There are many manufacturers, styles, and designs of kitchen taps available on the market these days. The market trends can change and develop in the blink of an eye. So how do you choose the right kitchen taps that compliment your current kitchen style? How do you choose the right kitchen taps (or brassware as it’s referred to within the industry) to compliment a remodel?
A new set of kitchen taps can add a whole new dimension to your current kitchen design, simply upgrading the kitchen taps and fixtures can add a new feel and level of comfort to a tired old kitchen.
Usually your first consideration resides with the aesthetics of your current kitchen. So it is worth considering the environment the tap will be installed in. Are the cabinets and cupboards modern looking or painted in thick gloss paint? If so then you should look for either a smooth curvature in the tap nozzle, a sharp squared design or a futuristic design, perhaps with a single tap control. A single tap control allows you to mix hot and cold water to your desired water pressure with a single handle, and can look very pleasing to the eye. These are only available on mixer taps (a single nozzle tap that supplies both hot and cold water) sometimes referred to as monobloc mixers.
Are the cabinets a more traditional exposed wood? If this is the case then it may be an idea to look at the kitchen tap finish. High shine chrome is quite a standard finish, but particularly if your cabinets are soft woods, you may be very impressed with the look of a tap finished in gold or brass. This can add a warm glow to the finishing of a kitchen in this style. It’s worth considering Victorian or Edwardian styled taps for a more traditional feel, these can sit very well if you are trying to create a old world country kitchen look.
What type of sink or surface are the taps to be mounted on? There are two primary methods of tap mounting to consider, Deck mounting and Wall mounting. Deck mounting means that the water is supplied up through the sink or work surface, and a wall mounted tap is supplied through the wall horizontally. If when choosing the tap you desire, it requires separate hot and cold feeds, look out for information about the pipe work centres. Centres refer to the distance between the two pipe feeds; these have to match up to the centres of the surface you will mount onto if the surface is supplied pre cut.
There are thousands of available designs that will suit all styles, designs & needs perfectly. Two manufacturers with a large catalogue are Bristan and Cifial, but there are many other manufacturers that also create beautiful kitchen taps. My advice would be to go to your local bathroom supplier and see what they have on offer.
As with any bathroom or kitchen items you intend to buy, always look out for manufacturer guarantees, and warranty periods from your supplier to add peace of mind when making a purchase.
Many types of high quality Kitchen Taps available from bathroom solutions Leicester who can provide Kitchen Brassware suiting any budget and design requirement.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Choosing a Complimentary Cloakroom Basin
Numerous factors for consideration arise upon deciding how best to style a small bathroom, en-suite bathroom, or second lavatory space. Often, space saving options are the primary consideration as to how to utilise space efficiently and comfortably. Aside from a W/C suite & showering area, usually you will want to include a basin as well.
Within the plumbing industry, the term basin refers to what can sometimes be called sinks or washbowls. Sinks are actually used to describe kitchen sinks only so this can sometimes cause confusion when requesting brochures. The term basin refers to a standard size basin intended for installation into your main bathroom area. Cloakroom Basins are usually smaller in size, used to fit into a smaller compact space.
Many manufacturers offer compact bathroom solutions that accompany their main ranges and will be detailed in their catalogues alongside the standard size. The first consideration for review is where to place your cloakroom basin? If your door entrance opens into the space you will need to leave this space clear to enable proper entrance into the area. If the room space is quite thin, then placing a cloakroom basin hanging into the middle of the area could restrict access to the other facilities.
The HIB Reno Cloakroom Basin is a good solution to this problem; its depth is 25cm so would offer very little restriction to the manoeuvring space. Alternatively the HIB Kilo Cloakroom Basin is a very stylish rounded basin with a depth of 27cm. Both these options fix against the wall and are designed for cloakroom bathrooms & compact spaces.
