Owners of standard city apartments often think about the possibility of placing a sink by the window in their kitchen. On the one hand, an excellent view is opened before the hostess, on the other hand, such a planning decision provokes difficulties in placing communications. Should I even think about such a plan? And what nuances of the location of the sink by the window in the kitchen should be considered?
The standard solution in typical apartments is the location of a wet zone in a secluded corner – this is where developers often place the necessary communications. The corner placement of the car wash is also familiar to Soviet residents, because, at the time, there was no question of redevelopment. So why bother to think about moving the sink and communications under it?
Firstly, the placement of the sink in the corner is most often accompanied by an uncomfortable approach to it, especially if there are wall kitchen cabinets, and the user is rather tall. When washing dishes you have to bend over and dodge all the time so as not to catch your head.
Secondly, with the corner placement of the sink in a small kitchen, there is no access to the lower and upper cabinets while someone is busy washing dishes. The kitchen becomes less functional and absolutely not ergonomic. It is for these two reasons that the decision to move the shell under the window is most often made.
Sink by the window: advantages
In Europe, and in many countries of America, placing a sink by the window is not something fantastic. Of course, their houses are projected in advance for such planning, the necessary communications are laid immediately when the house is built. Why is a kitchen sink under a window such a popular solution? Should the owners of domestic apartments resort to the same?
The undoubted advantages of the location of the sink by the window in the kitchen are:
Excellent view from the window
It does not matter whether you live on the first floor, or on the last. In the first case, washing dishes will be accompanied by observation of your neighbors or passers-by, and in the second case, we are waiting for you a great view of the city or nature.
Daily routine work will turn into relaxation and meditation as you watch out of the window for life around you. There is no need to stare at the blank wall before washing in the corner. After all, you see, we do not often just look out the window to watch the city life. Surely, psychologically speaking, placing a sink by the window in the kitchen is worth it.
Daylight
If your kitchen plan suggests the location of a wet zone in the corner, then the main drawback is the need to turn on the light even during the day, because this zone is often devoid of natural light.
When placing a kitchen sink by the window, the problem with lighting is solved exactly by half – now you have to turn on the light only in the evening. And it will save you a lot of electricity.
Increased work surface
Most often, when it comes to typical apartments in the houses of the Khrushchev or Brezhnev type, the window sill is located at the level of the tabletop. And this means that when moving a car wash, you can order a tabletop combined with a window sill. In turn, this leads to an increase in the working space for the hostess, which is so lacking in small kitchens.
However, the space under the window in a typical kitchen always remains unused, and moving the sink to this zone will add functionality to the room, utilizing the entire area to the maximum. This solution is especially important when combining the kitchen and living room – the working area can be moved under the window, thereby freeing one of the walls of the room under the other furniture.
Disadvantages of a kitchen window sink
No matter how attractive the transfer of the washing under the window looks like, all the technical details should be studied in this matter, as sometimes there are insurmountable difficulties that make it impossible to carry out our plans. It is about communications – water supply, drain pipe and radiators. What disadvantages are there for apartment owners when transferring a wet zone to a window?
Heating radiators
Typical layout of apartments involves the placement of heating radiators under the window. And, both in old houses, and in modern new buildings. Most often, it is not possible to transfer it to another wall due to technical problems. If you place the sink under the window, you will have to close the radiators with the facades of floor cabinets, which will inevitably lead to heat loss.
A way out of the current situation is a special perforation on the table top – holes that allow heat to penetrate from the radiator into the interior. However, all the same, some of the warm air is lost, which means that you will have to think about an alternative source of heating, for example, installing a heated floor.
Plumbing and drain
When placed by the window, the sink in the kitchen will be sufficiently removed from the sewer drain and water pipes. And their lengthening is sometimes associated with excess financial and labor costs. If improper installation or use of poor-quality materials can get problems with the drain after 5 years. Yes, and to find a professional plumber who will correctly design the entire assembly and correctly calculate the slope of plumbing pipes, is difficult.
Appearance of splashes on the window
When washing dishes, the appearance of splashes on the windows can not be avoided. Detergent and water, liquids poured into the sink leave traces, as there will be no kitchen apron. And what about the kitchen curtains or blinds? Of course, the latter is easier to replace, but the order is time consuming.
The way out can be an apron that can be put behind the sink while washing dishes, but in this case you have to sacrifice a beautiful view from the window. Or to mount the sink at a sufficient distance from the glass so that the splatter does not fall on it (such a decision is justified with a wide windowsill).
Another solution to this problem may be the use of a special rubber mat at the bottom of the sink, which prevents water splashing.
Restriction in the use of wooden products
This also applies to wooden countertops and wooden window frames. In the first case, the product is affected not only by moisture, but also by temperature differences, which leads to cracking and swelling of the table top. And in the second case, the window frame will have to be changed to a metal-plastic construction.
The way out of the situation can be the use of a tabletop made of artificial stone or other material that is resistant to moisture and temperature extremes. And from the wooden windows will have to completely give up.
Difficult airing
If the sink is too close to the window, the mixer prevents the full opening of the frame, thereby making it difficult to air. But this disadvantage is easily eliminated by installing a special mixer, reclining to the side or hiding in the sink. In addition, there are special low kitchen faucets with a low spout.
If the width of the tabletop allows, you can also mount the sink farther from the window, and place the mixer on the side – in this case it will also not interfere with the opening of the window sashes.
