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nico_boyd

Runnel/ Drain Board

We have a sink going in a corner of our kitchen. There will be a considerable amount of space behind the sink and I was thinking we could do an integrated drain board behind the faucet, draining into the sink... an issue that might arise is the water running into the back of the faucet and not into the sink... has anyone ever done something like that or see it?

Comments (16)

  • 3 years ago

    I mean, your faucet is caulked and usually rounded, so I think it should run around. But the space is usually not large enough to justify this -- put down a towel in case you need to dry tall things leaning back there.

  • 3 years ago

    Putting dishes, (and cleaning the inevitable residue in the runnels) behind the sink sounds like a back-killer to me. Maybe you can do a trial run by placing some dishes far back on a counter-height surface and then reach for them, pretend you are wiping a cloth over that way-back space, and make sure it feels right before committing to a permanent feature like that. If you are tall this may not be a problem.

  • 3 years ago

    Cleaning the runnels will be difficult in that position. Runnels can be hard to clean even in the more usual position of right or left of the sink. The water dripping off the drying pots and pans leaves mineral deposits in the crevices that are runnels. I cannot see that cleaning them behind the sink will be an easy chore. Instead, leave a drying mat in that area that you can easily pull out and clean. You can find drying mats on Amazon.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    To start corner sinks are always bad design and a drainboard behind a faucet even worse.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    What makes corner sinks a bad design

  • 3 years ago

    Disagree that corner sinks are always bad design. A correctly sized clipped corner cabinet with a sink can work quite well in a kitchen.

    People that use "always" and "never" in most of her comments don't sound like creative or flexible people!


    OP what do you mean by integrated drain board? How do you plan to attach the faucet at the sink to the drain board transition?

    Are you thinking runnels carved into your counter?

    A custom stainless sink?


    I have an integrated drainboard as part of my stainless sink. How would this work if you placed the drainboard behind the faucet? Not as easy at it sounds!


    RW Boyd Construction thanked chispa
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Runnels could work and you would carve them around the faucet, so no water would be directed at the faucet.

    Found this photo ... not exactly, but an out-of-the-box idea for a corner sink. Looks like stainless, but a good stone fabricator can get quite creative.


    Design isn't about "always" or "never", but about being open to other possibilities when faced with a space that won't conform to "always" or "never"!

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Integrated into the counter, i dont like a drying rack out all the time and we heavily rely on the dishwasher so it will mostly be for a cutting board/ pots and pans. i like the idea of it being not very noticeable when not in use, and not take up prep space

  • 3 years ago

    @Anne Duke I already suggested the drying mat to the OP. She can just put it away when not in use - that way she will achieve her goal of "not very noticeable when not in use" unlike the odd-looking runnels that - as I mentioned - will get grungy with water minerals and any debris from the drying pots/cutting board. My impression is that @RW Boyd Construction is determined to do the runnels, and her post was simply looking for nodding heads, not advice.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    i was looking for actual draw backs, i havent thought of… like lifting over the faucet vs enough room to go to the side of the faucet, cleaning them being difficult (which ive seen can drastically change based on size and shape), having the runnels around the faucet so i dont get build up on the caulk line. i obviosuly like the idea of them or i wouldnt have posted about it and got some drying racks or used a dish towel

  • 3 years ago

    A folding step stool kept under the kitchen sink would be handy for daily reaching and wiping up in the corner area, as well as weekly cleaning of hard water spots. There are also built-in flip down steps that are hidden behind baseboards.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Just stop. You cannot make that wasted dpacecinto something actually useful, no matter how much money you spend. Same as you can never have 2 people use the sink at the same time. Or fully stand in front of the sink to load the DW.

  • 3 years ago

    I like the idea of runnels but think they would gunk up pretty quickly and be hard to keep clean. Instead of a fabric mat, I’ve discovered flexible silicone mats ( from Amazon). They are much less noticeable than fabric mats and easier to clean.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Corner sinks CAN work well, but -- as in so many things -- the devil is in the details, and often they go wrong:

    - You need a 12-18" cabinet between a corner sink and the dishwasher. This provides the bit of "buffer space"; without this, you won't have a comfortable spot to stand while loading the dishwasher.

    - A corner sink really must have windows above it. Without them, you're staring at a corner, and who wants that?

    - You may not be able to have a large sink in a corner. An apron sink, which would sit a few inches forward, might allow for a little more space.

    - Avoid the weird bat-wing sink. The single bowl sink is king for a reason.

    - Consider that a corner sink is going to give you a deep, difficult-to-use under-cabinet. This isn't a no-go; rather, it's a think-through. You can place a large Lazy Susan at the back (otherwise you won't be able to reach anything in the back-back corner). An automatic light that'd come on when you open the cabinet would be a great idea. The under-cabinet will require more planning than a typical sink.

    No, I wouldn't go with runnels in the position you describe. As someone else said, it'd be a back breaker. Reaching across the sink /avoiding the faucet /positioning things in that triangular space wouldn't be easy. And, yes, cleaning the triangle beyond the sink would be difficult, even for tall people with long arms. No, I'd rather see a spot for some pretty plants.

    I do like the idea of a built-in dish drainer and runnels, but I'd rather see it to the left or the right of the sink.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    wall mount the faucets to one of the sides with a pot holder type faucet so you have the appropriate faucet reach. I think this would let you have the dish drainage side in the triangle and not have to deal with the faucets in the way.