# Belfast/Butler sinks



## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

Any difference between the two sinks or are they one and the same before I purchase? cheers...............dennis


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Here's your answer.

http://www.periodhomeandgarden.com/know-your-butler-from-your-belfast/


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Obnic said:


> Here's your answer.
> 
> http://www.periodhomeandgarden.com/know-your-butler-from-your-belfast/


Interesting - i've spent the last two days tiling my kitchen and quite fancy a new sink now to complement it....


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

One word of warning - a proper Belfast sink is pretty deep, so if you are quite tall then it is not that comfortable to use (requires a bit of a stoop).

We installed a London sink in our old house. Looks the same as a Belfast sink, but a bit shallower.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

These sinks can be fitted "free standing" =no draining area. when fitted with a worktop /draining board they need to overhang the sink and this can be difficult to obtain a good seal on the underside of the work top. Laminate worktop are made from compressed chipboard and deteriorate quickly if moisture reaches the back or the core, there is also no fall to cause the water to drain off the upper surface.

Other alternative worktop is solid timber with draining grooves worked into surface.

Best combination would be with granite/solid worktop with this type of sink but EXPENSIVE.

Before someone says you can use silicone to seal the joint, yes you can but you still have problems with "normal" worktops and a build up of mould as it is difficult to thoroughly clean the underside of the overhang

One other point to consider, is where to mount the taps, with a narrower sink the worktop can continue behind the sink and be used to mount pillar taps or iof the sink is against a plain wall the taps can be wall mounted (may show pipework)


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Very good points El Carajillo, in our utility room I used wooden worktops bought form IKEA which were a very reasonable price at the time. I sealed the undersides of the overhang area with wood oil before installing and then sealed with silicone. They've been fine with no issues for over 7years now. In the kitchen we have Granite tops but a stainless steel under-mounted sink. The granite fitters (who obviously didn't have your forethought) cut the hole for the sink as an exact match (so no overhang) and so all the silicone seal is visible from above and has gone black with mould over the years.

As an alternative to a London/Belfast sink, while still retaining the "feel", you could use an IKEA DOMSJO sink. This fits over the worktop like a "normal" sink and so is easier to seal.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S79931650/


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Found a picture of the DOMSJO sink mounted with the front face showing, so giving an approximation of a London/Belfast sink. Conincidently my father has just installed one in his kitchen which is why it sprung to mind.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

El carajillo said:


> ...Other alternative worktop is solid timber with draining grooves worked into surface. Best combination would be with granite/solid worktop with this type of sink but EXPENSIVE.


Good points. Cost saving ideas below.

Solid wood tops can be very competitive if you look here: http://www.worktop-express.co.uk and I can vouch for the quality of the tops.

I have also seen installations where granite or stainless is used for a couple of feet either side of the sink but not the whole run.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Obnic said:


> Good points. Cost saving ideas below.
> 
> Solid wood tops can be very competitive if you look here: http://www.worktop-express.co.uk and I can vouch for the quality of the tops.


Why did you post that...?

I was happy with the kitchen when I left the house this morning although still want to refurb in five years or so....after seeing those prices i'll be trying to make it work sooner rather than later...


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Can vouch for Worktop Express. Fitted walnut worktops to my son's kitchen recently. Quality is good and prices are competitive.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> Why did you post that...? I was happy with the kitchen when I left the house this morning...


Ach! Sorry man that was heartless. At least let me offer you the other half of the solution.

http://www.solidwoodkitchencabinets.co.uk/gbu0-display/solid_wood_kitchen_cabinets.html?gclid=CK2g14vyncUCFaoBwwodtYMAGA

These guys make solid oak cabinets (carcasses, doors, shelves and kick boards) for the price of a Wickes chipboard and laminate kitchen. Their stuff is really really nice and stunning value. You'll need a fitter though.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Obnic said:


> Ach! Sorry man that was heartless. At least let me offer you the other half of the solution.
> 
> http://www.solidwoodkitchencabinets.co.uk/gbu0-display/solid_wood_kitchen_cabinets.html?gclid=CK2g14vyncUCFaoBwwodtYMAGA
> 
> These guys make solid oak cabinets (carcasses, doors, shelves and kick boards) for the price of a Wickes chipboard and laminate kitchen. Their stuff is really really nice and stunning value. You'll need a fitter though.


