Whenever you decide to remodel a bathroom, you are faced with countless decisions. Will you stick with the current layout or reconfigure it? What color scheme do you want to use? What fixtures do you want to add? On your vanity, too, you’ll need to decide everything from what sink is best to what kind of cabinets you need. Likewise, you’ll need to pick bathroom faucets.
To help in your efforts to make the best choice, here’s a look at what you’ll need to know when choosing a bathroom faucet.
The Challenge in Selecting Bathroom Faucets
Bathroom faucets are the kind of features that you almost never notice until you’re remodeling the room. Designed to control how and where water flows in the sink, faucets are necessary bathroom fixtures, but they’re available in countless materials and designs. For many people, faucets are the finishing touches of a bathroom design. How do you make a decision about something that feels like an extra but is a necessary feature? What should you consider when choosing the best bathroom faucets for your space?
Types of Faucets Available
In a bathroom market loaded with possibilities, there are a few basic categories of faucets to which most fit. While there are still other models besides these basics, below are the most typical faucet types:
This type of faucet has a spout and two handles affixed to a plate, creating one faucet that’s made for sinks with three faucet holes set 4 inches apart.
The widespread faucet has a separate spout and separate handles, each mounted independently into three holes in the sink.
A single-hole faucet has exactly that — a single hole where the faucet gets mounted. Typically creating a modern look, these faucets also conserve space by taking less of the counter.
A wall-mounted faucet takes the faucet off the sink entirely by mounting it into the wall above the sink, instead. Ideal for vessel sinks or other designs without faucet holes, this type of faucet requires access to water supply through the wall, which may require some rerouting.
If you already have a particular faucet in mind, it’s not hard to shop the selection of styles in that type and choose the one you like. If you’re still unsure of which faucet to choose, however, you’ll want to evaluate further.
Questions to Ask Yourself
In order to determine which faucets fit your bathroom best, here is a list of questions worth reviewing in your design project:
The sink you’re using directly impacts the faucet you’ll select because you need a faucet that fits the hole opening you have. If you’re retrofitting your faucet to a sink you’ve had for a while or you’re buying a new faucet to go with a new sink purchase, find out exactly what type of hole you need to accommodate — single-hole, centerset, widespread or wall mount?
- What features do you want?
One of the best parts of today’s faucet market is all the options available. Would you like a low-flow faucet, for example, to help conserve water? Are you interested in an aerator that can reduce water usage and save money? You may be interested in a hands-free faucet that’s motion-activated to start when you put your hands underneath and stop when you move them away. There are also ozone-activated antibacterial faucets designed to kill bacteria in your water at home. Explore possibilities to see what seems most important to you.
Today’s faucet market includes a wide range of finishes: polished chrome, brushed chrome, polished nickel, brushed nickel, hammered nickel, stainless steel, bronze, brushed bronze, oil-rubbed bronze, ceramic and more. Tour a kitchen showroom or visit a home improvement store to explore the possibilities and figure out which look you love.
Knowing how much you can afford is an important boundary in your faucet shopping, helping you to avoid overspending and regretting your remodel. Using the budget that you’ve set for your bathroom, see what faucets and features fit into that plan.
- What sort of faucets are used in similar homes?
Another tried-and-true method for gaining remodeling inspiration is browsing ideas in similar homes. Look at the residences in your area and what they offer — are they tending toward a certain style or faucet feature? That might point you in a direction in which you want to go, too.