I came over the fence from the Fine Cooking forum in the hope that you can give me some advice on faucets. We will be remodeling 2 bathrooms and I’ve been looking at lavatory faucets and tub and shower fixtures. Our contractor, as well as most of the showroom people I’ve talked to, feel that Grohe makes the best products in their price range, and we’ll be using Grohe faucets and shower fixtures in DH’s bath. I would prefer fixtures for my bath in a polished or satin brass finish, which eliminates Grohe.
I’ve looked at California Faucets, Newport Brass and Aqua Brass. Some salesmen have said that they are comparable to Grohe in quality, and some said they aren’t. Are any of you familiar with any of them and, if so, what do you think of the quality?
TIA.
Replies
Have ya looked at Moen???
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WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
From my experience you will be very disappointed with brass fixtures within two years. There is no brass faucet that will stand up to the minerals in the water and soap scum. And when your housekeeper uses an abrasive cleanser on the faucet the tarnish begins and will not stop. IMHO go with polished nickel or oiled bronze for an upscale look.
Bing
What designbing said. I know from my days as a saxophone player that the only way brass stays shiny is with a clear lacquer coat (or daily polishing, perish the thought). Once the lacquer is worn through you're beat.I've also seen gold-plated fixtures, but have no idea how they hold up.Scott.
Try "Consumer Reports" they have a website also. I'm sure you can find which brand qualifies for your needs.
First advice -- don't ask a plumber for advice. They don't know design, and they like all those 19th century brass things that give them high commissions but are basically ugly.
My advice would be to go to your closest bath boutique and see what you would really like. The valves should be ceramic, I believe, as Moen cartridges and Delta ball valves need frequent replacing. I prefer double valves for hot and cold rather than singles in the bathroom just because they have lower maintenance overall, and they fit the concept of my 1930's home. I like single in the kitchen, however, and I have Grohe for that. Once you've installed a bath shower system, for instance, you're kind of stuck with it, as a replacement of another brand would likely require replacing the tile or other wall material around it. Getting a simpler, easy to maintain, system at the outset would help here. Moen is actually one of the the best in this regard, as their cartridge is easy to replace, though you may need to do it somewhat often, depending on your water hardness.
After you've decided what you want, buy it on line at faucet.com or one of the other such internet sites. Your plumber will grit his teeth over not getting the profit between his wholesale and your otherwise retail from the bath boutique, but if he complains, hint that you might use him for other jobs later on.
If your plumber should suggest that you're taking food out of the mouths of his babies by buying plumbing fixtures on line instead of through him, ask him if he has ever bought car parts at NAPA or other such sources instead of taking his car into the dealer. That usually shuts them up.
Edited 9/19/2009 10:00 pm ET by BARMIL