Workarounds to use single handle bathroom faucet with 8" pre-drilled holes?

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marilano

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I am trying to buy a readymade 49" granite vanity countertop (to have someone else cut down and install), and all the ones I've been able to find online or in the big box stores are pre-drilled for 8" widespread faucets. I need to get a single-handled faucet that's ADA compliant (I have hand problems), but they only seem to come in 4" centerset or single hole variations. I wondered whether I could find an 8" cover plate (or deck plate, or escutcheon) that would fit over any single-hole, single-handle bathroom faucets to cover up the 2 extra holes, rather than abandoning the idea of the granite countertop. But I'm not sure the center hole on the couple of cover plates I've found online would be wide enough to allow for the single handled faucets I've seen. And I'm not sure how this might look. The only readymade vanity countertops I've found that come predrilled with the 4" spread or a single hole are in either cultured marble or Swanstone, and I'd really prefer granite. If anyone has any advice about this, I'd really appreciate it. If all else fails, I guess I'd need to get custom-cut granite for my 46.5" vanity countertop. TIA for any replies. marilano
 

Terry

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You may be better off getting the granite locally and having them drill a single hole.
It's not that much to have it done that way.
Most plates that cover 8" are for kitchen faucets.
 

hj

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Delta makes at least two versions of "utility faucets" which place the spout in the center hole and the handle mechanism in one of the two outside ones. You would either install a soap dispenser in the third hole or a pop-up grommet, or use a hole cover. Delta also makes MANY single hole faucets which would utilize the center hole and you would use the other two however you wanted to.
 

Jadnashua

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A soap dispenser is a nice addition to the counter, and could fill one of the holes. You could also use the other for hand lotion. I have had soap dispensers on my three sinks (kitchen, and two vanities) now for years, and much prefer it to picking up a slick bar of soap, and maybe dripping to put it back onto my nice clean counters. Much nicer to just pump some soap out.
 

marilano

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Thanks for all the replies and useful advice. I'd like everything to look nice, simple, and clean, as long as I'm finally replacing my old cultured marble countertop, so maybe using a deck plate on granite isn't the best aesthetic choice--especially such a large one (8"). I don't use liquid soap, so I probably won't want to use the extra holes for that or hand lotion (and don't they "gunk up" after a while?). I'm now leaning toward trying to find a remnant of a granite slab (regular or pre-fab) at a nearby stoneyard, and just having the stone person/company I select drill a single hole in it and cut it to size (and cut a sink cutout for an undermount sink). As a follow-up question: Would there be any problem if I currently have a 4" centerset faucet with plumbing to match with going to a single hole? Would the connectors that are now 4" apart just both fit into the bottom of the single hole? marilano
 

Terry

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Using soap or lotion dispensers is a good idea Jadnashua. I forgot that I use those to fill extra holes sometimes on laundry sinks.
I use my lotion dispenser all the time on the kitchen sink and the laundry tray sink.
 

Jadnashua

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A significant part of the cost of a custom granite countertop is finishing edges, especially for an undermount sink. The fabricator I use charges $300 to cut and polish and prepare to mount a sink with appropriatly located clips (he mills T-slots on the underside to accept the clip that holds the sink in while the silicon sets). Then, finishing the front edge can go from a couple of bucks per inch to as much as $10 per inch to shape and polish - a straight, polished edge is the cheapest, a fancy ogee edge probably the most expensive. You could save a lot of money using a drop in sink rather than an undermount, if that was acceptable to you. The cost of cutting and polishing could easily cost more than the remnant slab you'd need for your vanity.
 

hj

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faucet

You either have a 4" centerset, OR a single hole faucet. The two terms are NOT interchangeable. the single hole will fit a 4" drilling IF the center hole is large enough. A 4" center faucet will NOT fit a single hole drilling.
 

marilano

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I think hj may have misunderstood my last question or my question wasn't clear (which is the most likely). I am going to buy a new faucet. I need it to have a single handle. If I get a custom granite vanity countertop, I will have the installer cut as many holes as I need to install a nice single-handled faucet. Single-handled faucets seem to be widely available either for a single hole or for a 3-hole 4" centerset design. My current cultured marble vanity has no holes; I have 3 holes in the sink I'm replacing and I replaced the original two-handled faucets a few years ago with a 4" centerset single-handled faucet that I'll be replacing when I replace the countertop and sink. So can someone easily go from a 4" centerset design to a single-hole design--as long as the granite person cuts the hole big enough?? marilano
 

Geniescience

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can you name one faucet that is 3 holes in the counter and also single-handle?

marilano, you have said more than once that a "single handle" seems to be available "widely" only if it fits a 3 hole (but 8" apart) setup, or if it's a single hole faucet.

And you want one that is THAT but 4" apart.

i don't get it. Or, what have i misunderstood?

name names please. Which faucet have you been seeing?

There are single handle (mixer valve) faucets that can fit into 2 holes in the counter. They have a pillar for the spout , and a pillar for the handle.
There are single handle (mixer valve) faucets that can fit into 1 hole in the counter. They have the handle attached to the "body" pillar of the spout.

Where have you seen 3 holes being used to install a single handle mixer faucet?

?
 

Jadnashua

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Some single hole faucets have optional mounting plates to cover a variety of holes in your sink or counter, but is still a single hole faucet. A sink or counter that is drilled for say a 4" or 8" three-hole faucet may not have a big enough hole to install a typical single hole faucet in any of them. Enlarging a hole can be done on a counter, but you risk problems if you try to do it in a sink. How easy it is to enlarge a hole depends on the material the counter is made of. A typical single hole faucet for a vanity wants a 1-3/8" diameter hole, but before you cut any holes, you should select your faucet. Some might work on a smaller hole, and you might find one that wants a larger hole (not too often).
 
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