How to Cover Your Outdoor Sink
Bugs, leaves, and all sorts of flying debris can accumulate in your outdoor kitchen or bar sink almost daily. This makes for an unsavory working environment. Debris and leaves can also stain or scratch your outdoor sink so it is best to keep the sink covered when not in use.
To cover your outdoor sink, you have a few options.
1. The first is to cover just the sink itself with a hard sink cover.
2. You can also cover the sink and faucet with a fabric waterproof cover that is a custom fitted cover made for your sink and faucet configuration.
3. The third option is to cover the entire kitchen island or section with a large outdoor cover that will keep the entire cabinetry area, including the sink, countertop and any appliances, completely protected.
Why Do You Need an Outdoor Sink Cover?
An outdoor sink cover is an easy way to extend the life of your outdoor bar or kitchen sink. While outdoor sinks are corrosion resistant and tough-enough to survive almost anything Mother Nature can dish out, they are not impervious to damage from an occasional storm-tossed tree branch.
They are also susceptible to attracting all kinds of insects, especially those that prefer the dark, moist environment of a deep bowl sink and its drain assembly and basket strainer.
Leaves and other organic materials that make their way into an outdoor sink can ultimately stain the sink surface, so it is best to keep these from taking up residence in your sink when it is not in use.
Your sink’s stainless steel finish and faucets look their best when they are cleaned and polished. You can eliminate daily cleaning of the sink and sink faucet if you keep it covered and protected from outdoor elements such as UV rays and precipitation. Clean these once after a barbecue clean up and you won’t have to clean them again the next time you want to fire up your outdoor cooking space if you keep them covered.
What Kinds of Outdoor Sink Covers are There?
There are two directions you can go with an outdoor sink cover.
One is to buy a sink that comes with its own cover. These are typically made from stainless steel and are available in single and double bowl sizes.
The second is to purchase or fabricate a cover for your sink. This is a common solution when you need extra counter space.
The cover acts as a cutting board or chopping board (if it is made of wood or other cuttable surface such as a plastic sink cover). Flexible fabric covers are also an option which can be purchased for your model sink or you can have one custom tailored with the exact dimensions you need.
If your solid surface countertop fabricator is doing a cut out for your sink, ask him or her to save the sink cutout which you can use as a cover and and to extend your countertop work space over the sink bowl.
What are fabric sink covers made of?
There are two main choices in fabric outdoor sink covers. Conveniently, they are also the same cover options for outdoor kitchen appliances and kitchen islands.
Weather repellent vinyl, also known as carbon fiber vinyl, is a heavy weight, waterproof material with a soft lining to protect scratchable surfaces. Vinyl covers cinch around sink models with elastic or draw strings to secure the cover if the wind should pick up.
You won’t need the cover to be heat resistant as you would for grill covers. But the thick felt lining protects the sleek stainless steel finish on your sink and other appliances such as bbq grills and a stainless steel ice chest or refrigerator.
The other choice are covers made from marine-grade polyester, similar to the type used to cover patio furniture. This fabric is also water- and weather-proof . It may or may not have a thick felt lining like carbon fiber vinyl grill covers.
You can buy small covers for just a sink, or you can get larger covers that will contain your entire bbq island just like you would buy an outdoor table cover to completely encase your patio table and chairs.
Both carbon fiber vinyl and marine-grade polyester covers will have loops to help pull and cinch the covers tight. Each manufacturer or custom fabricator will have their own mechanism to pull and secure their covers.
These materials are the best choices for fabric outdoor sink covers because they can be custom tailored in any configuration you need for a truly custom cover for your particular outdoor kitchen sink. They are sturdily made to survive years of use and weather conditions.
Where can you get outdoor sink covers?
You will be able to get an outdoor sink cover where you buy your outdoor sink .
Manufacturers often offer the cover as an add-on to the sink purchase because they know that a cover is the best way to preserve the rust resistant finish and prolong the life of the sink. This includes both brick-and-mortar stores as well as online vendors. Retailers offer these related products as a helpful service to their product buyers.
If all you are looking for is a simple cover that covers the bowl and perhaps provides more countertop work space, a large butcher block wood cutting board should work very well for you.
Other options that will work include plastic or acrylic cutting boards that will extend over the sides of the double or single bowl. If they completely seal off the sink so debris and bugs can’t get in, they will work very nicely and not break the bank.
Will outdoor sink covers help protect the sink and faucet from freezing?
If you will be winterizing your outdoor kitchen, you should turn off and drain the water supply to the sink. Most outdoor sinks and faucets are made from weatherproof materials so they will survive the cold temperatures, but it is still a good idea to protect the surfaces from sleet and ice damage. This should be done for any outdoor appliance you have installed, too.
Completely covering the sink and faucet will help protect their finishes and, importantly, keep unwanted pests from finding their winter home in your sink.