The faucets are the crown jewels of every bathroom renovation. Even the most modestly priced faucets come in a remarkable assortment of designs and finishes, presenting worlds of possibilities. When you add in the possibilities for interactivity and water saving, today's bathroom faucets have everything a homeowner might want.
Before selecting bathroom faucets, consider a few aspects, such as whether you'll be using an existing sink or purchasing a new one, and where the faucet will be installed. You'll also need to think about which features you want and how much money you have to spend on a faucet. Other factors to consider are the size of your bathroom and the types of faucets that are often found in similar homes in your neighborhood.
Types of Faucets
If you're replacing a faucet on an existing sink or purchasing a whole sink set, make sure the faucet type matches the hole openings in the sink.
Single-hole faucets combine the spout and mixing handles—often a single lever—into a single item that only requires one sink hole to be drilled. Some variants come with a bottom plate that covers existing three-hole apertures for retrofits. Smaller sinks, such as those in powder rooms, benefit from single-hole faucets. Modern sensibilities are reflected in their simplicity.
Standard three-hole sinks are compatible with center-set faucets (with outer holes drilled 4 inches apart). On a 6-inch plate, they'll have either a single lever or two handles. They're suitable for the majority of bathroom sinks.
The spout, two handles, and the widespread mount are three independent parts. The space between the handles should be at least 8 inches, and the three components are often bigger than other types of bath faucets. Minispreads are smaller versions that fit ordinary 4 inch holes.
Freestanding or vessel-style sinks demand longer spouts that extend well over the top of the bowl, hence wall mount faucets have become increasingly popular.
It's impossible to categorize every faucet fixture. For example, Lava Odoro has a mirrored wall cabinet faucet. All you see is your reflected self's little flow control lever poking out from the bottom.
Finishes on faucets
The good news is that fixture makers have devised more finish possibilities than Lady Gaga has outfits in their drive to bring new items to market. Even low-cost faucets may now offer lifetime guarantees on their finishes thanks to sophisticated protective clear-coat sealers.
The bad news is that you'll have to select from a bewildering array of options, including polished chrome, brushed chrome, polished nickel, brushed nickel, hammered nickel, stainless steel, bronze, brushed bronze, oil-rubbed bronze, polished brass, black, white, and ornamental ceramic.
Let's not forget gold, which is now regarded as both an investment and a beautiful choice.
If the options overwhelm you, consider these strategies for making decisions:
Forget about the metal and focus on the appearance. Visit a store with all of the finishes on display and choose the one you like most.
Make sure that all of the hard surfaces in each bathroom are the same color, including towel bars, lighting fixtures, and door hardware.
Polished finishes are beautiful, but they require continual maintenance to keep them looking new.
Brushed finishes hide wet marks and fingerprints better, which is ideal if you have children.
Styles of Faucets
Most big manufacturers approach faucet design in the same way that Louis Vuitton considers shoes—it never stops becoming haute. Many manufacturers, in fact, pay well-known designers to create their most striking models. For example, Kallista sells fittings by renowned kitchen designers Mick De Giulio and Barbara Barry. In brushed nickel, a sleek, Lamborghini-inspired sink faucet from Kallista's Jeton line by Bill Sofield offers for $1,733.
Spouts that send water through tiny tubes, down open chutes, and through roller-coaster curves are among the latest additions. Articulating-arm faucets have made their way into the bathroom from the kitchen, ostensibly so you don't have to adjust your toothbrush to the stream.
Aerators
A faucet aerator is a little screen that adds air to the water stream at the end of the faucet. The goal is to make the stream less splashy by softening it. Restricted-flow aerators aid in water conservation, while some chores, such as filling the sink, take longer. To maintain your faucet running freely, replace your aerator every two years. A new aerator will cost between $3 and $23.
To guarantee a correct fit, take your old aerator to a home improvement or hardware store. Aerators that have been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency will have the WaterSense label and the flow rate engraved into the side of the device. Although some aerators have flow rates as low as.5 gpm, some homeowners may prefer a greater water flow rate.