If you are considering redecorating your bathroom or perhaps even renovating or remodelling it completely then choosing the correct bathroom taps is very important. The overall style and feel of your bathroom can be greatly influenced by the taps you choose. In fact to update and rejuvenate the whole look of your bathroom you may be able to simply change the taps. If you are lucky enough to have original Victorian or Edwardian taps or perhaps even original antique French taps it may be possible to have them restored.
Some people LOVE traditional bathrooms and wouldn’t want anything else. Certainly the trend does seem to favour this style at the moment. You may prefer a more modern bathroom tap or if your bathroom would look good with large Art Deco taps. Some people like to have their bath taps match exactly their basin taps. This is not always possible if you are installing original antique taps. Quite simply the matching pair of either bath taps or basin taps may have been damaged or destroyed some time ago. If you are fortunate to find a matching pair of antique taps they are well worth installing them into your bathroom.
There are also several different styles of spout for both bath taps and basin taps. The bath tap can have one spout with 2 handles or 2 spouts with 2 handles. Similiarly with the basin taps. Or off course there is the Bath Shower Mixer tap which although typically a very traditional style, compliments any bathroom and does save on plumbing fixtures.
Fortunately, whatever your style, an electic approach tends to work very well. A traditional Edwardian or Victorian cast iron roll top bath looks fantastic with original Antique Taps or modern Deck Mounted Pillar taps. Similarly a modern square bath that may otherwise look quite ordinary can look stunning with lovely original large Victorian bath taps or even reproduction Victorian Shower Mixer Bath Taps. Art Deco taps look great on these baths as well. Most of the time you can get away with mixing and matching modern & traditional taps, baths, tiles, decor etc. The only exception could possibly be an Art Deco style bathroom suit. Although you can put Art Deco bath taps or basin taps on a typically modern suite it doesn’t always work the other way around. Some Art Deco styles are okay. They can look good with a modern wall mounted bath filler (taps with 2 handles to control water flow). The typical Art Deco skirted bath however really needs to have matching Art Deco style bath and basin taps and matching decor to pull the whole look off well.
Before you even look at the different styles there are a few things you do need to know that will help you choose the best bathroom taps.
The majority of bathroom taps are made from brass which can then be metal plated or enamelled. They can be plated with high gloss or matt finishes such as chrome, nickel, polished brass, pewter, silk steel and antique gold. Nickel plating is becoming more popular as this provides the traditional look for a traditional Edwardian or Victorian bathroom. These taps are not necessarily cheap. The style and finish are also important and part of what you will pay for.
More expensive bathroom taps are made of solid stainless steel, which can be polished to a high shine or brushed to create a low sheen finish. Although these are considerable more expensive, they are more hard-wearing than their cheaper alternatives which will eventually lose their finish.
The brass taps, if they have been chrome or nickel plated, should take years to lose their finish. Having the bathroom taps re-chromed or Nickel plated is an option and the finish looks fantastic. The replating in chrome, nickel, antique gold etc can be done to both original antique bathroom taps and fairly modern bathroom taps. You would just need to get your plumber to remove the taps and have them sent to a specialist. You would need to weigh up whether the additional expense of purchasing solid stainless steel taps was worth it.
Antique taps are often in a polished brass finish. This means you will need to polish your bath and basin taps fairly regularly to ensure they look good. If you are lucky enough to have a cast iron plunger bath with a brass plunger and bath taps then having the plunger and taps polished makes the whole bathroom looks sensational and definitely produces the “WOW” factor. They do look great when this is done and a lot of people prefer to keep this finish and undertake the additional cleaning that would otherwise not be required if you installed modern bathroom taps. Frequently people choose to have thier antique taps Nickel or Chrome plated. They look fantastic once done and the bath taps are so much easier to keep looking pristine.
Your budget will probably be the determining factor in which taps you do choose to install in your bathroom. As it is unlikely you will renovate or update your bathroom again soon after doing so. If your budget allows it may be wise to invest in the best taps possible for your bathroom.
What the tap is made from is not the only important factor.
If you are ripping your bathroom out and completely remodelling it then your options are not limited at all. You can install deck mounted bath taps where none existed before if the desire and funds suffice. However if you are replacing existing bathroom taps you will need to look at what is already there as this may limit you. You may love the look of a wall mounted concealed filler but if you do not have the plumbing it is not going to work and you may be better looking at another style completely.
You should also check with your plumber who is installing your taps for you if you have enough water pressure to deal with the requirements of the taps you wish to install. If the pressure required is higher than normal bath taps most supplier will say so in their literature.
Generally speaking, single lever mixer taps require high water pressure, while pillar taps and fillers can function with low pressure.
Once you know this you can get on with the job of choosing and purchasing your taps. Then off course there are the accessories.
