Is A Wall Mount Tub Faucet For You?

By: Joanne Dorin


There are all kinds of great choices for your tub faucet and one thats gained popularity in the past few years is the wall mount tub faucet. Is that whats right for you?

You choose your tub faucet pretty much the same way you would choose your bathroom sink faucet or any other faucet for your house. Generally you want the faucets in the bathroom to match or compliment each other giving the room a finished look.

Usually the faucets for the sink are chosen first and then followed by the tub faucets but if you are considering wall mounts you may want to do it in the reverse order since there are fewer wall mount styles.

Although tub faucets look similar to kitchen faucets dont be fooled, they in fact are not interchangeable. Kitchen faucets do not have a high enough flow rate which is needed for the shower. And if that isnt enough to convince you most building code will not allow for interchanging.

A tub needs to be filled relatively quickly and a shower needs to provide a high enough flow to be effective. There are three tub filler varieties on the market deck mount, wall mount, and free standing.

Free Standing
Is mounted to the floor and you see all the pipes because they are exposed. This style is usually used with one of the antique tub styles such as a claw foot. It adds a nice finishing touch.

The faucet is attached to the pipes which are positioned above the tub. The overflow and drain pipes connect to the tub and brackets are used to stabilize everything. Antique tubs may need special fittings as they are not standard to the new plumbing.

Wall & Deck Mount
With modern tubs generally you only see the handles and spouts with the rest of the faucet concealed behind the wall. A wall mount is directly mounted on the tub with the water directed to the shower head with a valve which diverts it.

There are two different valves used the in wall valve or the spout valve. The in wall valve has a handle or a push button which is placed near the control handles.

The spout mount is integrated with the tub filler and the functionality is very simple. When it is activated the mechanism blocks the flow of the water from the spout and it forces it through the shower head.

Screwdriver stops are almost always used on single or two handle shower valves. These valves allow you to do servicing or repairs to the faucet without shutting off the water to the house. You just need a slotted screwdriver.

You might also want to consider a faucet that has the scald safety built in. This means that the temperature is automatically controlled at where it was set. So should someone forget you are in the shower and turn on the cold water in the kitchen you wont get scalded.

Wall mount faucets look great. They add a little more character than basic faucets and they are very functional.

Joanne is an author of Decorz.com. If you're looking for more faucets & decor ideas for your home visit http://www.decorz.com.