Quality of bathroom suits
 

I'm trying to decide which bathroom furniture to buy - just a bog, basin
and bath - and am bemused and confused by the huge range of prices of
the stuff on offer.

I can see that with the taps and other fittings that it is probably
worthwhile paying extra to get good quality (although my experience with
the kitchen where a very expensive mixer tap failed after just couple of
years suggests this isn't necessarily guaranteed). I can also see there
is an obvious difference in the quality of various baths, although again
this doesn't always seem to be directly related to the price. However,
as far as the porcelain bits are concerned there really doesn't seem to
be any immediately discernible difference in quality between the cheapo
cheapo B&Q and Wickes stuff and the megga-bucks top-of-the-range
designer gear.

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

"Ververka" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to decide which bathroom furniture to buy - just a bog, basin
and bath - and am bemused and confused by the huge range of prices of
the stuff on offer.

I can see that with the taps and other fittings that it is probably
worthwhile paying extra to get good quality (although my experience with
the kitchen where a very expensive mixer tap failed after just couple of
years suggests this isn't necessarily guaranteed). I can also see there
is an obvious difference in the quality of various baths, although again
this doesn't always seem to be directly related to the price. However,
as far as the porcelain bits are concerned there really doesn't seem to
be any immediately discernible difference in quality between the cheapo
cheapo B&Q and Wickes stuff and the megga-bucks top-of-the-range
designer gear.

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Baths come in different thicknesses ( if fibrelass ). The last time I looked
3, 5, or 7mm thick. Three mm is cheapest but flexes rather a lot. I bought a
Wickes bog-standard ( haha ) toilet in plain white last year for my outside
loo ( they still exist ), and it is perfectly good. It is not however, a
designer or exclusive toilet item. Paying more money gets you that flash
design or the knowledge that very few other people have a toilet suite like
yours, but if you're not interested in payng for that....
Also, toilet seat fixings shouldn't be skimped on, as I'm always having
problems with loo seats that come loose.

I wouldn't go for the cheapest taps though, as inferior grades of
steel/plating might be used, and I think that taps with rubber washers etc
are definitely less desireable/reliable than the ceramic valve/quarter turn
types.

Andy

Ververka wrote:

I can see that with the taps and other fittings that it is probably
worthwhile paying extra to get good quality (although my experience with
the kitchen where a very expensive mixer tap failed after just couple of
years suggests this isn't necessarily guaranteed). I can also see there
is an obvious difference in the quality of various baths, although again
this doesn't always seem to be directly related to the price. However,
as far as the porcelain bits are concerned there really doesn't seem to
be any immediately discernible difference in quality between the cheapo
cheapo B&Q and Wickes stuff and the megga-bucks top-of-the-range
designer gear.

I have to say I subscribe to the Gospel according to Sarah Beeny, who
decrees that you should buy a cheapo suite and dress it up with decent
quality taps. I don't see there's a whole lot of difference in the
suites; certainly not enough to justify the huge variation in prices anyway.

A lot (all, probably?) of the sheds sell whole suites for an all-in
price which includes all the fittings, taps etc, and they won't let you
swap any component parts. However, all said component parts are
normally straight off the shelf, so there's nothing to stop you from
buying your extra sets of decent bath and sink taps together with the
set, and then some time later returning the crappy still-boxed originals
for exchange for goods-to-the-value-of (ie, without the receipt).

David

Lobster wrote:

I have to say I subscribe to the Gospel according to Sarah Beeny, who
decrees that you should buy a cheapo suite and dress it up with decent
quality taps.

Amen to that. In terms of functionality, I don't think there's any
difference between cheap and expensive porcelain bits. In terms of
fittings (loo seat, taps, waste etc.) there's a whole world of
difference. Buy a cheap set, and buy some good quality fittings.

As the OP pointed out, the bath is the exception. Cheap 3mm fibreglass
baths are just nasty.


--
Grunff

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:36:38 +0000, Ververka
wrote:

I'm trying to decide which bathroom furniture to buy - just a bog, basin
and bath - and am bemused and confused by the huge range of prices of
the stuff on offer.

I can see that with the taps and other fittings that it is probably
worthwhile paying extra to get good quality (although my experience with
the kitchen where a very expensive mixer tap failed after just couple of
years suggests this isn't necessarily guaranteed). I can also see there
is an obvious difference in the quality of various baths, although again
this doesn't always seem to be directly related to the price. However,
as far as the porcelain bits are concerned there really doesn't seem to
be any immediately discernible difference in quality between the cheapo
cheapo B&Q and Wickes stuff and the megga-bucks top-of-the-range
designer gear.

