Plumbing productsDomestic plumbing marketCeramics offers a truly gigantic selection of products of the most diverse design - from models of strict forms and colors to provocative trash avant-garde and stylizations of the exquisite Art Nouveau of the Silver Age. However, the most popular are not the extremes, but modern universal collections - reliable, hygienic and easy to use. This is the kind of plumbing that is demonstrated by the world's largest manufacturers, for example, the international concerns Sanitec (unites a number of companies and brands, including Albatros, IDO, Ifö, Keramag, Kolo); Kohler (trademarks Kohler, Jacob Delafon); Roca Group (Spain) - trade marks Roca, Laufen, Jika; American Standard (USA) - trade marks Ideal Standard, JADO; Duravit, Villeroy & Boch (Germany), EOS (Italy), Herbeau (France) and a number of others.
Acquaintance with plumbing
The plumbing equipment includesa number of products, of which the most widely used in everyday life are toilets, bidets, washbasins and, less commonly, urinals. All of these devices are usually made of sanitary porcelain, although they are often called sanitary earthenware. The division into porcelain and earthenware is quite arbitrary and is used by manufacturers to emphasize the status and better quality of their products. Porcelain, compared to earthenware, is distinguished by its strength and wear resistance. It practically does not absorb moisture and, as a result, does not change its white color even after decades.
Sanfarfor
- Photo 1,2. Toilet from the City Life collection (Villeroy & Boch), 114,570 rubles. The original design is combined with thoughtful ergonomics.
- Photo 3. The collection of sanfarfora Veranda (Roca). A washbasin with a semi-pedestal –14,600 rubles, a toilet - 24,120 rubles, a bidet - 9,280 rubles.
- Photo 4. Washbasin 070225 from the Vero collection (Duravit), 7350 rubles. This compact model (width 25 cm) is easy to install even in the tightest bathroom.
When choosing any sanitary products should be paidattention to the features of its design. For example, toilets and bidets differ in the method of sewer drainage (release). There are models with horizontal, vertical and oblique release. Instrument bowls can have a horizontal or inclined bottom - in the latter case, the equipment is easier to keep clean. Also, in addition to the separate toilet bowls and bidets, there are suspended models. Therefore, before buying, it is better to consult a plumber, what type of products can be installed in your bathroom without troubles. Your problems also arise when buying sinks for washing. There are many options for their design: on a hanging stand-console, on a pedestal and on a semi-pedestal, wall, corner and free-standing, wash basins with a table top, etc. Each type has its own advantages. Console washbasins provide ease of installation, models with a pedestal and a semi-pedestal decorate unattractive sanitary pipes, the tabletop allows you to organize convenient storage of necessary trifles. But with a huge variety of model range, again, you should consult with the masters to clarify what design types of sinks are right for you and what are the maximum dimensions of the bowl so that it can withstand the fasteners in your wall. After all, the limited area of sanitary facilities obliges to approach their arrangement extremely responsibly. First of all it concerns the seat height. Tall people are more comfortable to use a higher toilet. Therefore, a number of manufacturers offer models with a seat located above the standard level (in Europe it is 40 cm). For example, the seat height of the Sign models (Ifö, Sweden) is 42 cm. In the Olymp and Mio collections (Jika, Czech Republic), toilet models are offered with a bowl height of 50 cm. The difference is, as they say, quite tangible.
The basis
The material of a sanitary ware product is not only itsthe most important characteristic, but also a kind of business card. After all, the appearance of plumbing directly depends on its physical merits. It is not surprising that manufacturers pay the closest attention to the development of materials with improved properties. Successful finds gain worldwide fame. For example, this happened several years ago with Ceramic Plus sanitary ware from Villeroy & Boch. Its especially smooth surface, capable of repelling dirt and water particles, allows plumbing to remain clean and attractive longer. All leading plumbing developers are engaged in research into materials with dirt-repellent properties. For example, IDO (Finland) offers new series of toilets with bowls covered with a fluoropolymer layer of Siflon. Ideal Standard (USA) has developed the Ideal Plus coating. Drops simply roll off it, facilitating the cleaning process. And Laufen (Switzerland) has invented three versions of improved coatings at once: Solid Base, WonderGliss and Laufen Clean Coat. At the same time, WonderGliss has the most pronounced dirt-repellent properties and water-rolling effect, Laufen Clean Coat is hygienic and smooth, and the advantages of Solid Base are strength and wear resistance.
- Photo 1.4.Plumbing fixtures from the Portrait collection (Jacob Delafon). Washbasin – 5400 rubles, semi-pedestal for washbasin – 3580 rubles, bidet – 11 800 rubles. The expressive contours of the Portrait collection will bring elements of the French provincial style to the bathroom.
