Utility Sink - Stainless or plastic

[E55 Bulldog]

Yeah, I know its preference but I wanted to get your thoughts.

I'm looking at a stainless steel sink for the garage which is a about $100 more than a plastic standard utility sick.

Would you guys do it or not worth it?

 

[e015475]

The plastic ones look like **** after a while and are difficult to keep looking nice.

The stainless sinks they sell for home use are usually not too thick in metal and they seem to get banged up pretty easy in the shop/garage.

I bought this commercial grade stainless sink off of Craigslist for $50, added a Chinese made restaurant-style chrome faucet and a hose bib to fill mop buckets and the like for about another $60 and a chromed metal p trap for another $20

View media item 43498
A Craigslist search of 'stainless' turns up some pretty interesting things.

I also found a porcelain cast iron utility sink for the house at the local Habitat for Humanity used building materials store. I use it all the time to clean my latex paint brushes and rollers, drywall mud pans/knives, and my wife uses it to dye her hair. Very easy to clean up.

YMMV

 

[jeffmattero76]

Yeah, I know its preference but I wanted to get your thoughts.

I'm looking at a stainless steel sink for the garage which is a about $100 more than a plastic standard utility sick.

Would you guys do it or not worth it?

Personally, I think it is a great idea. Can you find one with legs, or are you going to put it in a cabinet? If you found one with legs, please post a link. I would love to change out my plastic one due to all of the stains that are impossible to remove.

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk

 

[LoBelly]

How long will you need the sink

the stainless one will probably outlast you...

 

[SwampCat]

Stainless,end of story.

 

[jeff_gates]

we have this one in the shop.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DKWGQXU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Trey T]

For a garage, generally, stainless steel sink is more appropriate than - let's say - laundry room. Both settings will contribute abrasion to the sink surface, making them look like **** over the years, but garage will contribute more. Also, when you handle petroleum-based material, it tends to stain the surface of the sink, but it's less on stainless steel.

 

[E55 Bulldog]

Do you think 18 gauge is think enough for garage shop?

Also, is a 24x24 large enough tub? I can't remember what size mine was in my old house

Here is the link

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Commercial...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

[e015475]

16 gauge would be better.

18" x 18" if fine unless you're going to use it to wash dogs or kids

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/re...-drainboard-18-x-18-x-14-bowl/600S11818B.html

 

[Jaguar Fan]

Just remember acid and stainless do not play well together. Even acid fumes and stainless steel sinks do not play well together.

Ask me how I know.

 

[E55 Bulldog]

Last time I checked.... acid does not play well with anything

 

[Stuey]

Last time I checked.... acid does not play well with anything

Specific types of plastic and glass are very resilient.

 

[ItsNemo]

Cheap plastic one, replace when it gets in too rough of shape. Metal is hard on surfaces, plastic is pretty forgiving.

 

[Brian C]

We had a plastic sink for years in the garage. While it worked OK it was never really what we wanted. Driving down a local street a couple of years ago we spotted this sitting at the curb. Tossed it into the back of the truck got it home and hooked up in about an hour. While it's not a deep slop sink it's really convenient. Don't mind the mess.

 

[nh_yota]

Cheap plastic one, replace when it gets in too rough of shape. Metal is hard on surfaces, plastic is pretty forgiving.

I concur.

 

[SALIV8]

The plastic ones look like **** after a while and are difficult to keep looking nice.

The stainless sinks they sell for home use are usually not too thick in metal and they seem to get banged up pretty easy in the shop/garage.

I bought this commercial grade stainless sink off of Craigslist for $50, added a Chinese made restaurant-style chrome faucet and a hose bib to fill mop buckets and the like for about another $60 and a chromed metal p trap for another $20

View media item 43498
A Craigslist search of 'stainless' turns up some pretty interesting things.

I also found a porcelain cast iron utility sink for the house at the local Habitat for Humanity used building materials store. I use it all the time to clean my latex paint brushes and rollers, drywall mud pans/knives, and my wife uses it to dye her hair. Very easy to clean up.

YMMV

 

[SALIV8]

We had a plastic sink for years in the garage. While it worked OK it was never really what we wanted. Driving down a local street a couple of years ago we spotted this sitting at the curb. Tossed it into the back of the truck got it home and hooked up in about an hour. While it's not a deep slop sink it's really convenient. Don't mind the mess.

You ****!

 

[metalart]

I have a janitor closet porcelain mop sink. works great, easy to clean.

 

[Brian C]

You ****!

Thanks????? Yeah, I know. I'd rather be lucky than good.

 

[kbs2244]

Go with the plastic until you find a cheap SS on an auction site.

 

[rburke65]

I bought a Stainless Steel, double bowl, deep sink with a drain shelf, faucets, double traps, adjustable legs for $175 off crigslist from a sandwich shop going out of business. It was, in my opinion, a good buy.

 

[Jimi]

Specific types of plastic and glass are very resilient.

Jesse learned that the hard way.

 

[aafadca]

I had a plastic one for a few years until I found a stainless very reasonable, It has the side drain board that I was wanting. It cleans up/looks better than the plastic one. I'm really happy with it.

 

[545_days]

My plastic sink cracked. Surprisingly, the gorilla glue repair lasted for years. I demolished it last year and sacrificed four feet of shop space to build a half bath accessible from our outdoor kitchen.

