Renovating or Building a New Bathroom? Here’s Optum’s Top Tips to Help Choose Your New Tapware:
Choosing the right tapware for your bathroom renovation is key to creating a cohesive, functional, and stylish space. Here are some tips to help guide you in selecting the perfect taps:
- Consider Style and Aesthetic
– Match the Theme: Choose tapware that complements the overall style of your bathroom. For a modern bathroom, sleek, minimalist taps with clean lines work well. For a vintage bathroom, opt for more ornate, traditional styles.
– Finish Options: Tapware comes in various finishes like chrome, matte black, brushed brass, and copper. Choose a finish that ties in with other bathroom elements, such as your showerhead, towel rails, and door handles.
– Chrome: Timeless, shiny, and easy to maintain
– Matte Black: Bold, contemporary, and offers contrast
– Brushed Brass or Gold: Adds warmth and luxury with sophistication
– Copper/Bronze: Rustic or industrial feel
– Brushed Nickel: Subtle grey stainless steel finish, sleek
– Gun Metal: Dark grey tone, ideal for creating contrast and depth
- Material and Durability
– Brass: Solid brass is one of the best materials for tapware, as it is highly durable and resistant to corrosion.
– Stainless Steel: Offers a sleek look and is corrosion-resistant, making it long-lasting.
– Zinc Alloy or Plastic: While cheaper, these materials are less durable and may wear out faster.
- Functionality
– Type of Taps: Choose between traditional dual taps (separate hot and cold) or a mixer tap (combines both in one handle).
– Mixer Taps: Popular for modern bathrooms as they allow you to control both temperature and flow with a single lever.
– Three-Piece Taps: Separate handles for hot and cold water, ideal for more classic or vintage styles.
– Water Efficiency: Look for taps with good water efficiency ratings to reduce water consumption. Consider tapware with flow limiters or aerators, which mix air with water to reduce water usage without compromising pressure.
- Ergonomics and User-Friendly Design
– Ease of Use: If you have kids or elderly family members, consider taps that are easy to turn on and off. Levers or mixer taps are typically more ergonomic than traditional knobs.
– Spout Height and Reach: Ensure the tap is compatible with the depth of your sink. The spout should reach far enough over the basin without splashing and be high enough for comfortable handwashing or filling containers.
- Budget
– Tapware prices can vary widely based on materials, brand, and design. Set a budget that balances quality and aesthetics. Investing in good-quality tapware can save you money in the long run on maintenance and replacements.
- Maintenance
– Easy to Clean: Consider how easy the finish is to maintain. Chrome and brushed nickel are relatively easy to clean, while matte black or brass may require more upkeep to prevent water spots or tarnishing.
– Resistant to Scratches and Corrosion: Look for tapware that is resistant to wear and tear. Stainless steel and solid brass are known for their durability.
- Coordination with Bathroom Fixtures
– Consistency: Ensure your tapware matches the finish and style of other bathroom fixtures like showerheads, towel rails, and light fittings. Mixing finishes (e.g., chrome taps with black showerheads) can sometimes create an eclectic look, but consistency generally provides a more cohesive design.
- Water Pressure Compatibility
– Ensure that the taps you choose are compatible with your home’s water pressure. Some taps may require high pressure to function correctly, while others are suitable for low-pressure systems.
- Brand and Warranty
– Go with reputable brands known for producing quality tapware. It’s also wise to check the warranty period, as good tapware should last many years without issues.
- Innovative Features
– Touchless/Smart Taps: Consider touchless taps for a more high-tech bathroom. These are more hygienic, commonly used in commercial spaces and help conserve water.
– Temperature Control: Some taps offer features like temperature memory or preset water temperatures, making them convenient and safer for kids or elderly users.
- Plumbing
– Drainage: When renovating the bathroom consideration needs to be made about where the original plumbing is located. If you are looking to change the layout and the plumbing there are cost implications. Issues may be encountered especially in relation to drainage. Drainage is often already in place in the concrete and very difficult if not impossible to move.
– Positioning: Floor standing, off the wall or on the sink, these are all positions for tapware that will have an impact on the plumbing. Some of them will be possible and some wont and they will all impact the type of tapware you choose.
– Timing: Choosing your tapware as early on as possible in the building process will potentially enable you to move tapware to alternative positions. Plumbers will pipe up the plumbing to the tapware locations on the drawings in the preline stage, early on in the process. Once the pipes are in place it can be difficult and costly to move them later down the line.
Summary Checklist:
– Match the style with your overall bathroom aesthetic
– Choose durable materials (solid brass, stainless steel)
– Consider functionality and ease of use
– Prioritise water efficiency
– Ensure compatibility with your water pressure
– Maintain consistency with other bathroom fixtures
– Choose tapware early on in the process
Would you like advice on a bathroom you are planning to renovate? Just drop us a line or give us a call at Optum, the plumbing experts in Queenstown, Wanaka and Cromwell:
Call Us: 03 443 5718
Email: admin@optum.co.nz