- Photo 2,3. Combined toilet-bidet Balena 8000 (Geberit) with remote control, 231,000 rub.
Of course, only one "porcelain" manufacturersPlumbers do not limit themselves. Companies actively use other materials, such as metal or glass. Glass tabletops are used for wash tables in the Wake up, Paradox (Jacob Delafon, France) collections, and models in the Living well (Laufen) collection. Hygienic stainless steel is rarely used for decorating household plumbing products, since it is a rather “aggressive” material. For decorative reasons, brass and copper are also used for decorating plumbing collections (the French company Herbeau offers brass and copper washbasins). A very promising material is the so-called mineral casting, which is a mixture of marble chips, quartz filler, binder (polyester) and pigment. Cast marble has all the advantages of a material based on acrylic resins: products can be given any shape, scratches and minor defects can be easily removed from their surface. At the same time, cast marble is very durable. Washbasins made of it are included in all collections of the Keuco company (Germany), for example, in Edition 300, Edition Palais; as well as in the Paradox collection (Jacob Delafon). The Russian company "Color and Style" is also engaged in the production of products from cast marble. By the way, the material can have pronounced antimicrobial properties, such as the new development of Villeroy & Boch - Active Care enamel. It contains silver, the ions of which prevent the proliferation of harmful microorganisms. Thus, Active Care enamel, according to the manufacturer, provides reliable hygiene even without the help of special products. In some collections of plumbing, antibacterial coating is used to cover the seats. In particular, such seats, made of Duroplast material, are equipped with products of the Russian company Della.
Technology
Even the "average" modern toilets andbidets are high-tech and complex devices. What can we say about the “advanced” models! A kind of record holder in this area is the universal toilet-bidet Balena 8000 (Geberit, Switzerland). A lady shower, automatic water heating, built-in hair dryer, remote control - these are just some of the innovations used in this device. An example of a simpler, but also quite modern product with a twist is a toilet with a built-in air purification system Pur Air WC (Villeroy & Boch). When using Pur Air WC, an odor sensor is triggered, the fan turns on, and polluted air enters a special air duct into a powerful filter.
- Photo 1. The Mio (Jika) collection is distinguished by practical ceramic shapes and a wide range of bathroom furniture.
- Photo 2. Toilet and bidet (Cersanit). Bidet - 5000 rub., Compact for installation - about 4,500 rub., Compact - 7,000 rub.
- Photo 3. Bidets from the Vero collection (Duravit), from 19 180 rubles. The models used hanging structure to mount to the wall.
- Photo 4. Element series (Roca).Washbasin – 9,300 rubles, bidet – 16,000 rubles, compact toilet – 24,200 rubles. The simple and convincing design of the series will give the bathroom a modern and at the same time cozy look.
New constructive solutions may concern notonly electronic "stuffing". Many toilets and bidets are supplied, in particular, with a mechanism that allows you to smoothly and silently lower the seat and cover (the so-called Soft Close). This is very practical - the owners will forever solve the problem of the crash of a falling seat, and the risk of damaging the toilet is significantly reduced. The Soft Close mechanism is provided, for example, in models of MyLife (Laufen), Starck 3 (Duravit), Imagine (Ideal Standard). “Special Relations” among manufacturers with a mechanism for draining water. Almost all manufacturers of sanitary ware supply toilet bowls with a double drain system - for 3 and 6 liters. In more advanced products, a water flavoring may be present in the drain system, which is a special replaceable rod. Such a flavoring rod is provided, for example, in toilet bowls Sign (Ifö), IDO Seven D (IDO, Finland). It is located under the drain button, which is much more convenient to install in the toilet bowl, which is typical of traditional system flavors. water tank. So even with a strong temperature difference, condensate does not form outside.
- Photo 1. The design of the bowl of this washbasin from Rapsel (Italy) uses oriental motifs.
- Photo 2. Sink from the Hall series (Roca), 6200 rub., with a glass countertop.
- Photo 3.Washbasin from the Imagine collection (Ideal Standard), from 8,000 rubles. The trapezoid, which is the basis of the Egyptian pyramids, has become the geometric dominant of the Imagine collection. Innovative design is combined with ease of care for "geometrically simple lines".
- Photo 4. Washbasin from EOS, 9000 rub. The washbasin in the shape of half an egg is a striking example of a creative approach to design.
