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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3854
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 12:05 pm: | 
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We are starting to plan the total gut of our upstairs bathroom (the one that was in the 2007 plan, but since the 40 y/o grout is failing & we hate the tile, well, you know....) 
We are going to stay basic & classic: tub, sink (preferably console) & toilet. We have to stay with our shower over tub config (unfortunately) due to space considerations (either that or forgo a toilet & put in a stall shower. Would that pass inspection?).
So, I'm asking for suggestions & those usual, great MOL-recommended steals & deals. We went to Lawrence Kantor for our last bathroom a few months ago, but I'm thinking that there are better deals out there. |
mim
Citizen
Username: Mim
Post Number: 409
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 12:19 pm: |
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I've bought sinks and faucets at Palmer Plumbing Supply on Valley just past the intersection with Vauxhall. The place looks somewhat abandoned, and I don't know how wide a selection they have. But for what I needed, they were competitive price-wise, and very helpful. |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7548
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 1:25 pm: |
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With all the talk about Costco here recently I have been checking out their website. They have vanities and such, which kind of surprised me.
WWW.costco.com
Imho toilets are toilets and Home Depot has a good selection in all price ranges.
Shower doors don't float we Ks boat, but if we were going to go in that direction we would go with the frameless glass. There is a thread in the attic on this. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3859
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 1:37 pm: |
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Bob- that's so funny. I have argued with several contractors, two tile guys and the guy who designed our kitchen on the shower door issue. I don't like them, either. I'd much rather have a really cool shower curtain.
It's gotten to the point where I just say we can't afford a door right now. That shuts 'em up. 
We probably won't go Costco - I want a matching suite and we have space issues; like TS wants a clawfoot tub & I am not optimistic that we will find one in the 5 foot space we have to work with. Stock items made for more contemporary spec houses (ala Costco) probably won't work. |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7549
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 2:01 pm: |
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Greenie, a lot of their stuff is Shaker and Traditional. I am not getting a commission or anything.....
I just found it interesting. |
mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 233
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 2:04 pm: |
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Random thoughts:
"Imho toilets are toilets" - But ours (probably from HD, as the previous owner did a lot of work himself) constantly have to have their mechanisms replaced . I'm thinking there must be better quality on the innards somewhere.
Shower doors - I'm with you, greene, but the spouse and plumber insisted on a door for more insurance against leaking into the downstairs ceiling. Really it's not so bad (but it's so new I haven't had to deal with cleaning it yet  ). |
Beans
Citizen
Username: Nalini
Post Number: 47
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 2:13 pm: |
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We just finished our bathroom after a total gut renovation and got the Kohler Memoir suite from Home Depot Expo. We priced out everything from small mom and pop places and found Home Depot Expo to be more reasonable. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1353
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 2:25 pm: |
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You probably know all of this stuff already but here goes:
I did most of my shopping for a pedestal sink and clawfoot tub faucet online. I would go to the manufacturer's site and getting their list of vendors (either online or by calling them). I would try to see it "live", or at least compare the dimensions from online to a similar model. Then I would search on the internet/brick and mortar stores to find the best price. We ended up getting the faucet online and the sink from Expo, and I'm glad we did as the sink arrived broken and they had to deal with the reorder.
http://www.clawfootclassics.com/ has several 5' clawfoot tubs and one smaller one, also the faucets to go with. Only thing I would advise is that they are higher up off the ground, so if you have to use it regularly as your main shower and you are, ahem, vertically challenged, it might be a pain.
Other sites that were helpful:
www.plumbingsupply.com
www.designerplumbing.com
www.vintagetub.com
www.homeclick.com
Check out Duravit's 1930's collection. NICE pedestal (or wall hung) sink and toilet with fixtures to match. Not sure if they make a tub in that style though. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3863
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 3:46 pm: |
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Wendy -
I'm with you on the vertical challenge thing. The clawfoot is TS's idea. Although, I'm less concerned about vertical challenges than age challenges.
Our kitchen island has a high breakfast bar, with the higher barstools. I said to her just the other night "you know, in another 15 years, we're not going to be able to climb up on these & will have to move to an old folks development just so we can sit & eat".
I'm trying to imagine getting in & out of a clawfoot with creaky knees.... |
millie amoresano
Citizen
Username: Millieamoresano
Post Number: 191
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 3:48 pm: |
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Greentree my husband uses Kantor for his jobs. Ask your contractor if he gets a discount there I think my husband gets 30% off and then passes the discount on to his customers. |
mrmaplewood
Citizen
Username: Mrmaplewood
Post Number: 154
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 4:46 pm: |
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I second Kantor's. Recently had my bathroom done using their recommendations, and am thoroughly pleased. Adult height toilet, wider tub than original, bath valve with thermostat built in, and the quietest fan you never heard. (Had to install a timer on the fan because I couldn't tell if it was running.) I am very happy. |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 313
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 4:52 pm: |
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We just did something similar, and we did a bunch of research. A good place to look for ideas is a Ferguson Showroom (http://www.ferguson.com/Showrooms/showrooms.shtml). I think we went to one in Lakewood, but i assume they're all the same.
