Have you ever wondered what is behind your walls? I bet not! All the logistics that keep your house running are not seen–or at least they shouldn’t be. Drywall or plaster, floor joists, and walls are all the conduits for moving wires and plumbing that connect the entire house.
In every new construction or major renovation project, builders and vendors follow a standard process for installing electrical and plumbing systems once the wall studs are exposed and the framing is completed. Windows must be installed according to code. This prevents wires from being exposed to the weather, allowing the house to be temporarily heated while the systems are installed.
Next on the list is roughing in plumbing and electrical. The plumber always works first, followed quickly by the electrician. These two subcontractors must work well together to complete the project with time efficiency. With that being said, here’s what you need to know about plumbing design.
PLUMBING:
- Make all of your plumbing selections as early in the process as possible. Making these selections can be as easy as going on Build.com (owned by Ferguson Plumbing Supply). Alternatively, visit a plumbing supply house in-person.
- Important: We do not recommend purchasing plumbing at a big-box store (like Home Depot) or an online discount site. While the plumbing supply house’s model might look the same, the inside parts are plastic and made to last only a short time. We suggest purchasing from a reputable company for an incremental dollar amount more.
- High-end is fun and expensive. A high-end kitchen faucet could cost you over $2,000, which is a lot more than a lower end faucet, costing around $150. Along with a high price point, most of our plumbers do not like installing it. When a plumber doesn’t like installing something, it typically means that it is difficult to install and will most likely not last. Again, it looks nice, but at what price?
Plumbing Fixtures
- There are two parts to the final plumbing fixture:
- Rough: These are the rough valves inside the wall, installed approximately 6 months before the final finish. Once your rough-in kit has been installed, you are locked into the final fixture!
- Final Finish: This is the pretty part–or the jewelry to the bathroom–and is typically installed just a few weeks before the final inspection.
Types of Fixtures
- Vanity Faucets: Standard fixtures or wall mounted.
- Sizes: Standard options range from single hole, 4” center and 8” center.
- Styles: These will range from bridge to standard, modern to traditional. When it comes to style, the world is at our fingertips.
- Finishes: You can choose from finishes such as chrome, polished nickel, matte black, aged brass, and more.
- Wall Mounted: If you live in a cold-weather environment, a wall-mounted faucet cannot be installed directly onto an exterior wall. You can build a plumbing wall inside the exterior wall to accommodate the faucet. This plumbing wall can end just above the faucet to create a little shelf, which is a nice and practical addition.
- Toilets: Not all toilets are created equally!
- A basic American Standard toilet is perfectly fine.
- You can choose between a one-piece or two-piece with a skirted bottom (skirted bottoms are easier to clean and considered standard).
- Toto and Kohler have the best reputation for quality, and both feature luxury seats that range from heated to all the bells and whistles that will raise and lower the seat as you approach and leave it, etc. The luxury toilet market is impressive, with so many options that it’s worth shopping and experiencing the differences in person.
- Shower Faucets and Valves: Most of our clients have more than one shower faucet in their shower.
- Handheld: An extra handheld (used for cleaning the shower or when you don’t want to get your hair wet).
- Shower Head: Add an extra shower head if your shower size is over 5’.
- Rain Head: The size will depend on the size of the shower.
- Shower Valve: The valve mechanism for operating these components can be confusing. We recommend that you speak with your sales reps about the best valve solution. You can often use a thermostatic valve plus a volume control, but there are ways to eliminate too many controls with specific product lines. Long and short, think ahead of time about how you want the controls to look and function.
- Tub Fillers: You have quite a few options here.
- Wall Mounted: Remember that we cannot install a wall-mounted tub filler on an exterior wall in cold weather climates. However, you can add a plumbing wall to hold the faucet and have a shelf above for candles and tea.
- Floor Mounted: Floor-mounted tub fillers are the easiest for the plumber to install, especially if the floor below is unfinished.
- Deck Mounted: This is for built-in tubs only.
- Tub / Shower Combo: These typically work off of one valve, and new combination sets include handhelds.
- Kitchen Sink Faucets: As the kitchen’s workhorse, they are used consistently throughout the day!
- I strongly recommend that you go to the supplier for this plumbing fixture to get a good understanding of its touch and feel.
- Spend more money on this item than other plumbing fixtures, and you will get your money back in spades.
- Single-hole kitchen faucets are easier. When your hands need to be washed, pulling down one side is hard for extreme heat or cold. While I love the look of the bridge, it’s a functional kitchen logistical nightmare for me.
- Bar Sink Faucets: Typically, the same faucet you choose for the kitchen should also be used for the bar sink.
- Laundry Faucets: Laundry sinks are either kitchen or bar sink faucets; there is no right or wrong.
Brands We Love
- Lower End: Moen and American Standard can hold their own in the marketplace, but I think they lack design perspective.
- Middle End: This is where most of our client’s land. Kohler and Delta take the lead here. Their designs and finishes are gorgeous and range from modern to traditional. Grohe and Hansgrohe lean more “clean” or “contemporary” and feature some nice shower valve options.
- High End: Kallista is the high end of Kohler, and Brizo is the high end of Delta. There are many more–most US lines now have a range. If you want to go high end, this is where you want to land because US companies support them and if there are any missing parts (a common problem), they can be received relatively quickly.
- European: European fixtures are fun because they look a little different. But before purchasing, be absolutely positive that it will fit. As we mentioned above, there are single-hole, 4”, and 8” center vanity faucets but European measurements are slightly off.
- If you are doing a custom countertop, that will help with any discrepancy in sizing as your countertop supplier will fabricate your slab custom to your plumbing dimensions. However, I wouldn’t take the chance if you are trying to fit a European faucet into a pre-drilled US countertop.
IN OUR HUMBLE OPINION:
- Finish Matching: The plumbing, lighting, and hardware do not necessarily have to match, but must work together. Select a style (e.g., clean or traditional) and stick with it. This gives you a lot of breathing room when selecting finishes. That being said, we think it’s important for all the plumbing to match in the bathroom. If you decide on a Delta bathroom faucet in chrome finish, the shower plumbing fixtures should be something chrome by Delta as well. We also like all the lighting to match, and all the hardware to match either the plumbing or lighting finish to keep it cohesive.
- Vanity Faucet Selection & Context: The vanity is the most used and essential fixture in a bathroom. Choose this item first for the entire bathroom plumbing. If you love a vanity faucet but don’t like the shower set-up, that’s okay. Typically, you don’t see the two in the same line of vision. Just make sure they are the same finish. Chrome in this instance is the easiest to match. It does work with the other finishes as long as the style change is within the same brand. If you want to change brands, the plumbing supplier (such as Build.com) will have a set of finishes for each brand, so ensure your selections work together.
Questions on the above? Feeling unsure of your plumbing selections, book a quick consultation with Amy here.
