Consolidated Plumbing Blog

Let’s not beat around the bush. Home renovations are expensive. But when it comes to trimming the fat off your bathroom remodel, there’s one fixture you just shouldn’t touch.

The toilet.

In this post we’ll look at five reasons why buying the cheapest toilet you can find is a one-way ticket to bathroom disaster.

Better learn to keep that plunger handy

Nothing quite spoils your morning routine like a clogged toilet. You’re already running late and now you’ve got this to deal with. There are a number of reasons why you’re more likely to encounter flushing issues with a low-quality toilet.

Weak siphon: Plain and simple, the engineering on cheap bowls just isn’t up to snuff. There’s a science behind creating the water pressure that whisks your waste away and just a slight decrease in siphon greatly increases your chances of a clog.

Problems with the porcelain mold: Misshapen port holes are one of the primary causes of a slow flushing toilet. If you live somewhere with hard water you could be in double-trouble as mineral deposits develop more quickly on improperly formed jets.

Poorly designed trap: Problems with the S-shaped trap between your bowl and drain will cause blockages to happen more frequently.

Pay now or pay later

It’s a guarantee that low-cost toilets come with junky parts inside the tank. You can rest assured that not long after installation you’ll encounter issues with one or more of the moving parts and need to replace your flapper, fill valve, flush handle or perhaps even the whole shebang.

If you’re not handy around the house you could wind up spending all the money you saved on a single visit from your plumber. Flimsy toilet innards just don’t last.

I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to order that in

Here’s another reason to buy Kohler! Many budget toilet models come from China and don’t use standard replacement parts in the tank.

Talk about a migraine. Imagine having to special order in even the simplest seals and washers for your toilet. It’s an added expense and an added headache you don’t want to deal with.

Drip, drip, drip

Low quality seals age quickly and start to leak before you know it.

If the main gasket between the tank and the bowl goes bad you’ll know right away when you slip on the wet floor. If the leak’s inside the tank, however, you may not become aware of the problem until you start to notice those extra high water bills.

You get what you pay for

Aside from providing poor functionality, budget toilets tend to look and feel cheap as well.

From an uncomfortable seat to a slamming lid or wiggly handle, you’ll be reminded with every use that there’s a fine line between making smart frugal decisions and being a tightwad!

If you need to cut costs from your bathroom makeover, do it elsewhere. Opting to install a bargain basement toilet is a decision you’ll regret for years to come.

With so many different directions you could go in, deciding on a color palette for your kitchen makeover is a recipe for frustration. For many homeowners, the easy solution is simply to paint everything white!

Find out if the timeless white kitchen is the right choice for your home:

Pros

• White cabinets create the illusion that your kitchen is bigger than it actually is. In addition, lighter colors deliver a more welcoming vibe to the room and brighten up the space.
• Nearly every cabinet design looks great painted white. You can save thousands on your kitchen remodel by refurbishing the cabinetry you already own. Keep a can of paint around for quick and easy touch-up.
• White goes great with every other color combination or time period. Maintain the flexibility to be able to switch between traditional or contemporary themes.
• Similarly, white goes with all appliance finishes. There won’t be any need to repaint or rethink your design down the road when it’s time to purchase a new refrigerator and range.
• A simple white palette allows for a stunning centerpiece like marble countertops to truly stand out and steal the show.
• A white backdrop is ideal for contrast against striking and colorful highlights.

Cons

• Cracks and other signs of aging show more quickly in white cabinetry.
• Dirt, grime, smudges, fingerprints, scratches and grease appear more prominently, and sauces and other food products are liable to permanently stain white paint more so than other colors.
• White kitchens void of additional flair seem cold, sterile and boring. White can’t stand by itself.
• Maintenance can be tedious, particularly for families with small children. White has a tendency to look very clean or very dirty.

Bear in mind neighboring rooms

Some homeowners want the kitchen to be the focal point of their home. Others prefer to draw visitors’ attention elsewhere.

A white kitchen bordering a dark colored room will pull eyes away from the dark and into the white. Do not go with white if you prefer your kitchen to meld into the background.

So many whites to choose from

If you come to the conclusion that you do, in fact, wish to move ahead with the white motif, the next step is to determine which type of white you’re going for.

