When you’re in the market for a new kitchen sink faucet, of course the first thing you’ll be concerned about is the quality of the faucet. But honestly, the look of the faucet is also very important to you. So it may excite you to know that there are many different materials and finishes used in the construction of kitchen sink faucets. What does this mean for you? It means that you can not only have a quality kitchen sink faucet but a beautiful one too!
Although kitchen sink faucets may look like they are made from a number of different materials, most kitchen faucets are actually constructed from brass. They are then designed with many different finishes such as stainless steel or brushed chrome, to name just a few! These finishes are usually a plating of some type, such as enamel-powdered or gold-plating. This finish is simply then just laid over the brass construction of the kitchen sink faucet and applied on.
Whichever type of finish is chosen for the kitchen sink faucet, it can also have several different colors. Some manufacturers will combine colors so that the look of the kitchen sink faucet is completely customized. Others use this combination of colors to give the body of the faucet one main color and using another color to accent the details of the faucet. Colors that are powder-colored, such as enamel, are applied through an electrostatic process. This type of coloring is not only popular for its beautiful look but because this process also provides the faucet with a very strong and durable finish that will last for many years to come.
Brass and chrome finishes work a bit differently than other types of finishes. Even though most kitchen sink faucets are constructed from brass, they cannot simply be left like that because they will tarnish very easily. A layer of nickel-plating first needs to be applied to the brass construction and then a layer of brass-plating can be applied. After this, one more layer of a clear polish needs to be applied so that the brass-plating also won’t tarnish. This not only saves the homeowner from constant maintenance but it also extends the life of the brass kitchen sink faucet. Chrome faucets also need to have a layer of nickel-plating before the chrome finish is applied. However, because chrome will not corrode as easily as brass, chrome faucets do not need the last layer of polish.
The good news is that even though there may be hundreds of different finishes that you can get for your kitchen sink faucet, you only have to choose the one that looks best to you! Every finish should still provide good warranties and excellent features because those really pertain to the construction of the faucet. So dig deep into your designer side and select a kitchen sink faucet that is done in the most beautiful finish that you can find!