Anyone on here a plumber?

[Robinbobbin]

I just have a couple of questions. We're remodeling the kitchen (not by choice but rather due to a slow leak that caused a lot of floor/cabinet damage). I was just wondering if Kohler is a good brand of sink that will stand the test of time, and I was wondering if Grohe is a good brand of faucet that will be less prone to breakage/leaks and will withstand the test of time.

Thank you so much!

[Any Minute]

I'm not a plumber, but as a home builder I've installed many of both. I would give them both a , though Grohe can be a little price-y imo.

[Robinbobbin]

I'm not a plumber, but as a home builder I've installed many of both. I would give them both a , though Grohe can be a little price-y imo.

Thank you so much! Are American Standards good facets, too? It would be nice to not spend the Grohe price if American Standard is quality. Thank you so much!

[Steve53]

Kohler and AS and made in the U.S.A.

[Joseph The Carpenter]

You can protect the cabinet floor by getting a few peal and stick vinyl floor tiles and put them on the floor of the cabinet. Then you should keep a dish pan or cookie tray under the trap, you can still put your cleaners in the dish pan and if the sink ever leaks the water will be contained.
American Standard is good and I have never had any trouble with Moen.

[Wally]

My Kohler sink faucet leaked and one phone call had the free parts within a couple days.
The fix was easy.
It was a few years old with a lifetime warranty.

[Robinbobbin]

Thank you so much!

one last question - are the fixtures sold through Home Depot the same quality as the ones sold through the plumber via the plumbing supply store? The plumber recommended to us said the ones through Home Depot are cheaper quality than the same makes sold through the plumbing supply store.

Just wanted to get opinions from others "in the know".

Thank you so much!

[Wally]

I suspect there is some truth in that. We bought a shower stall that was sub standard. We are now replacing it with a plumber provided replacement. The difference is substancial.

You do have to be careful in the pipes you choose as some plastic pipes do not age well. Copper is best but expensive.

My Kohler faucet came from Lowes. My Klein tools are from Home Depot. They are the best.

[Any Minute]

Thank you so much!

one last question - are the fixtures sold through Home Depot the same quality as the ones sold through the plumber via the plumbing supply store? The plumber recommended to us said the ones through Home Depot are cheaper quality than the same makes sold through the plumbing supply store.Just wanted to get opinions from others "in the know".

Thank you so much!

I'm not so sure about the above. Just make sure you compare apples to apples. It is true that many of the box stores don't "stock" the same make or model of other retailers, but if it's made, they can usually order it. Home Depot and Lowe's tend to carry more of the price point items that will move quickly, but they also have buying power and can usually get what you want.

You won't go wrong with most the suggestions others gave you on brands, there is some truth to "you get what you pay for".
I wouldn't suggest buying a $19.95 kitchen faucet or a $30.00 sink if you can afford more. I personally don't like to special order unless it's a trusted brand with a good return policy/warranty, I like to put my hands on something to check the quality when I can. Leaking isn't the only issue with less expensive faucets, but the quality of materials used and the finish is also important.

Having said all that, I do like to support local contractors and suppliers as often as possible, a bonus if I know they are believers.

[Steve53]

Lowe's has the most liberal return policy of any big box hardware store so you can buy almost anything from them with confidence.

All the major brand faucet manufacturers offer lifetime replacement parts warranties to the original purchaser with one caveat - save the instructions! That piece of paper or small booklet serves as the "vehicle" that drives the warranty should proof of purchase be required. It's also a good reference for parts as most have an "exploded" view of the various components and their related alpha/numeric identifiers.

[SaintTexas]

Hey Robin!

My husband doesn't do it professionally, but he has his license from when he was in the military and worked on LA Class nuke subs. And we have done lots of work on our home(s) over 20 years. He does all kinds of plumbing work for people for free.

Yes on both. I currently have a Kohler sink in cast iron that has extra deep bowls and the middle section is only half height that my husband installed last year. Love it. I also bought cleaner directly from Kohler as well to polish out the scuffs once a month. With stainless, knock on the bowl and see how it sounds. Stainless is louder than other materials, so the sound proofing is going to be important, especially if you have an open kitchen and do a lot of entertaining. Cast iron is very quiet, but it's not for everyone.

That brand of faucet is fine as well. If you are shopping Overstock, check out their customer ratings on whatever you are looking at. They are always very helpful in determining some of the quality issues. I have had Moen and now have a beautiful Giagni bridge faucet that was a floor model that I got for $35 (normally $500) that has been awesome, but I am ridiculously frugal and would never spend that kind of money on a faucet normally--there are other excellent brands that are going to be cheaper.

You know what makes the biggest difference with your faucet performance and your dishwasher and your washing machine and anything else that water touches? How hard your water is! My husband says that if you can afford to install a whole house water softner, that will save all your appliances and your plumbing fixtures. The ones at Lowes are fine. When we replace our current one, we will get one of those.

He put one in our home about five years ago and we replaced our washer and dryer at the same time, the dishwasher the following spring, and the faucet not long after that in the kitchen. Everything is in fantastic condition, no issues. The old Moen that was installed by the first owner (the house is 18 years old) was literally falling apart. It had a filter inside it, and my husband must have rebuilt that thing four or five times before I came across the Giagni on a clearance sale, and it was all due to the hard water. We went through a handful of shower heads in the bathrooms before then as well, all due to hard water. So, determine how hard your water is and see if you cannot swing one when you can. You will not believe what it does to the effectiveness of detergents, how soft your skin will be, etc.

Hope that helps.

[Robinbobbin]

Hey Robin!

My husband doesn't do it professionally, but he has his license from when he was in the military and worked on LA Class nuke subs. And we have done lots of work on our home(s) over 20 years. He does all kinds of plumbing work for people for free.

Yes on both. I currently have a Kohler sink in cast iron that has extra deep bowls and the middle section is only half height that my husband installed last year. Love it. I also bought cleaner directly from Kohler as well to polish out the scuffs once a month. With stainless, knock on the bowl and see how it sounds. Stainless is louder than other materials, so the sound proofing is going to be important, especially if you have an open kitchen and do a lot of entertaining. Cast iron is very quiet, but it's not for everyone.

That brand of faucet is fine as well. If you are shopping Overstock, check out their customer ratings on whatever you are looking at. They are always very helpful in determining some of the quality issues. I have had Moen and now have a beautiful Giagni bridge faucet that was a floor model that I got for $35 (normally $500) that has been awesome, but I am ridiculously frugal and would never spend that kind of money on a faucet normally--there are other excellent brands that are going to be cheaper.

You know what makes the biggest difference with your faucet performance and your dishwasher and your washing machine and anything else that water touches? How hard your water is! My husband says that if you can afford to install a whole house water softner, that will save all your appliances and your plumbing fixtures. The ones at Lowes are fine. When we replace our current one, we will get one of those.

He put one in our home about five years ago and we replaced our washer and dryer at the same time, the dishwasher the following spring, and the faucet not long after that in the kitchen. Everything is in fantastic condition, no issues. The old Moen that was installed by the first owner (the house is 18 years old) was literally falling apart. It had a filter inside it, and my husband must have rebuilt that thing four or five times before I came across the Giagni on a clearance sale, and it was all due to the hard water. We went through a handful of shower heads in the bathrooms before then as well, all due to hard water. So, determine how hard your water is and see if you cannot swing one when you can. You will not believe what it does to the effectiveness of detergents, how soft your skin will be, etc.

Hope that helps.

Thank you SO much! That is very very helpful information! I really appreciate it!