Shooting for a pure white makes it difficult to match different textures and finishes. Painted wood, appliances, flooring and countertops will all appear slightly dissimilar even when featuring the identical white hue.

Consider a white with subtle undertones of blue, grey, yellow or pink. If you are unable to distinguish the delicate differences on your paint swatches, use a blank sheet of computer paper for comparison.

A quick note on white appliances and sinks

With stainless steel appliances all the rage, it’s easy to forget that traditional white appliances offer several advantages over their shiny counterparts.

White appliances are easier to maintain as they can be cleaned with a simple mix of soap and water. Stainless steel must be polished with a special solution. White finishes are also less susceptible to showing fingerprints, dents and other signs of wear and tear.

KOHLER® Enameled Cast Iron Kitchen Sinks resist chipping, cracking, or burning for years of beauty and reliable performance.

86 years ago, the Kohler Company was featured at the New York Museum of Modern Art with an exhibition titled Modern Bath and Dressing Room. The subject of the exhibit was to showcase the bath of the future.

Today, the engineers at Kohler are back at it.

Running from November 22, 2014 to May 10, 2015, Kohler’s newest contribution to the MoMA will be an altogether different view of bathrooms yet to come. With the global population on track to surpass 8 billion people within a decade and a half, we must seek out new and innovative ways for dealing with waste in burgeoning metropolises.

We must, in essence, reinvent the toilet. Kohler, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is on the case.

Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities

Kohler’s primary contribution to the project is the prototype for a solar-powered water treatment and toilet unit. Accompanying the pioneering display is a series of projects and essays produced by leading urban and architectural scholars from around the world.

A partnership of 6 interdisciplinary research teams generated architectural possibilities for 6 global mega cities – Rio, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Lagos, New York and Mumbai.

Reinvent the Toilet Challenge

Sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and in collaboration with Kohler, the Reinvent The Toilet Challenge dared research teams at eight different universities to develop a solution for delivering safe sanitation services to the two and a half billion people across the globe who do not currently have access to modern waste management technology.

The challenge stipulated that all designs function in off-the-grid scenarios with no connections to water, sewer or electrical lines. The foundation provided grants to each team to fund research and construction of their prototype.

A group of doctoral students at CalTech were the winners of the competition. They devised a mobile restroom solution, equipped with a freestanding, self-contained wastewater treatment system.

The treatment system is solar powered and generates both hydrogen and electricity. It’s capable of storing sufficient energy during daylight hours to function at night. The toilets and bathroom fixtures were, of course, provided by Kohler.

The prototype travels to India

It’s estimated that 600 million of the world’s 1 billion people with no access to bathroom facilities live in India. When CalTech prepared to travel overseas to run real world tests on their innovative self-contained wastewater treatment system, Kohler offered to donate additional toilets and fixtures so that further prototypes could be built.

While some industry experts criticize the CalTech proposal as being too advanced to provide a real solution to India’s present day sanitation woes, Michael Hoffman, environmental science professor and leader of the CalTech, defended the design.

Hoffman contends that technology has prevailed in the past where other methodologies have failed. “This can be done,” he said via email. “Fifty years ago, computers were too costly and complicated for the average person. Today almost everyone carries a computer in their pocket.”

The galley kitchen may not be the sexiest layout in the design catalog, but for providing maximum efficiency with minimal space it simply can’t be beat.

Owning a home fitted with a galley doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the cucina of your dreams. Follow these simple tips to get the most out of your galley kitchen.

Light on dark colors

It used to be that a stained oak finish was the crème de la crème of cabinet finishes, but if your cabinetry features a dark, outdated varnish, you’re unnecessarily making your space seem smaller than it actually is.

Repainting those old wood cabinets off-white or bright beige will instantaneously pull more light into the room to create a more welcoming, airy ambience. If possible, cut in a bonus window or install a skylight to further the effect. Track lighting is a solid alternative when additional natural light is unavailable.

Storage to the rafters

Whether you prefer closed cabinetry or open shelving, be sure to utilize every square inch of space by installing storage all the way to the ceiling.

If your home features ultra-high ceilings, don’t let this deter you from gobbling up all that extra storage space. Simply stock seldom-used items on higher shelves and keep a folding stepladder handy in a nearby closet.

