When designing your kitchen, you may be thinking about cabinet styles, flooring, and appliances when creating the look. What many don’t realize is that the kitchen sink can play an important role in your design. While only used for washing dishes, rinsing food, and washing hands, the kitchen sink comes in many varieties.
There are many common old styles that people go with, but over the years, kitchen faucet designs have expanded in both look and function. Whether you’re renovating, your old faucet is leaking, or you’re ready for an upgrade, here are the things to consider when choosing your kitchen faucet.
Your current faucet and sink
Take a look at your sink to decide if you want to keep it when you buy a new kitchen faucet. If you are going to keep the sink, then you will be able to use the holes in the sink deck that are already in place. From there, you can decide if you want to add a spray hose or sink dispenser.
You may decide to purchase a new sink, especially if you are transitioning from a deck-mounted faucet to a wall-mounted faucet. The new faucets will come in four-hole varieties. You can always buy a faucet that includes a cover plate at the base to cover up old sink holes.
If you choose a deck-mounted faucet—one that mounts directly to the countertop and not the sink—you’ll get a seamless look but take up counter space. If you choose a wall-mounted faucet, make sure the distance the water projects matches your sink. It can make the countertop easier to clean, but in colder climates you will need to insulate it against freezing.
For those who keep their sink, be sure to choose a design that matches the style of the sink. If you have a stainless steel sink, adding an old-style brass faucet might not look right.
where to start
When you begin your search, you’ll need to make choices between spout type, height, and number of handles. Many people choose the pull down spray attachment for the spout type, but you can always get a side mount spray hose. The height can vary from 10 to 18 inches, so choosing the correct height will be based on the size of your sink. Finally, you can always get hot and cold handles, but most pull down faucets only have one handle.
From there, you can make decisions about the high technology you want to use. Consider whether you want or need to spend more on any of the following:
hands free operation
Built-in water filters
touch sensitive controls
Spray volume control
water pause buttons
His beak style is something to consider. High arc or “gooseneck” faucets are all the rage because they allow more room for cleaning large pots and pants. If you have a large sink, you may want something with a wider spout.
Materials and Finishes
Everyone will find that they have their own style to put into their decision. Chrome-plated brass is a popular finish that many choose. Solid brass faucets with ceramic disc valves used to control the flow of water will offer longevity. Many choose stainless steel hoses as they don’t flex as much as other styles.
Again, make sure your kitchen design matches the style of the faucet. A modern kitchen may not look good with a rustic farmhouse-themed kitchen faucet. Faucets can also vary in angles, curves, and details.
When choosing your materials and finishes, whether they are nickel, chrome, bronze, black, stainless steel, etc., be sure to buy accessories such as soap dispensers from the same collection as the finishes of many manufacturers may vary slightly.
Price and Quality
For a more durable faucet, choose stainless steel, solid brass, or a faucet with a ceramic disc valve. It is more expensive than plastic parts. A heavier tap will indicate better quality. Solid brass bodies will last longer. Faucets with plastic parts don’t last and are cheaper. Eventually, you may need to replace it, which is an additional cost to you.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the look and functionality of your kitchen faucet. Be sure to consider your needs and what will work best for your kitchen before making your purchase.