If you with to include storage options into your compact bathroom design there are two options. You could include a mirrored wall cabinet or an under basin cabinet. The Concepts Form 400 Floor Standing Hand Basin Unit is the latter of the two. It is a cabinet including a washbasin, it sits 850mm from floor to top & is 22.5cm in depth, so should not restrict movement too much.
Another Solution may be to look at corner basin options. Once again the factor of door position & swing will determine if this is a viable option, but corner seated basins can be very practical. Corner basins often come as wall mounted units with an exposed waste pipe underneath. This is due to their small size. Corner basins can come supplied with a pedestal (a piece of ceramic that conceals the pipe work) but are generally larger in depth and width.
Numerous suppliers offer compact options so the best advice is to get to your local bathroom supplier and get some catalogues. As with all manufacturers, it is a good idea to look out for long guarantees that can give you peace of mind when making your purchase. Imperial bathrooms offer a lifetime guarantee on their pieces & Pura Bathrooms offer a 25 year guarantee on their ceramic bathroom furniture.
All types of Cloakroom Basins and Corner Basins are available from bathroom solutions Leicester who can provide bathroom supplies suiting any budget and design requirement.
Within the plumbing industry, the term basin refers to what can sometimes be called sinks or washbowls. Sinks are actually used to describe kitchen sinks only so this can sometimes cause confusion when requesting brochures. The term basin refers to a standard size basin intended for installation into your main bathroom area. Cloakroom Basins are usually smaller in size, used to fit into a smaller compact space.
Many manufacturers offer compact bathroom solutions that accompany their main ranges and will be detailed in their catalogues alongside the standard size. The first consideration for review is where to place your cloakroom basin? If your door entrance opens into the space you will need to leave this space clear to enable proper entrance into the area. If the room space is quite thin, then placing a cloakroom basin hanging into the middle of the area could restrict access to the other facilities.
The HIB Reno Cloakroom Basin is a good solution to this problem; its depth is 25cm so would offer very little restriction to the manoeuvring space. Alternatively the HIB Kilo Cloakroom Basin is a very stylish rounded basin with a depth of 27cm. Both these options fix against the wall and are designed for cloakroom bathrooms & compact spaces.
If you with to include storage options into your compact bathroom design there are two options. You could include a mirrored wall cabinet or an under basin cabinet. The Concepts Form 400 Floor Standing Hand Basin Unit is the latter of the two. It is a cabinet including a washbasin, it sits 850mm from floor to top & is 22.5cm in depth, so should not restrict movement too much.
Another Solution may be to look at corner basin options. Once again the factor of door position & swing will determine if this is a viable option, but corner seated basins can be very practical. Corner basins often come as wall mounted units with an exposed waste pipe underneath. This is due to their small size. Corner basins can come supplied with a pedestal (a piece of ceramic that conceals the pipe work) but are generally larger in depth and width.
Numerous suppliers offer compact options so the best advice is to get to your local bathroom supplier and get some catalogues. As with all manufacturers, it is a good idea to look out for long guarantees that can give you peace of mind when making your purchase. Imperial bathrooms offer a lifetime guarantee on their pieces & Pura Bathrooms offer a 25 year guarantee on their ceramic bathroom furniture.
All types of Cloakroom Basins and Corner Basins are available from bathroom solutions Leicester who can provide bathroom supplies suiting any budget and design requirement.
Bathroom Waste Fittings
Waste fittings are all too often a secondary consideration when giving your bathroom space a revamp. There are a number of types, styles and designs of which I hope to describe in this article covering their best uses and applications. A well styled waste fitting can add a wonderful finishing touch to a new basin or bath.
What is a waste? A waste (or Waste kit) forms part of a brassware set, these usually comprise of taps, wastes and overflow in a standard brassware set. The waste is the tool that is used to prevent water escaping the basin via the waste hole situated at the bottom. There can sometimes be a second element to a waste system, an overflow. The overflow feeds excess water from the basin to the waste pipe should the water level get too high within the basin. The overflow is fed by a second hole within the basin usually placed on the back wall of the filling area at a predetermined maximum water height, a useful safety function should the water ever be left unattended.
