Buying Guides
What’s the Difference between a Centerset and Widespread Faucet?
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When shopping for bathroom faucets, homeowners quickly run into a variety of mounting styles. Unlike other features, the mounting style of a faucet must match your sink for the correct installation. A centerset faucet won’t fit a vanity built for a widespread faucet, and vice versa. Yet both of these mounting styles feature three holes, making it hard to tell them apart at a glance. The distinct differences between a centerset and widespread faucet are crucial to vanity designs. Identifying which of the two most common bathroom faucet styles a vanity needs is easy once a homeowner knows where to look.
Spacing
Centerset faucets are designed to be compact and save space, so they’re generally only available in four-inch spacing. This is the amount of space between the center to center two furthest holes. If a tape measure reveals a four-inch spacing, look for centerset faucets with the same spacing. Widespread faucets, as their name suggests, begin at eight inches and can measure up to 16 inches between the two furthest holes. Use an accurate measuring tape or yardstick to ensure the faucet ordered will match perfectly.
Check the Tap and Faucet
When looking at installed centerset and widespread faucets, there’s a visual clue to indicate the difference. Most centerset faucets mount the faucet and both taps on a single shared escutcheon base. This offers a clean and seamless look while tightly fitting all three parts into a 4-inch space. Widespread faucets tend to separate the taps from the faucet, giving each its own independent escutcheon or base cover. Some widepsread faucets feature a shared base, so don’t use this detail alone to determine a faucet’s mounting style.
Third Option for Small Spaces
In addition to Centerset and Widespread bathroom faucets, a mini widespread faucet may be best for those with smaller spaces and vanities. A mini widespread faucet fits for 3 hole sinks ranging from 4″ to 8″. Mini widespread faucets also offer a 2″ spout clearance for optimal water flow for smaller sinks. Mini widespread faucets are offered in an array of finishes and collections to fit perfectly with your bathroom’s design. Explore Kingston’s Mini-Widespread bathroom faucets, here!
With these tips, homeowners can pick the right bathroom faucet to match their vanity. Find both widespread and centerset faucets to complete any décor here at Kingston Brass.
