DIY Home Improvement Guide

What Are Farm Style Kitchen Sinks?

Farm style kitchen sinks are a style of sink that stretches all the way out to the front of the counter.  Traditional sinks are mounted to the top or underside of the counter, whereas farm sinks are supported by the cabinet that it resides in.  In this post I want to share what makes them so special and some of the other considerations that are needed when considering them for your home.

Big and dramatic are how many farm style kitchen sinks are described as.  They really make a statement when they’re installed in a kitchen because so many of us are accustomed to the traditional ceramic sinks that come with most homes.  They certainly aren’t for every kitchen, but big and open kitchen really benefit from them.

Common materials for farm sinks are copper, concrete, granite, fireclay (high end ceramic), and stainless steel.  These are all heavy materials, which means that serious support has to be provided by the cabinet that they sit in.  Custom cabinets are almost a necessity when installing farm sinks because the cabinet must be designed to fit and support the sink.  Some kitchens forgo the cabinet and have large stone or concrete pillars that hold up the sink, which creates an even bigger impact in the kitchen!

If you’re planning on installing a farm sink in your kitchen it’s best to do it while remodeling the entire kitchen.  You’re probably going to need new cabinets, so it’s best to have the sink first so the cabinet can be designed for it.

Farm style kitchen sinks aren’t for everyone, but if the kitchen is a central part of your home and you’re looking for a way to make a huge improvement in it, consider them.

What Makes A Fireclay Farm Sink So Special?

Installing a fireclay farm sink is the ultimate kitchen upgrade.  It shows that you have a strong eye for design and quality, but what makes these farm sinks so much more special than their stainless steel and copper brethren?  This post aims to answer just that!

What is fireclay?  It’s a type of ceramic that is non porous and won’t stain like normal ceramic does.  Most manufacturers use an environmentally friendly mix that helps you get the look you want without putting any extra strain on the planet.  It’s used in sinks because for these reasons and that it’s less likely to chip than traditional ceramic.  Fireclay is also used for tiles.

So what does that have to do with farm sinks?  Having a fireclay farm sink that is as pure white ten years from now as it was the day that you bought it is a big deal.  It’s extremely low maintenance, and can be cleaned with just soap and water.  By nature sinks are very low maintenance, but when it comes to many of the high-end sinks it takes a lot more to keep them looking great.  Copper will tarnish, concrete can be porous, and glass can break, but fireclay almost takes care of itself.

The trade off for this extreme quality is that they’re very heavy.  I’m sure you know that you need special cabinets for farm sinks and fireclay ones will need the same kind of bracing that a concrete sink would.

Fireclay farm sinks are made of the quality that will last longer than you and future generations do, and their clean styling has lasted many generations before us.  For these reasons they are the ultimate in kitchen sinks.

Cabinets For Kitchen Farm Sinks

Kitchen farm sinks usually need custom cabinets built to house them.  Those that are exceptionally craft may be able to reconfigure an existing counter to house a farm sink, but custom cabinets are more common.  In this post I want to share what it takes to have a cabinet built for your new kitchen farm sink.

For those that aren’t sure what a farm style sink is, it’s a period style sink where the front of the sink extends to the front of the cabinet.  They’re usually made from ceramic, copper, stainless steel, or even concrete and granite.  Their unique design doesn’t allow them any support from the counter top, like most sinks, instead they are supported by the base of the cabinet.

Since farm sinks are made from such heavy materials (concrete!?) they require some serious support underneath.  The weight of the sink grows quickly when there is water in the sink since water weighs a bit under 8.5 lbs/gal, so there could be another 60 or 80 pounds of weight while doing dishes.  This leads to two common designs for farm sink cabinets.  The most common is the braced cabinet which works to hold the weight in the cabinet.  The other is to have a gap in the cabinets and allow pillars or pedestals to support the sink.  Pillars are generally made from stone or concrete, and have to be mounted into the wall or cabinet to keep the sink from falling over.  This creates an extremely dramatic effect.

The best time to get a kitchen farm sink is when you’re updating your kitchen cabinets so you can get it all finished at once.  If not you’re going to be stuck with a sink and nowhere to put it!

Farm Style Sink

When you’re shopping for a farm style sink it’s easy to be taken aback by their price, but with some smart shopping you get them at much lower prices than you think.  In this post I want to share some different ways to save money on farm sinks so you can get exactly what you want and still have enough cash left over to buy the sponges to wash dishes in it!

