The Bathroom Designer

WD4 from Tapstore.com is the latest range of Mixers to be released under their own brand label, they have a cutting edge design that surpasses all that I have seen available for the price range, with a perfect symmetrical cut spout and lever with the precise engineering you would expect from a high end designed tap.

The monobloc basin mixer with pop up waste as seen in the image on the left is going on sale for just £143.00 the price you would expect to pay for a mid range mixer.

It is a fully comprehensive range with a seven different basin mixers and nine bath fillers and shower mixers from deck mounted to freestanding bath shower mixers.

The WD4 is surely going to set the bathroom tap world alight to see the full range visit WD4 Bathroom taps at Tapstore.com and you will not be disappointed.

The Bristan Blade range of bathroom taps does represent very good value for money for a low pressure range of mixers and fillers, Bristans blade taps will work on both high ad low pressures which is unusual nowadays they have a neat styling with a tubular design that should stand the test of time.

In this small range they have a Monobloc basin mixer, a bidet mixer both basin and bath taps, a bath shower mixer and a bath filler.

RRP Blade Basin Mixer £114.00 inc VAT

The concept of a bath filler over flow is simple, using a control valve to turn on and off the water flow and mix the temperature which will then send a premixed flow of water into the overflow spout and therefore fill up the bath via either a pop up or click clack waste mechanism.

You will hear these described as many differing terms like Exa fill, Extra fill, overflow bath filler, there are two types click clack or clicker where the plug section is pushed once to close the plug and pushed again to open the plug, these tend to project into the bath less but are less reliable or Pop up Bath filler overflow where the plug is operated via a turning knob for opening and closing the waste plug.

The best value for money one I have seen on the market is Tapstore’s own brand one which is manufactured from chrome on brass and comes with a ten year guarantee for £72.00, they also have a click clack version for £72.00 the version that Bathstore sell is just crosswaters one re branded for them as Extra Fill that one is the XT bath filler pop up waste and the Exafill is a Hansgrohe version.

A fixed shower head is now one of the most important features you will choose for your shower or bathroom so lets look at whats available to get the best showering experience for you.

Multifunction shower head choice

If you are looking for an exhilarating shower the a multifunction shower head is for you there are so many out there that you really need to consider what is the right one for you. The spray patterns that are available are massage, mist, pulse, rain, drench, and water saving mode.

Most consumers that purchase a multi function shower head do so leaving the shower head in the rain pattern all of the time ask your self this question first as a multi function shower head simply does not perform as well in a rain pattern as a single function shower head.

Single function shower head choice

The single function shower heads are rain or drench pattern only, they are the best at giving a good volume of water which for a practical shower is really what most people desire, they generally operate at lower pressures and can work as low as 0.1 bar pressure and still give you the function required.

There are now many water saving Eco shower heads on the market that will split or atomise the water flow to give a good spray pattern but higher pressures would be required to obtain the correct function.

Large fixed shower head choice

Previously these were called traditional shower roses available in 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and even 12″ diameters you can still get the traditional shower roses and they are great but they have limitations, the water jets are a series of drilled holes that can get lime scaled up easily, and they do tend to use a vast amount of water and can either drain all your hot water or if you are on a mains fed system it cannot supply enough water.

The new generation of fixed shower head is both stylish and practical there are some many designs to choose from a round fixed head to square fixed heads, flat chunky you name it its available to you. The added benefit of choosing a modern designed fixed shower head is that you get a large showering drench head without using a huge volume of water. The way the jets are designed they will always hold back some flow even under pressure, the other main benefit is that you will get rub clean jets and that stop lime scale build up and gives the product durability.

With the large shower Heads you will need to choose either a wall arm of at least 300mm or a ceiling arm to connect to the shower head. By having a large fixed shower head you will need to consider the one down side as is with all fixed heads you will not be able to rinse out or clean the shower enclosure or bath that easily so the addition of a handset is always a good idea so it is worthwhile buying a thermostatic shower valve with a built in diverter so that one you have finished invigorating yourself a quick jet from the handset and your done!!!

Roper Rhodes Storm bathroom taps are pound for pound the best value for money bathroom taps on the market today, I have been looking at the quality of many bathroom taps and testing the functionality as well as considering the price tag these are the reasons why my vote goes to the Storm Bathroom tap range.