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

I have seen people go into B&Q to buy their cheap bath/bowl/bog
combination, just for the decent looking bog/bowl and go straight down
the tip with the bath, and then off to an expensive bath shop.

It does have merits and you could look at it.

My regret is that I turned my nose up at the bog that comes out of the
wall and the bowl that is built into the wall. It is very neat and
easy to clean the bathroom.

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:46:07 -0000, "andrewpreece"
wrote:


Baths come in different thicknesses ( if fibrelass ). The last time I looked
3, 5, or 7mm thick. Three mm is cheapest but flexes rather a lot. I bought a
Wickes bog-standard ( haha ) toilet in plain white last year for my outside
loo ( they still exist ), and it is perfectly good. It is not however, a
designer or exclusive toilet item. Paying more money gets you that flash
design or the knowledge that very few other people have a toilet suite like
yours, but if you're not interested in payng for that....
Also, toilet seat fixings shouldn't be skimped on, as I'm always having
problems with loo seats that come loose.

I wouldn't go for the cheapest taps though, as inferior grades of
steel/plating might be used, and I think that taps with rubber washers etc
are definitely less desireable/reliable than the ceramic valve/quarter turn
types.

Andy


That was useful I didn't know about the different thicknesses.

Any opinions on whether to get fibreglass or metal?


I personally don't think there is much difference between them nowadays. Enamel
finished baths scratch and chip the same as the surface of a glassfibre one, but
the steel ones rust and mark much more than the glassfibre when it is chipped or
scratched.

The glassfibre baths are slightly more flimsy than the steel, and they don't
take to lightly to being pushed and shoved around as well a steel one. I also
think that glassfibre baths seem to hold the heat in the water a bit better.

I have to say I subscribe to the Gospel according to Sarah Beeny, who
decrees that you should buy a cheapo suite and dress it up with decent
quality taps. I don't see there's a whole lot of difference in the
suites; certainly not enough to justify the huge variation in prices
anyway.

Me too, just renovating a house bought a cheapo suite £199 from Screwfix
came with really crappy taps but spent £80 on designer minimalist taps and
the suite looks as good as a designer one. The bath (A steel one, seems good
quality) the sink a shallow wide basin again seems good, the bog, (If
anything seems a little small but is ok as it fits into a small room)

So if you spend a reasonable amount on the extras you can easily make a room
John

Just fitted a not too cheap set of pottery and found that fitting was
certainly not straightforward. The back and base of the cistern was found
to be slightly domed inwards, which meant the wall screws daren't be
overtightened in case the back cracked, and the base hole for water feed,
when tightened to the mechanism, clamped the float to the cistern wall due
to not being vertical.

Similarly, the pedestal did not fit the base of the basin when the basin
rear was flush with the wall, and also the fixing holes were at different
heights from the top edge of the basin.

So, BEWARE of cheap pottery!!! (The Bath was OK though).
"Ververka" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to decide which bathroom furniture to buy - just a bog, basin
and bath - and am bemused and confused by the huge range of prices of
the stuff on offer.

I can see that with the taps and other fittings that it is probably
worthwhile paying extra to get good quality (although my experience with
the kitchen where a very expensive mixer tap failed after just couple of
years suggests this isn't necessarily guaranteed). I can also see there
is an obvious difference in the quality of various baths, although again
this doesn't always seem to be directly related to the price. However,
as far as the porcelain bits are concerned there really doesn't seem to
be any immediately discernible difference in quality between the cheapo
cheapo B&Q and Wickes stuff and the megga-bucks top-of-the-range
designer gear.

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

That's odd. I take my suits OFF when I go to the bathroom.

Grunff wrote:

Lobster wrote:

I have to say I subscribe to the Gospel according to Sarah Beeny, who
decrees that you should buy a cheapo suite and dress it up with decent
quality taps.


Amen to that. In terms of functionality, I don't think there's any
difference between cheap and expensive porcelain bits.

However there are differences between prcelain bits. Ours have a nasty
habit of acquirng scorch marks no matter WHERE we sit, and they weren't
cheap.

SWMBO is talking of a few tests before final bathroom is equipped :-)


In terms of
fittings (loo seat, taps, waste etc.) there's a whole world of
difference. Buy a cheap set, and buy some good quality fittings.

As the OP pointed out, the bath is the exception. Cheap 3mm fibreglass
baths are just nasty.

But can be stiffened up remarkably with wood, car body filler and so on.

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 18:53:21 GMT, "BigWallop"
wrote:

I also
think that glassfibre baths seem to hold the heat in the water a bit better.

