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Discussion Forum

Americast?

OneofmanyBobs | Posted in Construction Techniques on May 7, 2002 02:11am

I’m rebuilding my kitchen. Bought an Americast sink
since what I really wanted was too expensive and I don’t
want to spend forever washing dishes in the bathroom.
I’ll probably replace it again in a couple years when I
have the time and some spare funds.

Just wondered whether people think this is good stuff
or if there are any particular problems with it. Can you
put a hot pan in it without it melting? Does it chip ?

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Replies

  1. BKCBUILDER | May 07, 2002 02:27pm | #1

    Chips easily, scratches and dulls very fast. Every customer I have put them in for hates them(I told them so, but they had to have it) Someone out there is selling them as the equal to Corian at 1/3 the price. Not even close to the same product.

    1. calvin | May 07, 2002 02:54pm | #2

      I have seen rust appear (and reappear) on the bottom of the edge because the glaze seems to not go down far enough.  It does chip, don't know how easily.  Cannot speak on the dulling of the finish.  Customers seem relatively satisfied with them considering the $.__________________________________________

      Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

       

       

  2. Piccioni | May 07, 2002 09:05pm | #3

    Awful. I bought one a few years back and it cost me a lot of money compared to a stainless steel sink. About 2 months after install, somebody dropped a plate into the sink and the coating cracked. Made my day. Sold the house, won't buy another Americast sink.

  3. KenHill3 | May 07, 2002 09:20pm | #4

    If you're on a budget, always go for stainless and get the most that you can afford. Other than that, porcelan on cast iron is the way to go, very durable, $200-$400 average for the least expensive good ones. Go higher if you want the specialty stuff like Corian or soapstone farm sinks. NEVER buy enamel-on-steel sinks or tubs, they are waste of money unless you only want them for 1-2 years. That includes Americast. Pure crap. JMHO.

    Ken Hill

    1. OneofmanyBobs | May 07, 2002 09:59pm | #5

      Oh, well. It's a stopgap anyway. I wanted a beautiful

      counter with a nice undermount stainless sink. Going to

      live with the Americast until it fails, then do it right.

      I'm amazed at the prices they want for a good

      SS sink. Probably could make good money doing custom welded

      sinks. $50 for materials plus an hour or two of time. That

      shouldn't end up with the $hundreds they want for a sink.

      Thanks for the opinions. I didn't figure it was great stuff,

      but I liked the shape and it was fairly cheap.

      1. Snort | May 07, 2002 11:13pm | #6

        I don't think we can beat this dead horse enough. Americast tubs and sinks suck, as does the service department's attiude towards complaints...of course, if you like disposable fixtures...

      2. BKCBUILDER | May 08, 2002 04:39am | #7

        I'm still trying to figure out how Kohler can justify $300 PER SIDE  for a double undermount SS sink. I guess since we have to use them for the granite counters, they figure we can afford the $600 for a SS sink.........dicks.

        1. OneofmanyBobs | May 08, 2002 06:01am | #9

          I thought the prices were unbelievable. Less work to

          make an undermount - no fancy flanges. A deep draw die

          is not cheap, but not all that expensive either. I wanted

          a large single-bowl undermount. Prices were as high as

          $1000. Completely ridiculous. I can buy the SS sheet for

          $50 and MIG weld a very nice sink in an hour. Another hour

          to grind the welds and pretty it up. The hard part is making

          a die for the drain flange. Unfortunately, I can buy some

          junk at the home center and be done with it in an hour for

          a hundred bucks. Time is money. We pay a high price to save

          a little effort. Should have just made a sink, but now I

          have the Americast POS.

    2. ClevelandEd | May 08, 2002 06:42am | #10

      For a porcelan on cast iron sink,  would that include all those Kohler sinks available at Home Depot & simlar stores? 

      1. KenHill3 | May 08, 2002 07:46am | #11

        Ed-

        Not certain off the top of my head, but I think some Kohler is in that price range. The ARE others- Kohler doesn't have a griplock on quality.

        Ken Hill

        1. chiefclancy | May 11, 2002 07:24am | #12

          Never tried an Americast sink. Have an Americast tub in the home here and it looks pretty decent. I installed it because I didn't feel like lugging a cast iron tub up to the 2nd floor! If it's the white/porcelain look you want, cast iron is the best. It's more durable and the finish lasts longer. Americast is a (sometimes) cheaper, lighter alternative.

          American Standard recommends Bon Ami cleanser for removing scratches from Americast sinks. Comet works well too but it's more abrasive and thus will dull the finish quicker. You just have to be kinda careful with the pots and pans, although I've heard plenty of bad stuff about the durability of corian sinks too. It seems for a working kitchen (i.e. not "designer"), SS is the way to go.

          When you buy Kohler, you're paying for the brand name and image. A "designer" SS sink still costs the same to make as any other, it's just that it's "designer", which means $$. Needless to say, Kohler is a very profitable company. It never ceases to amaze me what some people will pay for.

          Just my $.02

  4. JLazaro317 | May 08, 2002 05:49am | #8

    Americast isn't bad.....not great either. I have one in my own house. I bought it because we liked the color, the shape, and the size. And I install them in customer homes all the time. I do warn every customer that they easily mark up from pots and pans. The solution is to use Barkeepers Friend. It takes the marks right out.

    I've yet to see one chip or crack. I'm not doubting anyone's testimonies, but I've had no complaints from customers.

    John

    J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

    Indianapolis, In.

    http://www.lazarobuilders.com

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