If you’ve decided to invest in a new kitchen sink for your home, you may have run across some confusing numbers, labels, and terms. You want to ensure you are investing in the best quality sink for your home. However, sometimes it can be difficult to know which sink is the best, and why.
The gauge, or thickness of the material, is an important number that plays a role in determining the quality of the sink. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the material, and thus the higher quality the material. You want to have a thick sink to ensure it is durable and long-lasting for all your kitchen needs.
In this article, you’ll learn all about how the gauge number and quality of stainless steel should play an essential role in deciding what sink to buy. Two common sink gauges, a 16 gauge sink and an 18 gauge sink, are two high-quality sink choices. We will further discuss the difference between these two gauges so you can choose the best sink for your unique budget and needs.
Difference Between 16 Gauge Vs. 18 Gauge Sink
A single number, the gauge number, can drastically change the overall quality and durability of the sink. This is because the gauge number indicates the thickness of the stainless steel sink.
However, the number may be misleading. This is because the smaller the gauge number, the thicker, high-quality steel choice. Therefore, from a technical standpoint, a 16 gauge kitchen sink is stronger and more durable than an 18 gauge sink. This is again because the steel is thicker the lower the gauge number.
Therefore, a 16 gauge kitchen sink is stronger than an 18 gauge sink because the steel that the sink is made out of is thicker than the 18 gauge sink.
It’s important to note that the gauge of the sink material ranges anywhere from 16 to 22, with 16 thus being the thickest sink gauge possible.
The reason why the thickness of the sink material (the gauge) matters is that this affects the sound absorption quality. For instance, if you drop a utensil into a stainless steel 16-gauge kitchen sink, the sound will be softer and more subtle than in an 18 or 22-gauge sink. As a result, if sound absorption is an important quality to you when placing dishes in your sink, consider getting a lower sink gauge.
Benefits Of 16 Gauge Stainless Steel Sinks
A 16-gauge kitchen sink is the highest quality sink in terms of a gauge number. This is because the lower the gauge number, the thicker the material of steel. Therefore, if you are looking for the top, luxury kitchen sink for your home improvement project, a 16 gauge stainless steel sink is the way to go.
Although the sink’s gauge (thickness of the sink material) may seem trivial, it does make an impact on a variety of factors including:
- Sound Resistance- If you drop a dish or utensil in a 16 gauge sink, the thickness of the material will reduce the sound of the dish falling into the sink.
- Heat Resistance- Since the sink material is thick, it is able to absorb the most heat relative to any other sink gauge.
- Scratch Resistance- The thickness of the sink influences how easily a utensil or other dish you place in the sink can scratch the sink/ cause damage to the sink.
- Dent Resistance- A 16 gauge sink is made of the thickness material; therefore, it’s the least likely sink to get dents.
These are just a few benefits of having the thickest kitchen sink available. Not only will your 16 gauge stainless steel sink look luxurious and high-quality, but you can rest assured its durability will make this a good investment for your home for years to come.
How Thick Is 16g Steel?
Although you may know that a 16 gauge kitchen sink is the thickest sink available (according to gauge number). You may be wondering how thick exactly is 16g steel relative to other gauge numbers.
The approximate thickness of 16g sheet steel is about 0.0598 inches thick or 1.52 mm thick.
It’s important to keep in mind that the type of material does influence the relative thickness. Therefore, the thickness of a 16 gauge sheet steel will be slightly different than a 16 gauge stainless steel material. This will be discussed further in the following section.
How Thick is 16ga Stainless Steel?
A key idea to keep in mind is that the type of material also influences the relative thickness of the material. Therefore, a 16 gauge sheet steel material will be slightly different in terms of thickness compared to a 16 gauge stainless steel material.
A 16ga stainless steel material is about 0.0625 inches thick or 1.59 mm thick.
It’s easy to remember that the lower the gauge number the thicker the material. This is because, if you think of gauge thickness in terms of fractions, the gauge number makes up the denominator (bottom number) of a fraction over one. Therefore, 16-gauge stainless steel material is (roughly) 1/16 inches thick. Or, a 20-gauge stainless steel sink is about 1/20 inches thick.
Ultimately, it’s important to note that although a 16 gauge stainless steel material may be made of the highest quality/ thickest material, this does come at a price. For this type of luxury sink, you should expect to pay the most for this high-quality sink option compared to a sink with a higher gauge number.
How Strong Is 16 Gauge Steel?
The approximate weight per area of 16 gauge steel is about 2.44 lb/ft squared or 11.9 kg/m squared. Therefore, again you should expect that the lower number the gauge number, the thicker and thus heavier the material is. The heavier the material, the more strength the material has relative to a higher-numbered gauge material.