Height difference
Another problem that the owner of the dwelling can face when re-planning the kitchen is the discrepancy between the height of the window opening and the height of the table top. However, the advantage will be the location of the frame above the table top – and less spray, and no need to transfer the window opening.
But if the lower part of the window is located below the table top, then the idea of a sink by the window will have to be abandoned, if there is no desire to eliminate the drop and reinstall the glass pane of the desired size.
Lack of dryer in the closet
If the sink is located in the corner of the kitchen or in the middle section, then in the wall cabinets above the wet area it is more convenient to place the dishwasher dryer. When transferring the car wash under the window, there will be no wall lockers in the near access. So, it is necessary to change habits and put clean dishes on the table, or organize a dryer in the floor cabinet under the sink. And the last option is possible only in the absence of radiators in this place.
Let us once again summarize all the disadvantages and advantages of the location of the sink under the window in the kitchen, so that you can clearly understand whether the result is worth the effort:
Benefits
- excellent view from the window
- daylight
- increase in working surface
Disadvantages
- the inconvenience of drying clean dishes
- difficulties with the transfer of communications
- splashes on the window and curtains
- rejection of wooden countertops and wooden windows
- airing difficult
- possible height difference of the window sill and tabletop
Features sink under the window in the kitchen
If you are not afraid of the shortcomings of the location of the sink by the window in the kitchen, then when re-planning it is necessary to consider all the nuances, both technical and ergonomic. How to move the sink under the window opening?
- Proper installation of sewage drain. Namely – the correct calculation of the slope of the pipeline to avoid frequent blockages. Based on 1 meter, the slope of the pipe should be at least 3 cm. The longer the pipeline is, the greater the slope. To avoid stagnation of water in the drain pipe should not bend, which means that they must be attached to the wall.
- Heating radiators. The initial arrangement of heating batteries under the window complicates the installation of washing by the window. Often, there is simply no place to move radiators, especially when it comes to small kitchens, where every centimeter of space is involved. And it is impossible to close the heating devices, otherwise you will experience damp and cold in winter. One solution remains – to make special slots on the table top or windowsill, so that the warm air has a place to go. But the heat in this case is equally lost, so you have to take care of an alternative source – warm floors.
- Installation of additional equipment. If the shell is sufficiently remote from its original plan, namely from the drain pipe by a distance greater than 3 meters, the risk of blockages increases several times. And even the correct slope of the sewer pipe will not help. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you install a food waste shredder. Thus, the rind, cleansing and small bones will be crushed before they fall into the sewer drain, and in the form of a slurry they easily pass into the drain.
- Installation of a special mixer. As we have said, the sanitary device can interfere with the usual ventilation of the window, which is unacceptable. So think about buying a special mixer, reclining or hiding in the hole in the sink. If there is a height difference between the sill and the tabletop, then get a low mixer that does not interfere with the opening of the valves.
In any case, when designing a kitchen and transferring a wet zone under a window, it is necessary to consider not only the desire of the owners of the dwelling, but also the technical possibilities of the room.
Kitchen design with a sink by the window
The sink by the window must be placed on the basis of the characteristics of a particular room. Of course, the transfer of plumbing, piping and heating equipment is important, but do not forget about the design of the kitchen with a sink by the window.
The window in the kitchen can be located in different ways: be one large bright spot or narrow and high, have several wings or be located in the corner of the room. Or maybe you have two or more windows or one big one for the entire width of the wall? In each case, all the points need to think through in advance.
Kitchen design with a sink by the window will directly depend on the size and shape of the room. So, for example, if the room is elongated, then by placing a work surface with a sink under the window, we visually approximate the shape of the room to the rectangle. If the kitchen has the shape of a square, then you can consider a U-shaped or corner set.
We picked up a rather large collection of photos of the kitchen with a sink located under the window (or between two windows) – we hope the visual information will give you more room to reflect on the layout and design.
Sink in the kitchen under one window
Of course, most apartments, especially typical ones, have only one window, and often not too large. This applies to apartments in the houses of the Khrushchev and Brezhnev type. In Stalin, most often the windows are narrow and high, and in modern new buildings in the kitchen they try to make wide window openings.
Depending on the size and height of the window, you can apply different design pieces. For example, above a small window hang a row of lockers, thereby increasing the number of storage places. Space on the sides of the narrow and high windows can also be placed under the wall cabinets or open shelves. And if the kitchen area allows, the whole wall with a window opening can be left empty and decorated with tiles – we will present the photo of the idea below:
Sink between two windows
A kitchen with a sink under the window is a simpler solution than between two windows. If you are lucky enough to become the owner of the kitchen with a couple of windows, and even are going to think about moving the wet zone, you will have to learn more about how to make a sink under the window. The presence of two sources of natural light is possible either in a modern new building, or after redevelopment and the unification of the kitchen and another room.
In the case of two windows, you can position the sink either under one of them, or between. And on the wall to place wall cabinet or open shelves (this will solve the problem of the lack of a dryer for dishes).
Sink in the corner under the window
The presence in the kitchen of two or more windows will give owners a sense of spaciousness and plenty of natural light. However, the kitchen sink under the window (or windows) requires a competent approach to design.
If the windows are located on different walls with one common angle, then in this case there are two possible solutions:
- Using the corner sink;
- L-shaped kitchen with a sloped corner and a conventional sink.
How to place the sink in the corner under the window – the above photos will tell more clearly!
