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DIY bathroom #04

Installing taps and accessories

Taps and accessories add the final touch to every bathroom. Selected and installed with care, they can round off the decor in a new bathroom or transform the appearance of an old one. CTM offers a vast range of taps and accessories for all tastes and budgets, plus all the help and advice you’ll need for a successful DIY installation.

Before you start

• If you’re installing taps, turn off the water supply to your home and check that all water has drained from the pipes.
• If you are planning to move any plumbing points, get an accredited plumber to move them for you.
• If you are plastering, secure the pipes with newspaper or plastic to prevent plaster getting into the pipes. Leave the protective covers on stop taps to protect the taps while plastering until you are ready to install your new taps.
• Allow any new plaster to dry for at least 24 hours before you start tiling or installing taps or accessories.

You’ll need the right tools

Tools available from CTM

Tape measure: For all measuring requirements
Set of ceramic drill bits: Used to begin the drilling process without cracking tiles
Chalk line: Used for accurately marking walls or floors
Chisels: For breaking out old sanitaryware or tiles
Spirit level: To ensure plumb and level installations
Magic ruler: To assist when installing accessories
Builder’s pencil: Designed to be sharpened on plastered surfaces
Hammer: Used for fixing batons, etc to walls
Silicone: Sealant or silicone gun – to seal around sanitaryware
Cloth: To clean new fixtures once installed
Silicone scrapers: For a neat silicone sealant finish

Tools available from your local hardware store

Bucket: For a dozen different uses, including drips and leaks!
Protective eyewear: To protect your eyes from flying debris
Plumber’s tape: For a watertight fit on plumbing connections
Workman’s gloves: To protect your hands when breaking out old tiles or sanitaryware
Shifting spanner: For tightening nuts and bolts
Set of screwdrivers: Various types and sizes for tightening screws
Wrench: To tighten plumbing connections
Set of masonry drill bits: For drilling into walls
Set of spanners: Various sizes for tightening bolts and nuts
Galvanised plumbers’ plugs: To seal exposed water pipes
Electric drill: For drilling any holes
Set of plastering trowels: To prepare surfaces for installation
Plastering brush & board: For plastering if required
Club hammer: To assist with the removal of existing sanitaryware
Plaster sand and cement: For plastering if required

Cleaning products you may need

Dirtbuster: Antibacterial household cleaner for glass and sanitaryware surfaces (not to be used on taps or accessories).
Dishwashing liquid (or hand liquid soap): General cleaner used with warm water and a soft cloth to clean taps, accessories and bathroom surfaces.

Some tips on taps and accessories

Whatever your decorating style, you’ll find a wide range of taps and accessories across a wide range of prices at your local CTM outlet. Here are some helpful pointers when considering your options.

Handles or levers: The choice of twin-handled taps or a single-lever tap is purely personal. A lever mixer provides convenient, single-handed control of water temperature and volume. Two-handled taps offer
simpler temperature regulation with a more traditional look. Before deciding, be aware that your water pressure may not allow you to use a lever mixer, so be sure to check in-store or with your plumber.

Style: Avoid tiny taps on large, showpiece basins. On the other hand, don’t encumber small basins with oversized taps. Look for a tap that directs water into the centre of the bowl. Consider a tall gooseneck
or a single pull-out spray. Shorter spouts may not reach far enough into the basin. Also, check that the connection on your intended taps will match the holes drilled in your basin.

Finish: Look for a long-lasting, low-maintenance finish to complement your decor. This may seem obvious, but at CTM there is such a huge range of tap styles to choose from that you really should take the time to select a style that enhances the overall look of your bathroom.

Finish Options: CTM offers many finishes to suit any colour. Popular options include chrome, several chrome trimming combinations, brushed nickel, and brushed bronze. But you really have to explore your own tastes and preferences, so take a thorough browse through the CTM range.

Accessories: Once you’ve settled on your favourite style of tap, the rest is easy. The CTM display of accessories is just as extensive and conveniently co-ordinated to provide the perfect complement to your taps. Ranges also offer the complete, matching array of soap dishes, towel rails and toilet roll holders.

Selecting and installing your taps

• Before buying any taps, check the size of your water inlets. These connections are called “under-tile bodies”, and some older ones are larger than the more modern ones. If you have the older types, you will require a pair of reducing bushes that fit into the older sockets in the wall in order to fit the new taps. (Your local CTM will confirm whether your existing inlets are adaptable or not.)
• Should the under-tile inlets protrude too far and reveal the thread of the tap, small adaptors are available to cover the thread.
• If the under-tile connections have been installed too deeply in the wall, an adaptor set is available to extend the connections.
• When tiling, make sure the holes around the plumbing inlets are not cut too wide.
• If the bath spout, taps, diverter and shower rose face the wrong way when you screw them in, use plumber’s tape on the thread until you get the right fit.
• When fitting a bath mixer to the inlets, connect the hot and cold inlets to the wall and the shower flexi hose straight to the mixer.
• CTM Tivoli taps are manufactured from ZB brass to ISO 9002 specifications and are guaranteed for 10 years. The Amalfi range carries a three-year guarantee. Spare parts are readily available.

Selecting and installing accessories

• Your accessories should complement your taps and it makes sense to select them while you’re selecting your taps.
• CTM’s accessories are available in most of the popular tap finishes. Special cast varieties and some in various types of wood are also available. All are guaranteed for 5 years.
• Follow the directions on the box or packaging to install each individual accessory.
• Use a magic ruler to fit your accessories. Mark the centres of the attachment holes using the magic ruler’s hole markers. The built in spirit level will ensure that your line is straight and at the correct level on the wall.

		Tips & hints To clean and maintain your accessories, use dishwashing liquid, warm water and a soft cloth.

CTM AT YOUR SERVICE

Remember, when in doubt, ask the CTM sales staff.

Good luck, and enjoy your tiling!