Installing a Faucet on Thick Countertop
A few weeks ago while finishing up a master bathroom remodel, I received a call from my plumber. He was on the job site and encountered a problem that I personally had not dealt with before. He told me that he ran into a problem installing the vanity faucets on my bathroom renovation project.
As he continued to talk he explained that the countertop was too thick and that he was unable to snugly attach the hot and cold water supply lines after installing the vanity faucet lock nuts.
This was the first time I had ever run into this problem.
How do you install a faucet on a thick countertop?
In order to install a faucet on thick countertops, you will need a faucet shank extension also known as a thick deck extension. Click to see it on Amazon.com. You will need one for each faucet shank, so two for each faucet. Screw the shank extension up onto the existing shank and make sung with an adjustable wrench.
Then install the faucet locknut, which is also referred to as the mounting nut. Then you can install the hot and cold water supply lines.
Let me share a little more on how I found the solution. But first, let me give you a little background on the project.
Bathroom Renovation Project Scope
We were wrapping up a master suite remodeling project where we converted what was just a large master bedroom, into a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet.
This new bathroom has all the bells and whistles. We built a large shower enclosure, double vanities and freestanding soaker tub complete with a floor mounted tub filler.
We had just completed laying all the tile and installing cabinets and countertops. The only thing left was for the plumber to come in and install the trim, which included installing the shower valve and shower head, and double vanity sinks, setting the toilet, connecting the freestanding tub drain and the floor mounted tub filler.
I know that sounds like a lot of things to do, but it’s all part of a complete bathroom remodeling project. Okay, now let’s get back to the story.
Solving the Thick Countertop Faucet Installation Problem
So after I hung up the phone from my initial phone call with the plumber, I scratch my head for a second and then guess what I did? I jumped online. After searching for a while I came to an interesting realization. The problem of countertops being too thick for faucets is not an often talked about topic.
Plumbing website Search
As a matter of fact, I had to dive into message boards and forums and comment sections on non-plumbing related websites in order to get some clues in the right direction. After a little more quality research I figured out what I needed.
My faucet would require a set of shank extensions in order for me to be able to install it in the thick countertop.
Next, I began to try to figure out what store near me had the faucet shank extensions in stock. I started out searching the websites of the big box home improvement stores. I quickly determined that it was not an item that they stocked in stores.
Plumbing Supply Search
Next, I called around to several local plumbing supply houses. I still didn’t have any luck. As a matter of fact, when I talked to the guy at the sales counter on the phone I referred to the part by its proper name and he had no idea what I was even talking about. “Faucet shank extension?!”
So I then explained to him my scenario. And that I had a newly-installed countertop and that I didn’t have enough length on the faucet Hot and Cold Supply threaded shanks to completely connect them to the water supply lines. After I explained all that he said, “Oh yeah we don’t sell that in the store you’ll have to order it.”
Ordering Plumbing Supplies Online
I made one more call to a different supply house on the other side of town and after having a similar conversation I quickly came to the conclusion that I was going to have to order the parts online.
Because I was going to have to order the part online I really didn’t have an incentive to try and purchase it from The Big Box retailers anymore. So then I became more focused on the customer reviews of the faucet Shank extensions.
as I’m sure you would guess this eventually led me to Amazon. After going through several of the options sold on their website I arrived at one particular faucet shank extension that had really solid reviews and that I felt comfortable purchasing online.
I ordered two sets and they arrived in 2 days. The plumbers came back and install them with no issues. However, the installation was very straightforward.
So if you’re doing this project as DIY can you have some experience working with plumbing you shouldn’t have any issues with installing them yourself.
The reviews for some of the other faucet shank extensions that I found online were mixed at best. And one of the reoccurring issues that I read about was with them leaking.
However, it seems that if you install them correctly they should not leak. and luckily the reviewers of the set that I went with did not seem to have that problem.
How do you know if the countertop is too thick for the faucet?
Well, if the existing shanks on the faucet are short you actually be able to get the nut to fit snugly on the underside of the countertop. But the problem will likely reveal itself when you try to install the water supply lines to the ends of the faucet shanks.
If the shanks are too short, you may be able to thread the supply lines onto the end of shanks, but you won’t be able to screw them down far enough to get a snug watertight fit. So when you turn the water supply on, they will leak because you don’t have enough of the female portion of the supply line threaded over the shank.
How thick are quartz countertops?
Quartz and granite are usually sold in 3 different thickness options: 1CM (centimeter), 2CM and 3CM. With 1CM being the thinnest and 3CM being the thickest of the three.
3CM is stronger than the other two options which are often reinforced with plywood.
Quartz also comes in an even thicker profile of 4CM but it is not as common.
How much do faucet shank extensions cost?
The faucet shank extension kits that are made of brass range in price from $20-25. The brass versions also seem to have the highest reviews.
There are also several companies that make plastic faucet shank extensions. The plastic versions cost under $10, but they had few positive reviews. I would play it safe and steer clear of the plastic ones.
Where else can you use faucet shank extensions?
According to the specifications, the faucet extensions are designed to also work with the valves in showers and bathtubs. The shower or tub faucet would have to have separate hot and cold handles for this to work. So this is not going to work on a single handle shower valve.
If you find yourself with this plumbing problem
Thick countertop solution: Faucet shank extensions. Don’t panic if you can not find them locally. Just order them online and you’ll have them in a few days.
And remember that if you do find them in the store to take a little extra time to research the quality. As I learned through my own online research, they may all look similar, but some seem to be easier to install without leaks than others.
