Astacast sinks

[Reeves1946]

Having bought as part of a package from B&Q my wife liked the Astracast ROK sink in black.
What a mistake to make, on instalation and a week into our new kitchen being in operation, my wife washed out a paint roller in the sink and left it on the drainer to dry.
In the morning I noticed a water mark or stain on the sink, no problem, its a Dulux water emulsion paint it will clean off.
We have tried everything apart from caustic soda, or a blow torch.
We contacted Astracast, its a domestic accident, what! complain to B&Q they said washing there hands.
Come on folks a sink that stinks, where do you wash your paint brushes.

 

[Blasphemous]

complain to B&Q they said washing there hands.

What all of them? Must be one hell of a size sink!


I haven't seen damage like that before to be honest but the material is porous. Leaving the roller/brush there over night has obviously allowed the emulsion to soak into the astracast. Sorry to say but I think its gonna have to be a House Insurance jobby Reeves. Don't know what your excess is but it might not even be worth the claim! Nightmare!

 

[seco services]

where do you wash your paint brushes.

in the bath

 

[JohnD]

Astracast does tend to stain, tea mostly, or if you knock anything aluminium into it it leaves a scuff.

the good news is that a cleaning powder called "Bar Keepers Friend" has taken off all the stains and scuffs I've had. It has some kind of chemical bleaching action, but is also a fine abrasive and will rub off marks and leave a good surface if you rub it with a nylon pad or brush. It is so fine that the surface does not go perceptibly dull.

I get mine in Robert Dyas and a bottle lasts for months and months.

BTW next time I buy a sink, I think it will be satin stainless in a heavy catering quality. they are so much less trouble. I clean my brushes, greasy bike parts, tarnished brass etc in the stainless sink in the utility room.

 

[BigDY]

Just happened to be stumbling by and noticed this thread...

I've got a black Astracast ROK sink at home too - looked great in B&Q, and great for the first couple of weeks that I had it fitted... then, slowly but surely, it started turning white with limescale stains.

I've tried everything to get rid of them, but they keep coming back.

Will give this Bar Keepers Friend's stuff a try though.

JohnD - you say it has a kind of chemical bleaching action... do you know if it's safe to use on a black sink? I don't want to end up discolouring it further.

Thanks,
DY.

 

[JohnD]

I haven't got a black sink so you'd better test it on an edge

but it hasn't taken the colour off my grey worktop.

for limescale, try Viakal. Or buy a water softener, like me

 

[Blasphemous]

Try it underneath, inside the cabinet first