E78 – Taps and Showers - Bathroom Design Essentials

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 to retrofit  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: Grohe, Sussex, 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.   A smaller shower space, ensure shower head not to big for the space, consider scale.   Large/Rain Shower Head   Most large shower heads on the market are 3-star rated. They use between 7.5-9 litres per minute   A lot of them have different technologies which give a powerful spray without utilising too much water  Turbine Technology by Nickles   Built-in turbine that will spin and push the water through  A quality shower head means better technology  Methven  Satinjet shower - gives a misty type of jet, but it is powerful with 20% more coverage than a regular shower.   Methven Aurajet  Methven Satinjet  Function of Sprays in shower  Option for jet spray- good for massage  Thermostat showers  Thermostatic mixers  Mixers where the thermostat is built into them for constant temperature control  You can't retrofit  New technology for thermostat  Separate controller for temperature  Push and turn technology  A popular technology where you push it to turn it on and the dial for pressure and your temperature will set there for you.   The temperature doesn't fluctuate.  It has a safety mechanism so cannot burn   Water saving   Bathroom Accessories  Whatever coloured taps you have, the accessories need to be the same.- I.e Black tap and black accessories  Heated towel rails  Available in several types-   Will not replace having a heater in the room. They provide ambient heat, not heating!  Electric –quicker to warm up than hydronic. You can't have them next to bath based on regulations.  Hydronic –has a copper tube inside where the water heats up. It is more radiant compared to electric,  Single individually heated rails- a combination of 3 or 5 in bathrooms. Also available in vertical.      Current regulations- at least 500mml between the water source and power source.     Important links mentioned in the podcast:  Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar If you like this and want to learn more, I've got a webinar coming up on 24th November from 7PM-8PM AEDT. Click here to find out more and register. Sussex   Grohe Silkmove  Grohe Zero   Grohe Starlight  Nikles Techno 300 LED Shower Head Chrome (3 Star)  Methven Aurajet  Methven Satinjet  Reece  Reece is Australia's largest plumbing and bathroom supplies business, as well as 8 others in allied industries. Our plumbing and bathroom products are sourced both locally and internationally which you can find in over 600 locations across Australia. Visit their Website here.  Reece Richmond showroom  You can visit the showroom at 641-643 Bridge Rd, Richmond VIC 3121, Australia.    Events and Services at White Pebble Interiors   Book a Chat   If you're thinking about renovating or creating your kitchen get in touch with Frances directly, by booking a 15 minute chat with her.    Renovating and Building your Forever Home Facebook Group   Want to be inspired to create a home your truly love, that is future proof and adaptable as your family's needs change? Join our exclusive (but inclusive)  Renovating and Building Your Forever Home Facebook Group.