Everything Goes - Even the Kitchen Sink

This February marked the 5 year anniversary of purchasing the house. It has been an exciting journey in home ownership, one that I sincerely hope to continue.

In those five years, we’ve replaced basically everything: 

• Hot Water Heater
• Well Pump
• Refrigerator
• Kitchen Stove
• Wood Stove
• All electric outlets

The roof…well…that’s next month. Yes, we’ve contracted to have a new metal roof installed. Two recent windstorms have wreaked havoc on the aging shingles, and it was just time to do it. 

For her birthday in January, Sarah asked about having a new sink and faucet installed, and I said we definitely needed to. The hard water and age of the stainless steel sink really made it look poorly. The low spout of the faucet would frustrate us both with its poor clearance when trying to fill a pitcher, and there was a small leak in the left hand drain that was problematic. The leak had been there so long that the encrusted rings that tighten down the drain wouldn’t move! It was time for a new sink.

We went to Lowe’s and perused the offerings. Thankfully, our current sink is a standard size, so we had a broad selection to choose from. I really liked the look of the enameled sinks offered by Kohler, and Sarah did too. She selected a coordinating faucet with white handles. Neither seemed to be in stock at our local store, but I ordered online the next day and was able to pick up at the store in the next town.

Then I discovered my first slight error. This sink is heavy! The box indicated it was over 75 pounds! So be prepared if you’re inspired to follow my suit. This is a two person sink. That said, it’s also a beautiful  sink.

My sister-in-law’s husband came over Sunday to help me install the new sink. Before he came, I had already removed the old sink to give us a jump start. 

The key steps are to shut off the water, disconnect the drains, disconnect the water lines, and then remove the clips that hold the sink to the counter. The small clips on this sink were flat headed, which made working in the tight space difficult. 

Once everything is disconnected, slide a putty knife or something along the sink, between the sink and the countertop. This will loosen any caulk that was put down to create a seal.

Then, just lift the sink out! 

In theory, installing the new sink should have been a reverse process. But, the Kohler cast iron sink has a larger basin diameter – the cast iron is stronger than stainless steel, so the outer lip can be smaller. Result: IT DIDN’T FIT. 

After a conference without my wife, Sarah, we opted to press on. The front facade of the cabinet was inset, which caused the clearance issue. With a Dremel and tin snips, the facade, hinges, and cabinet doors all came out. I admit to feeling bad defacing the original Youngstown’s Kitchens cabinet, but at the same time we really wanted this new sink. 

My eventual plan is to build in a new facade, which will be painted to match the cabinets. It only needs to be a half inch further forward from where the original facade was.  We also had to get some new drain pipe, as the drains on this sink sit farther back and farther apart. Twisting the S-trap and installing the longer pipe did the trick!

Sarah, and I, are both very happy with how the sink turned out! There is so much space in there to work. The new faucet is a dream, the handles glide open and closed and the arched design of the faucet gives us lots of clearance. 

Replacing the sink and faucet is a project that can transform a kitchen, and it’s within the reach of any handy person to do! I recommend having some donuts as you go along.