Come and tell me about your undermount sink...

[hellohellohihi]

Thrilling I know.

I want one in a wooden worktop with drainage grooves.. like this

Does anyone have similar? How is it to clean? Does it get limescaley easily? Would you recommend it over an overmounted sink?????

[NotGoodNotBad]

Will go mouldy easily won't it? Wooden worktops are notorious for this, and undermounted sinks and drainage grooves are the worst, because you just can't avoid them getting wet, and realistically you can't be drying them off instantly whenever you've washed a mug or rinsed some veg.

[wonkylegs]

We've got one with a marble top and tbh it's not the best at draining which isn't a problem with marble as sitting water has no effect and can be periodically wiped down.
Logically sitting water & wood don't mix well and unless you are completely on top of your game and want to regularly maintain the wood I personally wouldn't.
I've seen a nice kitchen with wood worktops but the section round the sink was marble with an under mount sink. It seemed to be a nice and practical compromise.

[lalalonglegs]

We had one with a wooden workshop, it went all black round the sink and then it became unattached and fell off...

[hellohellohihi]

DH is a carpenter with a small obsession with wood so is very keen to oil/rub/whatever the worktop and is a bit OCD so I think the upkeep part shouldn't be a problem. We'll also have a dishwasher so most stuff will go in there rather than the draining board, but point taken...

How long did it take to go black/mouldy?

We're doing this kitchen as a refurb of the current units with a new sink and worktop and tiles and will then do a bigger new kitchen along with extension when we can afford it in a couple of years time... So if it'll look nice for a couple of years, that'll do!!

[shufflebum]

We have a butler sink with oak work tops and drainage groves. I wouldn't have either again as the sink always looks grubby but is a great size and the worktop gets mouldy. That said with your DH as a carpenter he will probably be more conscientious with the upkeep!

[lalalonglegs]

We also have a d/w but never had a draining board, we didnt leave wet things to drain on the countertop. I can't remember how long it took to go black - we fitted it five years ago and repkaced a couple of years ago by which time it was looking pretty awful. The problem isn't so much when you wash up as when you fill a glass/rinse an apple/squeeze out a washcloth - you always end up splashing it several times a day. We replaced the worktop with wood again but got a sink with a very small lip that sits on top of the counter. It looks a lot neater to be honest.

[DaisyBD]

We have this, I love the butler sink and wouldn't change that, but the wooden worktop is black and disgusting round the taps. I think years of the taps leaking hasn't helped. We have two dishwashers but still do end up washing a few bits and pieces, and we usually put things to drain on a grubby tea towel on the draining area (and still have horrible marks all over the worktop - the newest one was from a cast iron saucepan that has left an indelible black ring).

I'm disgusting though. DH is a bit OCD and in his last house he obsessively oiled the walnut worktop and dried every single drop of water. The current kitchen (our first house together) was like that when we moved in.

[PigletJohn]

wooden worktops are absolutely ideal for installation in a showroom.

but not in a kitchen.

[wendybird77]

My in-laws had one, but the wood had been treated with some sort of plastick-y coat on the top and on the edges around the sink. It was fine. It should last you a couple of years if you are going to change it and maintain obsessively, but then I would just go with laminate worktops and an overmount sink. I had wood worktops and a ceramic overmount sink with draining board - that was lovely. But I did wipe every drop of water on it and it still had a mark where someone had put a bottle of cleaner on it.

[papalazaru]

Wooden work tops are just horrible to maintain. I've had them in 2 houses and can't wait to get rid of the one we have right now. I can send you some nice photos of how black and mouldy it gets!

[BlueyDragon]

We had wooden (oak) tops in our last kitchen with an undermount sink, and we're going for the same again because we liked it and never found it a hassle. It needed oiling every 6 months, that was it. But we did get a separate draining board made in the same wood and I think that helps. That needs a good scrub from time to time and does get the black cack on it. And other posters are right, you can't let water sit on the surface for long.

There are "oilier" woods that need less maintenance than oak, I think.

[Jaynebxl]

Aargh we are waiting to move into our lovely new house complete with wooden work tops ... They looked fine when we went to view the house (5 months ago and without paying much attention to detail as we weren't expecting to be able to buy it!) and now I'm already scared of the black mould!

[NotGoodNotBad]

We've had wooden worktops for 14 years (installed by previous owner at some point). We oil once every 2-3 years and while they are a bit mouldy round the sink they are not desperately bad. (We have an overmounted sink).

That said, I want to go for something with less maintenance next time if we can afford it.

[cooper44]

I have exactly this. I've never experienced the black mould though.
But we are very disciplined about keeping it clear. Do you have a dishwasher? I think if you do then it's fine.
And the regular re oiling is b important as pp says.

[cooper44]

Sorry posted too soon. Oiling v important

[noddyholder]

I have had them a few times and am anal about maintaining them and so when we sold they looked pristine BUT I am renting atm and there are oak tops and I don't give them the same attention and they are so black around the sink and really marked. I definitely wouldn't have with an undermount sink and grooves! I think they look lovely but not suitable for heavy use. I am not having in new house for 1st time ever