Best Kitchen Faucet Reviews: 5 Essential Features of A Good Kitchen Faucet

There was a time when kitchens were dull, dreary places. It was a place to prepare food and wash dishes and that was about all that would be done there.

But that's not so anymore. Today, kitchens are used for socializing, entertaining guests, relaxation too - so the way the average home owner perceives their kitchen has changed fundamentally.

So modern kitchens are now equipped with large screen TVs, bookshelves, music systems and the like.

While these do make the kitchens a lot more comfortable to work in, they do not add to the functionality.

You see, while it is good for a kitchen to be pretty, it needs to be functional.

And one piece of equipment that is essential for a functional kitchen is the humble faucet.

While it's not appreciated much, the faucet is one of the hardest working pieces of equipment in your kitchen. It's used dozens of times a day, and is expected to keep working for years. As long as it's working, it's taken for granted. But if it fails, all heel breaks loose.

So one of the best investments you can make is to buy a faucet that's pretty good at doing what it is supposed to do - and looks good as well.

Here are a few tips to help you choose the best kitchen faucet that's perfect for your kitchen.


1. Always choose a branded faucet

While it may seem like you will be saving money by buying a non branded faucet, truth is you might actually be saving a lot of money in the long run.

You see, companies that sell branded faucets invest a lot of money in meeting compliance standards, and in technologies that increase the reliability of your faucet. There is a lot at stake when they put their names on your faucet. They provide customer service and warranties as well.

So when you're buying a branded faucet, you're buying a piece of equipment that is reliable, durable and comes with a warranty and customer support


2. Make sure your faucet blends with the rest of your kitchen

It goes without saying, but the design of your faucet should plan with the rest of your kitchen design.

If you have a modernist kitchen, you would most possibly want to buy a faucet that features an industrial design with a highly polished chrome finish.

On the other hand, if you have a period style kitchen and would of course want to buy a retro faucet.


3. The faucet should be easy to install and operate

Most branded kitchen faucets are very easy to install. Even someone who has never installed a kitchen faucet before should be able to do it in less than 10 to 15 min.

But it is possible that some faucets may not an easy to operate. If the lever is hard to lift or move right to left, using your faucet can become a hassle.


4. The faucet that should not drip or leak

Most faucet is these days last for several years without ever leaking. Especially the ones that have hard ceramic discs.

But even then, you would want to ensure that the faucet you are buying has been proven one to be reliable.

The best way to ensure this would be to read several reviews of the particular model on sites like Amazon.com or walmart.com.


5. This spout length should be appropriate for your needs

If your kitchen sink is not very deep and have large vessels near kitchen that you will be washing under the faucet, you would want to buy a faucet that has a long spout.

But if your kitchen sink is sufficiently deep, you will not have to worry much about this spout length.

Hiring a Hardwood Flooring Contractor in LA : Read This Now

A flooring contractor does several flooring repair and installation services like installing tile, laminate and various wood or stone  floors, install underlayment and so on.

If you are looking to either install a new floor or do repairs to your existing floor,  here are some very important tips you will want to read about.

Prepare a very detailed, written contract
Before you even start looking for a contractor, it is vitally important that you have a very detailed written document that addresses the following :

* Work start and completion duration with dates.

* Payment criteria which ties payment to actual, verifiable results.

* Details of all the work that is required to be completed, materials to be used and quality of materials and work.

* Material placement plans.

* Layout specification.

* Disposal of waste.

* If rental equipment will be needed for the work, specify who will be paying for them and who is responsible for any damages caused during work.

* If the work specifications need to be changed midway, how will all of the costs and responsibilities handled.

* Ensure you specify the workmanship should have a warranty.

* Insurance details

* Clearly specify your existing pieces of furniture, work related inventory and home should be protected from damages that might be caused during work.

* Make a detailed list of each component to be used in the project. Ensure you include brand, size and model related details. This is critical if you want quality work.

Creating this document is an essential first step. Folks who work without detailed contracts may end up spending a lot more time and money on the project than they initially planned.

Once you have the contract ready, the next step is to prepare a list of licensed contractors in your area.

How to go about this? You could ask your neighbors or trusted real estate agents in your locality for referrals. Or simply search the internet. .

Permits

You would want to contact your local building department with details of the work you need to be completed and ask for the permits required. And then get the permits.


