Builder Spec or MR Direct Sink? Experience?

14 years ago

In about a month I'll need a sink and like others here was planning on the Ticor S405D double undermount stainless steel sink. Well, its been out of stock for a long time, though promised for February 1. But Galaxy had said it would be available for Thanksgiving, and then for the New Year and now it has been removed from their website altogether. It's wise, I think, to make other plans.

Both Builder Spec and MR Direct have 16 ga. sinks with almost identical measurements to the Ticor and at even more attractive prices. MR Direct's price is almost too good to be true and says their sinks are UPC certified (whatever that means--anyone know?).

Has anyone used a sink from either of these on line sellers?

Featured Answer

mrdirect

10 years ago

As a spokesman for MR Direct, I would like to briefly elaborate on the UPC certification our industry awards. The Uniform Plumbing Code is the actual list of specifications and guidelines that must be adhered to in order to be certified by the IAPMO. That acronym stands for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, who many in our industry are familiar with.

IAPMO verifies that all plumbing and mechanical devices are compliant with national and international plumbing codes and standards like the UPC. They are accredited by a parent-like association known as the American National Standards Institute or ANSI who actually creates the norms and guidelines (like UPC) for numerous industries in the U.S.

Although being listed by these associations is not a recommendation of the product, it is a prized accomplishment for any manufacturer since it definitively states that the product has met all recognized industry standards. All MR Direct products are in compliance.

We encourage you to shop around and compare specs, prices and certifications. We are confident that you will find MR Direct to be offering an outstanding product at an affordable price, certified by several authorities.

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Comments (8)

needsometips08
14 years ago
I haven't installed or used my MR Direct sink yet, but I had a really good experience ordering from them and receiving it in a timely fashion, etc.

I will say that I ordered a $65 sink, but after the sink grid and shipping and all that the total came to $109 - so the extras were almost as much as the sink itself.

UPC is Uniform Plumbing Code. Different regions follow different codes. Our area follows the UPC, but some areas go by the IPC (International Plumbing Code).
lennym
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you Kevin. You have a lot of credibility on this board and may have solved what I thought was a real problem. The MRDirect sink with the same accessories will cost about $50 less than the Ticor.

I know that UPC stands for Uniform Plumbing code, but does anyone know what they actually test a stainless steel sink for to receive the certification?
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loracdmt
14 years ago
I'm no expert on sinks, especially not the expensive brands.
Long story short, when searching for a stainless undermount sink, I ended up ordering two. I got a Ticor from overstock.com and another one from MRdirect. After receiving both of them, I found them to be pretty much equal in quality. With the MRdirect costing about $110 vs. the Ticor costing about $170.
I ended up keeping the MRdirect and selling the Ticor on craigslist. Since installing it, it has performed as expected and seems like a steal at $110!!
brickton
14 years ago
This makes me so happy. I was looking for a reasonable bar sink and bathroom sink and if these are of decent quality, then I'm sold. Thanks for the tip to look there and especially for the vote of confidence, because I likely would have written them off as 'budget' (and not in the good within my budget sense, more like the cheap/won't last sense)
sinkguy
11 years ago
I can help enlighten on the UPC and certification. In the USA there is NO i repeat NO regulation on stainless steel sinks. That being said, typically prices to good to be true ARE. What happens is most of the companies are Brokers and do NOT manufacture and are at the mercy of the importer to bring them in quality. Problem arises when the factory, to save money, switches stainless you wouldn't know if you were getting 16ga or thinner cheaper 18ga or they claim 304 stainless and product is lesser grade that WILL rust. Yes i am in the industry and i give no brand name, however i can tell you there is independent testing to satisfy this claim. UPC is a company that certifies products, however once again there are many loopholes as the manufacture picks the sinks they send to be certified. Rule of thumb stick with a name brand - do a little research and by all means ask if the company is a true manufacturer. Be leery of companies not willing to put themselves in the public eye EX. advertising etc. Also be leery of any companies the DO NOT put logos into the sink, this is an good indication the sink is most likely not certified. Remember you cut the hole you own the hole. You cant go back and change a sink in granite. BUYER BEWARE. This isn't the place to skimp all though most do. See you tube video below from Designing spaces on how to choose a kitchen sink

Here is a link that might be useful: Designing Spaces
alwaysfixin
11 years ago
We were going to get a Kraus stainless sink (before we decided on Silgranit). Several GW people have them and report satisfaction, and their photos looked great. I liked the specs too and the free grate and strainer. I've heard good things about MR Direct too. If you are looking for a certain shape or size and MR doesn't have it check the Kraus models. Expressdecor sells them and often offers 5% -15% coupons. We bought a Kraus faucet there and love it. We saw they offer deals where you buy a Kraus faucet and sink together and save a lot of money.

Regarding brand-name stainless sinks like Kohler, Blanco and Franke - those companies source their stainless from the same places the brands like Ticor Kraus and MR do. Many of the Kohler, Blanco and Franke sinks are made in China, which I am not saying is a bad thing. Only that I object to them charging several times more money for them.
gsciencechick
10 years ago
We have had our MR Direct sink for nearly 5 years, and it still looks fabulous. No regrets!