It isn’t until it’s time to remodel that a homeowner starts giving ample thought to things like his or her kitchen faucet. Perhaps surprisingly to those that have yet to undergo a kitchen or bathroom remodel, there are more aspects to consider when choosing a kitchen faucet than many people realize. And for something you’re likely to use not just every day, but multiple times a day, it’s worth understanding all the options at your disposal.
Handles
Usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a faucet is the look. In other words, the handles attached to the faucet. There are three main kinds: single-handle, double-handle, and hands-free.
Single-Handle Faucet: Typically the single-handle faucet offers a rotating motion that adjusts for both water pressure and temperature.
Double Handle Faucet: Just like the single-handle faucet, the double-handle faucet also can offer a rotating motion to account for pressure and temperature. However, more commonly, the double-handle faucets allow for easier control of both the water temperature and pressure than a single-handle faucet.
Touch Faucet: A relative new-comer to the faucet game, hands-free or touch faucets offer either a touch or motion activated water stream. Pressure and temperature controls vary depending on the design.
Mounting
Unlike handles, where to mount the sink is usually not so much in the forefront of peoples’ minds when thinking about choosing a sink. In reality there are two general ways to mount your sink’s faucet.
Sink Mount: Just as the name suggests, these faucets are mounted parallel to the floor, on the surface of the sink and tend to be the standard for faucet mounting. This is also sometimes called a “deck mount”.
Wall Mount: Just like the sink mount, the wall mount is self-explanatory. Usually used in more advanced kitchen designs, wall mounts allow for more space on the sink’s surface.
Additional Features
Nowadays, designers have thought of almost every way to innovate and enhance the faucet. Here are some ideas to consider before choosing yours.
Faucet Filters: Instead of buying a separate tap water filter, you can have on as an addition to your regular sink faucet.
Faucet Sprayer: Particularly helpful when preparing dishes to be loaded in the dishwasher (as we have found), the faucet sprayer offers a different, and useful, functionality to your faucet.
Pull-Down Faucets: The pull-down faucet offers more functionality in that it often comes with a hose-like feature that allows the faucet tip to extend.
