What Are Escutcheons?
If you’ve ever heard this curious word, you might be musing about what the definition of escutcheons is. To put it in brief, an escutcheon is a metal plate or covering that fills up the hole which appears where the tap meets the sink. It generally contains hot and cold water taps and is usually a metal covering in the shape of a rectangle, pentagon or hexagon, but can also be shaped like looped handles.
Though, this isn’t all you need to know about these curious plates. They serve a number of purposes. What purpose does an escutcheon serve? It is usually only a decorative piece that does not play a direct role in the function of the faucet, but they do have uses.
Why should I replace my escutcheon?
They’re very easy to replace, so there’s no reason to hang on to an old and rusty escutcheon. After all, if you want something ugly, you could just keep leaving gaping holes in your walls. If you have an older, rusty or water-damaged escutcheon in your bath, it might just be time to replace it!
Escutcheons come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and finishes, allowing you to choose one that matches your project. If you want to upgrade your home’s appearance with a new escutcheon, you can contact your local hardware store for more information. They should carry a number of them on hand, or you could order them online with places like Home Depot or other project stores.
How do you remove escutcheons?
A shower arm escutcheon is typically easy to remove. For example, most Escutcheons come off by sliding off the shower arm; although, you might need to remove the shower head to effectively remove some other escutcheons, depending on the model, or in other manners.
After this, you can simply attach new escutcheons with new pipes and reattach the showerhead to finish your job. But what about hard-to-reach escutcheons? These can be found under sinks, behind toilets, and even in the attic.
Other kinds of removal jobs
To get an escutcheon off a valve, you will most often need to remove a shut off valve in order to access the escutcheon. This can be tricky, but it’s best to plan ahead. Other articles can give you more detailed tips, like those you can find at our website on Conyers Plumbing.
A soldered shutoff valve might also present a problem if you’re not familiar with this type of fitting. If you are, however, you may be able to remove it yourself by breaking out some sturdy shears or tin snips and cutting away that old escutcheon.
If you cut off your escutcheon, you can choose to either carefully cut a new one or use a hinged type of escutcheon. This mostly depends on personal preference, so go with whichever option you prefer.
If you need further tips, check our website at Conyers Plumbing! We have great informational articles just like this for your viewing pleasure.
