HIGH IQ IS NOT KEY: Another form of intelligence will bring you career advancement and personal development

Once upon a time things were much simpler. It was bought in a couple of home improvement stores and you could choose whether you wanted bigger or smaller, with one or two troughs. And there was no other choice but to reconcile that the drops of water were visible or to wipe it constantly and polish it with a dry cloth.

But today the market situation is a little different and there are a lot of sinks. By researching sinks for the O’live residence project, we learned a great deal about sinks. Here we share knowledge…

We differentiate sinks according to the materials and method of installation. So let’s start with what many are most interested in – and that is materials and durability.

The most popular are the so-called stainless steel sinks, made of stainless steel and the most durable stainless steel 18/10. Its advantages are durability, longevity, favorable price mane and disadvantages (as we know) leaving traces of water droplets, visible scale and noise.

You know that moment when at night someone gets up to drink water and doesn’t turn off the tap well and it drips lightly on the sink? Well, what is heard is a consequence of the stainless steel sink.

But there are also stainless steel sinks of a newer generation. For example, Grohe patented the so-called Whisper insulation, thanks to which the sounds caused by water leakage and the handling of dishes and pans were minimized. Their other patent is Grohe Satin Finish, which ensures exceptional surface smoothness which makes the sinks much easier to clean.

Is every stainless steel the same?

It’s not. There are many types of stainless steel, and the most durable is AISI 316 type steel which is completely resistant to rust and corrosion. This stainless steel is known as “marine steel” as it is used primarily in shipbuilding. The sink in this version is especially suitable for areas with a high salt content in the water.

But, as we said at the beginning of the text, times are fortunately changing and stainless steel sinks are no longer as uniform as they used to be.

After the mixers in gold, copper and black, some manufacturers have started to offer sinks in these colors.

I am currently in love with this golden Grohe sink made of PVD. The PVD technique is currently the most permanent and longest-lasting way of so-called steel tattooing, and we will soon talk about PVD, mixers and color basins in another text.

Silgranite sinks are very popular. They are beautiful, resistant to chemicals, durable and resistant to scratches, scraping, but… as always there is but.

Price and stains. Namely, in addition to being a more expensive option, it can happen that stains appear. Be especially careful with beetroot, red wine, coffee… Always rinse it well after such food so that the “stone” does not absorb the color.

There are specialized cleaning agents for silgranite sinks that make maintenance significantly easier, as well as composite sinks that have been very popular lately because their price is lower and they are still equally attractive.

Composite sinks are usually made of a combination of quartzite and acrylic and their advantage over stainless steel sinks is that they are more resistant to mechanical damage.

But again, not all composite materials are the same. Namely, each factory has its own recipes and ratios with which it creates materials from which sinks are cast. Some are completely resistant to UV radiation and do not fade, some are resistant to temperatures of as much as 280 degrees, so you can put a hot pot on them…

Composite sinks are usually produced in dark colors, which is actually much more appreciative than white sinks. It is much easier to fight limescale and pour half a liter of vinegar into the sink than with stains from coffee, wine and beets.

Btw if you want a white sink, then ceramics is for you. The ceramic sink does not absorb stains and is very resistant to all chemicals. The downside to it is that it can still crack. I will tell you on one occasion about a cracked ceramic sink that literally fell at my feet…

But let’s get back to the topic of sinks. According to the method of installation, the division is quite simple: superstructure, substructure and integrated sinks in which the word itself actually describes their method of installation.

Surface-mounted sinks are the most common and easiest to install. They are easily installed in a precisely prepared hole in the worktop.

There are sinks of different edge thicknesses, and of course the thinner the edge, the more elegant the sink looks and the easier it is to clean.

That is why many opt for integrated or built-in washbasins. Integrated are those that come in one piece with the worktop.

Most often, these are sinks made of kerrock, corian or getacore, which are later finished on the spot and the joints are smoothed with a work surface of the same material.

If they are white they have a similar ‘problem’ with stains as silgranite sinks, and dark with limescale. But you have to suffer a little for beauty, don’t you?

Joking. But not really.

There are a lot of “gadgets” on the market today for sinks that make our lives easier. Integrated chopping boards, graters, strainers, vegetable washing syringes, detergent dispensers, external handles for draining water in the sink, crushers…