Benefits Of 18 Gauge Stainless Steel Sinks
Although a 16 gauge sink is arguably the best quality sink available due to its thickness of the material, an 18 gauge stainless steel sink is still considered a type of luxury, high-quality sink at a slightly more cost-effective rate than the 16 gauge sink.
Therefore, if you are looking for a durable, long-lasting kitchen sink, but don’t want to pay nearly as much for a 16 gauge sink, an 18 gauge is the next best alternative.
How Thick Is 18 Gauge Steel?
An 18-gauge sheet steel material is about 0.0478 inches thick or 1.21 mm thick.
As discussed earlier in this article, the type of material will slightly influence the thickness. For instance, steel vs. aluminum vs. stainless steel will all have differing thickness amounts, even if they have the same gauge number.
How Thick Is 18 Gauge Stainless Steel?
18-gauge stainless steel material is about 0.05 inches thick or 1.27 mm thick.
Similar to the above section on 16 gauge stainless steel thickness, a rough estimate to get the relative gauge thickness is to take the gauge number (in this case 18) over 1. This fraction should get you about the thickness in inches.
How Strong Is 18 Gauge Steel?
The approximate weight of an 18 gauge steel material is about 1.95 pounds per foot squared. This is a slightly smaller weight than a 16 gauge steel material, which is to be expected. This is because the 16 gauge steel material is thicker, which inevitably will be stronger and heavier relative to a higher gauge number material like 18 gauge steel.
Best Gauge For Kitchen Sink
On average, most kitchen sinks are 18 gauge sinks. This is because although it may be slightly thinner than a 16 gauge, it is still durable and more cost-effective. In terms of what sink is better (16 gauge vs. 18 gauge), the 16 gauge sink is the better of the two.
Best Grade Of Stainless Steel Sink
The grade of a stainless steel sink is labeled usually with a ratio. This ratio is the amount of chromium and nickel that is in that particular steel material. For example, if you see a ratio of 18/8, this label is indicating the steel has 18% chromium and 8% nickel as the materials that make up the stainless steel. An easy way to remember how to know which stainless steel sink is higher quality than another is if the percentage of materials is higher.
The best grade for a stainless steel sink is Grade-316. This grade means that the stainless steel sink is made of 18/10, or about 18% chromium and 10% nickel.
What Stainless Steel Sink Should You Choose
If you’ve decided to invest in a stainless steel sink for your home improvement project, there are a few key factors you should consider before purchasing your new sink.
First, check the gauge of the stainless steel sink. As previously discussed, the lower the gauge number, the thicker the material. Therefore, try looking for, if you can afford it, a 16 gauge or 18 gauge stainless steel sink. This will ensure your sink is durable enough and long-lasting for all your kitchen activities.
Next, when choosing a quality stainless steel sink, you should mainly be evaluating the gauge (thickness of material), grade (quality of material), and price. You should try to find a lower gauge number. Likewise, the best grade for stainless steel is Grade-316. Therefore, if you can find stainless steel with a low gauge, such as 16 gauge, and a Grade-316 within your budget, this would be the best quality stainless steel sink to choose for your project.
Besides being familiar with the numbers and terms when it comes to deciding what stainless steel sink you should choose, you can also test the quality of the sink. Known as the “magnet test”, take a magnet to the stainless steel. If the magnet sticks, this means it is not Grade 316 or Grade 304 stainless steel, which are considered the highest grade of stainless steel. Yet, if the magnet doesn’t stick, this likely indicates it is made of quality-grade stainless steel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Gauge Stainless Steel Is Best For Countertops?
Stainless steel countertops can be a great way to add a premium modern touch to your kitchen space. That being said, it’s important you choose a quality grade for your countertops for them to withstand all the cooking and activities you’ll be doing in your kitchen.
As previously discussed, the lower the gauge number, the thicker the material. And, inevitably, the thicker the material the more durable and resistant to dents the material is.
Although most restaurants with stainless steel countertops may have 14 gauge counters, this is considered rather unnecessary for a more residential kitchen sink. A 16 gauge or 18 gauge is still considered a really high-quality material thickness that would be a great thickness for your countertops.
Does Toothpaste Remove Scratches From Stainless Steel?
Yes, if you notice scratches on your stainless steel, an effective, inexpensive way to try and remove the scratches is by using toothpaste. To do so, apply toothpaste to a toothbrush and rub the toothpaste on all the scratches.
What Does Zero Radius Sink Mean?
A zero radius sink refers to a type of undermount sink that is a rectangle-shaped sink whose corners aren’t broadly curved, but rather all meet at 90 degrees. This creates a modern, sleek sink style.
