All about home, bathroom and kitchen design ideas

Upmarket high quality kitchen sinks are always made from grade 304 stainless steel and are at least 1 mm thick. One of the upmarket Teka sinks sold at Chilli-B (www.chilli-b.co.za) So many people have asked me what is the quality difference between various kitchen sinks. It is a very difficult question to answer because there are so many factors that one should consider. Obviously the first thing comes to mind is your budget.  So the question is more, what is the best quality sink I can buy within my budget.  That changes the problem slightly and I can break it down to a couple of important features what to look for. Price In general the higher the price the better the quality. We all know that but if you are worried then go with the higher price but also look at the warranty period and what is covered.  The sink with better warranty specs is a lower risk to the supplier or manufacturer so he is prepared to give a longer warranty. One other thing on price, be car...

Kitchen sink mixers are expensive items and should be selected based on practicality first and secondly aesthetics. Yes, off-course budget comes first but that is obvious.  So let’s see what is important in a kitchen sink mixer. Deck or wall mounted mixers This is a major consideration and one that must be decided on quite early on in the building phase. If you are going to decide on a wall mounted kitchen mixer than your plumber must chase into the wall and connect the fittings. If you are going to use a deck mounted mixer your plumber must install angle valves in the wall and the kitchen company must make sure there are holes in the granite top for the tap to fit in.  Also the type of kitchen sink will have an influence on your decision. Some kitchen sinks come with holes pre-drilled so then you don't have a choice. Most high end and designer mixers are deck mounted.  So if you want something fancy with bells and whistles design your kitchen around a deck moun...

Stainless steel sink can last a lifetime but this does not mean we can neglect the care of this essential kitchen item. As a rule, stainless steel’s best friend is cold, clean water or a mild detergent solution, applied with a soft sponge, rinsed well and wiped dry. Here are some of the products or elements that can damage your sink: Chlorides: Chlorides are found in almost all soaps, detergents and cleaning products and can be damaging to stainless steel. They are water soluble, however, so if you rinse away residues after each use, a weekly scouring is all that is needed to keep your sink looking bright and shiny. Scratches: Like most metallic surfaces, your stainless steel sink will scratch. Don’t worry, these are simply usage marks which will eventually blend into the overall finish of the sink.  Use stainless steel cream (very similar to Braso) to remove light scratches and bring a shine back to the sink. Knives cause a lot of damage: Your sink is designed to se...