Elevating the look of your bathroom can be done quickly and easily without splurging extra money. Instead of spending money on some fancy items, you can make your bathroom high-end looking by choosing the right and most appealing bathroom appliances. One of them is the bathroom hand basin.
Choosing a suitable bathroom sink is crucial because it affects both the bathroom’s functionality and its overall style and appearance. But what’s more important is choosing the right material as not all of them will provide you with durability and style at the same time.
Types of Materials
The aesthetic appeal of a bathroom hand basin is closely related to choosing the right material. Given the fact that bathrooms are prone to moisture, choosing one that is made from a solid and non-porous material is paramount. The chosen basin should also be made from a material that is resistant to chipping, scratching and staining, as this is a bathroom feature you’d put through daily use and wear and tear so it has to be resilient.
Fireclay
Fireclay is one of those extremely durable materials that’s strong, long-lasting and resistant to impacts. Created by firing clay at high temperatures makes it highly resistant to chips and scratches, making it perfect for everyday use. Aside from being fired at extremely high temperatures, this sink can also withstand exposure to high temperatures. This means that you won’t have to worry about hot water damaging its surface or making it crack.
As already mentioned, basins need to be made from non-porous materials, and fireclay is one of them. This means that there’s no chance for bacteria or germs to grow on it, making it an extremely hygienic type of material. Being non-porous also allows for the ability to be cleaned as often as you need with the product you find most effective.
Solid Surface Construction
According to manufacturers, these bathroom sinks are made from natural minerals and pigments as they offer a modern and seamless look. Usually, they come in interesting shapes and designs, making them the perfect choice for those of you who want to choose something different and modern. These basins are also non-porous and easy to clean, and in case of the appearance of scratches, you can easily clean them.
Ceramic
The ceramic bathroom hand basin is a timeless piece of bathroom fittings available in a selection of styles and designs. It’s a natural material that consists of porcelain clay, quartz, clay and silicate minerals, making it one of the best eco-friendly choices. In order to improve its durability, longevity and appearance, this material should be glazed and fired at about 1200 degrees. The best thing of all is that its nature and appearance allow for being used with different designs and styles, whether it’s modern, contemporary or traditional looking.
Enamelled Steel
In the past, this material was used for the production of baths, however, over the years, this material has become increasingly popular for the production of washbasins too. Generally speaking, these washbasins are made from steel, after which they are finished with a special glass surface treatment. In order to be ready to use, this material has to be fired at about 900 degrees to create a very hard and resistant surface that can withstand scratches and any kind of impact.
This is a durable and easy-to-care material; however, you should know that it’s also one of the most difficult to mould which explains its poor availability of choices. Unlike ceramic and solid construction washbasins, these ones can work better in modern industrial-style bathrooms.
Casted Marble
For those of you who didn’t know, this material represents a mixture of plastic, ground natural marble and resins, making it quite durable and an incredibly aesthetically appealing material. This material is also known as artificial marble, which looks almost the same as the real marble ones, giving you the same appearance but without the weight and cost that come with real marble basins. Being a mixture means that this material is resistant to stains, splits and scratches, making it a good option.
Mineral Cast
As the name suggests, these washbasin consists of minerals that are ground into a fine powder form and then mixed with synthetic resins. Once the mixture is ready, it is moulded into the needed shape, after which it is left to harden in the air. As a finish, a special gel is applied over it to harden and create a nice appearance.
Being made from plastic makes these washbasins super light in weight, but this doesn’t mean that they are the best option available on the market. An important thing you should know about them is that, since they are made of plastic, they are more sensitive to heat, and you can’t use water hotter than 65 degrees Celsius. It’s said that they are also more susceptible to scratches because the material is softer when compared to ceramics, for instance.