Assuming that the bath will be boxed in, then pack loft insulation
around and under the bath as you fit it. One of those times when DIY
wins hands down as no professional fitter would bother cos its not
expected or seen by the client. Keeps the water lovely and warm for
those loooonnnng baths

Anna
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

In article ,
(Anna Kettle) writes:

Assuming that the bath will be boxed in, then pack loft insulation
around and under the bath as you fit it. One of those times when DIY
wins hands down as no professional fitter would bother cos its not
expected or seen by the client. Keeps the water lovely and warm for
those loooonnnng baths

If water ever seeps under the bath (as it usually does eventually) and
you have any timber there, this would be a sure recipe for dryrot.

What you might be able to do is to spray an inch or so of foam on the
underside of the bath before installation.

--
Andrew Gabriel

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Lobster wrote:

I have to say I subscribe to the Gospel according to Sarah Beeny, who
decrees that you should buy a cheapo suite and dress it up with
decent quality taps.

Amen to that. In terms of functionality, I don't think there's any
difference between cheap and expensive porcelain bits.

As the OP pointed out, the bath is the exception. Cheap 3mm fibreglass
baths are just nasty.

But can be stiffened up remarkably with wood, car body filler and so on.

As it happens I'm also in the market for a new suite and have been doing
the rounds of the sheds and specialist shops yesterday and today. I'm
rethinking my advice of yesterday, certainly in terms of the bath.

Had an interesting chat with the proprietor of a bathroom chat who
pointed out that all the skimpy 3mm baths in the sheds nearly all come
with fancy 'decorative' mouldings and shapes, for the only reason that
they need to in order to stiffen the bath. (Often this is at the
expense of functionality, like the lip on the back of a bath I used to
have which prevents water draining back ito the bath!) I certainly much
prefer a bath with simple, clean lines, and for a fibreglass bath, that
means thicker fibreglass. He's probably got a sale out of it; haven't
decided about the loo ands sink yet though.

David

Ververka wrote:
I'm trying to decide which bathroom furniture to buy - just a bog, basin
and bath - and am bemused and confused by the huge range of prices of
the stuff on offer.

I can see that with the taps and other fittings that it is probably
worthwhile paying extra to get good quality (although my experience with
the kitchen where a very expensive mixer tap failed after just couple of
years suggests this isn't necessarily guaranteed). I can also see there
is an obvious difference in the quality of various baths, although again
this doesn't always seem to be directly related to the price. However,
as far as the porcelain bits are concerned there really doesn't seem to
be any immediately discernible difference in quality between the cheapo
cheapo B&Q and Wickes stuff and the megga-bucks top-of-the-range
designer gear.

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire


If you want to see some megabucks bathroom stuff, get yourself down to
Obsidian on the inner ring road, fantastically
expensive stuff ((£1000+ for a towel rad. Get some great ideas from
there and then go and buy the stuff from B&Q, Wickes or TP.

Cheers
Mike

I was hoping someone in the trade might reply to your interesting query. My
missus is very keen for us to get a new suite with a bidet, but what ever
happened to them? I have not seen any in Wickes and B&Q.

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire


If you want to see some megabucks bathroom stuff, get yourself down to
Obsidian on the inner ring road, fantastically
expensive stuff ((£1000+ for a towel rad. Get some great ideas from there
and then go and buy the stuff from B&Q, Wickes or TP.

Cheers
Mike

Philip Wagstaff wrote:
I was hoping someone in the trade might reply to your interesting query. My
missus is very keen for us to get a new suite with a bidet, but what ever
happened to them? I have not seen any in Wickes and B&Q.


.... snipped

B&Q have 3 bidets (cheapest is £66) but they don't seem to be in the
displays, look in the brochure.
Ideal Standard and most other "names" have them, prices vary hugely and,
once again, they don't seem to be in any displays at the merchants.
www.megabad.de seems a good source for any of the fancy ones but I found
that the shipping cost for a full suite was fairly stiff.


--
Dave S
(The return email address is a dummy)

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 18:18:42 GMT, Mike Hibbert
wrote:

So is it really all just down to appearance, and if I find a Wickes bog
and basin that I like (and can persuade the other half that she also
likes) am I better off going for that and trousering the not
inconsiderable savings ... or am I missing something here?

Ververka

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire


If you want to see some megabucks bathroom stuff, get yourself down to
Obsidian on the inner ring road, fantastically
expensive stuff ((£1000+ for a towel rad. Get some great ideas from
there and then go and buy the stuff from B&Q, Wickes or TP.

There's a place up in Montpellier ditto. They had a fantanstic
cabinet, but £450 for the smallest was a touch outside our budget.

--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk

(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)