Brushed Brass Taps & Accessories: An In-Depth Guide

If you hadn’t already noticed, brushed brass has become a pretty popular addition to bathrooms as of late. However, with different suppliers come slightly different finishes, so here we take you through the different types offered by different brands.  

Whether its brushed brass shower heads, or taps we have you covered.

What Is Brushed Brass?

Brushed brass is brass that has been treated to give it a duller, matt look when compared with traditional polished brass finishes. Brushed brass is durable and will attract much fewer fingerprints than other finishes so the modern, elegant look is easy to maintain. 

Types Of Brushed Brass Coating

Electroplating

Electroplating is where a metallic or non-metallic product is coated with a very thin layer of Chromium or a coloured alternative using the process of electrolysis. This aids the overall durability of the product, including its resistance to corrosion and general wear & tear, alongside those aesthetic qualities too.  

Immersion Plating

Immersion plating is similar to electroplating but uses several simultaneous reactions in an aqueous substance, instead of any external electrical power as with electroplating. Immersion plating also creates a high quality and durable finish.  

Powder Coating

Applied as a free-flowing, dry powder, this coating does not require a solvent to keep the binder and filler parts together, and is cured under heat to form a durable, high-quality skin coating.

PVD

PVD or ‘Physical Vapor Deposition’ is a vacuum deposition method used in producing thin films and coatings. During the process, the material goes from a condensed phase, to a vapor phase, back to a thin film condensed phase.

PVD coatings are extremely resistant to corrosion and boast high temperature resistance, good impact strength, and wonderful abrasion resistance.

PVD Coatings in brassware are around 3 times harder and 10 times more scratch resistant than electroplating.  

Unlacquered Brass

Put simply, unlacquered is brass that doesn’t have a coating. The results are a “living finish” where the appearance of the brass alters over time, developing a warm patina. Now that you’re acquainted with our varying finish coatings, let’s get stuck into our brushed brass taps and their array of finishes.

Drench Brushed Brass Range

Crosswater

The Crosswater Brushed Brass range is one of our customer favourites and with such a unique, modern design, it’s no secret why! Products in this range come with a PVD coated finish, which if you remember is one of the most durable coatings, being 3 times harder and 10 times more scratch resistant than electroplating.

The standard MPRO range of taps also offers a plethora of jaw-dropping features such as ceramic disc technology to prevent unwanted dripping, an uber-modern aesthetic design and manufacturer’s guarantees up to 15 years for that extra piece of mind.  You are totally safe pairing your MPRO taps with the rest of the standard MPRO range but we wouldn’t recommend pairing with the MPRO Industrial range.

For those of us after a more statement look, the MPRO Industrial range is a real treat. This wonderful range is aesthetics galore thanks to that urban, angular design and rustic finish. Speaking of finishes, the MPRO industrial range is unlacquered, meaning your taps will oxidise over time and develop a patina for an even more industrial appearance. This range of bathroom taps and accessories works perfectly when paired with other products from the same range, but isn’t suitable for pairing with the standard MPRO range.

Whilst the finishes of both MPRO ranges appear similar to begin with, once the patina of the Industrial range begins to develop, this will start to look different to the standard MPRO range. So we don't recommend pairing these two ranges together. All isn't lost though. If you take the plunge and go all-out-industrial, you’re investing in a range of fantastic features such as ceramic disc technology and a 15 year manufacturer’s guarantee.

Delving into something a little different now, VOS Brass Taps & Accessories are PVD coated once again promising excellent durability and resistance properties. Basin Mixers offer features such as ceramic disc technology to prolong life & reduce dripping. As you can see, whilst VOS brass taps are not identical to the standard Crosswater MPRO range mentioned above, these are very similar finishes, and we’re pretty confident that you could pair these ranges together for excellent results. Bear in mind though, that VOS taps and accessories cannot be paired with the MPRO Industrial range due to the patina. If you’re ever a little unsure about the difference between these ranges, or are simply looking for some reassurance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.  

Let’s round things off with some gorgeous accessories from Bathroom Origins.  Available in round, hexagonal, and rectangular designs, these mirrors are crafted using durable stainless steel and offer a touch of minimalist style to complete your dream bathroom design. There’s a 5 year manufacturer’s guarantee too so you can rest easy when it comes to quality as well as aesthetics.

As these are only a soft touch of brushed brass style, you’d certainly have no trouble pairing the Dockland mirrors with the standard Crosswater MPRO and VOS ranges.