Sell : While the main functions of brassware in our homes may be somewhat taken for granted by most of us, when it comes to specifying taps and showers for the modern home there are many aesthetic and practical elements that are important to get right, as Nick McGrellis, Managing Director explains.
Bathroom and kitchen brassware has come a long way in the past few years, with homeowners choosing their new taps not only based on whether they will blend in with the overall design of the room, but also taking practical considerations including water-saving features into account. With consumers willing to invest that little bit extra for brassware that ticks all the right boxes, now is the time for contractors and installers wanting to cash in to ensure they can supply them with the brassware they are looking for.
Where once brassware was largely regarded as a means to an end, nowadays it plays an important part of the overall design of the kitchen and bathroom, so looks are inevitably important. While chrome is still the most popular finish for bathroom brassware Stainless Steel offers a more modern alternative for the kitchen as it sits well in either a contemporary or classic setting.
Taps which can be changed easily to suit the mood of the room are likely to be big sellers, with Damixa’s X-Change system being one example. X-Change enables Damixa mixer taps to be changed in a matter of seconds, with just an Allen key and without any need to turn off the water supply. Not only does this innovation appeal to the domestic market, where the homeowner can choose between several styles to suit the mood of their bathroom or kitchen, but the X-Change base will also appeal to the commercial market, such as in hotels where maintenance issues from dripping taps are common, as well as in developments where it is beneficial to fit all the mixer taps at the at the end of the construction period.
Another key trend in the looks department is for matching brassware, particularly in the bathroom, with basin, bath and shower brassware all specified from the same collection helping to create a co-ordinated look.
In terms of bathroom brassware, wall-mounted fittings are becoming increasingly popular, with homeowners opting for sanitaryware without tap holes in order to achieve a streamlined, minimal style. Any concerns installers may have regarding the time it will take to fit such brassware is alleviated with fixing systems such as Damixa’s fix kit, which provides an all in one solution for installing Damixa wall-mounted fittings, enabling wall-mounted bath and shower mixers to be fitted to concealed 15mm pipework quickly and efficiently.
With the fix kit, brass wall brackets slip over the exposed copper tube before being screwed securely to the finished surface. The threaded connector is screwed to the wall bracket with the olive supplied to create a water-tight connection ready for the wall mixer. All wall fixings are concealed by chrome-plated shrouds for a neat finish.
While brassware may now be something of a style statement, performance is still an all important consideration for the installer as much as for the end user looking to save money on utility bills and do their bit for the environment. Recent changes to Part G of the Building Regulations have meant that the demands made on brassware for both the bathroom and the kitchen have never been greater. With water usage per person per day now restricted to a maximum of 125 litres for all new build homes and anti-scalding measures also being a requirement, installers will be looking to the brassware they specify to help them meet these regulations without incurring extra work, or substantial extra costs.
Manufacturers have been quick to respond to these changes, with all Damixa thermostatic shower mixers and many of its taps now featuring an anti-scaling device to prevent accidental full hot selection, as well the introduction of a range of water-saving devices, which while restricting flow do not compromise on the performance of the brassware and put the end user in control.
Damixa’s Eco-save device is built-in to the brassware and can save up to 25% of water, while being easily adjustable via a small screw beneath the handle if required. Similarly, Eco-klik is another of Damixa’s built-in water saving features which encourages the user to minimise water consumption by offering a physical resistance to full flow operation, which can be simply clicked past should maximum flow be required.
Last but not least Damixa also offers a optional device called the Regul8, which regulates the flow of water to a maximum of eight litres per minute. Simply screw into the outlet of the fitting either during or after installation, the regulator is fully concealed and may be removed at any time.
It is brassware products that offer this blend of aesthetic and practical appeal, combined with ease of installation, which will be the biggest sellers going forward.