Galley kitchens tend to feature limited counter space, so the additional storage up high will allow you to keep working areas less cluttered down below.

Streamline cabinets to prevent the blockage of sight lines from one end of the room to the other, and invest in storage solutions that allow you to stow away blenders, mixers and other machines not utilized on a daily basis.

Splurge on kick butt fixtures and appliances

There’s a major bonus to having less square footage to fill up with costly construction materials: more money for fancy fixtures and top of the line appliances!

Saving thousands of dollars on countertops means you’ll have cash on hand to install Delta’s awesome Trinsic pull-down prep faucet featuring Touch2O® Technology.

Rip out your boring old sink and upgrade to Kohler’s Executive Chef™, built with durable chip resistant cast iron and features a state-of-the-art offset faucet ledge to take full advantage of basin space. Duo bowls (large and medium) are ideal for separating clean and dirty dishes with plenty of room for oversized pots and pans.

From an ultramodern refrigerator to the espresso maker of your dreams, allow your kitchen to make up what it lacks in size with the latest in kitchen gadgetry.

Personalize your space

It may sound counterintuitive to add artwork and personal items to an already crowded room, but the reality is that adding some fun to your kitchen makes it a more pleasant place to be.

Dress windows with quality treatments that don’t inhibit the intake of sunlight, and flop a vibrantly colored throw down the aisle. Sure, a rug in the kitchen will require the occasional laundering, but there’s real value in allowing your workroom’s personality to exceed its limited dimensions.

Advancements in post-war fiberglass molding technology led to the birth and popularity of fully encapsulated bath/shower enclosures. By the mid-1980s an all-in-one bath solution had become the norm, complete with a cheap, gaudy, flower patterned plastic shower curtain.

Now, bathroom designers are moving forward by taking two steps back. Freestanding baths have returned with a vengeance, and they’re more elegant and luxurious than ever.

Here are a few reasons why you need to consider a freestanding tub for your next bathroom makeover.

Boldly state that your bathroom is a relaxation destination

Freestanding tubs are less of a plumbing fixture and more of a piece of ornamental furniture. While the focal point of most bathrooms is the sink and vanity, rooms that feature a freestanding tub instantly draw the eye away from the wall and into the bath. This creates a welcoming ambience that all but removes your clothes and slides you into the tub.

Place a small wooden table featuring bubble bath, bath salts and essential oils to the side of the tub and you’ll begin to view the bathroom not as the place where you get ready for work but instead as a relaxing refuge, safe from the outside world.

Create an illusion of space

While built-in tub enclosures do in fact use up less square footage, they tend to generate sensations of constriction and claustrophobia.

A freestanding tub, on the other hand, will create the illusion that your bathroom is larger and more airy than it actually is. With plenty of space for you to extend your arms and legs without crashing into the wall, a smaller bathroom can now provide the same level of spacious bathing that you might find in a luxury hotel.

Explore placement options

Part of what makes bathroom renovation design challenging is working new elements into a space that was plumbed for a completely different set of fixtures and features. Built-in units must be placed in a corner where two walls meet with a wet wall at the head of the enclosure.

Freestanding tubs are far more flexible. It’s even possible to construct a raised platform to give your gorgeous new tub the showcase it deserves.

Craft that “spa” look right down the hall

Whether your motif is vintage claw-foot or graceful and modern, freestanding tubs come in a variety of shapes and lend themselves to add a spa-like feel to your bathroom. This vibe is much more difficult to achieve with a built-in.

Kohler offers models for every budget and aesthetic

With Kohler, a small budget need not prevent you from bringing the ultimate in bathroom luxury to your home. Even at the lower end of the price range, Sunstruck™ oval tubs provide plenty of space to stretch out and enjoy a deep, relaxing soak.

For a more quadratic look, go with Stargaze™. Offering similar lumbar support and an extra deep basin, Stargaze™ features crisp clean lines and a straight shroud.

At the higher end consider a modern take on the classic claw-toothed tub. Birthday Bath® combines contemporary brass legs with an ergonomically redesigned basin.

Abrazo® brings the MOMA into your washroom…

…and Aliento® is the freestanding tub conveniently built for two!