Bowls also have their own design trickswashbasins. Thus, the Ideal Standard company offered the Ideal Flow technology, which allows to do without unaesthetic overflow holes, in which dirt accumulates over time. As soon as the water in the washbasin reaches a certain level, Ideal Flow automatically opens the plug, thus preventing water from overflowing. This technology is used in the Imagine collection. A similar scheme called Clou is used in the Laufen collections. By the wayThe fewer sharp edges furniture or plumbing has, the safer it is. This is especially important for bathrooms, where there is a higher chance of slipping and getting injured on a wet floor. Furniture with smooth contours has another advantage: there are fewer “secluded places” on its surface where dirt can accumulate. It is much easier to care for such furniture.
Form
Plumbing styles can bedifferent. Thus, the Westminster collection (Devon & Devon, Italy), which includes toilets with a cistern on a high pipe and washbasins on console tables, successfully cites the style of the Victorian era. Moreover, not only the designs and shapes correspond to that time, but also the materials - brass, bronze. Plumbing porcelain, sustained in the Art Deco style, is offered by the Herbeau company. Intricate shapes and an abundance of decorative elements add charm to washbasins from the Niche, Normande, Coquille collections. Emphasized rationalism and a minimum of "unnecessary details" in the spirit of the famous architect Mies van der Rohe make up the concept of the Form collection (Laufen).
- Photo 1. Wash basin from the Foster collection (Duravit), from 13,965 rubles. The smooth contours of the rim give it an extremely cozy look.
- Photo 2. Sink (56 × 46.5 cm) on a Kandel pedestal. Recommended price: sink – 2400 rubles, pedestal – 1700 rubles, Kandel toilet (68.5 × 35.8 cm), from 3400 rubles.
- Photo 3. Pedestal washbasin and toilet from the Melora (Della) collection. In the Melora models, modern design organically combines with classic sculptural forms.
- Photo 4. All sanitary ware from the Alessi dOt (Laufen) collection is equipped with a WonderGliss coating, which is easy to clean and has dirt-repellent properties.
However, the most popular are stillmodern tendencies. These can be geometrically verified rectangular shapes, as in the new Era line (Keramag, Germany), or they are the same, but with slightly smoothed sides, as in the Olimpia models from Cersanit and Varius from Kolo (both - Poland), Sign (Ifö). However, the imagination of the creators of modern plumbing does not limit only experiments with the form. Specially selected as materials and colors. All this together provides the products with almost timeless design and harmonious integration into any space. A good example of such universality and, if you like, even cosmopolitanism, are the collections of Kandel and Panache (Jacob Delafon). As they say, the grace of the French school of design is obvious. On the other hand, the same simple lines and forms become the basis for collections that are modern in the full sense of the word, for example, Edge (EOS). To dilute the almost sterile cleanliness of the bathrooms allows a wide range of colors of products, which in addition to the traditional white are quite unusual shades: maroon-red, orange, silver, black. By the way, simple, at first glance, design solutions can be extremely effective. For example, the conceptual basis and the geometric dominant of the Imagine (Ideal Standard) collection were two overlapping trapeziums. As a result, the products retained the avant-garde design, but lost the traditional minimalist straight lines and corners. In the modern style of the Palomba Collection (Laufen) line, on the contrary, “natural” forms are used: the shell resembles pebbles rolled by the sea. Harmony with nature has also become a concept for the Frontalis (Roca) collection. However, in these products there is another highlight: they were invented in order to simplify the process of arranging a harmonious bathroom as much as possible. That is why the line included not only all the necessary sanitary devices, but also additional elements: ceramic holders for towels and toilet paper, hooks for clothes.
- Photo 1. Washbasin Edition Atelier (Keuco), 31 000 rub. The sink is mounted in such a way that the drain is completely hidden.
- Photo 2. A sink model from the Variable series (Villeroy & Boch), from 53,280 rubles. The sink is equipped with a towel rail.
- Photo 3. Suspended toilet and bidet from the new IDO Seven D (IDO) collection. Toilet bowl - from 9,000 rubles., Bidet - from 3,700 rubles.
In general, practicality is a distinctive featuremodern models. But it is expressed in different ways. For example, in the large side surfaces of the washbasin, on which you can place useful little things. Or in the thoughtful slope of the surfaces - "from the mixer", which allows water to flow back into the sink. The washbasin can be equipped with rails on which it is convenient to hang towels, as in the Memento, Variable (Villeroy & Boch), Escale (Jacob Delafon) series. However, no matter what stylistic direction the sanitary ware manufacturers adhere to, the leitmotif of most collections remains practicality and beauty, hygiene and ease of use. The editors thank the companies Konzept, Marco Trevi, Keraton, representative offices of Cersanit, Herbeau, Ideal standard, Jacob delafon, Keuco, Roca, Sanitec, Villeroy & Boch for their assistance in preparing the material. Further, you will get acquainted with the types
