Finding the Right Sink for Your Project, or drop us a line at 513-327-8078 or email us at sales@creategoodsinks.com

Happy Sinking!