Traditional Wall-Mounted Taps

Wall-Mounted Taps

• The taps for a bathroom or kitchen sink do not have to be mounted on the back or side of the sink. Wall-mounted taps are installed into the wall behind the sink with the faucet hanging over the sink between them. In traditional tap designs, you will see separate spigots for hot and cold water. Single-handle designs that mix hot and cold water are a more modern invention.

Material

• Many modern sink fixtures are made of stainless steel, but traditional taps are not. If you want a traditional style, opt for brass, nickel or porcelain taps. These materials were commonly used for sink fixtures during the Victorian era and remain available options for sinks today.

X-Shaped Handles

• Traditional tap handles have a distinctive X-shaped design. Variations on this style include those with rounded bulbs on the ends of each of the legs of the X. Sometimes labels made of porcelain would be fitted into the center of each valve, indicating the hot and cold taps. The X-shaped tap handles are easy to grasp and turn when your hands are wet and slippery with soap.

Lever Tap Valves

• Lever-style valves serve some traditional sink fixtures. This tap valve style is a simple handle that moves up and down or swivels side to side to allow water through the spout. Like X-shaped valves, there are usually two levers, one for the hot and cold water. (see reference 4 pg 119)

Bib Taps

• The tap valves used in traditional kitchens are built into the faucets. Instead of one faucet with two taps, there are two spigots, each with a built-in tap. Known as bib faucets, these have a lever valve on each faucet. One faucet dispenses hot water and the other cold water. The lever-shaped valves sit on top of the each faucet to control the water flow. This bib-style tap can either be mounted on the sink or from the wall.