Life is getting more hectic by the minute. There’s never been a better time to transform your bathroom into an idyllic personal retreat!

Setting up a private home wellness center doesn’t need to be complex or crazy expensive. Here are five killer tips to get you well on your way to crafting the ultimate relaxation sanctuary.

1. Consider a complete lighting overhaul

It’s no secret that light has a profound effect on our moods and emotions. In order to arouse a relaxing spa-like atmosphere in a once-ordinary bathroom, the first change you have to make is to reinvent the lighting.

The traditional mode of thinking when it comes to bathroom lighting is “brighter is better,” but the reality is that it’s difficult to relax under a sea of intense glare. Bathrooms tend to be filled with many reflective surfaces, so special care must be taken to install the proper fixtures with the right bulbs.

Divide your light sources into four categories: wall, ceiling, mirror and decorative. Use high-quality white opal glass for glare-free background light from the ceiling and swivel-style track lighting with LEDs to target specific areas for illumination. Mirrors should be lit from both the left and right to avoid shadowing, and decorative lighting adds a feel-good atmosphere to the room.

Use this simple test to determine whether your lighting schema is right for relaxation:

• Stand two people approximately six feet apart at opposite ends of the room with the door closed and the shade drawn. Faces should appear natural and in a neutral light color.
• Glare on the cheeks is a sign of too much light, while shadows are an indication of the opposite.

2. Splurge on a luxury shower head

Hot water is the ultimate relaxant. Investing in a full-on luxury shower system such as the Odin Collection by Brizo ensures you’ll never want to leave the bath.

The Odin Collection includes a Scandinavian inspired raincan shower head, handshower, and body spray all powered by proprietary SmartTouchPlus™ proximity sensing technology, providing hands-free and touch-sensitive operation.

3. Break the cardinal rule of bathroom flooring

Carpets have long been seen as a no-no for bathrooms, but imagine stepping out of the shower and wiggling your toes through the soft fibers of a plush throw rug. If the bathroom is reserved for adult-use only, you can even consider wall-to-wall carpeting with a designated dry off zone just outside of the wet areas.

4. Add plants for a calming influence

One or two large-leafed potted plants help convey a soothing mood to the room. Check with your local nursery to find plants that are apt for success in warm, moist, indoor environments.

Add to the ambience with aromatic incense sticks, etheric oils, water scents and an abundance of candles to shift the vibe and slow the pace. A small Bluetooth powered speaker system is ideal for playing soft music to suppress stressors from the outside world.

5. The devil is in the details

Extra-large fluffy towels, ornate bottles for deluxe bath products, new bath slippers and a luxurious silk robe – all these small things add up when trying to put yourself into the wellness mindset.

Space permitting, a comfy oversized chair provides the perfect refuge. Lock the door and curl up with a good book.

Relive the glitz and glamour of the Roaring Twenties by decorating your bathroom with the timeless motif of art deco. Art deco provides the ultimate balance of outrageous style and enduring relevancy. It’s a design that never goes out of fashion. Ever.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to putting together your own retro bathroom.

Set the tone with a bold basin

An art deco sink is defined by hard, angular lines and a long pedestal. Kohler’s Memoirs® line is an excellent choice that’s available in a variety of finishes to allow flexibility with your color palette.

Memoirs® is ideal for those seeking a “full classic” retro look.

For a more modern design that still plays along with the art deco theme, consider the 23 inch Rêve®. Rêve® offers strong geometric lines and contemporary contours to create a striking focal point in the bathroom. The V-shaped basin is both practical and stylish. Remember, one of the core tenets of art deco style is function over form.

Hang a large ornate mirror above the sink for added effect. Look for something with a gilded, brass, aluminum, silver or chrome frame.

Make a statement with a freestanding bath

When an original claw-toothed iron bath is simply unavailable, Kohler’s Iron Works® Historic freestanding tub is the next best thing. With classic curves and ornate footings, this tub melds modern comfort and lumbar support with old school chic.

Take a free pass on your toilet

The one-two punch of freestanding tub and pedestal sink ought to create sufficient impact to allow a “get out of jail free card” when it comes to toilet selection. There’s no need to go antique with your commode if you don’t want to.

