You’re trying to wash your Crockpot bowl, but the limited space between your kitchen faucet and the sink is too narrow to allow the large bowl to be cleaned properly. In the end, you get the bowl clean, but your kitchen is soaking wet with water that’s run over, and your fingers are sore from them banging between the bowl and the sink. So how do we avoid this annoying design flaw in our kitchens? Getting the measurements suitable for the ideal faucet and sink overhang might not be something you thought about before remodeling your home. However, it’s not something you’ll want to overlook.
Why It’s Important to Get it Right
We’ve all washed our hands at a restaurant with tiny bathroom faucets. Your hands have to rub against the back of the sink where countless other visitors have done the same thing, and who knows how good they are at cleaning their hands. Or you have that one salad bowl that you avoid using just so you don’t have to try and clean it under your shorter kitchen faucet. Your home should be designed for the way you live, not the other way around. Ensuring that your kitchen sink and faucet are perfect for your lifestyle will mean you have a more enjoyable time using them and less time working around them in a frustrating dance.
What Affects Faucet Hang Over?
Instead of waiting to find out if the faucet and sink work well together on the day they are to be installed, here are the key factors to look into when shopping for your new faucet and sink.
The Size of the Sink
Depending on the amount of space available to you, you might have a smaller sink or a larger one. Using the same amount of hang over for a smaller sink and a larger sink will end with a disproportionate amount of sink left without easy access to the water. This can make washing dishes or prepping produce much harder than it needs to be. Instead, find out the measurements of the sink size and compare them the how far the faucet reaches out. You’ll want to faucet to reach close to the center of the sink. And if you have a double sink, make sure the faucet can swing over each of them and still reach the center of each sink bowls.
The Style of Sink and Faucet
Some sinks are shallow but wide, while others are deeper but more narrow. You also have single bowl sinks and double or triple bowl sinks. The amount the faucet will extend over each of these will be different since the shape of the sink will change with each style. The type of faucet will matter as well. There are faucets with high arching necks and faucets with lower necks. Finding the ideal combination of faucet size and sink shape will ensure they work together instead of against each other.
Where You’ll Install the Faucet
There are a few ways to install a faucet, and it’s primarily determined by the faucet style. There are some that are wall-mounted, so you’ll want to measure from the wall to the sink to understand correctly how far the faucet will reach. Then there are faucets that get installed into the counter and others into the lip of the sink. It’s vital to note where the faucet will be installed so you don’t mismeasure and end up with too long or too short of a reach.
How You’ll Use It
The best part about everyone being different is the unique variety that it brings to the table. However, the difficult part about everyone being different is that no two kitchens will be used in the same way. Exploring and identifying how you and your family use the kitchen and its faucet and sink will be crucial in designing the ideal setup. Maybe you use a lot of small appliances that are bulky and hard to clean, or perhaps you don’t cook too often, and the sink will mainly be used to wash hands. Either way, pinpointing these details will allow you to better understand how much space you’ll need between your faucet and sink.
How to Ensure You Get it Right
When remodeling your home, there are a lot of things to consider and think about. Unfortunately, it can quickly become overwhelming and important details such as kitchen faucet extension can be easily forgotten. To ensure that this detail and every detail in the kitchen remodel aren’t missed, we suggest hiring a professional designer to help you along the way. They’ll be better equipped with the tools and experience to help you design the ideal kitchen sink and faucet for you and your family.
Hopefully, you’ll now be equipped with the knowledge and awareness you need to find the perfect faucet and sink combination to suit your needs. Just remember that both will determine how far the faucet should extend, and it all relies on how your family will be using this area of the home.
