Bathroom Faucets: Beauty, Functionality, and Versatility

The bathroom is often one of the smallest room in the house, but it ranks second behind kitchen for the number of design and architectural decisions that must be made. From a design standpoint, the bathroom has some of the greatest challenges. Take the case of the humble bathroom faucet. Today you can make a unique style statement in your bathroom by complimenting the bathroom with stylish bathroom fittings and embellishments. The bathroom faucets display an almost infinite variety of styles and finishes. The faucets can be purchased in a fabricated finish such as polished chrome, brass, nickel, gold, acrylic enamels of colors, stainless steel, copper and mix and match combinations. Your imagination is the limit.

There are a few things you should be considered when selecting the perfect bathroom faucet. First, consider the type of handle you prefer, the style you prefer, the finish you want, the requirement of the lavatory it will be installed in, and at last, consider how much you want to spend. The most incisive consideration in choosing a bathroom faucet is the requirements of not only the sink but the countertop on which it will be mounted as well. Not only is the number of holes critical, but also some sinks such as vessels cannot be drilled at all. It has to be mounted on a deck or through a wall. It is also important to remember that desired accessories such as hot water spout, sprayer, a soap dispenser or the like need additional holes. Of course, many popular pedestal sinks are an all in one sink and faucet.

The bathroom faucet can come in an abundance of varieties and the only limit to the design of the bathroom faucet is the manufacturer's imagination. The bathroom faucets are manufactured in basic three styles called centerset, widespread and mini-widespread with a number of variations within those styles. Thus, the decorative and functional faucets are often chosen to complement the architectural style of the bathroom. Bathroom faucets are available in literally thousands of various designs, patterns, and colors to please even the pickiest of potential faucet owners. Each of the manufacturers offer designs and models in several different styles. The only choice you need to make is which one fits your needs and which one would look best in your bathroom!

Phil has been working as a repairman for more than 7 years. He has plenty of experience in repairing homes, especially in bathrooms since that is where he started his career. He is focused on water conservation, since the bathroom is the number one place of water consumption in the home. Visit http://www.3falk.com to learn more about conserving water and shower faucets.

How to Fix a Leaking Showerhead Faucet

A leaky showerhead can be both annoying and costly. After a few hours, the constant dripping noise is as brutal on the eardrums as nails on a chalkboard. And, even though a singular drip is only a few milliliters of water, it doesn’t take long before that leaky showerhead wastes hundreds of gallons – adding an extra zero to the end of the water bill.

Most homeowners don’t realize that a leaking showerhead is pretty simple to fix. There’s no need to buy a new one or, worse yet, hire a plumber. You can finish the job yourself in just a few short minutes with nothing more than a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and a washer that you can buy for a nickel at any hardware store.

Now that you’ve decided to take on the job yourself, you need to understand the two most common things that go wrong with showerheads. Either they start leaking at the point where the pipe screws into the actual showerhead, or the holes in the showerhead become clogged, causing water backups and creating a leak.

First, you’ll need to unscrew the showerhead from the outlet pipe. To protect the showerhead from damage, wrap a towel around the point where the head screws onto the outlet piping. Take the pliers and remove the head from the outlet. You’ll see the washer. Pull it off and replace it with the new one. If you think you need a tighter seal, use plumbers tape across the threads before screwing the showerhead back in.

Also, if you have a rotating or swiveling showerhead, you might as well take an extra step while you have it taken apart. To increase the swivel range and flexibility, take some lubricant, preferably silicone, and lube up the interior swivel ball before you screw the head back in.

If the holes in the showerhead are clogged, take off the faceplate by removing the screws attaching it to the head. If you can’t remove the faceplate, that’s okay, just keep the entire unit unscrewed. The reason showerheads get clogged is the lime deposits that are formed and get stuck in the holes over time. To get rid of the lime deposits, take either the faceplate or the whole showerhead, and soak it in a bowl of white vinegar for at least eight hours. This will dissolve the deposits, and make them easy to remove by sticking a toothpick or small nail through the holes in the showerhead. After that, scrub the faceplate with a stiff plastic brush and screw the unit back into the wall.

Nancy Dean is a freelance author who contributes to several websites, including All Faucets . Coming from a family full of carpenters, she enjoys both doing and writing about home improvement projects.