A farm sink is defined by the apron (the front) of the sink sitting out in the front of the cabinet.  They’re supported by cabinet, rather than mounted into the top like a traditional style sink.  They’re made from heavy duty materials like stainless steel, ceramic, copper, and even concrete.  Because of these heavy materials the cabinet that houses the sink has to be heavily braced to support the weight of the sink.  Many times people have cabinets custom made for their sinks, but some existing cabinets can be reworked for farm sinks.

The trick to saving a ton of money on your farm style kitchen sink is to shop around.  I know that this sounds pretty obvious, but there’s a smart way to do it.  Start your search online to see which styles catch your eye and start to get a feel for how much they cost compared to your budget.  Once you have a good idea of what you want, take your search local and see what the interior design stores in your area carry.  Buying locally can help you get the installation taken care of at a good price, but you may pay more for the sink.  If you can’t find your style of farm sink in your area, go back online and start searching for shipping deals.  Kitchen farm style sinks are incredibly heavy so if you can find a retailer that offers discounted or free shipping you’ll save hundreds of dollars that can be used for installation!

By following the path of online -> local -> online you’re not going to miss a good deal.  You’ll get the exact farm sink that you want and still have some cash left over!

Stainless Steel Farm Sink

Adding a stainless steel farm sink to your kitchen or bathroom is one of the most dramatic fixtures that you can install.  Farm sinks make a big impact by design, but when they’re stainless steel you also get the clean, industrial look that accompanies it.  In this post I want to share with you some tips for finding these sinks without having to spend a fortune on them.

The best thing about choosing stainless steel for your farm sink is that they weigh a fraction of ceramic, concrete, or copper.  This means that the installation is much easier since less bracing is needed.  Concrete farm sinks weigh over a hundred pounds and need a custom designed cabinet to support it, stainless doesn’t have this problem since it only weighs 30 or 40 pounds.

To save money on stainless steel farm house sinks it’s best to shop online.  The selection is huge compared to what you can find in any store, so the chances of you finding a good deal are increased exponentially.  To make the most out of shopping online you should search until you find discounted or free shipping.  These sinks weigh much less than other materials, but shipping will still cost a lot because of their large size.  Without getting a deal on shipping you may wipe out all of the savings that you worked so hard to find.

Another weigh to save money on stainless steel farm sinks for kitchens to get a single sink, rather than a double.  It doesn’t make much sense that a double sink would cost nearly double the price of a single, but it’s an unfortunate truth.  Being diligent with the drain to prevent rings and jewelry is necessary with a single sink, but the savings may be worth it.

Spend the time to shop around from all of the big online retailers and you’re going to find exactly what you want at an excellent price.  It’s a bit more work, but when you save four or five hundred bucks you’ll be very happy that you did it!

What To Look For In Farm Sinks

When deciding what to look for in farm sinks, the main thing to consider is who is going to be installing the sink.  Farm sinks aren’t the easiest to install, and this is especially true if you’re installing it into a preexisting counter and cabinet.  If you’re having someone else install (and take responsibility for) the sink, then your options are endless!  Building the cabinet to match the sink is ideal as well, but a different huge project!

Like all sinks, a farm sink is fairly large investment so you want to be sure that you’re getting something that you can live with for a long time.  A quality built apron farm sink is going to last much longer than your home will, so spend some time considering all of your options.

There are quite a few different materials used in the construction of farm house sinks.  The most common is stainless steel, but ceramic, copper, stone, and even cast iron are available options.  Farm sinks are heavy, so if you’re installing it into an existing counter this must be considered.  During installation braces and supports will be installed, but most kitchen countertops can’t handle the enormous weight of a stone farm sink.  Stainless steel is going to be the lightest and require the least amount of reinforcement (and usually be the most affordable).

If you’re planning on installing the sink on your own, I applaud you!  This is a pretty tough job that has, I repeat has, to be done right the first time.  Missing the cut on the front or not adding enough support will lead to serious problems later on.  Sinks tend to follow Murphy’s law and will collapse or break on Thanksgiving when you have the entire family over to admire your new kitchen and handy work!  The good news for the DIY’er is that the plumbing is usually the same as a normal sink (if that’s any consolation).

Buying farm sinks really boils down to your budget and taste.  There are great sinks for less than $400 if you’re willing to do the research.  If not, you can easily spend over $1000 for a similar sink, before installation.  I recommend spending some extra time in the planning and research phase of this project to make sure that you have the farm sink that you’re going to be happy with the rest of your time in your home.

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