What is a Laundry Tub? A Guide for Homeowners
Every homeowner wants a home that is complete with accessories and features to make life easier; sinks, smart appliances, and automated switches come to mind. However, many people miss out on one area that can benefit them a lot in their homes: a laundry tub.
Having a great laundry tub for your laundry room will help a lot in the maintenance of your clothing and garments. It makes your laundry time more efficient (faster) as well as providing a comfortable workspace which can fit in well with the decoration of your home.
A laundry tub can very easily be the most used appliance in your home (provided that you have one). So, our guide today will cover everything that you need to know about laundry tubs for the average homeowner.
What Are Laundry Tubs?
You might think that you can only do the laundry as the name suggests but you’d be surprised at its multi-functionality. Some great examples; it can be used to pre-soak laundry, keep your bottles of beer and drinks cold, as well as providing you a better workspace in maintaining your laundry.
Unlike the traditional kitchen or bathroom sinks, laundry sink tubs are deeper and have a wider area. This is due to the fact that it needs to accommodate your garments which are larger in area than plates and cutlery.
How Much Space Do I Have?
This will determine the size of the laundry tub, it's best to know which sinks are out of the picture because they're just too big for the space you're working with. The bigger the tub, the more litres it can hold which means it can hold more laundry.
Will the Builder or Renovation Install a Custom Cabinet?
A custom cabinet will give you a lot of flexibility because you can choose the sink or tub first and then the cabinet maker will adjust their laundry cabinets for the sink. Make sure you also talk to them about the placement of your washing machine so they can plan to make way for the bypass kits when the plumber installs the sink.
Some may design a wall-hung cabinet but be careful as sometimes you might be a bit rough in the laundry tub which might put a lot of weight in, you don't want your cabinet to rip down your wall. You might also be designing an Ikea laundry tub and cabinet set, which you can still select your own higher quality laundry tubs.
What Type of Benchtop Will Be Used?
If it is a laminate benchtop then you're better off finding a sink or tub that can be top-mounted, some of the cheaper ones will have two tap holes ready to go, the more expensive hand made sinks will have no tap hole so you'll have to plan for the kitchen or laundry mixer or some may even choose a wall mount basin mixer to go on the benchtop.
What’s the Difference between a Laundry Tub and Kitchen Sink?
The difference between a laundry tub and kitchen sink is mainly in the thickness of the steel and quality of craftsmanship. Most laundry tubs can't be used in the kitchen because they're cheap thin steel pressed sinks, whereas kitchen sinks are sturdy and thick, Buildmat Kitchen sinks are best in class with 1.5mm thick SS304 stainless steel all around, with sound deadening pads.
Also, the cheaper variety top mount laundry tubs also come with one or two tap holes already in, these inset sinks are easier for the plumber to install, but this reduces the time and cost of your plumber but doesn't look great, especially if you've got a nice stone benchtop.
There are some kitchen sinks that you just should not use in the laundry, for example, try to keep to a large single bowl sink rather than a double bowl if you plan to use a double bowl sink, make sure you know why you're getting it because it may look odd in the laundry. For example if you're looking at Bunnings laundry tub you'll notice that there are a lot with tapholes already.
Do I Really Need a Laundry Tub?
There are several questions that you need to ask yourself before you buy a laundry tub (and they’re not for the same reasons as buying a kitchen sink, for example).If you are a person who only wants to use the laundry tub to clean some clothing very sparingly, you’re better off with other options. If you, however, want a workspace that can allow you to maintain your laundry schedule much more effectively, a laundry tub is a good choice.As for the size of the sink itself, it’ll depend on what your needs are. If you are dealing with the occasional stains and blotches on your clothing, you don’t need a big laundry tub. If you have to handle the laundry for the whole family, you’ll need a larger tub to make your work easier.Next, you should set some realistic expectations for yourself when you are making a decision.
Yes, a kitchen or toilet sink can do everything that a laundry tub does but having one is going to make your life so much more convenient.For instance, instead of going up and down the stairs to wash your clothes, you can just do it in the laundry tub. A laundry tub can also act as a drainage system for your washing machine which is a more practical solution.If you’re an organised person, having a laundry tub allows you to sort your clothing easily; you can separate your garments by colour or have more room to sort muddy clothes from slightly dirty clothes – it’s a very neat addition to your laundry room.
