Bathroom fittings - is it all junk?
Discussion
I find so much of the stuff readily available is junk, taps, wastes, light switches, fitted kitchens, appliances, from the usual out of town DIY sheds and the big onliners is just cheap naff plastic crappy junk.
About to start a bathroom refurb.
I'm dead set on a Kaldewei Saniform steel bath, lovely, bought one 15 years ago and loved it.
But the rest?
I need a shower unit, booster pump, vanity unit, taps, wastes.
Does anyone sell a range of decent stuff?
About to start a bathroom refurb.
I'm dead set on a Kaldewei Saniform steel bath, lovely, bought one 15 years ago and loved it.
But the rest?
I need a shower unit, booster pump, vanity unit, taps, wastes.
Does anyone sell a range of decent stuff?
Djtemeka said:
You’re right. The run of the mill online things are crap. You have to spend a lot more to get great quality items.
No probs. Cost is secondary, this is our forever home, we just bought it, I want to get it right and fit it out with stuff that will last and that I'll be happy to look at for 30 years.Where from?
Edited by Huntsman on Monday 14th January 21:28
Might be worth looking through some of this https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... thread, IIRC there was some nice stuff in the bathrooms. The OP was happy to answers questions
From memory of looking at this stuff a few years ago
Showers - Hansgrohe have a good reputation for quality & longevity. Grohe also good, but may have moved their manf to China/Vietnam/Thailand recently and suffered a drop in quality
Pumps - Salamander (according to a plumber mate). I like the shower to be just a step below riot water cannon, and this was he recommended, need to stop spending money on cars and 'pimp my shower'
Bath - Kaldwei good choice
Shower Screen - used to be Daryl, but they were bought a while ago - dont know by who. Probably gone or just a brand name
From memory of looking at this stuff a few years ago
Showers - Hansgrohe have a good reputation for quality & longevity. Grohe also good, but may have moved their manf to China/Vietnam/Thailand recently and suffered a drop in quality
Pumps - Salamander (according to a plumber mate). I like the shower to be just a step below riot water cannon, and this was he recommended, need to stop spending money on cars and 'pimp my shower'
Bath - Kaldwei good choice
Shower Screen - used to be Daryl, but they were bought a while ago - dont know by who. Probably gone or just a brand name
We liked our Kaldewei Saniform in our last place (£99 as well - bargain!) so fitted a Saniform Plus in our current place. We also fitted one of their shower trays in our en-suite.
Fittings-wise, there's a lot of cr4p, you're right. We went with Sagittarious - UK company. Fittings in our main bathroom are probably about 5yrs old - no issues, and we love the solidity. Again we liked so much we used their shower fittings in the en-suite. Reina radiators in both as well.
Fittings-wise, there's a lot of cr4p, you're right. We went with Sagittarious - UK company. Fittings in our main bathroom are probably about 5yrs old - no issues, and we love the solidity. Again we liked so much we used their shower fittings in the en-suite. Reina radiators in both as well.
We bought a shower, double sink unit, toilet, heated towel rail and mixer on stand-pipes from Catchpole and Rye and the quality is very good. Feels like it will last 100 years. Customer service and aftercare is equally good, no quibble replacement of a threaded bolt and when I stupidly smashed a ceramic handle they sent me a replacement plus spares for free!
Cost a bloody fortune though.
Cost a bloody fortune though.
The online merchants like Victoria plumb are ok but the basic items are rubbing
I’ve had toilets with the waste slipping off instantly from the back of the loo due to manufacturing defect and basins they allow water to drop through the tap hole as the sink hole is either too big but in reality, the way it’s made means the shape of the sink drops downwards towards the hole so the tap has gaps at the base no matter how hard you tighten it. 6 sinks and counting. All different jobs over a 3 year period regardless of the complaints.
I’ve had toilets with the waste slipping off instantly from the back of the loo due to manufacturing defect and basins they allow water to drop through the tap hole as the sink hole is either too big but in reality, the way it’s made means the shape of the sink drops downwards towards the hole so the tap has gaps at the base no matter how hard you tighten it. 6 sinks and counting. All different jobs over a 3 year period regardless of the complaints.
We completed our new build last summer; being in Switzerland, there is a need for everything to be unnecessarily expensive- bathrooms and kitchens especially. But we do get good quality. Pretty sure you'd be able to source most of these (with the exception of Laufen) in the UK:
Bath: Kaldewei
Toilets: Laufen and Duravit
Sinks: Villeroy & Bosch and Laufen
All other taps, plugs, mixers, drains: Hansgrohe
All other plumbing, flushes etc. is Geberit
Bath: Kaldewei
Toilets: Laufen and Duravit
Sinks: Villeroy & Bosch and Laufen
All other taps, plugs, mixers, drains: Hansgrohe
All other plumbing, flushes etc. is Geberit
7w7 said:
I always assumed Hansgrohe and Grohe were the same company. Woops.
Same, although Ive yet to buy either.agent006 said:
Mira shower
Parents have two very nice Mira thermostatics- One is an in-wall which is now 30yo and still going 5 years ago we changed all the seals bar one we couldnt get to as the but was seized. Its getting stiff due to this seal, but otherwise very happy.
- Other is now must over 10yo now and is like new, surface mount by plumbers recommendation (easier to change, less damage if it leaks) and I
cant fault it at all.
My previously house I fitted an Aqualisa bar-type bath-shower mixer to save mass replumbing and that was fine for 7years and reasonable in price.
But having bought the forever home 6 months ago, with reasonable but cheap bathrooms, I am watching this for the future!
Daniel
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