Regardless of changing popular design trends in home plumbing fixtures over time, certain things have remained fairly consistent through the years. Even with the advent of vessel sinks and the return of apron farmhouse sinks, the sink itself is fairly standard in basic design. Bathtubs may have changed from claw footed tubs to fixed units, but the design of the tub remains very much the same. Even showers, while their base shapes and materials have improved and been modified over time, are still basic in their overall design. Faucets, like their other plumbing counterparts, have remained consistent as well, often found in two basic designs. While the counter mounted faucet is a common sight, often worked into the design of the kitchen or bathroom sink, wall mount faucets are still quite popular.
What Are Wall Mounted Faucets?
A wall mounted faucet is, as the name implies, essentially a faucet fixture that is mounted onto or into the backing wall of the device it is delivering water to. The plumbing lines for the faucet run behind the wall and out of sight, providing a more aesthetic appeal. The most common type of wall mount faucet is found in bathtubs. Other uses, in both the kitchen and the bathroom, are currently seeing a return in popularity. This is driven by visual appeal as well as increased functionality over standard faucets.
Wall Mount Faucets In The Bathroom
The wall mount tub faucets is, again, the most common design for this particular style. Because of the nature of the bathtub itself, they are typically placed in the corner of the bathroom or at least near one of the main walls. In rare cases, the tub is centered in the center of the room, but this is not a common sight. Because of their general placement, they are best served by a wall mount tub faucet.
Another growing use for wall mount lavatory faucets is being driven by the new trends in bathroom sinks emerging on the market. The vessel sink, with its highly artistic and unique appearance, is often designed in a way that cannot accommodate a standard counter mount faucet. Even those that can, sometimes simply look best when paired with a wall mount design instead.
One of the most common types of vessel sinks on the market today is the bowl variety, designed to rest on top of the bathroom counter instead of being sunk into it. Given the significant amount of height this style of sink adds that a counter mount faucet would need to accommodate for, most consumers choose to go with a wall mount lavatory faucet instead. The wall mount variety is simply installed in the wall directly behind the vessel sink, with the plumbing lines run in the wall itself. Instead of rising up and over the vessel sink, the faucet is able to simply extend out from the wall, situating itself over the top of the sink.
Wall Mount Faucets In The Kitchen
Another trend, borrowed from days gone by, that is making a comeback is the farmhouse apron sink. Once relied on for its deep basins and increased length and width, the apron sink was originally designed to accommodate large farm families as well as the overall larger size of the pots and pans being used at the time. Because of their visual appeal, as well as their increased holding capability, the apron farmhouse sink is making a very strong comeback. While apron sinks can be made to accommodate a standard counter mount faucet, most of the original designs were made to be used with a wall mount sink faucet. While this had little to do with visual impact back in the day, there were several functional reasons wall mount sink faucets were preferred. Since the apron sinks were often subject to a great deal of wear and tear, partly because of the weight of the vast iron pans most frequently used, they had to be replaced on a somewhat regular basis. By mounting the faucet on the wall instead of into the counter top through the rear lip of the sink, it allowed sinks to be swapped out with ease, eliminating the need to detach and reattach the faucet fixture.
In kitchens of today that are bringing back the apron sink tradition, wall mount faucets can be selected strictly for visual appeal. The functionality, however, is still an asset. Just as they did in the past, the overall size of modern apron sinks often eliminates the area that standard sinks have on their rear lip. This is primarily due to the fact that the extra space is needed to accommodate the larger sink size while also keeping the front of the sink as flush with existing counters and cabinetry as possible. By installing a wall mount sink faucet, the smaller rear lip is no longer a functional issue.
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