My mate who helped me tile was a kitchen fitter so i'd tap him up again. Not sure i'd go for wood worktops and wood units though and would seem a shame to paint them.

The main barrier to this at the moment is the floor, there's crap laminate down which does my head in. Would like it replaced before doing the units but decent hardwood floor is about 50 quid a square meter so i'd need to find 800 quid for that for starters.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Obnic said:


> Good points. Cost saving ideas below.
> 
> Solid wood tops can be very competitive if you look here: http://www.worktop-express.co.uk and I can vouch for the quality of the tops.


WOW, their full stave zebrano worktops look amazing.

I have a butler sink in the utility room, I found it indispensable when decorating as it easily accommodates the roller tray, brushes and all you can throw at it in one go. A mucky cocker spaniel also fits in it perfectly. Im not sure if I would choose it if I could only have one sink though as it does take a lot of water to fill it due to the size. But then most people who have one as their main sink would have a dishwasher too I guess.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> ...decent hardwood floor is about 50 quid a square meter so i'd need to find 800 quid for that for starters.


At the risk of sounding like Sarah Beeney... We found a chap that did big commercial flooring contracts. He floored our whole house with what to him was an 'off cut' from one of his projects. There's surely someone similar near you when you're ready.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> WOW, their full stave zebrano worktops look amazing.
> 
> I have a butler sink in the utility room, I found it indispensable when decorating as it easily accommodates the roller tray, brushes and all you can throw at it in one go. A mucky cocker spaniel also fits in it perfectly. Im not sure if I would choose it if I could only have one sink though as it does take a lot of water to fill it due to the size. But then most people who have one as their main sink would have a dishwasher too I guess.


When these sinks were fairly standard people used a bowl for lesser cleaning jobs, not seen very often these days.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Remember the bowl in the butler sink at home very well. My mum never lost the habit even when we got a stainless steel sink. She was still using a plastic bowl in the sink until she died a couple of years ago aged 95.


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

I plan on dropping a befast sink into the middle of an old sink unit and NOT have the front pretruding out on show (google images show the front of the sink on show) Can anyone see any problems arising by doing this as I can't.............thanks


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

How are you supporting the sink from below.

The I'm guessing the fit would have to be pretty tight to. Most drop on sinks have a lip that hides any gaps and gives you a bit of a margin for error / manoeuvre.


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

There is a sturdy centre shelf which I will raise accordingly to support. A new work surface will then lay on top.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

What type of worktop are you having?


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

I'll probably go for an oak one from worktop express


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I love oak. We've got wooden work tops in our kitchen.

Make sure you oil them a few times when new, particularly where the end grain is / where it gets wet.


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## TomBurtonArt (Jan 18, 2015)

+1 for the ikea ceramic sinks. I have a Belfast and it's super uncomfortable.

Word of warning, things break easily in a ceramic sink and if you're not careful they can stain pretty easily too. I have oak worktops with an overhang, the worktops need sanding and oiling regularly. Considering saving for marble/granite/resin/polished concrete worktop to replace the oak for around the sink, it's an awful lot of work keeping oak looking nice in a very wet area of the kitchen.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Think i'm going for one of these as a wee temporary upgrade http://www.tapsuk.com/kitchen-sinks-c2/granite-kitchen-sinks-c110/10-bowl-sinks-c268/astracast-msk-10-bowl-rok-granite-opal-white-kitchen-sink-ms10rwstomsk-p17238


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I went for a similar ceramic version of this.


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