It shouldn’t come as any surprise as to why faucets are a popular service for our plumbing team. After all, it’s simply one of those plumbing components that homeowners and commercial facilities need working on a daily basis! Unfortunately, as a result of this heightened importance, they can also be prone to significant wear and tear over the years. As such, durability is an important characteristic to look for as well!
For those that may be stopping by our blog for the first time, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! We are a plumbing company located in North Kansas City, MO that provides residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services throughout the entire Kansas City area. Here on our blog, we like to provide homeowners with tips on not only limiting the amount of plumbing issues they may encounter, but also advice on purchasing new fixtures for their homes! As evidenced by the opening paragraph, this week’s blog is going to take an inside look at faucets and in particular, bathroom faucets. Unsurprisingly, faucets in the bathroom don’t always have as much pizzazz as those in the kitchen, but it’s nonetheless important to have reliable and aesthetically-pleasing faucets installed there.
Over the course of this blog, we’ll outline a few steps you’ll want to take in your journey of selecting the perfect bathroom faucet.
Consider the Location
When in the process of purchasing a home, would you agree the two areas that typically get the most attention are the master suite and the kitchen? The reason I mentioned this is because it’s not uncommon for homeowners to purchase something a little more luxurious for the master bathroom faucets in comparison to a secondary half-bathroom. Once you start browsing through potential faucets, you’ll quickly realize that there are more than a few options available at all different price points. That being said, the first thing you should consider is the room in which it’ll be installed.
Consider the Brand
While picking a well-known brand doesn’t always guarantee success, it is an important attribute in the plumbing fixture world. Whether that be in regards to water heaters, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, showerheads or anything else, buying something built by an established brand is a great starting point. As a plumbing company, we have the opportunity to work with products from these major manufacturers on numerous occasions throughout the year. Chances are you’ll have heard of several of these names, but nonetheless here are a few of the brands you’ll want to consider for bathroom faucets:
Moen
Delta
American Standard
Kohler
Pfister
Kraus
Even though that isn’t a fully-comprehensive list of every faucet brand out there, it is a good starting point!
Consider the Finish
We’ve said it many times before, but having new faucets installed is a great way to modernize a bathroom or kitchen without investing in a complete remodel. Trust us, you’ll be amazed by the difference that can be made simply by swapping out your old faucets for new ones. That being said, one quality which greatly impacts the aesthetics of a faucet is the finish. Appearance aside, it’s also important to note that a faucet’s finish can also play a role in maintenance and how often you’ll have to end up cleaning the faucet to keep that flawless look.
In addition to the role it plays in maintenance, the finish can also have an effect on the price tag too. All in all, you should have no trouble finding an option that fits within your budget for the project, while also blending in seamlessly with your sink and other decor in the room. Here are some of the popular finishes that you’ll likely find yourself considering:
Matte Black
Chrome
Bronze
Stainless Steel
Need a suggestion? The matte black faucets have become quite popular and can definitely mesh perfectly in plenty of bathroom settings!
Consider the Style/Functionality
Along with deciding between different brands and finishes, there are certainly plenty of other variables that may or may not be deciding factors in your final choice. Listed below are a few that we feel are worth considering while evaluating potential options.
Ease of Replacement – Are you looking to make an easy switch without any added work? If so, you’ll want to consider how your existing faucet is installed. How many holes are there currently on the countertop? It will either be one, two or three. If you’re looking for something that can be easily swapped out, purchase a faucet with a similar set-up as your existing one.
Added Tech Features – Technology and plumbing. There are two words you likely wouldn’t expect to hear in the same sentence, but are nonetheless connected in more ways than one! For a bathroom faucet, the most relevant quality worth mentioning is touchless technology. Largely popular in commercial bathroom settings nowadays, you can also have touchless faucets installed in your home too.
Different Handles to Pick From – Another area where you can add in some creativity is with the faucet handles. These are going to vary based on the brand/manufacturer that you purchase, but are still an attribute that you’ll find yourself evaluating in the purchasing process.
Low-Flow Capabilities – Without a doubt, efficiency is a popular word in the plumbing industry. While faucets are a prime example of a plumbing component where appearance can impact the buying decision, efficiency is another feature that plays a role in faucets, along with various other pieces of a household’s plumbing system. In terms of faucets, there’s no denying that major brands have gotten better and better at producing products with gradually-improving efficiency levels and as such, you’ve possibly heard the phrase “low-flow fixtures” before. Faucets that meet this criteria set by the EPA essentially use less water than other products on the market. In the end, it’s great for water conservation efforts and may even save you some money on your monthly water bill!
Before we wrap up this blog post, I would like to note that having easy access to replacement parts is a major reason why we recommend purchasing faucets from the more well-known names. After all, if you experience issues with your faucet, you likely don’t want to end up waiting weeks (or even months) for those replacement parts to arrive!
Faucet Services in Kansas City
As mentioned in the opening paragraphs, our team of plumbers gets plenty of experience working with faucets throughout the year. From installing new faucets to repairing existing ones, we feel confident in our ability to provide reliable and professional solutions for just about any faucet problem out there! We hope this blog post helped provide some clarity to the process of selecting a quality bathroom faucet! As you can imagine, there is certainly no shortage of potential faucets to pick from and it can even seem a little overwhelming at times. However, having some general qualities to narrow down to can help simplify the process.
If you live in Kansas City or any of the surrounding cities, we would be thrilled to have the opportunity to help you with any faucet or plumbing-related project that you may have! To speak with a member of our team or request a free estimate, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. We look forward to hearing from you!