Can anyone tell me how to get some old bathroom taps renovated? We've just bought a 1930s bathroom suite with some lovely bath and sink taps that need sprucing. What do I look for online to find someone who can do it? I think there are a few specialists out there but I don't know what to expect from them. Does anyone have any experience of this? If anyone could tell me how much I can expect it to cost to get it done (a rough ballpark figure), that would be really useful. I guess the washers/seals and re-chroming a would be in order but it might be that a good polish is all that's needed. Any suggestions would be very welcome.
- Thread starter Minkeycat
- Start date
Abi Cott
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- West Yorkshire
I have no experience with taps, but there are a couple of companies that specialise in rechroming car parts. Probably worth a look.
88v8
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'Restoring old bath taps' finds several candidates.
Looks promising
http://taprefurbishment.co.uk/category/project/basin
Question is whether they just do a cosmetic tart-up.
If they are 30's taps they will probably be chrome on brass. Therefore should not be rusted, perhaps just rubbed through to the brass which personally I rather like.
Prestige, or Castle, or London Chroming or Derby Plating could do the job, but just cosmetically.
You'd need to dismantle them.
http://www.castlechrome.co.uk/
Prestige -
Unit 6, Cliff Street Industrial Estate, Mexborough S64 9HU Phone: 01709 577004
https://london.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/london-chroming-co-ltd-13957586.html
http://derbyplating.co.uk/
Due to H&S and the reduced demand for chroming work, there are not many chroming companies left, and a good few of them just farm out the work.
The gland seals will usually be string, no problem there, more of a question is restoring the wear in the spindle which is an engineering job.
If the taps have a visible make and the makers are still in business you might ask them if they have a restoration service.
And then there's the plug fittings, probably bedded in old and very hard putty. Careful removing those.
And if the taps have glued in porcelain caps, well I'd run a mile from disturbing that.
I do hesitate over restoration as new. They could end up looking like repros.
Ivor
Looks promising
http://taprefurbishment.co.uk/category/project/basin
Question is whether they just do a cosmetic tart-up.
If they are 30's taps they will probably be chrome on brass. Therefore should not be rusted, perhaps just rubbed through to the brass which personally I rather like.
Prestige, or Castle, or London Chroming or Derby Plating could do the job, but just cosmetically.
You'd need to dismantle them.
http://www.castlechrome.co.uk/
Prestige -
Unit 6, Cliff Street Industrial Estate, Mexborough S64 9HU Phone: 01709 577004
https://london.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/london-chroming-co-ltd-13957586.html
http://derbyplating.co.uk/
Due to H&S and the reduced demand for chroming work, there are not many chroming companies left, and a good few of them just farm out the work.
The gland seals will usually be string, no problem there, more of a question is restoring the wear in the spindle which is an engineering job.
If the taps have a visible make and the makers are still in business you might ask them if they have a restoration service.
And then there's the plug fittings, probably bedded in old and very hard putty. Careful removing those.
And if the taps have glued in porcelain caps, well I'd run a mile from disturbing that.
I do hesitate over restoration as new. They could end up looking like repros.
Ivor
skier-hughes
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- 3,414
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- Staffs, UK
We used tap refurbishment for ours.
http://taprefurbishment.co.uk/
Did a full job of regrinding refitting internals and high polishing the brass.
6 years on, still working like new and looking lovely.
http://taprefurbishment.co.uk/
Did a full job of regrinding refitting internals and high polishing the brass.
6 years on, still working like new and looking lovely.