Choosing Basins

When selecting a new basin, give consideration to the spacial requirements as well as the plumbing. Try standing in front of the proposed position.

You can cut a piece of cardboard roughly to size and hold it in front of you. Is there enough room for you to wash? Is there enough room for the door to open and close without having to do a jig to get in or out of the room?

Types of basin

The type of basin you choose will depend on personal preference, but also needs to be functional as well. There are a huge number of styles available:

Pedestal, Wall hung, Recessed, Corner.

Basin taps and waste

You will also have a decision to make on the style and type of taps to buy.

Be sure to buy those which work with the basin. For example, some basins have two holes for individual hot and cold taps. Others have a single hole for a mixer tap.Make sure your tapware will suite your hot water system.

The waste for the basin is usually supplied as part of the kit, but confirm this with supplier.

Choosing Baths

When selecting a new bath, give consideration to the spacial requirements as well as the plumbing. 

Mark out the position on the floor. Is there enough room for you to get in and out? Is there enough room for the door to open and close without having to do a jig to get in or out of the room? Is there enough room to stand and dry yourself after bathing?

Types of bath

The type of bath you choose will depend on personal preference, but it needs to be functional as well.

There are a huge number of styles available as well as different materials and qualities:

Corner, Freestanding, Sunken.

Bath taps and waste

You will also have a decision to make on the style and type of taps to buy.

Always check that they will fit the tap holes of the bath, and suite your hot water system you have installed

The waste for the bath is usually supplied as part of the kit, but confirm this with supplier.

Choosing Toilets

The installation of a replacement WC, or indeed fitting one in a new location, requires a little advanced planning. You would be well advised to seek the services of a plumber if alteration or extension of the soil pipe is needed as there are many regulations governing these.

There are many different types of WC available and your choice will depend on the space available, existing soil pipe connections and location and budget.

The supply of water to the new cistern and arrangements for the overflow are relatively simple since these pipes are straightforward to reroute. However, consideration must be given to the connection of the pan to the waste outlet.

Locating the toilet or WC

When siting a new toilet, make sure you have allowed enough room in front of it (minimum 600mm x 600mm). In restricted areas you should also check that the door can open properly without hitting the WC. If this is for a new build the toilet specifications are very important to make available for the plumber. The plumber can then make allowances for the waste and water connections while the walls and floors are accessible
Look carefully at the fixing and spacial needs for a particular WC before making your purchase.If you need some help choosing a suitable toilet to replace the old one feel free to contact me and i can help you out with some advice.

TIPS ON CHOOSING TAPWARE

New Zealand specifications are unique and it is important to choose tapware from a Company mindful of the differences. New Zealand copper piping, for instance has an external diameter of 15mm. Copper used in Australia or elsewhere has a narrower diameter. Accordingly basin taps require a tail-pipe with an internal inlet diameter of 15mm. Choosing the right tapware will save money at installation time.

Other critical points to check are;

1) Whether your bathroom is plumbed with ½” or ¾” piping. Low pressure provincial and older city installations have ¾” pipe work and this requires tapware with 20mm inlets.

2) Wall spacing. Wall-mounted sink and bath faucets need to adjust to fit plumbed spacing. Adjustment typically required is 100-200 centres. Foreno can supply adjusting bodies to a 225mm width.

3) Water pressures. Within NZ there are three types of systems; equal low, unequal low and mains equal. Approximately 70% of existing residential configurations have either equal low or unequal low pressure systems. Imported mixer taps are designed to work on equal mains pressure systems only.

4) Handshower accessories. Within a low pressure system it is important to choose a slide shower product that has a large bore supply elbow/ hose and a high flow single function hand-piece.

Styles & Fashions

Style trends have moved from functional, modern, simple minimalist to cubic minimalism over the last 10 years.