Product Advice:
Appliance Trends:
Faucets Come Clean
with New Decorating Finishes
By Jeremy Powers
There have been bathrooms in every color in the world, from stark white
to basic black. But through it all, the faucets have mostly come in chrome.
Chrome is a clean-looking finish and it does, in fact, clean up well.
It takes scrubbing that traditional brass couldn't handle without looking
like it had been beaten up with sandpaper.
Just as one size doesn't fit all, one finish doesn't fit all. Today's
bath faucets come in some new colors. But the colors themselves aren't
really new unless you consider that these colors are also as durable as
the best of the chrome. In the 1970s, every major faucet manufacturer
offered a brushed brass look. The finish might have lasted through two
cleanings.
Today's faucets carry lifetime finish guarantees. Moen, which now offers
its LifeShine finish on all of its kitchen and bath faucets, offers a
lifetime guarantee against tarnishing. The brass-colored finish is strengthened
with titanium, one of the strongest metals known.
Brass isn't the only new color. Bright nickel and a slightly blackened
nickel are also popular. White and almond have been around for a while,
but frequently these colors come in plastic, which doesn't hold up to
years of bathroom abuse. Today, some companies put an enamel-like finish
on solid brass and that finish lasts. Ceramic parts, like the old-fashioned
X handles of the turn of the century, are again being used in modern faucets.
The best part about any modern faucet is that the insides are now better
than ever before. Many faucets use a ceramic disk as the shut off mechanism.
The ceramic is harder than any of the minerals in the water, so unlike
rubber parts, it can't break down and leak.
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Shiny Nickel
You've rarely seen a tarnished nickel. That's because it is the material
they add to steel to make stainless steel. This
brushed
nickel finish
with brass accents is from Price Pfister and its Georgetown
line is naturally tarnish resistant. |
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Bright Spout
This
Revival faucet from Kohler
is in Kohler's
Vibrant brass finish, which the company says is more durable than polished
chrome. |
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Bright White
Most new faucets, which are called widespread, are designed to fit holes
eight inches apart. This
durable white faucet
from Gerber
has the same look, but fits traditional four inch holes. |
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Simply Brass
Most of the new finishes are on fashionable, widespread faucets. But Moen
offers its
LifeShine finish
on this regular
one-piece unit. |
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Swan Song
The
Brilliance finish from Delta
is now available
on all of its faucets in the bath, including this stunning swan-inspired
high faucet.
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