But price things out. Ferguson wanted top dollar for the Kohler Memoirs collection, whereas Lowes, HD, and Expo had it on the floor or could order it significantly cheaper. (And in some cases HD and Expo had different prices for the same items, so be careful.)
The Great Indoors in Woodbridge, which is owned by Sears, has a lot as well. That's where we bought our sink.
And some may say a toilet is a toilet, but not all toilets have the Toto patented SoftClose seat and Power Gravity G-Max flushing system. We bought ours from NJ Plumbing Supply here in Maplewood, and they already had it in stock in the back. Best little toilet i ever owned. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3865
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5:09 pm: |
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Papaya- that's the toilet we purchased for our new downstairs bathroom. Love it. It was pronounced "perfect" by my father & trust me: that man is a connosieur. We also have an adorable little sink (tiny space) and are building a stall shower right now, so there are no bathtub issues. We bought them at Newark Plumbing & did get a discount.
We bought all of our kitchen fixtures from Kantor & they gave us the contractor's discount (although, we got 20%, not Bruno's 30%. But, I'm sure Bruno buys a lot more).
I have no problem going back to either place. But, even cheaper would be better! Love the suggestions. Thans, everyone. |
Mrs T
Citizen
Username: Netjack
Post Number: 35
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5:13 pm: |
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Are you going to do the shower ring over the clawfoot tub? I've got that now and live to regret it every time we shower. The curtains suck into the tub and cling to you. Climbing in and out can be tricky at any age with wet slippery tile. Also don't get brass, it stains a lot. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3866
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5:35 pm: |
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Mrs - What if we tile around the wall & just have the curtain on the front? That's how we have it now with our conventional tub (whatever it's official name is). |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7553
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 6:11 pm: |
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OK, I take back the toilet is a toilet remark. I have read about the new Japanese toilets and they do flush better than most water conservation toilets. However, two Kohler toilets we have been using for the last three years are working fine also and the models we bought have a nice old timey look.
Greentree, a claw foot tub stands away from the wall. Unless you want to have a problem with the ceiling down below you need the shower ring. |
Mrs T
Citizen
Username: Netjack
Post Number: 36
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 7:45 pm: |
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I've thought about doing that, but have decided that it will probably cause more problems than it's worth. I really do regret not putting in a stall shower. A crucial concideration is-how long do you anticipate living in the house? If you think you'll be there a long time-make it to your liking and how you'll use it in the furure, maybe years from now. If you think you'll leave soon, several years, a regular tub/shower is more desirable from a resale point of view (my renovation plan this time). Unless you'll soak in the tub a LOT, retink the clawfoot, or maybe put it somewhere else. We'll be gutting another bath soon too, and will be leaving the regular tub in place. LOL |
maaaa
Citizen
Username: Maaaa
Post Number: 120
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 7:53 pm: |
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We bought a number of fixtures from homeclick.com-- Toto toilet, Grohe valves, Duravit Stark sink. The customer service people were extremely helpful on the phone for special orders (the Stark sink had to be ordered from Germany), and they have regular weekend sales on in stock items. The company's in NJ, so you pay sales tax, but the prices were the lowest we found. |
Amie Brockway-Metcalf
Citizen
Username: Amie
Post Number: 170
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 8:13 am: |
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Has anyone turned their butler's pantry into a bathroom? We're thinking of tackling that this year and don't know if we should go 1/2 or full bath. We'd like to reserve a bit of the space for a kitchen desk. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3871
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 9:10 am: |
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I can answer that one!
In terms of adding value to your haouse, a full bath on the first floor: not so much. Master baths off the master bedroom are the best bang for the buck.
I wanted to have a powder room on the first floor & put in a master bath. That would have given us two full upstairs & one half on the first floor. But, given our layout, we would have had to to major 2nd floor addition work & the cost was not feasible. Since we'd already had a full bath on the first floor, we rebuilt it. I figured it wouldn't add much value but why make a two full into a one and a half?
So, unless you really want another full bath, I wouldn't bother. |
Amie Brockway-Metcalf
Citizen
Username: Amie
Post Number: 171
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 9:21 am: |
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We only have one bathroom on the second floor currently. I am not looking forward to potty training. |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 992
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 9:28 am: |
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I don't see much value in adding a full bath on the ground floor unless there is a bedroom on that floor. We converted our little mudroom/pantry/vestibule thingy to a powder room this past summer and it is the best thing ever. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3874
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 9:35 am: |
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I'm with Eliz on this one. Don't waste money on a full 1st floor unless you really want to. The 2nd toilet is the real addition.
On a side note, we spent years in an apartment with 1 toilet - no problem. But, once you get used to having 2...
During our construction, it was very distressing to be back to one. How spoiled are we? |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7558
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 9:41 am: |
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This depends on your lifestyle.
When our kids were little and playing sports a downstairs shower would have been very handy after a soccer game played in a driving rain on a muddy field. 
Also, I am an early riser and Mrs. K is the opposite. I think I have used the master bathroom twice in mucho years because of this. A downstairs shower would work to keep the noise level down for the late sleeper.