Finally, it is good to consider how frequently will you be using the sink and for what kinds of laundry jobs before you begin shopping – it will definitely save you a lot of time and keep you from making an impulse purchase.With that being said, there are more benefits to buying a laundry tub than there are drawbacks if you are concerned about it.
Should I Find the Biggest Laundry Tub?
If you’re only washing a few clothing, you don’t need anything bigger than a small laundry tub. If you are cleaning garments for more than 4-5 people, however, you’re going to need something larger – preferably a 700x450mm large laundry tub that can handle more clothing in one washing run.
You should also consider the space that you have in your house to work with. Buying a larger tub is not that useful if you don’t have the space to set it up. A great way to set-up your space for a laundry tub is to plan it beforehand; that means you might need to move and reposition your laundry room to fit a laundry tub.
However, the tubs are usually not that massive so setting it up is not a huge issue. You can also get your retailer to set that up for you (usually for free or for a small fee).
As we’ve mentioned in an earlier post, Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks: A Guide for Home Owners, the best sinks or tubs are made of a thicker material which dampens (reduces) the noise by running water. The seals and edges of a sink should also be inspected carefully to make sure that they do not break down easily over time.
If you are unsure of anything, it’s best to ask your retailer questions before making a purchase; they’ll be more than happy to help you out with any issues.
Choosing the Best Laundry Tub Material
The first thing to consider is the design of the sink in relation to the aesthetics of your home. For instance, if you have a rustic themed laundry room, having a stainless steel laundry cabinet may look out of place and you might opt for a stone benchtop with a flush mount or undermount laundry sink instead, or if you don't do much laundry you might consider a large concrete counter basin to suit the style.
You can also find laundry tubs that are made of a variety of materials nowadays such as glass, wood, porcelain, and even stoned-based finishes. Find what works for your home’s existing design theme and aim for a balance between looks and function and remember the laundry tub is always subject to hot water.
While there are plenty of laundry tubs finishes in the market with great utility, when it comes down to a choice that is great in both the design and function aspects, a stainless steel (metal) laundry tub is the preferred choice for many customers, such as the Masters Laundry Trough
The reasons that stainless steel sinks are so popular are that they are tough and easy to maintain; commercial stainless steel sinks can withstand high heat easily as well as being strong which means that it won’t break down even after more than 20 years of constant usage.
The durability of stainless sinks means that you will be saving a lot of money in the long run compared to other types of sinks.
While there is some negative connotation with stainless steel sinks due to its “dull” look, choices such as this metal laundry tub that we have on sale over at Buildmat proves that statement wrong; our laundry tubs look great, perform well, and are affordable.
Keep The Theme
some people forget to keep the theme throughout the house, make sure you're matching your bathrooms with your laundry. It might mean using the same wall mixers, soap dispensers or the same shape as your hand showers next to your freestanding baths, or the colour of your toilet suite or toilet brushes. There are so many things that you shouldn't mix and match styles. Let's go through a specific example if your toilet roll holder, bath spouts and semi-recessed basins are all square speed designs then try to keep that theme and use a square gooseneck mixer in the laundry rather than a standard laundry tap. If your shower screens and tapware are all black, then make sure your wishlist has a black faucet for the laundry as well.
Further information
Over here at BuildMat Australia, we only offer the highest quality laundry tubs with the best prices in the market. View our Laundry Tubs range. With an extensive connection of trusted manufacturers, you can be assured of the quality of your products. To know more about our products, check our FAQ or head on over to our main page.
If you’d like to get in touch with us, shoot us an e-mail over at sales@buildmat.com.au or call us at 1300-123-122.
More Renovation Tips
- Benefits of Buying Kitchen Sink in Thicker Steel
- Do I need a Draining Board with my Kitchen Sink?
- What Sink is right for me?
- Large Kitchen Sinks Require Planning, How Big Should I Get?
- A Guide to Laundry Tubs
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