The chroming quality is very good something to look out for in cheaper ranges, the flow rate on the low pressure items is better than most other low pressure models of single lever mixer taps, for a mass produced Chinese import product the consistency of brass casting is very good, and the valve technology is exceptional the ceramic disc cartridge mixing valve for the mono-bloc basin mixer has a flow limiter built in restricting the volume of water that can be used (especially required for higher pressure systems) the temperature on the hot side can also be restricted making hotter stored water safer to use.

Products in the Storm bathroom tap range: * Note the basin mixers come both with and without pop up wastes.

Storm mini basin mixers.

The G - Type Bathroom taps from Bristan are engineered to perfection with a slide control operation on the range for hot and cold flow and temperatures. This is an original way of operating the mixers and it works a treat as the temperature controls are exacting to say the least.

In the Bristan G-Type range is a monobloc basin mixer as shown on the left, a three hole basin mixer for the larger basin, the most stunning wall mounted bath filler, a conventional wall mounted bath shower mixer, and a thermostatic bath shower mixer with the style and functionality as well of being able to have a fully thermostatic shower over your bathing area, and just to top off the range if thats not enough for you there is the stand out in a crowd freestanding bath shower mixer to satisfy the larger bathrooms.

RRP £293.00 G-Type Monobloc Basin Mixer

Best Buy Tapstore.com £205.00

The One from Crosswater is a new concept in basin mixers, the idea is when the body of the tap is pulled towards you the water flow is turned on and when swung to the left its hot and to the right its cold.

A design innovation in brassware from Crosswater and the One monobloc basin mixer certainly is that.

You will need a high pressure water system 1 bar minimum to get the best performance from the One bathroom taps, in the range is a tall basin mixer, a 3 hole basin set, 2 wall mount basin mixers one with a shelf, bidet mixer, a wall mounted bath shower mixer, there are also manual valves for showering and bath filling operations.

The One Monobloc Basin Mixer RRP £349.00 tapstore.com £279.00.

If you mention The Bathroom Designer you can get another 5%.

Tapstore.com have redesigned their website refreshing the look but also making it easier to find the different sections they have. Being a specialist in Bathroom taps, showers, kitchen taps, pumps, bathroom cabinets, Bathroom Accessories , Pumps and heated towel rails in each section you now can see all the relevant other sections with in the particular area so when you are in the bathroom taps section you will also be able to see the bath wastes, basin wastes and other associated products with basin mixers and bath shower mixers.

The Cubix Bath from Claygate Distribution Ltd is a stunning new bath with contemporary looks and eco-friendly credentials to add to their Artisan range of luxury bathroom products. The Baths are manufactured using a technically advanced laminating process called Corincast, which makes a solid, super-strong acrylic product. Extra layers of fiberglass and reinforced polyester resin are added during production, giving the bath superior torsional rigidity. The last layer seals the shell and makes the underside of the bath smoother and easier to handle.

This cutting edge design combined with the newly developed Corincast technology means that the baths use 25% less water than comparable baths while the extra layers of fiberglass gives greater insulation, resulting in the bath water keeping its temperature for longer.

The Cubix bath is available in two styles with a choice of double-ended baths that come in five sizes and single-ended baths that come in three sizes. All baths can be drilled on site to suit your chosen tap configuration.

Available sizes are 1700 x 700, 750 or 800mm or 1800 x 800 or 1000mm.

RRP £280.00 (1700 x 700mm) up to £480.00 (800 x 1000mm).

I have been having a sneak look into Tapstore’s newest addition to there up and coming expansion of products their Square bath shower screen which will be launched in November they have carefully selected three styles of bath screens the square the square extension which has an extra section to extend the length and a curve the same as the square with a rounded corner.

The experience the Tapstore team have in the bathroom industry always sets themselves apart from other online retailers, they are not just a company of internet tech heads, Paul Smart (development director) has been designing  bathrooms for some 25 years now and with the experience of the other senior members of the tapstore board behind him there is a powerful team that always know what products to select.

Although they would not let on how much the RRP will be I have been told sub £200.00 that will be a splash in the face to the competition.