When I remodel my garage (someday) I will add a stainless sink. When I built the 1/2 bath, I already installed the drain and water supply lines for the next garage sink.

 

[wirt]

Stainless for me.

 

[barks]

Stainless for me----dog washing sink?

 

[wirt]

Stainless for me----dog washing sink?

Yeah mainly, but I've used it for pretty much everything. Lol

 

[CJ7VFR]

If you can afford the stainless steel sink, then go for it. It will last longer than the plastic sink, and it will also be easier to keep clean and looking good as others have said.

I have a white "heavy duty" plastic utility sink in my basement. Heavy duty meaning I bought it at an actual plumbing supply place and not at a big box store. The plastic ones at the big box stores are much thinner and don't seem to have the amount of bracing/structural integrity as the ones you can get at a real plumbing supply house.

The price was more for the sink at the plumbing house, but it came with a faucet, metal legs with adjusters on them, all the drain parts, and the bottom of the sink is reinforced and gusseted to be able to take the weight of a drain pump hanging off of it.

I went with plastic because I was using it in the basement to clean off paint brushes and painting supplies, washing my hands, and basically general cleaning of things I did not want to clean in my kitchen sink and mess that up.

If I had wanted it in the garage, I would have gone for the stainless steel version for the durability of it over the plastic.

Here is a picture of mine in my basement. I have had it, and the drain pump for over 15 years now. Anytime I clean paint brushes and rinse paint buckets, I always clean off the inside of the sink with hot soapy water to get all the paint off. You can tell the sink gets used, just not abused. You can just make out the pump hanging under the sink.

Jim

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd keep an eye on Govdeals for a decent used stainless steel sink.

 

[gunguy]

Check out used restaurant supply stores if you have any in your area. If they don't have what you need, wait a week or so. The inventory rotates on a regular basis. They also have SS prep tables, racks, large cookie pans that can be used for drip pans, all sorts of neat stuff.

Jim

 

[Bryanthegreat]

Go with the plastic until you find a cheap SS on an auction site.

Would probably spend more overall doing it this way. I have a plastic one in the shop at work for the last 7 years and no damage. Never had a stainless one but the plastic does stain and the stainless looks much cooler.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, Stainless will be worth whatever it costs.

 

[bad_idea]

Last time I checked.... acid does not play well with anything

Haven't you watched 'Breaking Bad'. You need a plastic container or the bottom of the bathtub dissolves.

http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

 

[sberry]

Go with the plastic until you find a cheap SS on an auction site.

I use plastic, replaced it once or twice.

 

[Pluribus]

My preference is stainless, as it's easier to clean/keep clean. I also think it looks better, if that matters to you. Most stainless sinks have rounded inside corners too vs the square ones in a lot of the plastic sinks, and they also seem to pitch better toward the drain.

e015475's sink looks awesome! Went to the eBay link and saw a sink with a side/drainboard for about the same amount. If I was buying new, I'd go for one of those.

 

[davethorik]

I was going to suggest concrete or stone but holy hell that is some sticker shock.

I suppose you could find a deal on one from CL or something, but plastic and SS way more common, and affordable. The plastic I am not a big fan of...sink is light and flexes, questionable weight capacity, dislike square inside corners, chips/gouges easily, stains easily, usually looking like haggard *** after not a lot of use. The EL Mustee I have experience with, absolutely hate detachable legs, cheap feeling and come off too easily, usually accidentally kicked off when standing at sink because floor is never level.
That being said...

I am just the right amount of sick and twisted to think I could make my own out of concrete, for not much money. I like the concrete...they are durable, and heavy. I like the slanted outer wall these types often have, I think that is preferable to the traditional cube shape.

Forming might be a bit of a challenge, but I know a concrete guy who would help out in exchange for his favorite adult beverage...I think SS flashing on the top edge would do well to guard against chipping, which is a big personal pet peeve on plastic, and bare concrete. I think I would leave external corners square for ease of forming, and grind radii or chamfers on them when done. Wire mesh or rebar reinforcements. Radiused inside corners could be a challenge.

Base, most likely something simple made of angle iron...if in a basement or garage, I'd look for SS angle, possibly pipe...upstairs of home probably could get away with painted steel. A quick googling shows SS angle is kind of pricy... $115 for 20' of 304SS 1x1x3/16"...well, not like this is remotely close to top of list, I can ponder this some more.

Oh, and of course one of these commercial faucets...if they withstood years of 8+ hr days being abused at the hands of apathetic teens, drug addicts, and jaded management in a chain restaurant, with no issues... probably last 2 lifetimes on a homeowner utility sink. Of course you need the extra long add-on faucet w/ flex elbow, and the longer pre-rinse hose. Pictured is a wall mount, deck mount might be easier depending on sink. Probably also add a nice standalone HD sillcock above the sink for garden hose attachment w/o worrying about tying up faucet, some rugged soap and towel racks close by, possibly a pump style soap dispenser.

I think this could be an interesting project.

 

[kabinenroller]

Stainless steel, no doubt about it. There are used restaurant / food supply businesses that have sinks that have been removed for various reasons that can be bought reasonably. I purchased mine from a used supermarket supply.
There are two types of stainless sinks, drawn and fabricated. Preferably you want a fabricated sink because a drawn sink is thinner in the radius’s because of the drawing process.
Jim