Vessel Sinks -Choosing the right Drain Faucet & Support

There are several faucet choices for use with bathroom vessel sinks of any material. First, check your current plumbing limitations, supply valves height and the style of vanity you select. Your choices may require reconfiguration of your supply valves depending on the vanity you choose. If it is an open style pedestal that exposes the valves or it is a vanity that will conceal the valves. Of course if you want a wall mount faucet a bit more plumbing work is involved.

For shallow vessels it is generally recommended that you choose a faucet that directs the water towards the center of the vessel. With taller vessel sinks it is not so important that the water be directed as the height prevents most splashing.

Faucet finishes come in a wide variety of colors and qualities. Oil Rubbed Bronze and Brushed Nickel continue to be hot as well as the always popular chrome finish. Black plated finish faucets are getting more and more popular and a wider variety of matching towel bars and shower heads are not available.

Vessel sink faucets range in size generally from 6" to 14" and most glass vessel sinks are 5.5" Tall. These are also mounted on support rings which add about 1/2" of height.

If you are using stone material for your countertop make sure your faucet connection at the bottom will allow enough thickness as many faucets are designed not with that need but more to install in thin applications that do not require so much material to pass through.

Drain systems are also relatively simple to install for vessel sinks. The most common is the "push to lock" system where you push the top dome of the cap to lock and unlock your drain so your sink can hold water. The underside of these drains after they pass through the vessel sink can connect to your existing plumbing with a variety of parts most of which are available at your local hardware store. Most drain systems are sold with what we call a short system, which is the drain head and immmediate neck pipe. The Trap system which carries the waste water in a 90 degree turn back to the wall can also be purchased in a variety of colors.

Vanities that are open underneath require nicer plumbing parts as you will want your finished bathroom to be modern and clean in appearance and plastic plumbing parts are just not that attractive. Consider a full drain system if you dont want to see the parts.