If you want to update the look of your kitchen while adding value and making it more functional, you have a number of different options. The larger and more expensive changes would include new flooring, kitchen cabinets, and countertops. However, along with those projects, the smaller and less costly projects are just as important such as a new backsplash, light fixture, and even faucet. Kitchen faucets have changed so dramatically over the years that most of the newer styles make quite an impression.
Of course, you would still have options for the more conventional styles of kitchen faucets but some of the newer options are made with unique materials, offer innovative design features, and are made to increase function. You will discover that kitchen faucets come in three primary styles. These include the two-handle center set, which means the spout is located in between the hot and cold handles on the same base, the single-handle faucet whereby above the spout is one lever that controls both hot and cold water, and the widespread type of faucet, which means the spout and hot/cold handles are all mounted individually.
When shopping for kitchen faucets, there is no right or wrong, simply a choice made on personal preference to coordinate with the aesthetics of the kitchen. Some people prefer a basic style while others want a faucet that provides innovative solutions. Now, if you wanted to stick with a basic style installation would be easy. The reason is that new kitchen sinks have holes predrilled to accommodate a single hole, or eight-inch center faucet. With this, the new faucet would be dropped into the hole, attached, and be ready to use. While choosing a different type of faucet may make installation a little more challenging, you should still have little problem in completing the job.
Even materials now offered for kitchen faucets have changed over the years. In addition to looking at kitchen faucets made from stainless steel, expand your horizons by searching options for brass, brushed/polished chrome, brushed nickel, and pewter. Keep in mind that most kitchen faucets are made from brass but then coated with powder-coated enamel, gold plating, or other finishes for the desired material and look. In other words, brushed nickel kitchen faucets would be brass with a nickel coating that has been textured with a brushing effect.
In addition to the type and material, one of the most exciting aspects of buying kitchen faucets in today’s market is the features. Earlier faucets were simply used to turn on hot or cold water but now, faucets are actually high-tech. For instance, many of the top manufacturers now sell faucets with flexible connectors. When connected, it would be difficult to see that the head of the faucet is actually a sprayer but with a simple pull, you would have access to a wide head sprayer, great for cleaning fruits and vegetables, rinsing pasta, and even cleaning the sink.
Another one of the exciting changes seen in today’s kitchen faucets is the touch system. Just as touch lights that were first introduced during the late 1980s, some manufacturers sell kitchen faucets with this same technology. If your hands were covered with egg and flour after baking but you needed to wash them, with the new touch system the spout would be touched with your arm or elbow at which time the water would turn on automatically. That way, touching the handles with messy hands would be eliminated.