Let’s face it, a modern toilet has its…umm…benefits.

And it’s easy to quickly transform a contemporary toilet to showcase historic flair. Place an art deco inspired vanity tray on the top of the tank to display ornate bottles and trinkets. Boom! Now you get a powerful flush AND a powerful impact.

Be audacious with your wall coverings

If you’ve got the budget for it, consider tiling your walls with checkered or subway tiles. Wall tiles have the dual benefits of being gorgeous and easy to clean.

An inexpensive alternative is to select bathroom wallpaper with a daring period print. Think bold vertical stripes or strong 2-tone patterns. Blacks, whites and grays round out the art deco color scheme.

Upgrade your lighting fixtures

You don’t have to hang tough to clean crystal chandeliers to encapsulate 1920s-styled lighting elegance. Any reputable lighting supply house will offer a wide range of retro-styled glass fixtures.

Don’t be afraid to go gaudy. Art deco is meant to be loud, showy and over the top.

Splurge on an authentic period piece or two

The marketplace is filled with designer imposter art deco furnishings to complete your bathroom’s look at a price anyone can afford, but to truly set off the wow factor in your retro washroom, find money in your renovation budget for at least one authentic antique.

Whether it’s a table, lamp or vintage timepiece, a little piece of history can whisk visitors to your bathroom back to the Roaring Twenties.

In many kitchens, the countertop design sets the tone for the rest of the room’s color palette. Face it—it’s a lot easier to pick out an alternative hue than to find just the right marble to match your paint swatch!

When planning a full-on kitchen makeover, it’s best to decide on a countertop first and go from there. Here’s a basic guide to the most common counter materials and how each type rates in terms of durability, price and style.

Granite: the granddaddy of durability

Granite is perhaps the most affordable natural stone countertop material, with each and every sample offering a unique blend of hue, grain and design. Depending on the shape of the slabs, installation can cost as little as $50 per square foot, with the price going up from there based on the rarity of the stone.

When properly sealed, granite is extraordinarily durable and scratch resistant.

Tip: When shopping for granite, you will pay for the full uncut slab and not the measurements of your installed countertop. Measure your slab first and try to incorporate the dimensions into your design to avoid paying for wasted materials.

Marble and soapstone: the natural stone alternatives

The beauty of marble is unrivaled, but expect to shell out nearly double what you would for granite. Marble develops an attractive patina over time and its unique pigmentations and patterns match well with white color palettes, but since it’s a softer stone, marble can be susceptible to stains and scratches.

Soapstone is more durable than marble and offers additional benefits such as resistance to stains, bacteria and chemicals. Installation costs are in the neighborhood of $100 per square foot, but soapstone countertops will last for the life of your home.

Tile: the DIYer’s dream

Tile is one of the few countertop materials that can be installed by any moderately skilled do-it-yourselfer. Simply cut and install cement backer board, mix up your adhesive and start laying!

Even if you decide to hire a pro, tile can be very affordable. Starting at just $30 per square foot, ceramic or stone tile is durable and available in a broad range of colors and styles.

Here’s the caveat: tile counters won’t be as universally smooth, and over time grout is bound to stain and discolor.

Copper, zinc and stainless steel: the metal options

Out of the most popular metal finishes, stainless steel is the most prevalent. It’s non-staining, heat resistant, durable and super easy to clean. A stainless steel counter gives your cooking area the look of a professional kitchen and the cost of $80-90 per square foot undercuts stone options. The downside of stainless steel is that fingerprints and scratches stand out in the light.

Zinc and copper offer homeowners a countertop that grows over the years. Both metals develop a patina over time, with zinc darkening and copper shifting into a subtle blend of reds, browns and greens. The effects of these transmuting metals fall into the “love it or hate it category”—if you love it, expect to pay well over a hundred bucks per square foot for installation.

Engineered quartz: a customized natural look

If you like the look of stone but wish you could have more control over the color palette and finish, consider engineered quartz. By amalgamating ground quartz, resin and dyes into a durable, nonporous material, engineered quartz is available in every shade imaginable and is ideal for custom jobs.

Fooling Mother Nature isn’t cheap, though. Expect to pay $110 and up per square foot installed.

