KITCHEN AND BATHROOM FAUCETS
Features, Styles, Brands and Prices For Kitchen and Bathroom Faucets
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Faucet Styles and Features
Faucets come in all shapes and sizes. You have more of a choice now than ever before. Some things to consider when making your selection include
Type of handles (one handle or two)
Style
Finish
Requirements dictated by the type of sink it will be installed in.
How much money you're willing to spend
If you're shopping for a kitchen faucet, the most common styles include the single handle faucet, with or without a spray feature; two-handled faucets mounted on the sink; faucets with water filtration systems; "pot filler" faucets. Popular finishes for kitchen faucets include chrome (most durable, least expensive); stainless steel; nickel; enameled plastic (comes in many colors to match your sink or decor).
While most people purchase kitchen faucets for functionality over style, if you're looking for a bathroom faucet, feel free to put style and color over functionality if you so choose. You still must consider the sink it will be mounted in, but other than that, the sky's the limit when it comes to style and material. Bathroom faucets come in three basic types: centerset, which can be either single or dual handled; widespread, where both handles and the spout are mounted separately; and the mini-widespread, which features separate installation of handles and spout, but with a 4-inch span between spout and handles instead of the 8 or 12-inch span of the widespread.
Major Faucet Manufacturers, Information and Pricing
- Delta
Delta offers an extensive collection of both kitchen and bath faucets for every need, and for most budgets. We priced Delta faucets at Home Depot and have found they carry 102 different kitchen faucets, with price ranges from about $35 to $85 for classic single handle chrome kitchen faucets with no extra features such as soap dispenser or water filter; up to about $420 for designer models with more accessories such as filters, sprayers and soap dispenser, not to mention color and styles. Bathroom faucets types include sink, tub, and shower, with a variety of designs and prices to fit every budget. - Kohler
Another well-known faucet manufacturer, Kohler products are also well-represented on the Home Depot web site. Their lowest-price model starts at about $58 for two-handled Coralais kitchen faucets, on up to more than $900 for super-fancy designer models that include such extras as a temperature memory, allowing water to be turned off and on at any temperature. Their bathroom faucet fixtures are equally as numerous in both style and finish. - Moen
This is another well-known and well-made faucet manufacturer. They list 42 different kitchen faucets at the Home Depot web site. Their budget model is single handle, costs about %69 and comes with a side spray attachment. It compliments any sink decor. Their most expensive model costs about $480, is a two handled model, and features include pull-down spout, has a "pause" button which temporarily stops waterflow, and a 15-inch high arc span. Of course there are plenty of models to choose from in between these two prices: some with filtration systems, side sprays, decorative and stylish models, too. For bathrooms, Moen's 2-handled, 4-inch Touch Control Lavatory faucet is only $49, or you can run your price on up to around $300 for a fancier, 2-handled nickel-finished black faucet set, with plenty to choose from in between. - Price-Pfister
You can say this is the "Cadillac" of kitchen and bathroom faucets. The prices are higher, but the quality and design is also highly regarded as tops in the field. Lowest price kitchen faucets we found by Price Pfister was the "Marielle" single-handle faucet for $89, but more features are available with this model than other makers' lower-cost faucets. These extra features include spray and soap dispenser, ceramic disc valving, and comes with a lifetime warranty. You can go all the way up to $600 for the Solo Premier Stainless Steel Pullout kitchen faucet. Lots of faucets in between these price ranges, including designer models for your unique kitchen. In the bathroom, the lowest priced sink faucet is about $85 for a two-handle center set chrome faucet from their Bristol collection. Reminiscent of older faucets, this comes with a lifetime warranty and also has ceramic disc valves for a "no-leak" guarantee. Surprisingly enough, their highest priced bathroom sink faucet is only $250.
Other Types of Faucets
We've only covered kitchen sink and bathroom sink faucets in this article, since these are the most common types of faucets that you may be in the market for. There are several other types as well, including laundry faucets, bar sink faucets, and of course your bathtub and shower faucets. All of these types of faucets are also made by the above manufacturers, and if you are in the market for one of these, you'll find comparable information at their web sites, or at Home Depot or Lowe's. You can shop in person or online, whichever you prefer and whichever is convenient for you. And if you have another favorite plumbing store, you should be able to find any of these brands of faucets there as well. Good luck!