All waste fittings should be supplied with water stopping element (the part that stops the water flow) and the waste fitting itself. The waste fitting is usually made of metal and seals on to the waste hole using a threaded nut on the concealed underside of the basin.
The first type of Waste fitting is the traditional Plug and Chain. These are very common place and a good first option that are very easy to install on to most basins. Usually the plug will be attached to a chain that the user can pull to release the water. A standard plug will be made of rubber or plastic resin so that it will remain water tight under the weight of the water on top, but other styles have emerged in recent years made out of high chromed metal with rubber surrounding sealant that can add a touch of class to an otherwise standard fitting.
The next option is a clicker waste. Clickers are great minimalist option that is very easy to install and look fantastic. They have no chain or plug; in fact they are supplied as a complete single fitting and operated by pushing the button on the top of the fitting to drain or “plug” the water. The button of a clicker waste can sometimes be referred to as the clicker but does not always obviously appear as a button. Sometimes it is a complete mushroom dome where the plug would go on a traditional plug and chain fitting that has the push function.
The next most common waste is called a pop up waste. On a pop up waste the plugging function is controlled by a lever that is usually built in to a corresponding tap or its own housing on the top of the basin. This allows you to operate the waste without having to submerge your hands, quite useful for some applications and suits some tastes well. Pop up wastes have many varying designs so ease of installation can vary. It is always recommended that a qualified plumber is used to install these and advice should be sought from your supplier prior to purchase.
Bathrooms Solutions can supply all manner of bathroom Waste fittings for plumbing professionals and retail consumer clients alike.
What is a waste? A waste (or Waste kit) forms part of a brassware set, these usually comprise of taps, wastes and overflow in a standard brassware set. The waste is the tool that is used to prevent water escaping the basin via the waste hole situated at the bottom. There can sometimes be a second element to a waste system, an overflow. The overflow feeds excess water from the basin to the waste pipe should the water level get too high within the basin. The overflow is fed by a second hole within the basin usually placed on the back wall of the filling area at a predetermined maximum water height, a useful safety function should the water ever be left unattended.
All waste fittings should be supplied with water stopping element (the part that stops the water flow) and the waste fitting itself. The waste fitting is usually made of metal and seals on to the waste hole using a threaded nut on the concealed underside of the basin.
The first type of Waste fitting is the traditional Plug and Chain. These are very common place and a good first option that are very easy to install on to most basins. Usually the plug will be attached to a chain that the user can pull to release the water. A standard plug will be made of rubber or plastic resin so that it will remain water tight under the weight of the water on top, but other styles have emerged in recent years made out of high chromed metal with rubber surrounding sealant that can add a touch of class to an otherwise standard fitting.
The next option is a clicker waste. Clickers are great minimalist option that is very easy to install and look fantastic. They have no chain or plug; in fact they are supplied as a complete single fitting and operated by pushing the button on the top of the fitting to drain or “plug” the water. The button of a clicker waste can sometimes be referred to as the clicker but does not always obviously appear as a button. Sometimes it is a complete mushroom dome where the plug would go on a traditional plug and chain fitting that has the push function.
The next most common waste is called a pop up waste. On a pop up waste the plugging function is controlled by a lever that is usually built in to a corresponding tap or its own housing on the top of the basin. This allows you to operate the waste without having to submerge your hands, quite useful for some applications and suits some tastes well. Pop up wastes have many varying designs so ease of installation can vary. It is always recommended that a qualified plumber is used to install these and advice should be sought from your supplier prior to purchase.
Bathrooms Solutions can supply all manner of bathroom Waste fittings for plumbing professionals and retail consumer clients alike.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Devises to Westminster Challenge
Bathroom Solutions Director Karl Donaghey will be taking part in this years Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race.