Recycled paper: a way to go green

Relatively new to the marketplace is a system of mixing recycled paper with pigments and resin to create an eco-friendly substitute for soapstone. Paper offers the advantage of broad color possibilities and a relatively low sticker price. Expect to shell out 40-80 bucks per square foot.

Concrete countertops: the latest rage

A skilled concrete countertop contractor is less of a tradesman and more of an artist. When done properly, a stained concrete countertop can truly function as the centerpiece of your entire home—but the key word here is “properly.”

A quality contractor will bill $100-150 per square foot, but concrete is extremely tough and built to last. This is the ideal material for those who wish to unleash on the world a never-before-seen countertop vision.

Plastic laminates: last but not least

Popular with builders in the ‘60s and ‘70s, plastic laminates cost less than half of what you’d pay for the next-cheapest material, tile. Before you cast off “Grandma’s” countertop as not being chic enough for your home, consider that laminates come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and finishes to match any taste.

Laminates are particularly popular with homeowners who already own an aging laminate countertop. You can apply a fresh new look to your kitchen for a fraction of what it would cost to rip out the plywood and start from scratch. Plastic is also a good choice if you plan to sell your home within the next few years.

When you’re ready to raise your kitchen to a whole new level, visit our 3,500 square foot showroom to peruse the finest collection of contemporary and classic sinks and faucets in Westchester County. At Consolidated Plumbing, we’re master distributors for top manufacturers such as Kohler, Brizo, Delta and Newport Brass.

In the interim, take a look at these quick and easy tips for adding a splash of color to the most important room in the house (for foodies, at least):

1. Buy the only trash can you’ll ever love

The simplehuman® 8 gal. Retro Step Can from the Container Store comes in red and is a surefire way to add retro flair and a burst of color to your kitchen.

Sure, it might seem like a head scratcher to shell out a hundred bucks for a garbage can, but this one is no ordinary trash receptacle. The proprietary lid shox® air suspension system controls the lid for a smooth, silent close and bag tuck® technology hides your bag when the can is shut.

Get one and thank us later.

2. Take a walk on the wild side with patterned dish towels

Toss out those tattered old dish towels and upgrade to bright prints from Anthropologie or Crate & Barrel.

A collection of quality dish towels look great folded neatly across a wooden display rod.

3. Hang a unique glass pendant light

Not all kitchen additions need to be practical. Check out the amazing collection of pendant lights over at shadesoflight.com and install your favorite just for the heck of it.

4. Pick up a colorful kitchen mat

Not all kitchen accessories need to be designer made.

Threshold™ from Target offers a wide selection of imaginative kitchen mats for just twenty bucks! At that price you can pick two up and gift the spare to your mother-in-law in exchange for brownie points.

5. Empty jars + mason lids = quick and easy accessory

Store colorful foods such as popcorn, children’s cereal and jelly beans in clear glass jars on the countertop.

For added effect, pick up designer decals off etsy.com.

6. Screw eyehooks under your cabinetry to display vibrant coffee cups

This is a DIY project that even the least handy homeowner can successfully undertake.

Pick up half a dozen or so white eyehooks from Home Depot and screw them into the underside of a cabinet or shelf. Select out your most lively mugs from the cabinet and hang them on display.

7. Energetic canisters from Pfaltzgraff

Go ahead and get caught with your hand stuck in the cookie jar. Pfaltzgraff sells unique kitchenware and accessories that you simply can’t find anywhere else.

8. Order the world’s most fantastically awesome Crock Pot

The Crock-Pot® Cook ‘N Carry® 5-Quart Manual French Bull Slow Cooker was designed by iconoclastic designer Jackie Shapiro.

This is seriously the only small kitchen appliance you’ll never want to hide behind closed doors.

9. An oldie but goodie

Colorful contact paper transforms drab shelves and drawer inserts into kitchen features in minutes flat.

Chicshelfpaper.com sells hundreds of designs you’ve never seen before. These guys are truly the crème de la crème of sticky paper for your shelves!

10. Jar candles from Yankee Candle

Double down with colorful candles featuring true to life scents that transform your house into a home.

We hope you didn’t read this post with your credit card handy or you might have a lot of explaining to do!