Each week, Architizer is highlighting a different building product and how to specify it. This week’s topic is faucets. If you’re looking for the perfect faucet for your next project, search for it on Architizer’s new network marketplace for building-products. Click here to join our waitlist. It’s free for architects.
As an architect, you probably already know how difficult and time-consuming it can be to research and select the building products that are right for your next project. Luckily, Architizer is here to help: Using ournew online marketplace for building-products, we’ve written a collection of specification guides on everything from marble to surface-mounted lighting. These will help you understand what factors to consider before making your next specification or purchase and help you to make the perfect product search on our platform. Think of these as the ultimate specifier cheat sheet.
This week, we look at a bathroom component that requires careful consideration of both aesthetics and technical attributes, as well as a perfect balance between form and function: bathroom faucets.
Axor Starck Organic by Hansgrohe
Bathroom Faucets
Categorization
Architizer: Plumbing > Bathroom Faucets
Introduction + Tips
There is a diverse array of options for faucets, including different fixture types, a plethora of material choices and methods for flow and temperature control. Luckily, manufacturers can help you refine your choices and ensure that you choose the right faucet for your needs. When searching for a faucet through Architizer’s new community marketplace for building-products, the key is to provide as much information as possible, including specific requirements and reference images.
Consider what the priorities are for your project: Are you looking for a high-end, high-quality aesthetic, or something more economical? Do you want the faucet to blend in with the surrounding interior, or stand out as a design feature? Is accessibility an important consideration for your client? Perhaps you could utilize technology to provide a positive environmental impact, in the form of a water-saving device.
It is also important to let the manufacturer know where the faucet will be located, who will be using it and what it will provide water for: a sink, bathtub or shower. When in doubt, use normal words to describe what you are looking for, and inspiration images to demonstrate the aesthetic and faucet type that you are interested in. Our manufacturers can then continue the conversation and identify the ideal faucet for you!
Components
Faucets typically include some or all of the following five components: handles, mounts, valves, drains and plates.
- Handles: Mount either to the wall, the bathroom fixture through a plate or as part of the faucet, like in center-set designs.
- Mounts: Screw or attach to a wall or surface. Common in showers and bathroom sinks. Spouts and handles are installed directly in the wall.
- Valves: Attachments that are found within the handles or the faucet pieces.
- Drains: May be included with faucet attachments, and sometimes work with faucet heads through a lift rod or knob.
- Plates: Placed between a faucet and bathroom fixture to secure the faucet, and may be included with the faucet piece itself.
AER-DEC Integrated Sink by Sloan
Application
- Fixture type: State whether the faucet is for a sink, shower or bathtub. Also state whether you plan to mount this to the wall or on the bathtub/sink deck. Options include:
- Center-set — made for basins with three holes and have handles that are 4 inches apart; combines a spout and valves on a single base unit; may have a single handle or two handles mounted onto a 6-inch plate.
- Widespread — works with three-hole basins; consists of two handles and a spout; the spacing between the handles ranges from 6 to 16 inches.
- Single hole — may have a single handle, two handles or may be touchless or touch-activated; some single-hole faucets have an optional cover plate for predrilled 4-inch drill installations.
- Vessel — taller faucets meant to complement a vessel sink, and sits higher than other sink types; typically comes as a single handle.
- Wall-mounted — available for above-the-counter and freestanding basins that require a long spout for extended reach; won’t work with basins that have predrilled holes; requires a separate wall-mounted valve and drain for installation.
- Hose — some faucets include a retractable hose, or a retractable or nonretractable hose that is separate from the main faucet.
- Control: What type of control are you looking for?
- Single or two handles — single handle designs have one handle that regulates both flow and temperature in varied ways depending on its style, while two handles typically control hot and cold water separately.
- Touchless — motion-activated faucets don’t require handles or knobs at all, making them a superior choice in terms of sanitation. They are operated using a motion sensor, while a handle can be included as an override mechanism to control flow and temperature. Touchless faucets are commonly found in large commercial and public buildings where usage is high.
- Touch-activated — like touchless models, these faucets don’t require you to manipulate handles or knobs, making them ideal for those with accessibility issues. Activate them or turn them off with a simple tap to the top of the faucet.
- Push buttons — turn the water on with a push instead of turning a handle or knob.
- Lever — these handles usually come in cross or X-shaped design, making them easy to grip and turn.
- Cross handles — for a classical, more traditional appearance, cross handles are operated with a twisting motion and typically come as a pair of hot and cold controls, with one handle either side of the spout.
- Knobs — these function like cross handles, but offer a different style.
- Joystick — a control similar to a lever, with a different look and a different range of motion.
- Hardware Dimensions: What are the dimensions of the space into which the faucet needs to fit? For sinks, measure the thickness of the deck — that’s bathroom-speak for the sink or tub’s base — or the countertop. Extra-thick decks might call for a nonstandard faucet. If the centers of the cold and hot valve openings are more than 4 inches apart, you’ll need a widespread faucet.
- Location and Use: These factors will help establish your priorities when choosing faucets — for example, in commercial and public buildings with high footfall, it may be preferable to choose faucets that operate with touchless controls for improved sanitation. For a private residential project, selecting a higher-end or even customized faucet to complement the rest of the interior may be desirable.
- Water Source: Where is the source of water in relation to the intended placement of the faucet? This may influence your decision when thinking about how the faucet will integrate with the wider plumbing system.
Aesthetic
- Profile: There is a wide range of faucet types, from traditional gooseneck shapes to more modern designs. Describe what type of faucet you are looking for, or better still, upload an inspiration image as an example.
- Materials and Finish: Faucets are commonly finished with one of the following metals:
- Bronze
- Nickel (brushed or pearl)
- Brass (antique or polished)
- Chrome
- Copper
- Gold
- Iron
- Stainless steel
Performance
- Valve Systems: Bathroom faucets use four basic kinds of valves: compression, ceramic disk, cartridge and ball, with differing levels of reliability.
- Compression valve faucets – separate hot and cold water handles; usually wear quickly, requiring maintenance sooner than other valve types
- Ball valves – used with single-lever faucets; has slots to control the mixture and amount of hot and cold water emitted through the spout
- Cartridge valves – utilize a hollow sleeve attached to the water supply that moves inside another sleeve; have fewer moving parts than a ball valve but contain seals that can wear out and require replacement
- Ceramic disc valves – make use of two highly polished ceramic disks; considered the most durable and longest-lasting type of faucet valve
- ADA-Compliant: Faucets that comply with the American Disabilities Act offer ease of use for those with limited mobility and may be required by law, depending on the nature of your project.
- Dark Finishes: Products with darker finishes may tend to show cleaner residue, soap spots or water scale more readily than chrome or lighter colors.
- Efficiency: Water-efficient designs that meet CALGreen standards have rates of water flow lower than the industry standard of 2.5 gallons per minute.
- Other Accessories: Faucets can include a variety of accessories, including matching pop-up drains, LED lights and integrated supply lines.
Visit Architizer’s Product Catalog to check out the latest bathroom faucets products.
Are you a manufacturer innovating in bathroom faucet design? Join Architizer’s community marketplace and establish new leads on the platform. Click here to see if you qualify.
External Links
Lowe’s Faucet Buying Guide