Kaskade stone basins buying guide
These are matte white Kaskade stone basins for the bench: round, oval, rectangular and egg-shaped above counter basins, a long 900mm rectangular basin, and a semi inset round basin. None has a tap hole and none has an overflow. The guide below covers what stone means here and each model with its size, depth and capacity. It then gives the weights, how to mount and plumb the basins, which taps suit a basin with no tap hole, and how to clean a matte finish. It also answers the question most buyers ask first, whether a stone basin is a good choice.
What stone means on this page
The word stone covers two different materials, and the care is not the same. Natural stone is cut from rock: marble, onyx and similar. Natural stone is porous, marble and onyx may need regular sealing, and acids can etch marble. Some natural stone basins need resealing every few years, and natural stone is heavy, so the vanity and floor should be checked.
The Kaskade basins on this page are different. The Oslo is composite resin stone, and the premium stone composite is white all the way through. The Kolo is solid surface, and the other basins are premium stone. Composite stone is non-porous and handmade, with colour, pattern and size tolerances. Natural-stone sealing advice is not part of the care for these basins. If the basin you are buying is natural stone, follow the sealing and cleaning advice for natural stone instead. See stone basins and solid surface basins for the wider range.
Is a stone basin a good choice?
Stone basins offer a unique look, durability and a solid feel, with trade-offs in sealing, cleaning limits, weight and variation between the sample and the delivered piece. Those points describe natural stone, and for the composite basins here they sort out as follows.
- Look: a matte white finish, a thin rim of 3mm or 8mm depending on the model, and a smooth surface.
- Sealing: composite stone is non-porous, so sealing is not part of the routine.
- Cleaning: warm water and mild liquid detergent for everyday cleaning and a mild non-citrus cream cleanser for tougher marks on a matte finish.
- Weight: net weights run from 6kg to 14kg, covered below.
- Variation: handmade composite stone has tolerances, so measure the basin you receive.
The honest answer is that the choice is about the finish and the shape. A matte white composite basin gives a soft, uniform look and a care routine that is a damp cloth and mild detergent. If you want veining or translucency, that is natural stone, and the care and weight are different.
The models on this page
All sizes below are length by width by height, with the inner depth and the capacity where they are given.
The Round above counter basin is 350mm by 350mm by 120mm, with an inner depth of 108mm and a capacity of 6 litres. It has a 3mm rim and is the smallest basin here, which suits a powder room. The Rectangular basin is 500mm by 350mm by 120mm, with a 108mm inner depth and a capacity of 10 litres, and the Oval above counter basin has the same 500mm by 350mm by 120mm size, 108mm depth and 10 litres, also with a 3mm rim. The rectangular one has straight sides and corners, and the oval one has none. The Kolo is a 385mm round benchtop basin, 145mm high, with an inner depth of 107mm and a capacity of 10 litres, tapering to a base.
The Lucia is a 600mm oval, 320mm wide and 150mm high, with an inner depth of 115mm and a capacity of 17 litres, the largest bowl on the page. It has an 8mm rim. The Turin is a 650mm oval benchtop basin, 360mm wide and 120mm high. The Barcelona is an egg-shaped benchtop basin 590mm long and 160mm high, narrow and long. The Oslo is a rectangular benchtop basin 900mm long, 360mm wide and 112mm high, with an inner depth of 89mm and a capacity of 11 litres, with ample space in its 900mm length.
The Arundel is a semi inset round basin, 385mm by 385mm. It stands 50mm above the bench and is 159mm high overall, with an inner depth of 130mm, a capacity of 9 litres and an 8mm rim. See round basins, oval basins, rectangular basins and small basins to compare shapes across makers.
Weights
Net weights are worth checking against the vanity and floor. The Arundel and the Kolo are 6kg net. The Barcelona is 8kg, the Turin 9.5kg, the Lucia 10.5kg, and the Oslo 14kg, with a gross weight of 16kg in its carton. The gross weights run 2 to 3kg above the net weights.
The Oslo is the heaviest at 14kg, and it holds 11 litres of water on top of that, so check the vanity maker's load rating for the top before you choose it. Large solid surface basins from other makers can weigh several times that, and the basins here are lighter.
