Ask the plumber: Drain boards making a natural comeback in the kitchen

Q. I really enjoy the articles where you tell us what’s hot and what’s not in our kitchens and baths. Along those lines, I was thinking about installing a stainless-steel kitchen sink with a built-in drainboard for my new kitchen. My husband says that we don’t have the room for such a sink, and that drainboards are old-fashioned, anyway. Are drainboards for the kitchen sink hot or not?

A. From what I’ve seen in the past few years, drainboards are hot in many custom kitchens. But I’m not talking about the ones that you see in discount stores, even though they’re getting popular as well. I’m talking about higher-end drainboards that are designed into the kitchen sinks and/or accessory drainboards made by the manufacturer to match their sinks. I’ll get into those details in a minute, but first let me tell you why the drainboard is making a comeback.

Simply, younger homeowners are discovering that they really work! With nothing to plug in, drainboards offer extra storage space and a natural drying platform for your dishes. This can save energy as well, especially if you only need to clean a few dishes at a time. The only thing they lacked was a little style, and plumbing-fixture companies have taken care of that as well.

Newer styles of stainless-steel sinks are called task sinks, and they have integrated drainboards. Having the drainboard as part of the fixture is probably the way to go, but the overall dimensions of the sink can be longer. However, it is possible to fit them in a 36-inch base cabinet with the drainboard side overlapping an adjacent dishwasher.

If the task sink is not a good fit for your new kitchen, I recommend the second option. Install a standard-size kitchen sink that offers add-on accessories, like cutting boards and drainboards. These custom drainboards with racks are designed to fit snugly over the rim of the sink, creating an instant, matching task station.

One final note: Larger kitchen sinks with a built-in drainboard usually are on the expensive side, and may cost more in labor to install. So, if you can’t afford to drain your wallet, stay with the accessory-type drainboard.

Ÿ Master contractor and plumber Ed Del Grande is the author of “Ed Del Grande’s House Call” and hosts TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. Visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.

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