Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
beth9

How to stop water dripping off front apron sink onto cabinetry?

beth9
15 years ago

We installed a beautiful 30" shaw apron-front sink in our kitchen. The problem is that the water drips down the front of the sink and onto our cabinets below. Within a month, the cabinet doors became so warped that I have to have them replaced.

Of course I wipe up after doing the dishes, but it just gets so wet. The faucet placement is ok I think--- centered over the drain hole. I have soap stone that overlaps about 1/2 of the edge of the top of the sink on the other three sides (countertops also get splashy-wet.) The front of the sink juts out a little past the end of the cabinetry.

I just can't keep the cabinets dry enough. We are having new doors put on the cabinet beneath the sink, but I am afraid I will have the same problem until I can figure out a solution.

I know that these sinks are really popular now, and I am wondering if anyone else has this problem?

Please HELP!

Comments (9)

  • Circus Peanut
    15 years ago

    Fatlady: for what it's worth, my trim carpenter attached a drip rail after the sink was already installed -- perhaps that's an option for you too?

    Maybe it has something to do with your negative reveal (i.e., your counter comes in over the edge of the sink)? I have the other kind, where you see the edge of the sink under the countertop's edge. Water that drips goes down onto the sink's edge and doesn't creep along the edge of the countertop. ?? No clue what physics are involved. :-/

  • bluekitobsessed
    15 years ago

    I opened this thread expecting to find a minor gripe so that I can chime in "me too!" I have very, very occasional drips on to the base cabinet doors. However, what you're describing is well past the realm of minor gripe. I am sorry.

    Because you're indicating that your adjacent countertops are also getting splashed, I'm wondering what kind of faucet you have, possibly a very high spout. My spout sits 4" above the top of the sink. Can you post pix?

    Also, do you get the same amount of water no matter who washes? IOW, are you a vigorous dish washer?

    And have you ruled out a slow leak or bad caulking job?

    I hope those help.

  • flseadog
    15 years ago

    fatlady, I learned to wash dishes in a farm house sink when I was 5, too long ago to want to say. Our old sink didn't have cabinets underneath, just porcelain legs holding it up. My Mom wasn't worried about soaking good cabinetry underneath but she taught me to fold a dish towel over the front edge to lean against and catch any drips before they reach the floor. I think the earlier post with this suggestion is the good old practical solution to the problem. Hope this helps.

  • amylou68
    15 years ago

    I had a granite fabricator suggest using teak for the cabinet doors under the sink, as they are more water resistant. Or maybe you could have a drip rail made of teak installed under the sink.

    Good luck,

    Amy

  • tetrazzini
    15 years ago

    What do these drip rails look like? Are they cup shaped in profile? Is the idea that they catch and hold the water like a little trough so you can sop it up afterwards? Or are they a squared off length of wood, like a shallow shelf? Can anyone direct me to a picture?

    I have a big apron front sink sitting on my dining room floor waiting for the cabinet to be finished. I'm just about to make the doors, so I'm glad I found out about this now, while it can still be added in.

  • beth9
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Can drip rails be attached to the existing cabintry? Do they really work at catching the water or just little drips?

    I am trying using the dishtowel. It is catching most, not all of the water. I hate having sopping wet dishtowels in the kitchen (so much for the look of my beautiful sink). But better that than new cabinetry.

    I don't think it is my faucet because it doesn't splash when I run it. I think the Shaw sinks are just not very deep.

  • Yellowbug
    6 years ago

    I am having the same problem with small amounts of water dripping on my lower cabinet. I also lay a towel across the sink, although, it looks dumb. The drippings i feel are making the cabinet wood soft, but so far no warping,

  • PRO
    Big Win Interior Design
    2 years ago

    Reviving this old post! We are in the process of installing this 120-year-old curvy beast. Figuring out how to drip rail was beyond my patience level, but the water is actually a problem. It's just that any drips that get on the curve front travel straight down onto the cabinetry. My impratical and expensive partial solution was to add a small sink on the other side of the kitchen to keep others away from my big sink and expensive cabinets that only I care about! I did leave some panel above the cabinet doors, so I'm adding a 10" long pull above each door so we can keep a towel/towels there and handy at all times.


    As far as splashing, it's not really a problem on the right side which is very deep, but the left side is shallow and so easy so use - that's what's getting us in a bit of trouble.


    We probably could have come up with drip rail feature of some sort to apply across the panel, but I think with the towels handy, a little vigilance and probably some shrieking, it'll be fine :-)