Karl & Lee have been in training for months now, to raise funds for their favourite charity, ‘Help For Heroes’. The annual Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is the world’s longest, non-stop canoe race. Frequently referred to simply as DW, the race starts in Devizes, Wiltshire, and follows the Kennet & Avon Canal to join the Thames at Reading. The finish is in the heart of London at Westminster Bridge. Covering the 125-mile distance in kayaks or canoes, DW is one of the toughest endurance events in the world.
Most paddlers will take around 24 hours to complete the course, without stopping to eat, sleep or rest. Alternatively, the race can be tackled in 4 stages starting on Easter Friday, and finishing on Easter Monday. The race started as a wager in a pub in 1948. Sixty years on it has grown into a firm fixture in the world's canoeing calendar that is open to all comers.
Around 200 crews from Britain and abroad attempt the course every year and between 50 to 80 % make it to the finish – this is not for the fainthearted! Previous competitors include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Olympic Silver medallist Guin Batten, TV tough guy Donal MacIntyre, and the first British woman to summit Everest, Rebecca Stephens. This year’s event, is the 62nd to be run and takes place on 2nd to 5th April.
Karl & Lee are looking for pledges and sponsorship for the Help For Heroes charity, which you can make made by post or calling into the shop & speaking with a member of staff there. So come on, let’s give these guys the support & focus they need to paddle through the night, 24hrs non-stop.
If you wish to sponsor Karl and Lee all donations will be going to the Help For Heroes Charity and should be directed to:
Bathroom Solutions
291 Leicester Road
Wigston
Leicester
LE18 1JW
0116 288 28 34
Bathroom Solutions
Karl & Lee have been in training for months now, to raise funds for their favourite charity, ‘Help For Heroes’. The annual Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is the world’s longest, non-stop canoe race. Frequently referred to simply as DW, the race starts in Devizes, Wiltshire, and follows the Kennet & Avon Canal to join the Thames at Reading. The finish is in the heart of London at Westminster Bridge. Covering the 125-mile distance in kayaks or canoes, DW is one of the toughest endurance events in the world.
Most paddlers will take around 24 hours to complete the course, without stopping to eat, sleep or rest. Alternatively, the race can be tackled in 4 stages starting on Easter Friday, and finishing on Easter Monday. The race started as a wager in a pub in 1948. Sixty years on it has grown into a firm fixture in the world's canoeing calendar that is open to all comers.
Around 200 crews from Britain and abroad attempt the course every year and between 50 to 80 % make it to the finish – this is not for the fainthearted! Previous competitors include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Olympic Silver medallist Guin Batten, TV tough guy Donal MacIntyre, and the first British woman to summit Everest, Rebecca Stephens. This year’s event, is the 62nd to be run and takes place on 2nd to 5th April.
Karl & Lee are looking for pledges and sponsorship for the Help For Heroes charity, which you can make made by post or calling into the shop & speaking with a member of staff there. So come on, let’s give these guys the support & focus they need to paddle through the night, 24hrs non-stop.
If you wish to sponsor Karl and Lee all donations will be going to the Help For Heroes Charity and should be directed to:
Bathroom Solutions
291 Leicester Road
Wigston
Leicester
LE18 1JW
0116 288 28 34
Bathroom Solutions
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Conserning Acrylic & Steel shower trays
The importance of the bathroom within modern day living & households has changed rapidly. To many it is representative of an investment, status, reflection of personality, and is central to home life, so, the bathroom no longer only serves a solo purpose. Many use their bathroom to relax after a hard day, to get time to think away from distractions, a place of reflection, and occasionally used as a central family area. Whilst this new perception of the bathroom space is an increasing new trend, when designing or renovating a bathroom space, many people forfeit style, functionality, and durability, over price, particularly when choosing a new shower tray.
Naturally most focus and budget is spent on the central features of the bathroom space, but the shower tray has a very important role to play, particularly if your focus is showering over bathing. Having a floor seated shower can give a contemporary look to the whole shower area and can be more practical for cleaning purposes.
