A Tradesman's guide to basins
A key feature of any bathroom, basins come in many shapes and sizes and can be made into a focal point within the room or be installed more discreetly, if space is an issue. With a large range of options available, it’s therefore important to understand the various styles and how they’re fitted while it’s also useful to be able to provide general maintenance advice to your customers.
With this in mind, the following guide outlines the key basin types, along with an overview on how best to install them, so read to the end of the blog for information on all this and more.
There are many different basin styles so it will help your customers if you know what these are.
Different types of basins
From floorstanding to wall-hung, space-saving basins, inset, countertop and semi-recessed, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to selecting a basin for vanity areas.
- Pedestal basins: With a more traditional style, full pedestal basins are often floor-mounted, although semi-pedestals which are wall-mounted, without the full pedestal stand, give a more contemporary look. Concealing the pipework in the walls or floor, pedestal basins keep everything looking neat and tidy and are available in a selection of shapes and sizes, including rectangular, oval and square shapes. They’re generally also supplied pre-drilled with tapholes, so your customers just need to choose their preferred tap/s to complete the look.
- Wall-hung (floating) basins: Great if your customers need to save space in their bathrooms, wall-hung or floating basins are usually fitted with either a bottle trap underneath or a semi-pedestal. Opting for a semi-pedestal has become increasingly popular as it’s easier to maintain than a bottle trap design.
- Countertop basins: Suitable for vanity units which have countertops without inset or semi-recessed basins, these sit on the worktop and come in a range of shapes and sizes, adding a more modern aesthetic to bathrooms.
- Inset basins: Installed flush with the vanity unit countertop, inset basins seamlessly integrate into the surface of this and provide a sleek, streamlined aesthetic.
- semi-recessed basins: Partially mounted into the vanity countertop, semi-recessed basins combine the features of both countertop and inset basins and are another good choice in smaller spaces.
Some basins are inset into the vanity unit.
Countertop basins sit on top of the vanity worktop.
How to install basins
While different styles of bsains will require slightly different installation depending on their design, there are some general points to bear in mind when fitting one for your customers.
- Site Preparation: Always make sure your working area is clean and tidy before beginning work and check all connections, making any adjustments before fitting the basin.
- Check basin positioning: Make sure the basin is going to be installed in the best location, considering factors such as accessibility, plumbing connections and aesthetic appeal.
- Mounting: Follow the manufacturer's instructions for mounting the basin securely, using the appropriate fixtures to ensure stability.
- Connect the plumbing: Connect the basin to the water supply and drainage system, ensuring tight seals and proper alignment. Test for leaks and make any adjustments as required before testing everything again.
- Final seals and checks: Seal any gaps between the basin and countertop/wall to prevent water damage. Check that everything is level and make any adjustments as necessary.
Wall-mounted basins are great if customers need to save space in their bathrooms.
Maintenance tips for basins
It can be useful to provide maintenance tips to your customers to help them take proper care of their new basins. For example, reminding them about regular cleaning with soap and water (or using a non-abrasive cleaner suitable for the surface type of their basin) will help keep it in pristine condition. Meanwhile, wiping any spills at the time will help prevent stains and checking the basin for damage such as cracks or chips on a regular basis will help protect against more serious damage.
Simple things like installing a drain strainer will also catch debris and safeguard against clogs in the pipework, so this is another useful tip to give, alongside frequent inspection of drains to ensure efficient waterflow.
Try our Tradeshack basins
Supplying a wide range of bathroom-ware, Tradeshack has basins to suit every style so, whatever your customers are searching for, we’re sure to have something they’ll like. We also offer great-value prices to all our trade clients, along with speedy delivery times and instant product pick-up for our core product range from our Antrim warehouse, for added convenience.
When it comes to basins and any other bathroom products, Tradeshack is your one-stop shop for top-quality products at the best prices.
Whether you're looking for basins or anything else, contact Tradeshack for all your trade bathroom needs. Alternatively, email our team at info@bathshack.com or you can call us on (028) 9077 0188
