New kitchen sink advice please

[John.Stitch]

My parents have asked me to source and install a new kitchen sink in their small holding cottage.

The existing one is ceramic and is 25 years old and has a few chips on it and a crack wich does not leak, and the ceramic is wearing away.

It is a 1 3/4 sink, and drainer set into a pine unit. the water has eroded some of the pine around the edge of the sink so I will be getting a local chippie to knock a fresh surface up,

I have had a look on sink internet sites and found 1 1/2 sinks which may be ok but the 2nd sink looks a bit small.

I know nothing about brands, although I have seen the name Franke often but I would welcome some guidance for which brands and or decent web sites.
I leafed through the B&Q booklet for info as well, but I doubt that I would buy from there.

I was going to go for a mixer tap with a long spout as it were, again brands advice would be welcome, I assume ceramic washers, athough this is a high scale limestone water area

Thanks in advance.

 

[NickStone]

Jack, I just sold a house with a Franke sink and taps. I lived there for 12 years and unless I was strapped for cash I would always go for Franke. It's high quality stuff. My tap had three levers, hot, cold, and one for purified water delivered from the built-in filter beneath the sink. Blanco is another make that's well regarded but I have no personal experience of them.

 

[gas4you]

From previous posts on here I would avoid astracast

 

[Gasguru]

Franke everytime - top quality and easier to fit than the cheap brands.

Check the flowrates/pressures when chosing the mixer tap.

For instance some of the Franke mixers with filtered water outlet require very high water pressures.

If you want quarter turn taps and you have a gravity fed hot water system chose very carefully - few ceramic taps will provide adequate flowrates.

 

[John.Stitch]

Thanks for your advice. I bought a £330 1 & 3/4 Franks sink and a Franke mixer tap form an internet site. It is a very good sink and my parents are very pleased.
The first sink I had to return because of a dent to the main bowl, the packaging is not very good.

One further question, I tiled the existing pine surface before installing the sink. I now need a hardwood strip to glue to the front of the surface to conceal the joint between the pine surface and the tiles. I am struggling to find anything appropriate from timber merchants and considering asking a woodworking shop to make one. The longest section is 3.6m is would only be a section 38mmx 12mm
Any suggestions would be welcome.