Benchtop, above counter and semi inset
Above counter and benchtop basins sit on top of the bench, so the bench needs only a waste hole. The Round, Rectangular, Oval and Kolo are above counter or benchtop basins. The height above the benchtop equals the basin height, for example 120mm for the 350mm round, 150mm for the Lucia and 112mm for the Oslo. That height is how far the rim stands above the bench, and it adds to the bench height.
The Arundel is different. It is a semi inset basin to suit installation into a benchtop, and it stands 50mm above the bench. That needs a cut-out, and the cut-out has to match the product. Before you cut any bench, have the basin in hand and measure it. See above counter basins, semi-recessed basins and inset basins.
No tap hole, so plan the tap first
None of these basins has a tap hole. The Oslo suits wall mounted or tower basin mixers, and the same holds for the rest. A wall mounted tap goes through the wall behind the basin, and a tower mixer stands on the bench beside or behind it. Plan wall tap positions at rough-in to avoid costly plumbing mistakes. An above counter basin pairs best with wall taps or an extended basin mixer because of its height.
The basin heights above are the figure to check against the tap. A tall mixer needs a spout that clears the rim and reaches the drain. The Kaya Tall has a spout height of 216mm and a reach of 170mm, and the Empire Slim Tall has a spout height of 244mm and a reach of 180mm. If a drain sits at the centre of the 350mm round basin, it is 175mm from the edge, so a 170mm reach from a tap at the very edge falls about 5mm short of it. Measure the drain position on the basin you receive and measure the tap you pick against it. See basin mixers.
No overflow, and the waste
All the basins here are non-overflow, so use a non-overflow waste. The Turin and the Barcelona take a 32mm waste, a common size in Australia. The plug and waste are sold separately, so match them to your tapware. The Rectangular, Oval, Lucia and Kolo have a matching stone domed pop-up waste available separately, which you add from a drop-down list. With no overflow, a basin left to fill with the plug in has no slot to drain it, so turn the tap off. See basin wastes.
Cleaning a matte stone finish
For regular cleaning, use warm water and a small amount of mild liquid detergent, such as dishwashing liquid. For tougher marks, use a mild non-citrus cream cleanser on a matte finish only, and then rinse with water and mild detergent. For scratches on a matte surface, sand with 800 grit abrasive paper and work up to 1500 grit, and have a professional do this. The gloss finish needs a different procedure, which does not apply here because these basins are matte.
Marks and scratches on the Oslo can be buffed out, which matches the sanding approach. The surface resists scratches, stains and fading, though a matte surface can still be scratched. Avoid citrus cleaners on the basin, and keep abrasive cream cleansers to the matte finish. Keep abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, bleach, paint stripper and nail polish remover away from stone and composite surfaces. If a product touches the surface, rinse it off at once. Some matte and satin basins show water spots or soap scum more than others, so wipe the bowl after use.
Shapes and where they fit
A round basin has no corners and suits a small vanity or a powder room. An oval basin, in the 500mm and the Lucia, gives a soft outline with no corners. A rectangular basin lines up with straight vanity edges, and the 900mm Oslo is the basin on this page for a long bench with one wide bowl and a tower mixer or wall taps. The egg shape of the Barcelona is narrow and long, and its width needs checking as above.
A matte or satin finish softens harsh lighting and adds an earthy feel, and it pairs with brushed tapware and timber finishes. For other finishes of white basins, see white basins and matte white basins. If you want a bath to match, the Kaskade stone baths are on their own page. For a vanity to sit the basin on, see bathroom vanities.
How to choose
Start with the bench. For a standard vanity with a tap behind the basin, the 350mm Round, the 500mm Oval or Rectangular, or the Kolo are the compact choices. For a longer bench, the Lucia, the Turin and the Oslo give more bowl. Choose the Arundel only if you will cut the bench, because it needs a cut-out.
Then decide the tap, because there is no hole, and check the spout reach against the drain. Choose the waste to match. Last, confirm the dimensions with us where they are in doubt, and measure the basin you receive before you cut anything. That order keeps the changeable decisions first and the permanent ones, the cut and the plumbing, last.
