The Lovely Steel Sink
There is a risk of keeping your colourful 70’s steel sink in service.
Steel sinks from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were available in a multitude of colours, including white. Many home still have these old sinks, but there is a problem. They are prone to rust-out. A situation that can cause mould growth in your home.
Where Does That Oval Hole Lead?
There is a small oval hole at the front of the sink. This is called the overflow and its purpose is to prevent the sink from overflowing onto the floor in cases where the water is turned on with the plug in place. This works great for what it was intended to do.
However it comes with its own issues. The overflow is a steel channel welded to the bottom of the sink. The welding process occurs before the sink is glazed or finished. Since this happens before, it is unlikely that any useful amount of protective coating makes its way into this channel, leaving the overflow at a risk of rust formation.
Years later…
The rust takes many years to work through the metal, but it will eventually happen. At first it will be tiny pinholes and eventually there will be larger areas.
Because it is located under the sink, between the drain and the faucet supply lines, it usually is not visible to the homeowner. The only time that it leaks is when the water gets to the overflow level. As such it may not be noticed until it has done enough damage to the sink cabinet and/or the floor/ceiling below the bathroom or powder room.
Today porcelain sinks are relatively inexpensive and last a lifetime. The expense of replacing the sink today is less that the cost of remediating the mould tomorrow.
MouldMedic® recommends that you have your steel sink inspected today to avoid a mould problem tomorrow.