Everyone has to work to a budget of course, but think about how long you would like your shower tray to last and maintain pristine condition. If you are in need of a quick fix solution then an Acrylic shower tray may be more suited, as a general rule they are cheaper to manufacture therefore cheaper to buy.
Standard Acrylic shower trays being the less expensive of the two have a comparatively short shelf life compared to it steel counterparts. The material between the two is self explanatory; steel is a solid metal that conducts heat well and is naturally more durable, Acrylic is usually an ICI vacuum formed acrylic sheet reinforced with fibre glass.
The two react very differently to different things. Acrylic shower trays as a general rule will sun bleach quite quickly, where as steel shower trays will not. This is of course dependant on the material used in the shower trays finish. Both types of shower tray are easy to clean and acrylic is a none-porous material so will wipe clean very easily.
Heat distribution is worth consideration; some Acrylic shower trays are filled with heat conducting material that distribute the heat evenly, whereas Steel shower trays, although being a successful heat conductor, can lose temperature rapidly and is more responsive to subtle variants.
Most Acrylic and Steel shower trays are warp resistant but it is always worth checking the manufacturer notes and sales documents to check for these nuances in performance. Features like warping, slip resistance, scratch resistance, and lengthy guarantees are viewed as a positive product sales features so will be mentioned in catalogues or websites.
Another important aspect in making your choice is safety. If you have elderly people or young children in the household, or are likely to trip on a step then a practical solution would be to have a floor level shower tray. A floor level shower tray is recessed into the floor of your bathroom surface. Kaldewei provide various steel enamel shower tray solutions in this style, they use an ESR frame that the shower tray is installed into. The main advantages of this system are, firstly, a very easy installation, an ESR provides durable protection against damage caused by water seepage, as can occur when a silicone seal is not intact, and this type of damage is an avoidable expense if ESR systems are used.
All in all there are many manufacturers producing some exceptional products that suit all budgets and all design needs. The best advice is to buy a good quality shower tray first and save yourself having to replace it in a few years time.
Naturally most focus and budget is spent on the central features of the bathroom space, but the shower tray has a very important role to play, particularly if your focus is showering over bathing. Having a floor seated shower can give a contemporary look to the whole shower area and can be more practical for cleaning purposes.
Everyone has to work to a budget of course, but think about how long you would like your shower tray to last and maintain pristine condition. If you are in need of a quick fix solution then an Acrylic shower tray may be more suited, as a general rule they are cheaper to manufacture therefore cheaper to buy.
Standard Acrylic shower trays being the less expensive of the two have a comparatively short shelf life compared to it steel counterparts. The material between the two is self explanatory; steel is a solid metal that conducts heat well and is naturally more durable, Acrylic is usually an ICI vacuum formed acrylic sheet reinforced with fibre glass.
The two react very differently to different things. Acrylic shower trays as a general rule will sun bleach quite quickly, where as steel shower trays will not. This is of course dependant on the material used in the shower trays finish. Both types of shower tray are easy to clean and acrylic is a none-porous material so will wipe clean very easily.
Heat distribution is worth consideration; some Acrylic shower trays are filled with heat conducting material that distribute the heat evenly, whereas Steel shower trays, although being a successful heat conductor, can lose temperature rapidly and is more responsive to subtle variants.
Most Acrylic and Steel shower trays are warp resistant but it is always worth checking the manufacturer notes and sales documents to check for these nuances in performance. Features like warping, slip resistance, scratch resistance, and lengthy guarantees are viewed as a positive product sales features so will be mentioned in catalogues or websites.
Another important aspect in making your choice is safety. If you have elderly people or young children in the household, or are likely to trip on a step then a practical solution would be to have a floor level shower tray. A floor level shower tray is recessed into the floor of your bathroom surface. Kaldewei provide various steel enamel shower tray solutions in this style, they use an ESR frame that the shower tray is installed into. The main advantages of this system are, firstly, a very easy installation, an ESR provides durable protection against damage caused by water seepage, as can occur when a silicone seal is not intact, and this type of damage is an avoidable expense if ESR systems are used.
