Bathroom Design: The Benefits of Undermount Sinks

Basin sinks are very important to the look and functionality of any bathroom. The sink is, after all, a central point of this part of the house, so buying the right one is vital to the rest of the process of either renovating or building your bathroom from scratch. There is a wide variety of bathroom sinks out there, coming in different materials, styles and colours. When it comes to colour, there is your typical white ceramic basin, the matte black metal ones, wooden options as well as others made out of stone, marble, and glass.

When talking about the style, though, there’s basically only two – an undermount sink and an overmount sink.

Undermount vs. Overmount Bathroom Basins

An overmount sink is a sink that goes above your bathroom countertop. These sinks have been quite popular lately as they give the bathroom a very full look, transforming the basin itself into an accessory. They are installed by cutting a hole into your bathroom countertop and fitting them inside, leaving the whole sink exposed and visible.

Undermount basins, or under counter sinks, are installed within your bathroom countertop, levelled just below its surface. These sinks are a much more traditional option and have been used for decades. You can buy undermount bathroom basins Australia wide online or in any home improvement store.

Seeing that both these options are equally popular, you may end up wondering which one should you choose. What’s the difference? Well, if you ask me, I’d definitely recommend an undermount bathroom sink, especially if you have a home that’s all about elegance, harmony, and unison between every room.

Here are some of the reasons why I think undermount basins should be your choice!

They’re Extremely Hygienic

While overmount basins are stylish and can give your bathroom a fun look, they are quite exposed to the environment within your bathroom, making them a bit of a hygienic hazard. Since a large portion of them is visible, it is also made susceptible to all kinds of bacteria developing on it, making the basin itself harder to clean. What’s more, the possibility of water running down the sides and getting trapped is also quite high, so they also may pose a risk to the countertop itself, especially if it’s a wooden one.

Undermount sinks, however, don’t share any of these issues as they, as I said, are installed within your countertop and are levelled with it. This allows for only the “basin” part of the basin to be exposed, making cleaning a much easier job than it otherwise would be. Furthermore, as they are levelled, the tap is usually also installed to be just above the basin, making water splatter a much rarer occurrence. Undermount basins are sealed right up with your countertop, so the chances of them damaging it are quite slim.

They Offer a Sleek and Elegant Look

While overmount basins can level up your bathroom decor as they come in a variety of different styles, undermount sinks are all about keeping things simple, elegant, and sleek. If your home is decorated following a minimalist style, for example, the under-mount basin will fit right in (quite literally!) with the rest of the bathroom and offer a seamless flow between your bathroom elements, leaving more space for detailed and interesting additions.

An undermount sink can be made more interesting with a special type of tap as they usually are plain or you can play around with decor items like your soap dispenser, candles, the towel rails, and so on. Being installed directly into the countertop, these sinks also leave more space for things that should go around them, so you can really play around them and put all the finishing touches you’d like. This also leaves you with more space to put any skincare and hygiene products on your counter without risking a cluttered and unappealing look.

Everything about these basins screams elegance, so if you’re into that, they are definitely the right choice for you!

They’re Very Durable

Circling back once again to how exposed each of the two types of sinks are, it’s pretty obvious that, while pretty, overmount sinks can be very delicate and therefore, more susceptible to external damage. Often very intricate, you’re going to have to take extremely careful and good care of such basins to ensure nothing will get chipped off or damaged by constant exposure to water, moisture, and so on.

Undermount sinks don’t have this issue as they are protected by the safety of your countertop, so everything you need to worry about is the basin part itself. This makes them quite a durable option that you’ll need to invest very little in to keep clean and good as new for years and years to come. As renovating a bathroom can be a very costly endeavour, installing something that you know will last from the get-go is a kind of insurance you can give yourself that will make you way more comfortable and free in using and maintaining your perfect bathroom.

In the end, I’d like to emphasize that both undermount and overmount sinks are just as beautiful and functional with differences being counted in shades, so whichever way you choose to go, I’m sure you’ll be making the right decision for yourself. The point of this article was to show people that value these certain aspects which of the two would be the ideal choice for them, that’s all!

You can find both overmount and undermount bathroom basins Australia wide, so go ahead and pick the right option for you!