Choosing a Copper Sink for Your Next Project

When you are thinking about replacing a bathroom or kitchen sink in your home, the most obvious choices that likely come to your mind are ceramic, stainless steel, or cast iron sinks. However, copper sinks can be another option that is beautiful, durable, and looks great in a number of different decors.Copper sinks are different from other metal sinks in that they do not have a colored coating placed over them as cast iron sinks do, and they are not usually shiny in finish, although they can be. They are left in a natural copper color, or may have a bronze or patina finish. They are generally in a hammered style, with some sinks having patterns or designs pressed into them. If you choose a copper sink for a bathroom remodel, you will have a variety of styles to choose from.

The most common are vessel sinks, drop in sinks, and undermount sinks. Vessel sinks are designed to sit atop a solid vanity top with only a drain hole cut out beneath the basin for the plumbing to go through, giving the look that a bowl or basin of water was brought into the room and placed there. Vessel sinks look very nice in a vintage style bathroom. Drop in sinks, as the name implies, are dropped into a hole cut in a vanity top that is large enough to accommodate the sink. There is a lip or rim around the sink that rests on the vanity top to prevent the sink from falling through the hole. Undermount sinks are mounted from the bottom, beneath a hole cut out in the vanity top to accommodate the sink. Any of these types of copper sinks can be used with high end vanities for bathrooms, but a standard bathroom cabinet will work nicely as well.

Copper sinks for kitchens are available in different styles as well. You can get undermount or drop in sinks, just as you can in the bathroom. Copper kitchen sinks also are made with decorative fronts that are meant to show when the sink is installed. These sinks are generally called "apron sinks" and may have a flat or curved front. Some models, particularly the flat front ones, have designs stamped into the copper or even towel bars attached. You can choose single bowl styles or the more traditional double bowl. Smaller copper sinks called "bar sinks" are available for bar or kitchen island installation, so that your entire kitchen can coordinate nicely. Bar sinks are usually single bowl style sinks.

Copper sinks are beautiful, but they aren't the most inexpensive choice you can make. It is therefore very important that you take proper care of the sink, so that it may last as long as possible. Taking care of a copper sink is very simple, though. In fact, it's much simpler than care of other types of sinks. The specifics on care for a copper sink will vary by the type of patina, or finish, that your sink has. A natural copper finish, which most people choose to start with, can be allowed to patina gradually and naturally if only washed with soap and water. If you want to keep the natural copper look without allowing a patina to form, you can buy special wax to apply periodically to seal the finish. Soap and water is also recommended for sinks that already had a patina when they were installed. Whether the sink already had a patina or you allowed it to develop one, acidic foods can remove a small portion of the patina. If this happens, just leave that section alone, as it will develop a patina to match the rest of the sink in time. Special copper cleaners are available for polished copper sinks, but are not recommended for other copper sinks. All copper sinks should be wiped dry after use to prevent water spots. If water spots do develop, though, they will disappear into the patina with time.

Copper sinks are a wonderful choice not only because they are beautiful and easy to maintain, but because they are very sanitary as well. Copper is nonporous, so bacteria can't get inside it to multiply. Copper is also said to be a naturally antibiotic material, and is therefore not prone to surface bacteria or virus growth or even survival. This is especially important if someone in your household has a weakened immune system.

Copper sinks can add value and beauty to your home, and are versatile enough that if you choose to change your decor in the future, you can easily match your new decor to your sink. This means that you can enjoy your sink for many years to come. Therefore, despite their initial cost, copper sinks are a great choice for nearly every home.