Vintage Staffordshire

Number Three Sink – WD Double Bowl Sink

Based on traditional French farmhouse ceramic sinks, the WD Double Bowl Sink is in the top five most popular sinks on sinks.co.uk and has been developed specifically with the UK market in mind. It is slightly smaller than the Normandy French farmhouse sink, measuring 900 x 450 x 200mm, but benefits from having 90mm wastes in both bowls instead of 60mm, which is the standard size on this type of classic fireclay farmhouse sink. Mixer Tap The larger 90mm basket strainer wastes come in either English bronze, non-tarnish brass or Satin chrome finishes. Having larger wastes means that this traditional French farmhouse ceramic sink can take a waste disposal unit – the only sink of its kind on the site that can accommodate this practical feature. A monobloc mixer tap can be fitted to this vintage sink simply by drilling at the back of the sink between the bowls, although it cannot fit a two or three hole tap. It can also fit into a standard 600mm deep worksurface due to its size, giving you the option of installing taps in the workspace behind the double bowls.

Made from high quality fireclay ceramic rather than the standard ball clay, the WD Double Bowl Sink is of a finer material than many of its competitors in the market. Being a very durable material, fireclay will last a lifetime with the proper care.

Traditional French farmhouse sinks are suitable for all kinds of kitchen schemes, as they sit comfortably in traditional wooden kitchens, classic painted designs and even modern kitchens in cutting edge colours and finishes. French farmhouse sinks followed a short time after the first ceramic Belfast and Butler sinks started to be made at the end of the 1800s. Two French brothers called Emile and André Porcher started a fireclay sink business at a factory in northern France, using the local clay to make their ceramic sinks. The French clay was of a more refined nature than the slightly crude red Staffordshire clay used to make sink at the Potteries. Thus, the Porcher brothers manufactured the highest quality sinks using the superior fireclay. Quality materials and good designs have passed the test of time, with some of them still used today. Porcher sinks are still in production today at the company’s factory in the Loire in France, and it remains one of the oldest and most respected names in the business.

Keep your fireclay sink lasting a lifetime by following a few simple cleaning guidelines. Clean it daily with a non-abrasive cleaner like washing up liquid, which will help to prevent coffee and wine stains from building up on the surface of the ceramic. Tougher stains like those from aluminum might not respond to washing up liquid, so use a specialty cleaner like Astonish – recommended by manufacturers and available to order at sinks.co.uk – which is designed for use with fireclay ceramic sinks. Don’t set a plastic washing bowl in the base as accumulated dirt can collect and scratch the ceramic glaze of the sink. Soap Dispenser

The WD Double Bowl Sink measures 900 x 450 x 200mm.

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