Today’s DIY quick tip is more of a quick rant. The photos above are pictures I took of a faucet we just replaced that was…how old? 3 years? 5 years? 7 years? Try 6 months. Oh, and by the way, my cleaning routine is approximately one good scrub a week, so this damage wasn’t from sanitary neglect.
In short, it’s cuz it was c-h-e-a-p. Sorry landlord, but trying to pinch pennies on a new faucet install just cost you double the amount it would have been if you chose a quality faucet in the first place. Additionally, living with cheap fixtures that easily corrode is gross. Not to mention the headache of dealing with extracting the pealing, crummy, chrome finish embedded in my fingers after every cleaning. Time, energy, and money could have been saved if he had simply researched, locating and installed a higher quality faucet in the first place!
The message I must underline is: cheap is expensive! The quality of materials (or lack thereof), how it’s constructed, and its ability to last through usage and cleaning, clearly illustrates the importance of buying a product based on these factors, not on price alone.
But, alas, as conscious consumers, we are not doomed to breaking the bank on each DIY project. There are plenty of quality, inexpensive fixtures that require little maintenance and minimal investment (prices range from $65-$148). According to galttech.com some of the best selling faucet brands include: Delta, Kohler, Moen (the brand we now have shining in our lavatory), American Standard, Danze, and Price Pfister. These products balance quality with price.
Rant complete.
Thumbnail image source: showerremodel.org