I agree it probably isn't going to add value, but it can be convenient. Also if you are plumbing for a new bath I think the additional cost would be minimal. |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1359
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 10:01 am: |
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We have a finished basement where our guests stay, and we considered changing the powder room on the 1st floor to a 3/4 bath (with stall shower). Would be great for guests would wouldn't have to use the single bathroom on the 2nd floor. Unfortunately it would have taken too much room away from the new kitchen. Fortunately we are ending up putting in a full basement, so we will have the space (and hopefully eventually the money) to put in a full bath in the basement.
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Travis
Citizen
Username: Travis
Post Number: 63
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2005 - 7:16 am: |
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"... in some cases HD and Expo had different prices for the same items..."
Some manufacturers make special versions of their products for HD. They use cheaper (crappier) components than usual to meet HD's pricing. |
Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 507
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2005 - 4:36 pm: |
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We turned our butler's pantry into a powder room back in 1969 when we moved in. It was a horrible butler's pantry, ugly and inconvenient. It became a nice little powder room, and we have never regretted doing so. At one point, when I thought that I might have my semi-invalid mother who couldn't climb strairs living with me, I did wish that I had made it into a full bathroom, but my mother decided that she didn't want to live with me after all, so the powder room has been great. |
Czele
Citizen
Username: Czele
Post Number: 54
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 10:24 pm: |
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For a good deal try AF Supply (www.afsupply.com). We recently added two full baths to our house. One with items from Kantor because we needed the free delivery. AF Supply is a huge place in Harrison, just off 280, east of Newark. We bought a bunch of fixtures from them since we could fit them in our car. Prices were better and they seem to keep a lot of stock. |
CFA
Citizen
Username: Cfa
Post Number: 1304
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 4:31 am: |
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I'm with beans on the Kohler Memoirs suite. We upgraded to it and love it. If you go with the Memoirs, make sure you order the toilet seat as well. We also installed all of the Memoir hardware that matches, i.e., paper roll, towel ring, etc. |
sk8mom
Citizen
Username: Sk8mom
Post Number: 97
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 8:45 am: |
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There was an article in yesterday's NY Times Home section about buying bath fixures online. The writer saved about 30% off what she was quoted in the store and on Kohler's website. |
Beans
Citizen
Username: Nalini
Post Number: 53
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 9:34 am: |
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CFA, the memoirs suite does make a statement. It was the right choice for us. I would love to see pictures of your bathroom. |
Iwant2 KeepMyJob
Citizen
Username: Fastfusion
Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 2:14 pm: |
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Buy Quality Fixtures. You'll be thankful later on you did.
American Standard, Kholer, Gerber.
HD and Costco are mostly cheep Chinise imports.
All State Plumbing Supply
Central Ave, Orange NJ
973-677-1710 - Mike
Maplewood Plumbing Supply
Springfield Ave, Maplewood NJ
973-763-0191 - Paul |
Master Plvmber
Citizen
Username: Master_plvmber
Post Number: 332
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 2:52 pm: |
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Here are some links from my website to manufacturers I've dealt with:
http://www.GatewayPlumbing.com/kitchens.html
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doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 278
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 5:53 pm: |
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I bought several fixtures through Homeclick.com a couple years ago & found them to be well-priced & great service. Good luck!
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mammabear
Citizen
Username: Mammabear
Post Number: 183
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 5:44 pm: |
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TOILETS ARE NOT TOILETS!!!
The toilets sold by HD and Expo may carry the same brand name but they are of much lower quality than the same brand name at a plumbing supply store!!! Kohler and the like have a lower level line that is distributed at home improvement stores. If you want a quality toilet or fixture, you must go to a plumbing store like Cantor or Palmer's.
BTW, my plumber recommended Toto toilets and we have been THRILLED with them so far! |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 326
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, March 5, 2005 - 9:25 pm: |
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mammabear - does this mean that the Kohler Memoirs toilet from HD/Expo is not the same as the Kohler Memoirs toilet from a plumbing supply place? Or do you just mean that there are some other Kohler lines that are made specifically (and cheaply) for HD/Expo? |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7821
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 6:37 pm: |
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Probably not. I doubt that Kohler or American Standard would cheapen their more upscale lines by doing this, although it is possible the inner workings might be less expensive than on a toilet sold by a plumbing supply store.
In some cases HD products are upgrades. Last year they were selling Weber gas grills with a higher quality grate than other stores, at the same price.
Don't Toto toilets run $1,000 or so? Are they really worth it?
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David Cataneo
Citizen
Username: Dave_cataneo
Post Number: 64
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, March 6, 2005 - 7:38 pm: |
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Toto toilet start at around $150.00 and run up to $5,000.00 - Like this one: http://totousa.com/toto/productpage.asp?PID=692
Any takers? |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7823
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 7, 2005 - 4:16 am: |
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Dave, thanks. I am contemplating a toilet that automatically opens and closes the lid. I guess I am use to automatic flushing from commercial units.
Does the toilet automatically recognize guys from gals? Yah know opens both the lid and the seat for a guy? LOL |
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