All in all there are many manufacturers producing some exceptional products that suit all budgets and all design needs. The best advice is to buy a good quality shower tray first and save yourself having to replace it in a few years time.
Friday, 10 April 2009
Bathroom Solutions Sponsors young boxing stars championship
Bathroom solutions (Leicester) Ltd proudly announce our sponsorship of the 2009 Clubs for Young People Senior Boxing Championships.
The national boxing championships has been a keystone event attracting thousands of aspiring young boxers from across the UK and is also responsible for producing dozens of professional champions throughout the years, among them are the great Amir Khan, Barry McGuigan, Sir Henry Cooper and many others.
Director of Bathroom solutions (Leicester) Ltd Karl Donaghey who attended the championship said “I was very impressed with the standard and immense quality of the fighters tonight. I can see a very bright future ahead for these guys.”
When asked about the sponsorship and how he got involved Mr Donaghey stated “I’ve always been a fan of boxing, it’s a superb sport and the organisers here are doing such a valuable job to nurture the young talent this country has, so really it was the least I could do.”
The national clubs for young people provide an excellent platform and a disciplined environment for many sports based activities and the extensive youth work carried out by many volunteers is a credit to all communities involved across the length and breadth of the country.
A huge well done to all the participants.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Curry Night
The staff from bathroom solutions (Leicester) Ltd invited a group of clients, trades people, and suppliers for a fantastic networking event last night, hosted at the wonderful swatlands in oadby last night.
The purpose of the evening was networking and to allow exposure to various new innovations in the bathroom industry, with presentation and displays from Bristan (Headley), Kaldewei (James) & HSK (Andy).
The products were well recived and gave a lot of food for thougt when deciding and purchasing bathroom products.
The new Tap and Brassware features displayed by Bristan showed innovation and supreme safety features ideal for hospital, public or care areas with a thermostatic shower and bath filler combined in the appearance of a dual lever mixer, each lever allows control over shower and bath flow/teperature seperately.
HSK shower enclosures & Kaldewei steel enamel shower trays showed that they form the perfect partnership, with supreme design and dureability from both. The HSK shower enclosures in displayed the new designes they have with smooth as silk slide action mechanism being a revelation to many.
Many tradespeople attended the event that was as bathroom solutions owner Karl Donaghey "not just chance for a beer and a curry but a good excuse".
All-in-all a successfull fun night had by all.
All of the products presented during the evening are available from the bathroom solutions website or in the showroom location:
Bathroom Solutions (Leicester) LTD
291 Leicester Road
Wigston Fields
Leicester
LE181JW
The purpose of the evening was networking and to allow exposure to various new innovations in the bathroom industry, with presentation and displays from Bristan (Headley), Kaldewei (James) & HSK (Andy).
The products were well recived and gave a lot of food for thougt when deciding and purchasing bathroom products.
The new Tap and Brassware features displayed by Bristan showed innovation and supreme safety features ideal for hospital, public or care areas with a thermostatic shower and bath filler combined in the appearance of a dual lever mixer, each lever allows control over shower and bath flow/teperature seperately.
HSK shower enclosures & Kaldewei steel enamel shower trays showed that they form the perfect partnership, with supreme design and dureability from both. The HSK shower enclosures in displayed the new designes they have with smooth as silk slide action mechanism being a revelation to many.
Many tradespeople attended the event that was as bathroom solutions owner Karl Donaghey "not just chance for a beer and a curry but a good excuse".
All-in-all a successfull fun night had by all.
All of the products presented during the evening are available from the bathroom solutions website or in the showroom location:
Bathroom Solutions (Leicester) LTD
291 Leicester Road
Wigston Fields
Leicester
LE181JW
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