Building a new home or making over your kitchen? One of the tasks you have to take care of is choosing the right tap to install for your kitchen sink. There are numerous design options to meet both aesthetic and functional requirements.
Understandably, choosing from a vast selection of kitchen taps can prove overwhelming. On top of that, it’s crucial to take several factors into consideration to ensure that you buy the perfect kitchen tap.
How should you go about the process and what are the vital factors to consider? As the go-to emergency plumbers in Melbourne, we at Blue Diamond Plumbing can help. Below, we’ve rounded up the essential considerations to help guide you in choosing the right tap for your kitchen.
Naturally, you need your kitchen tap to blend harmoniously with the design of the room. Otherwise, no matter how properly sized it is, it will stick out like a sore thumb.
Does your kitchen have a modern design? Is it rustic-country? Japanese minimalistic, perhaps? There are kitchen taps that appropriately fit specific aesthetic sensibilities. Choose among them carefully.
The shape, size, and depth of your sink are important details to think about when choosing a kitchen tap. Likewise, the location of the sink should also determine the type of tap to use.
Say, you have a small sink in a tiny kitchen. You need a tap with fantastic flexibility for this. One with a removable sprayer is a good option, especially if there’s not enough space on the sink for a separate sprayer. This will make dishwashing a breeze, especially for big pots and pans that you cannot move around so much in the sink.
Another smart option for a cramped kitchen is a wall-mount design tap. A wall-mounted tap creates sufficient room to move tall pots around in a single kitchen sink.
Think about how deep your sink is as well. If you have a shallow basin, a high tap installation can create a lot of splashes during dishwashing.
When you have established the type of mount and installation ideal for your kitchen sink, you need to then think about how big your dishes, pots, and pans are. These should also dictate the height, arc, and reach of your tap, especially if your sink is not that deep.
If your tap is tall and far enough from the base of the installation, it will be more convenient to move and wash a bulky object under it.
Most taps on the market are made of brass, stainless steel, plastic, or zinc alloy. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Brass, for instance, has that old-world look to it, making it perfect for a vintage-inspired kitchen. It is highly durable and will last you many years.
Stainless steel, meanwhile, is the most popular option these days because of its mirror-like shine and durability. Stainless steel taps suit most kitchen designs and come with the most extensive selection of designs. Best of all, they are lead-free and resistant to corrosion.
As for plastic taps, these come in an exciting range of colours. Plus, they are typically the most affordable. The problem with these, however, is they’re not very durable, especially against hard water. The minerals in hard water easily wear plastic out. And, of course, banging metal pots against a plastic tap could lead to immediate breakage.
Lastly, zinc alloy taps often boast similar beauty to chrome or brass taps. They are quite affordable, too. However, they have a short functional lifespan because of the lower quality of the metals used for them.
Modern technology has made it possible to improve water usage through taps. Some tap designs have valves that release a small amount of water but allow for strong pressure to help with fast and effective dishwashing.
Therefore, if water economy is important to you, inquire about the valves or the cartridge used for the tap. These components are responsible for water flow. Also, ask about their material. Ceramic cartridges are believed to be the best material for they are the most effective in controlling water, and they are incredibly durable.
This is another vital consideration when choosing a tap to buy for the kitchen. The handle design contributes to the convenience of use. If you have young children, a knob that has to be turned to the right and to the left can be difficult to work with. The same goes for older individuals with hand mobility issues.
The handle design also plays an important role in controlling the amount of water flow. Choose a tap with a handle that you can pull or push up and down or left to right. These designs easily reach the water flow limit.
Alternatively, if you have a generous budget, opt for a handle-less option with built-in sensor technology. This is a smart choice if you are a germophobe or if you have family members that may struggle with a handle.
These are aesthetic considerations if you want a specific look for your kitchen. Examples of trendy colours are rose gold and matte black. As for the finish, a matte or frosted finish gives off a modern and luxurious feel.
Chrome remains popular, too. Most homeowners love the shine, but one issue is that it can be difficult to maintain and polish. Chrome often bears watermarks that compromise its mirror-like appearance.
These are the important factors to think about when buying a tap for your kitchen. Taking these details into consideration can certainly be advantageous for your shopping process.
For the flawless installation of your new tap, get in touch with us at Blue Diamond Plumbing. We are the most trusted plumbing contractors in Melbourne, and we can install your kitchen tap and other plumbing fixtures with ease according to your specific requirements.