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Original poster

Draining board in quartz worktop.

28 replies

SorrowsPrayers · 20/12/2023 15:51

Apologies in advance for a boring subject.
New kitchen being planned. I was originally going for a stainless steel sink unit with a draining board incorporated into it. However, when looking around kitchen displays I have seen many sinks where the bowl sits beneath the worktop ( if you see what I mean) and the draining board is channels/ grooves cut into the surrounding worktop.
The sales person in the worktop shop said that these don't really drain well and water ends up pooling.
Has anyone found this? Is it a style over substance issue?
Any recommendations for sink and draining boards?

OP posts:
Nochoiceleft · 20/12/2023 15:59

Sales person is right but that does not bother me. I just wipe down when I have finished. I like the look of the grooves.

FuzzyPuffling · 20/12/2023 16:37

Nochoiceleft · 20/12/2023 15:59

Sales person is right but that does not bother me. I just wipe down when I have finished. I like the look of the grooves.

This.
And I do love the look of it.
Also, what draining board actually drains? The gradient is not enough (or all the mugs would slide into the sink too)

DeedlessIndeed · 20/12/2023 16:38

Are you also having a dishwasher OP?

If it will be where you wash everything up and have a big family (so lots to do) I'd be minded to get either larger grooves or go for the stainless steel integrated drainer.

If you have a dishwasher and it's just a few items here or there, then just mop up as you go.

LindaDawn · 20/12/2023 16:59

We are having a new kitchen and not bothering with a draining board or groves cut in, gives us more work top space. And yes we have been told the draining groves don’t do the job of draining.

motherofkevinnotperry · 20/12/2023 17:09

We have quartz draining groves. We also have a dishwasher. No draining board in my experience has drained properly, it always needs wiping down.

Our quartz drainage does work to some extent but I always clean it down anyway.

ErrolTheDragon · 20/12/2023 17:14

We have a quartz worktop with grooves. The worktop is horizontal and the grooves have very little gradient on them, but if you put something wet on them at least the water tends to flow into the grooves and may dribble into the sink rather than spreading out and maybe ending up on the floor.

bettynutkins · 20/12/2023 17:16

It does a bit but never been a major issue. It looks so much nicer. I don't regret it at all.

Seagrassbasket · 20/12/2023 18:04

We have it and I like it. I don’t think it pools any more than a stainless steel draining board.

changename01 · 20/12/2023 18:54

I have a double sink and no draining board or grooves. One sink is for washing and the other has a draining basket in it for air drying. Keeps the kitchen looking tidy

indianwoman · 20/12/2023 20:48

Don't believe them when they say quartz doesn't stain. It does, even teaspoon after taking a tea bag out. Any yellow or carroty will stain. Yiu have to clean up right away and some stains only come off with rubbing in baking powder.

Seagrassbasket · 21/12/2023 11:13

indianwoman · 20/12/2023 20:48

Don't believe them when they say quartz doesn't stain. It does, even teaspoon after taking a tea bag out. Any yellow or carroty will stain. Yiu have to clean up right away and some stains only come off with rubbing in baking powder.

I have also found pink stuff to be very good even when you think it’s never going to come out!

Original poster
SorrowsPrayers · 21/12/2023 11:13

Many thanks everyone! I'm determined to use the dishwasher more therefore negating the need for hand washing. And I'll watch the staining!

OP posts:
motherofkevinnotperry · 22/12/2023 18:03

Pink stuff paste and microfiber cloth works brilliantly on my white quartz worktop!

orangeicelollies · 22/12/2023 18:14

We don't have any grooves cut in ours. I just put a tea towel down for any wet washing up. Then I can put the tea towel in the washing machine and the surface is really easy to wipe. Two years in, no regrets.

shallihaveago · 22/12/2023 18:15

Go with the grooves. They look neat, and sort-of work - see above re. water pooling. I only hand wash glasses anyway and always rest on clean microfibre cloth to dry.

If money was no object I'd go with the two dishwasher trick. Sadly, I don't have space or the funds.

AnOldCynic · 22/12/2023 18:16

LindaDawn · 20/12/2023 16:59

We are having a new kitchen and not bothering with a draining board or groves cut in, gives us more work top space. And yes we have been told the draining groves don’t do the job of draining.

This. Game changer if you also have a dishwasher.

With a drain mat in a drawer for when I need it. Odd bits drain in the half bowl.

Caspianberg · 22/12/2023 18:19

We also went for under counter ceramic sink, so it’s white and worktop white so it’s seemless. No groves either and no draining board. Having missed it in 2 years. We use dishwasher for most things, large pan I just wash and dry immediately, and we just out tea towel down if lots of hand washing for some reason. We also have a silicone drying mat in drawer incase, but rarely use it. Tea towel and into wash after far easier

Mazuslongtoenail · 22/12/2023 18:20

Ours work well. But we mostly use the dishwasher.

savepaper · 22/12/2023 18:20

no point of having draining grooves, they will accumulate hard water stains if you’re in hard water area

BatshitCrazyWoman · 22/12/2023 19:01

I moved into a house with a quartz worktop and under mounted sink, and I bloody hate it!

I live in a hard water area, and it's a huge effort to keep it wiped off and dry. I much preferred my Corian worktop, and may have the whole quartz thing replaced.

BatshitCrazyWoman · 22/12/2023 19:02

Oh I have the draining board grooves too and @savepaper is correct, they collect water and therefore limescale.

snackprovidersupreme · 22/12/2023 19:05

I'd go for the under mount sink and not have grooves. You don't need a draining board or draining grooves / they both look a bit rubbish. We normally put a tea towel down on the surface to pile up and dishes we are drying and mainly use the dishwasher. Plus then you maximise decent counter top space. The grooves never look great, stain and don't drain.

PennyPinkPineapple · 22/12/2023 19:12

We have white silestone (same as quartz?) with grooves and a sunken white sink. I like how it looks, but it stains! I have to use toilet bleach on the sink once a week, and the grooves get a slight limescale build-up, which discolours, and I can't seem to get rid of it. I've tried so many different products.

SnowsFalling · 22/12/2023 19:20

They don't drain brilliantly, but they do direct excess water towards the sink rather than towards the floor!
My biggest gripe about our under mounted sink is the water that collects around the tap, and has nowhere to drain to.

Derb · 22/12/2023 19:24

We previously had the lines in quartz which I wasn't a fan of. This time we went for no draining Baird at all and I have a mat I keep in the cupboard beneath I use when drying pots. Looks much neater

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