Get bids

Once you have a list of contractors in your area and the required permits, contact the contractors and get bids from them.

It is essential that you hire only licensed contractors. Check with your state's license board before you hire a contractor.


License and Insurance

This is perhaps the most important aspect of hiring a contractor.

Once you have the bids from licensed contractors, check whether they are insured. It's essential they have insurance to cover any work related damages. They must be insured for job related injuries that may occur as well.

Do not hire someone who is not insured.

If a bid seems too low, it might be a sign that the contractor is not licensed or insured. Licensed contractors are required to pay a fee. Unlicensed ones do not.

Licensed contractors have to play by the rules. Not the unlicensed ones.

And hiring an unlicensed contractor can cost you a lot if someone gets injured during work on your property. That's something you will not have to worry about when you are working with a licensed contractor who has insurance.


Bonds

If the contractor does low quality work, does not pay his employees or suppliers, then a bond is what can protect you.

You would want to ensure that your flooring contractor has a valid bond that will cover all the costs is the work needs to be dome all over again.

License, insurance and bonds are safeguards that are essential before you do the hiring. Do not ever make the mistake of hiring someone who isn't licensed or isn't able to provide a bond of adequate value.

Here is a video from the Better Business Bureau with very helpful tips about hiring a contractor. A must watch for just about any homeowner who is about to start a remodeling project.

Designing Pretty Yet Functional Kitchens

Of course, you want your kitchen to be really pretty. But your kitchen also needs to be functional. So just how do you strike the right balance between elegance and workability? Here are some tips to help you strike the right balance between appearance and workability.

Do you feel stuck up with a wine theme or a fat chef theme for your kitchen? No wonder you are bored. Try something different, exciting and interesting for your kitchen.

• The easiest way to spruce up your kitchen and add a touch of elegance fast is to choose the  right kitchen backsplash. You can either design it yourself and make it your personal design statement, or hire a professional to design it for you. Either way, your kitchen will benefit. This can be very inexpensive to do, and you should be able to see the benefits right away.

• Turn your hobby in to a kitchen theme. If you like collecting pottery, antique items, old bottles, vases and the like then incorporate them in your kitchen. Anything you collect can be made in to a theme and what’s more you can be choosy too by dressing up your kitchen with your favorite color and using these elements subtly. By adding a few touches of color here and there you can change the look of your kitchen in minutes.

• Or go for country blue and white kitchen with rustic furniture and appliances. You can also run a high shelf in your kitchen which houses bird nests, vines, berries and bird houses.

• Or go with a grape theme. Make a grape stencil in your backsplash or make your own pottery with grapes painting on it.  Or try a vegetable theme kitchen with vegetable prints. Many sites like allposters.com do carry some awesome vegetable prints. For a vegetable theme kitchen you can add colors like tomato red, off white, tan or green to create a bright look.

• Or you can go with traditional themes like apple theme or try your favorite vegetable like red pepper etc. Adopt red checkered tablecloths, napkins, fabric with pepper motif and so on for a delightful kitchen. Apple theme can be easily incorporated with apple tile murals in backsplashes, apple motifs on walls, apple colored curtains and towels etc.

• Or stick with a neutral toned kitchen like white cabinets, appliances, sink and go for colorful towels, drapes and other accessories to spice things up.

• Another good place to get ideas is to hunt at thrift stores for home accessories. Beautiful glass
bottles, vintage items may inspire you to deck up your kitchen. Glass bottles are also quite popular in small kitchens as they reflect light and add visual interest in the kitchen.

• Framed art, decorative baskets, serving bowls and dishes are all inexpensive items to decorate your kitchen with. As these are all washable as well you have a sparkling new kitchen as well.

• Or you can stick with a French kitchen décor. Right from French sign boards to wall murals you can buy everything at discount rates at Amazon. You even get canister sets, glasses and wall clocks. So depending on your budget you can choose the perfect kitchen décor for your kitchen.

There are so many creative ideas you can generate really easily. Visit your local library and take a look at kitchen decorating books and periodicals. Make a note of what you like and soon you will have a lot of material to generate ideas from. One thing you would want to be careful about though is that most of the ideas in such magazines is for the upper crust of the society. For folks who do not have to worry about sticking to budgets. If that does not exactly describe you, then you will want to be sure to select ideas that suit your budget.

Here's a nice video you might want to watch. It's about creating functional kitchens.