Designing your dream home’s bathroom is often a process that is thoroughly planned out. Selecting fixtures that will coordinate with other features in your bathroom can often be difficult. The vanity, toilet and shower are all important focal points in your home’s bathroom. But the perfect faucet often adds the finishing touch to the bathroom sink and contributes to the simple and elegant design in country house plans and farmhouse plans. Before purchasing a faucet it is important to become familiar with all of your options.

When constructing a home plan, it is ideal to purchase the faucet with the sink itself. The sales’ professional that has helped make the vanity and basin selection should be able to easily help narrow down faucet options. However, some of the terminology can get confusing and you may not realize that the sink chosen is not compatible with the faucet you desire. Being familiar with faucet options will help you choose the combination that is best.

Today’s faucet selection goes well beyond the basic spout with hot and cold water handles. There are three main faucet styles: center set, widespread, and mini widespread.
• Center set faucets are the cheapest. They can have one or two handles, with the hot and cold water feeding through a single hole or two separate holes, respective to their handles.
• Widespread faucets have separate hot and cold handles and a separately mounted spout. The handles can be installed anywhere from 8 to 20 inches apart, making the widespread faucet ideal for corner mounting. However, this style can get expensive.
• Mini widespread faucets are the same as widespread but have a range of 4 inches from center to center.

Beyond the faucet styles, there are also different valves that control the water flow for each.
• Compression valves are quite common, have two controls and use a rubber sealer to stop water flow. These valves are prone to leaks after time as the rubber sealer wears out.
• Cartridge valves are reliable, easy to repair, and available for either single or double-handle styles.
• Ball valves use a rotating slotted ball to regulate water flow but are only available on single-handle faucets.
• Ceramic disc valves work similarly to compression valves, but two ceramic disks replace the rubber sealer. This style is most durable and typically the best to install. They are maintenance free and usually carry a lifetime guarantee due to their extensive durability.

Beyond functionality, faucets are also available in styles that vary from traditionally simple to uniquely modern and even elegant antiquity. There are also styles that are designed to be ADA compatible, making them ideal for small or troubled hands. Each faucet style is then available in a number of finishes. Chrome is standard but brass, nickel, and porcelain are all popular options as well. No certain finish or style is best; the important thing is that the faucet fits the look you desire and the metal finish is properly sealed from water damage.

Now that you are more familiar with the styles available today, you will be able to find the ideal faucet for your dream home’s bathroom. Shopping around for a faucet at the same time you are searching for the sink and other bathroom fixtures is recommended. Purchasing the sink and faucet together will help to ensure compatibility. Also, seek professional advice to ensure that the hardware chosen is the right fit. With a little research, you will enjoy every bathroom fixture in your country house plan or farmhouse plan.