Consider Letting your Contractor Help you find your Fixtures
While shopping for your remodel project you’re bound to see something you really like, and perhaps like to have in your own home. Perhaps the styling is what you’re after, or maybe the functionality is what’s appealing. At the same time though, you also know you’ll need the help of a contractor to get through the process of completing your project. So you might ask, “Can we supply our own faucets and other materials?” The best answer is no.
Your contractor uses products that have stood the test of time. Their contractors and contacts have installed them before and know what issues, if any, they will encounter. If your contractor installs a product they have not seen before, they will most likely run into new problems as well. Here are some of the issues you’re most likely to see when installing unfamiliar items or materials:
Warranty Issues
Providing accurate warranty information for a product and its installation is difficult if the contractor doesn’t have a deep knowledge of the product or brand. If you want a specific product, like a faucet which isn’t well-known, it is very difficult for your contractor to be positive there won’t be any problems with with the installation or accidental voidings of the warranty. At best, the contractor will then need to charge for incidental costs incurred, and at worst, you could end up with a product that doesn’t fit, or goes out soon after it’s installed without being covered by a warrenty.
Managing the project
While shopping for your remodel project, keep in mind that you want the flow of the project to move along smoothly and stay on schedule. If your contractor can control the flow of resources needed to do your project, they will be able to better manage your project, and get it done in a timely and orderly fashion. That way, you can enjoy your new remodel sooner and the work will meet the contractor’s and your high standards! Project management and staying on schedule are only made more difficult when introducing new materials or fixtures that the contractor is not familiar with.
Use local supply houses while shopping for your remodel project
Local product suppliers can be a good source to shop for fixtures and other project materials. They usually have samples and displays to help with the selection process and there is a very good possibility your contractor is familiar with the local supplier you choose. Get advice from the contractor which ones you are considering and more often than not, they can often save you time and money while shopping for your remodel project. If you talk to them, they can help you find products that have the style you want, and will stand the test of time.
Perhaps you’ve become enchanted by particular items that have style and an attractive price. They may look good, but it’s possible they have a lack quality that is not easily detected. So a faucet or other fixture may look exactly like a higher priced alternative, but may have less durable parts. It is common, in our experience, for manufacturers to make items of lesser quality which are sold in “big box” stores and discount internet retailers. Products with higher quality parts and pieces, on the other hand, are sold to repeat customers, plumbers, and remodeling contractors through local suppliers, so you can have peace of mind that shopping for your remodel project at local supply houses is money well spent.
When it’s all finished, you’ll be glad your project stayed on course. Five or ten years after completion, you will be happy you used a product that stood the test of time because it had been tried and tested by your contractor.