Brass / gold taps - do they last?

[MsShopper]

I’m planning out our new shower room wasting hours on Instagram and Pinterest , and am really drawn to brushed brass / gold taps and shower fixtures. But I’m worried that the finish will deteriorate / chip / tarnish after a while.

Has anyone gone for brass/gold taps etc and regretted it? Or, if the opposite, can you recommend any brands?

I'd brass taps in my old home and they looked new, beautiful and shiny when installed but it didn't take long for them to tarnish and go green at the joints. They looked awful then. Maybe it was just the make I'd bought though. It's still worth investing time looking at different brands and reading the reviews!

My sister had some two houses ago, and they looked great when new, but the brass wore off pretty quickly and they just looked like they needed replacing.

I'm not a fan of the colour for taps anyway.

After 2 years, mine still look lovely. They were cheapos, the Milano range from The Big Bathroom Shop. They are way easier to keep clean than my Burlington Chrome taps which I need to polish twice a day. I used the range now in 2 bathrooms (washstand, basin taps, shower and bath taps) and they still look new, and plan to use them again in the downstairs loo. They were never shiny to begin with, but have a matt antique brass look. If they were to go slightly green in future, I think it would only enhance the antique look.

Then they weren't brass taps, were they?

I have no idea @VeniVidiWeeWee. I thought they were. They may have just been coated with brass.

Do you really only polish your taps twice a day?

I definitely don’t polish my taps twice a day! 😆

Thanks for all the responses. Sounds like getting the right brand is key. I will check out your recommendation @NellyBarney - thank you.

Any other recommendations - or otherwise - gratefully received!

We've had brushed brass taps for a year and they still look as good as when they were installed. Ours are Crosswater.

https://www.bigbathroomshop.co.uk/milano-elizabeth-3-tap-hole-crosshead-basin-mixer-tap-brushed-gold-80449?gclid=CjwKCAjw586hBhBrEiwAQYEnHQe3CxYRgMdqf4oSunY072Ml6n6h46wMYaYt5qEcvRFVXj4TSn6NshoC2i8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I have those in 'brushed gold'.

My vendor had gold in the bathroom and now I have worn ones - thin veneer only and just wears off - without daily polishing.
I'm not a fan of gold in places where it ends up down the drain (Kirsty Allsop gold on food) because it has cost lives in getting and losing it is disrespectful.

We had a new bathroom done a year ago and got brushed gold hardware from cross water. Wasn't cheap but still looks good now approaching 18 months on. Only thing that's tarnished is the shower drain cover but that's good effect plastic not metal. Have avoided anything abrasive or harsh eg avoid cream cleaners, the pink stuff etc. I've used a spray bottle with fairly liquid and water and that brings everything up clean.

It's not real gold!!! 😂I'm not Donald Trump 😉 It's 'gold coloured' brass. Allmost all quality taps are made of brass and then plated. Brass or brass coloured taps are simply two layers of brass (or cheap ones may have some metallic paint on them, but the Milano range above, while cheap, is thorough metal, not painted), while 'quality' chrome taps have 1 layer of chrome plated onto brass.

Oh yes, I definitely meant gold-coloured, not actual gold! 😄

Thanks for the Crosswater recommendations. I’ll check those out too.

You can get cross water from Victorian plumbing and see it on display in their stores... but the cross water website lists other stockists also xx

Oh good to know - thank you!

I have proper brass which tarnishes by definition. Some people like the old fashioned tarnished look while I’ve discovered Brasso and scrub the brass taps and other items once every few weeks. I’m slightly addicted to the smell too!

There is no way I’d use proper brass in the bathroom though. In bathrooms I used a plated brass look or gold look which is clearly not real brass but requires little maintenance so works well for me.

I had 2 bathrooms fitted with Victorian plumb Arezzo brushed brass fittings. Both of the mixer taps on the sinks are tarnished. The brass plating has worn off at only 18 months.
l need to replace the taps in the same finish to match the shower and bath fittings. Does anyone have any recommendations for a mono tap in brushed brass that actually holds its finish ?
The Arezzo taps have eroded to black in places and look awful.

I also have two bathrooms featuring Arezzo brushed brass furniture. Biggest regret ever. 3 years in and majority of it needs replacing. Have you attempted contact VP. As I did get one set of taps replaced (only to fail again, mind!)

Solid Victorian brass taps will last a lifetime and continue to look good.

Anything plated will start to wear sooner or later. Usually sooner.