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Bathroom faucets: wall-mounted vs deck-mounted

To choose the right bathroom faucet, it’s important to consider the type of sink that will be underneath it.

Have you seen the articles on bathroom countertops and sinks? If you still haven’t decided how these items will be, I recommend reading these articles first.

The shape of the sink and its position on the countertop will help you decide whether the faucet should be installed on the wall or on the countertop or sink.

Once you know what your countertop and sink will be, let’s look at the differences between wall-mounted and deck-mounted bath faucets.

Wall-mounted bathroom faucets

It’s the ideal choice for most models of drop-in and vessel sinks. As their tops are over the countertop height, most models of deck-mounted faucets won’t work. Their spouts will be too close to the rim of the sink, not giving you enough space.

Pros

• You can control the final height of the faucet spout no matter the model you buy. So any faucet can be combined with any type of sink.
• Saves room behind the countertop. If you need a narrower sink in order to save up space in the bathroom, this type is a good call.
• Makes the countertop easier to clean, with no hardware behind the sink causing any obstruction.

Cons

• More difficult installation: you need the plumbing made for the exact location where your faucet should be placed.
• Less versatile: in case of a change of faucet, you’ll need to either get a model of the same type of the previous piece, or to have a plumber adapting the wires behind the wall.
• More difficult maintenance, since the wires are all embedded in the wall.
• Should only be used for narrow countertops on front of a wall. For bigger sinks, deeper countertops, larger bathrooms, it gets uncomfortable to reach the faucet when it’s installed on the wall, distant from the counter front.
• Wall-mounted faucets are usually more sophisticated and expensive.

Deck-mounted bathroom faucets

Deck-mounted faucets are installed at the back of the sink or on the countertop behind the sink.

You can also use this type of faucet with a drop-in or a vessel sink, but in this case you should buy a vessel faucet and make sure its height will work fine for the sink you chose.

Pros

• More simple installation: you don’t need to embed the pipes in the wall.
• Versatility: the wires are under the countertop and can be easily adapted.
• Of course, this also makes the maintenance much easier. If you get a leaking faucet, you can probably fix the problem without opening the wall.
• Can be used in a greater range of layouts. It’ll work for deeper countertops, or on front of windows.
• This type is also more common, so you’ll find cheaper models.

Cons

• You have to be more careful to choose compatible sink and faucet and plan their installation heights. Therefore, your options are more limited.
• Takes up more countertop space. Not ideal for narrow countertops.
• Causes an obstruction on the countertop, making it harder to clean and dry.

Which type of faucet is better for your bathroom?

The first thing to consider when deciding on buying a wall-mounted or a deck-mounted faucet is your current building situation.

If you’re renovating, you can simply follow the same type you already have so you won’t need to adapt your plumbing. After all, both types have a great variety of nice models and you can get a good-looking bathroom one way or the other.

In this case, it’s important to check the height of the existing water point and choose a sink and a type of faucet that work well together.

The typical ideal height between the faucet spout and the rim of the sink is 10 to 15 cm / 4 to 6 inches. It should be high enough to ensure that there is enough space to use it, but not too high as to create splashing water.

If you’re planning a new build, you can choose either type.

Considering the pros and cons of each type, the most obvious choice is a deck-mounted faucet, unless you have a narrow countertop and/or a vessel or a high drop-in sink.

While wall-mounted faucets allow you to have more control of the heights, they require the sink to be close to the wall behind it, and your layout may require something different.

You should also consider the type of mirror you will have behind the sink.

If the mirror starts just above the countertop, you’ll have to order it with the right holes for a wall-mounted faucet. It’s not possible to make the holes after the mirror is made, so if you already have the mirror and don’t want to change it, go deck-mounted.

Inspite of being one more thing to care about during the renovation, the result might be worth it, since a wall-mounted faucet coming out of a mirror has an interesting effect.

Conclusion

Wall-mounted faucets are more complicated to plan out in your project, so they are more popular for architect designed bathrooms. If you are intent on this type of faucet, make sure to check the ideal heights for the countertop, the sink, the mirror and the faucet, and coordinate the choice of these items so they work well together.

Deck-mounted faucets are a cheaper and more simple choice, that can also make really good looking bathrooms.

After you make this decision, you still have to choose between single handle, vessel, centerset, widespread and bridge models.