Planning on updating your faucets in the near future, but having trouble deciding where to start in the faucet selection process? If this sounds like you, we can confidently say that you’re not the only one in this situation! With a wide variety of faucet styles, types and brands available nowadays, it can definitely feel a little overwhelming browsing through the various faucet possibilities. Not to mention, you’ll also have to take into account the finish to ensure it matches everything else too! Anything that you can do to narrow down this search, while still ensuring that you’re only considering reliable options, will be well worth it!
As a plumbing business that offers residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services, faucet installations are definitely a service that we complete regularly throughout the year. With this experience, we also feel confident in our ability to recommend faucets that are durable, reliable and professional-looking (each of which are important qualities for an ideal faucet). In this week’s blog post, we’re going to provide some insight for homeowners currently in the process of updating their faucets. We’ll discuss a few easy questions that will instantly narrow down your possible faucet options and hopefully help streamline this entire process for you!
Before we get into some faucet talk though, we would first like to say hello to anyone that may be stopping our plumbing blog for the first time. Welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! Located in North Kansas City, our team provides plumbing services throughout the Kansas City area and many of the surrounding cities. Water heaters, faucets, water softeners, sewer lines, you name it! If you’re interested in a free estimate for an upcoming project, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481.
What finish matches the surrounding area?
The first characteristic that we’ll discuss is tied more to aesthetics. Faucets are a great example of a fixture where physical appearance comes into play. Whether it be in the kitchen or bathroom, you’re going to want a faucet that looks great too, right? So…that leads us into our first topic of the day: the faucet’s finish. Making sure the faucet finish aligns seamlessly with the countertops, backsplash and various other elements in the room is a step in the right direction of creating a cohesive unit! In terms of finishes, chrome is always popular and can work well with many different settings. Matte black can be a flexible finish that also is capable of adding a modern touch to the space. Gold can be the perfect option for someone looking for a finish that is more unique and able to serve as a statement piece. In addition to these popular finishes, you’ll also notice there are several others to pick from too, including stainless steel and brushed nickel.
By the way, before we continue on, it is also worth mentioning that the finish you select can also impact other things, such as the total cost of the faucet and even the amount of cleaning required to keep the faucet looking top-notch. Some faucet finishes are more prone to allow fingerprints and/or water spots to show, so if that is something you would like to avoid, make sure to take that into consideration when selecting a finish.
Do you want a single-handle or two-handle faucet?
As you can likely imagine, several of the faucet selection questions can be dependent on the existing countertop. If you’re looking to make the faucet replacement as seamless as possible, then you’ll want to find a faucet that is similar (in terms of type) to the existing faucet. With this, I’m referring to single-hole faucets, three-hole faucets, and so on. With that all being said, our second question of this blog post is going to be deciding between a single-handle or two-handle faucet. Choosing between the two is likely going to come down to personal preference, although we will note that single-handle faucets tend to be more popular in the kitchen setting and both are quite common in bathrooms!
Speaking of faucet handles, how about the style of the handles?
While on the topic of faucet handles, another attribute that may sway your decision could be the style of faucet handles. Lever handles continue to be the most popular style out there, especially because they’re a timeless option that also can work seamlessly into a variety of bathroom settings. Nonetheless, that’s not to say there aren’t other options out there for those looking for a slightly different faucet handle. Cross-shaped handles have a cool traditional appearance that you don’t see every day! How about wheel-shaped handles? While not nearly as common as lever handles, they can certainly be perfect at adding some uniqueness to your bathroom! To sum it up, lever handles tend to be the most popular option out there, but it is by no means the only one.
Are there any added capabilities that you would like?
Like many other industries, innovation has had a huge impact on the plumbing world, including specifically with the faucets. Having said that, the next thing you’ll want to ask yourself is whether or not you would like any added features. For commercial facilities primarily, hands-free capabilities could be a worthwhile investment. A major reason for this is the fact that it can help limit the spread of germs, which has continued to become a greater priority for commercial facilities after the Covid-19 pandemic. In terms of residential houses, voice-activated kitchen faucets have definitely been a cool innovation. By linking it with your Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, this can make cooking in the kitchen a little bit easier! All in all, this is yet another attribute that may simplify your faucet selection!
Do you have a preferred faucet brand?
While brand name doesn’t guarantee the quality of the product, it does bear merit in regards to faucets. Purchasing a faucet made by a name brand not only ensures you receive a reliable product, but also one where you’ll have easy access to replacement parts if a repair is ever needed. So…the next thing that can streamline the faucet selection process will revolve around whether you have a brand that you prefer. That could be by way of a recommendation or even having another faucet from a brand that you were pleased with. In the end, we always encourage customers to consider the name brands. Think of names like Delta Faucet, Moen, American Standard and KOHLER as a few well-known companies!
Faucet Installation Services in Kansas City
Faucets are undoubtedly one of many plumbing fixtures that are used by homeowners each and every day. Furthermore, as mentioned above, they are also a fixture where aesthetics play a major role in the purchasing process. With all of that in mind, we’ve featured a handful of attributes that come into play when purchasing a new faucet. Considering there are so many various options available, anything you can do to narrow down the list will be worth it! We hope these questions above will help simplify your faucet selection process. Meanwhile, for those living in or near Kansas City and needing some help installing their faucets, don’t hesitate to give our team a call at (816) 348-3481. Our trained technicians have installed plenty of faucets over the years and can get yours installed in no time!