| What will your new fixture be made of? Mode models | | | | keep up appearances. |
| on the market are porcelain or vitreous china. Other | | | | Composites: composite sinks offer a big plus |
| options include composites, and metals like stainless | | | | compared to other materials...as long as they're |
| steel and copper. For a show-off guest bath, or a | | | | installed in a countertop of similar material. The |
| dream makeover, you can buy sinks that look like | | | | favorable difference is that composites can be glued |
| pieces of art glass or stone sculpture. | | | | to the underside of the countertop with special |
| See below, | | | | adhesives that create a practically seamless seam. |
| Stone: natural stone such as marble has been used for | | | | So, there's no place for water to leak. In addition, you |
| years for vanity tops. Lately, enterprising companies | | | | also get the eye appeal of smooth-flowing lines - and |
| have started making sinks out of these materials as | | | | the cleaning ease of a rimless sink. To get all these |
| well. Granite is often sculpted into a sink to create a | | | | advantages without any gluing involved, composite |
| custom look for an upscale bathroom. Since these are | | | | sinks and vanity tops made out of a single piece of |
| often made to order, they can be quite expensive, but | | | | material are now available. |
| their rugged natural surface will hold up well for years | | | | Glass: although glass sinks are primarily the domain of |
| and years. | | | | high-end bathroom designers, the average homeowner |
| Vitreous china: a vitreous china sink is made of | | | | can purchase one through a bathroom distributor or |
| ceramic/porcelain that has been "vitrified" to create a | | | | designer. They are lovely to look at, but if they're not |
| glasslike surface that absorbs less water than most | | | | dried after every use, water spotting can lessen their |
| other ceramics. These are inexpensive, are easy to | | | | charm. |
| maintain, and come in the widest variety of shapes, | | | | Cast iron: cast-iron sinks aren't used much in new |
| sizes, and colors. | | | | construction and remodeling anymore; they're been |
| Metal: when most homeowners think of metal sinks, | | | | replaced by sexier composite and solid-surface sinks. |
| they think stainless steel. Although commonly used for | | | | That's too bad, because cast iron is quiet, massive, and |
| kitchen sinks, stainless steel isn't popular for bathrooms, | | | | unmoving. The combination of the tough coating along |
| as it creates an "institutional" feel. Other metals, such | | | | with the heavy cast iron makes a formidable unit. The |
| as hammered copper, are becoming increasingly | | | | drawback is that the porcelain surface, although hard, |
| available - they look good and hold up well. Their | | | | can be chipped easily. |
| drawback is that they require frequent polishing to | | | | |