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E78 – Taps and Showers - Bathroom Design Essentials

E78 – Taps and Showers - Bathroom Design Essentials

Update: 2021-03-25
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In this episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances welcomes guests Trisha Narde and Cathryn Matchett from Reece Bathroom Life. Together they discuss basin mixers Vs individual taps and why you may consider one style over the other. They also talk about the different types of bath taps and spouts available. Finally, they cover the ever important discussion on showers and what you will need to know when choosing the right type of shower for you.   

SHOWNOTES

Basin Taps 

Mixer 

  • Aesthetics-simple and streamlined 
  • Ease of cleaning 
  • Easier control over water temperature 
  • Easier to operate 
  • Water-saving- you achieve your temperature a lot quicker 
 

Cartridge 

  • The actual body of the mixer- it what mixes your hot and cold water to produce the temperature that you want 
  • You can get the cartridge separate from the fitting itself with some brands which is easier at build stage and easier tretrofit 

Brands where you can get a separate cartridge and trim kit 

    • Hansgrohe 
    • Grohe 
    • Sussex 
 

Individual Taps 

  • If you have to use what's already existing and have two taps, then you need to retrofit with hot and cold tap 

Buying Criteria  

  • Quality 
  • Warranties- 15-year warranty 
    • Look for those which include labor and parts warranty 
    • Brands that have good warranties: GroheSussex, Brodware and Methven 
  • Shapes, colours, and styles 
  • Comfort 

What Makes a Good Quality Tap? 

  • Plumbing Components 
  • Having solid brass Components 
  • High-quality features 
    • Grohe Silkmove- delivers gradual and precise control of the water flow and temperature. 
    • Grohe Starlight- long lasting surface 
    • Grohe Zero- No contact of water with lead and nickel due to isolated inner water ways 
  • High-quality brand that offers warranties- 12 months 
 
 

Different Types of Metals 

  • Living Tumbled Brass 
    • Most popular at the moment 
    • Fits into many different styles of homes 
    • Feels more organic than just using chrome or other metals. 
  • Other metals are  
    • Gun Metal 
    • Coppers 
    • Rose Golds 
 

Black Tapwear 

  • It won't go away anytime soon. 
  • You just have to make sure that it's a high quality tap 
  • Electroplated rather than powder coated 

Bath Taps 

Types of Bath Taps 

Floor Mounted 

  • Opulent look 
  • More expensive to install 
  • You need space around the bath as well 

Wall Mounted 

Swivel tap 

  • Ideal for families-prevent children from hitting their heads 

Bath Spouts 

The length of bath spout depends on the style of your bath.  

For instance; 

  • Freestanding bath- ideal length would be 200 mm 
  • Inset Bath- 150-160 mm 

Recommended Brands 

  • Sussex 
  • Grohe 

Shower 

Reece has a fantastic display of showers where you can feel the water pressure on your hand. It is recommended to utilise these displays to give you an idea of what shower to choose.  

Types of Showers 

Rail 

  • Has a flexible hose with fixed rail on the wall 
  • It allows you to move the shower head up and down the rail  
  • It's ideal for families as can adjust shower height, especially good for kids. 
  • Makes it easy to clean the shower (and your feet) 
  • Ideal for couples with large height differences. 
  • Flexible and functional  
 

Ceiling mounted 

  • You need to consider the ceiling heights 
  • Be mindful of length of ceiling arms - eg. extra long for tall ceilings 

Wall Mounted  

  • You need to make sure that the installation height is correct based on tallest person who will use it. 
  • Length of the arm comes out far enough so you are not against the wall.  
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E78 – Taps and Showers - Bathroom Design Essentials

E78 – Taps and Showers - Bathroom Design Essentials

Frances Cosway