Choosing a basin mixer that fits

Check the combination before the finish.

Choose the basin and mixer together. Use our illustrated measuring guide to compare tap height and spout reach, then check which waste the basin needs. Keep the exact product codes and drawings together for your installer.

Compare finishes as a complete selection.

Use our bathroom finish guide to compare named options and prepare a room-wide finish schedule.

Record the named finish for the tap, waste, shower controls and accessories. Similar colour names across ranges do not guarantee a visual match. Ask which exact products or samples can be viewed together, and bring your tile and worktop references. Compare them in your room’s lighting where possible.

Screen images help you make a shortlist; confirm appearance in person before committing to a coordinated room. Check the care instructions for the selected finish at the same time, rather than choosing a cleaning product after installation.

Will the tap work with your basin?

First check where the water will land in the bowl and whether you have room to wash your hands. Spout reach is how far the spout projects forward. Outlet height is measured from the mounting surface to where water leaves the spout. Compare both on the tap drawing with the basin’s position, rim and bowl, especially for a countertop basin.

Ask your installer to check the basin’s tap-hole requirements and the thickness of the surface where the tap mounts. Resolve these before a worktop is drilled or cut. The linked Linea basin is a design reference. Have the exact basin-and-tap combination checked before ordering.

• Take the basin and tap drawings to your installer together.
• Check the mounting position, outlet height and where the water will land.
• Confirm the tap-hole requirements and mounting-surface thickness before ordering.

Pressure and installation

Ask your installer to check the water pressure and flow at the proposed tap position against the requirements of the exact model. If you don’t know your water-system type, tell them; you do not need to guess from the tap’s appearance.

Use the current UK specification for the exact finish and product code (SKU) on your order. Regional documents can differ, including connection details and supplied hose lengths. Ask the supplier for the correct document and share it with your installer.

The tap in daily use

Try moving the lever and check how easily you can adjust it. Think about everyone who will use the basin, including anyone who finds small or stiff controls difficult.

Check the space for your hands and the height and position of the water stream with the intended basin. A tall tap is not automatically a better fit: ask whether the proposed combination leaves enough room and keeps the stream comfortably inside the bowl.

Three Tailwater finishes

The selected Tailwater finishes are Blush Gold PVD (TWR-BGP-75011B), Gold Bright PVD (TWR-GBP-75011B) and Gold Matt PVD (TWR-GMP-75011B). PVD stands for physical vapour deposition, a process that applies a thin surface coating. It describes how the finish is made; it does not make a tap scratch-proof.

Blush Gold has a pinker tone, Gold Bright is more reflective and Gold Matt has a softer-looking surface. These are visual impressions: your lighting and surrounding materials affect what you see. Compare physical samples before choosing.

Compare finishes with your tiles and other fittings

Bring a tile, stone or paint sample to the showroom and view it beside the tap finish. Ask whether you can compare it under lighting similar to your bathroom’s; metallic colours can look different in daylight and under a mirror light.

Compare the proposed tap, waste and accessories together when matching matters to you. Similar finish names can look different across ranges. Screens and photographs help you make a shortlist, but a physical comparison is the better way to judge the final colour.

Cost, waste and maintenance

The selected Tailwater mixer excludes the waste, which is the drain fitting in the basin. Ask which waste suits your basin, including its overflow arrangement, and have it listed on the quotation with any connection fittings and installation. Check what is supplied with the basin separately.

For example, two tap quotes might cover the same finish but only one may include a compatible waste. Compare the contents as well as the total. Ask for the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions too: a decorative coating still needs appropriate care, and abrasive pads can damage the surface.

Visiting the showroom

Bring the basin drawing, details of your water system and a material sample. The team can discuss the tap’s shape, controls and finishes with you; your installer can confirm the proposed combination.

Our Birmingham showroom at 40–48 Cheapside has free parking. Check which taps and finish samples are available before travelling. If you have not chosen a basin yet, bring your room measurements and explain whether you are replacing existing fittings or starting from scratch.

• Bring your basin's technical drawing or specification.
• Note your water pressure and system type.
• Bring a sample of stone, tile or paint for the finish.
• Ask for the exact UK specification of the model you intend to order.
• Confirm the waste and any fittings are priced in.
• Check which finishes are on display before visiting.

Handle the tap, view the finish against your stone, and confirm the UK specification before you order.