Toronto Upgrades to Your Household Plumbing

The very first thing being offered as an upgrade for your Toronto home is the plumbing fixtures.

Bathrooms

Bathroom Faucets

The standard faucet offered for a bathroom in a mid-level spec home is a single-handle lavatory faucet in chrome. Not a lot of style — function is paramount. The countertop drilling for this type of faucet has a single hole or three holes. Three-hole 4” center sinks or counters have drillings that are equidistant from the center with a total spread of 4” across. The first thing offered for an upgrade would be the finish. Polished brass, stainless steel, and brushed nickel are just a few of the finishes available. The finish selections on entry-level faucets are more limited; however, recently faucet manufacturers have been offering more current finishes, such as brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze. The next upgrade would be to install a mini widespread (4” centers) or a widespread faucet (8” centers). These types of faucets have separate hot and cold handles and a separate spout, and they tend to have a full line of finishes and styles to choose from. Most faucet manufacturers now offer very high-end single-handle faucets, and regardless of which upgrade you choose, those faucets should be solid brass, have PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finishes with a lifetime guarantee, and have an upgraded cartridge usually made of ceramic.

Toilets

The standard toilet offering is a 1.6 GPF (Gallons Per Flush) round-front toilet in white. A round-front toilet has, well, a round front. Its design is compact, and any man over 185 lbs can’t stand them. The first level of upgrade would be to get a toilet with an elongated bowl. The elongated bowl gives you a few extra inches in front; however, some bathrooms don’t have the space to accommodate the bowl, so check your dimensions. The next standard upgrade — and it’s becoming more and more popular — is having a “comfort height” bowl. This is essentially an ADA-height bowl measuring 17” from the floor to the rim. It’s easier on the knees both sitting down and standing up. Toilets come in myriad colors; however, most china manufacturers have reduced their color offerings dramatically over the last five years. The most popular colors are white, bisque/linen, bone/almond, gray, and black. Most standard toilet seats are made of laminated wood — over time the lamination and layers of wood separate and the seat begins to break down. You can upgrade the seat to molded plastic to sharply increase its lifespan. Other toilet upgrades involve the flushing mechanism. Pressure-assisted and HET (High Efficiency Toilet)/dual-flush are a couple of such upgrades.

Showers

The shower or tub/shower in the mid-level spec home is commonly a single-handle pressure-balanced valve with a chrome finish. As with the lavatory faucet, function and value are more important than style. The type of finish is the first line of upgrades — polished brass, stainless steel, and brushed nickel are a few. On most occasions the shower faucet matches the lavatory in style and finish. Another common upgrade would be to add a handheld shower on a holder or on a slide bar. The valve could be changed to a thermostatic mixing valve. Unlike a pressure-balance valve that protects the user by cutting off water depending on water pressure, a thermostatic valve protects the user from scalding by sensing the temperature of the water — if the water gets too hot, the valve slams shut. Most thermostatic mixing valves have a separate volume control. You can also add diverters, body sprays, and rain dome showerheads. Steam-generating units can also be installed in a walk-in shower to enhance the shower experience. For the ultimate shower experience, Kohler manufactures a product called the DVT valve. It is the most advanced shower system readily available to consumers — it combines steam, water, sound, light, and even the web in a wall-mounted control unit combined with a digitally controlled set of valves. It’s expensive, but for the customer with no budget constraints, it’s exceptional.

Steam Generator

A steam generator can be installed in a walk-in shower.

Tubs

Most entry-level homes get a 5 ft or 6 ft bathtub — they can be drop-in or fit in the tub space with a front apron. They are made in enameled steel or, better yet, cast iron. Enameled steel tubs are lighter than their cast iron counterparts but are thinner and don’t have the same heat retention properties. Cast iron tubs are offered in quite a few new homes. Enameled steel tubs are very popular in apartment buildings. With regard to real upgrades, tub depth is one option, requesting a drop-in soaker tub is another, and you can get that soaker tub with whirlpool jets. Tub color and length are upgrades to consider, but the tub’s construction and material are where the real upgrades begin. Steel is by far the cheapest and least durable. Gel-coat fiberglass can be made fairly cheaply and in any color, but if scratched it will show the white undercoat. Upgrading to acrylic is the way to go when choosing a fiberglass-backed tub — the color runs all the way through the surface material, so scratches are less apparent. If budget is no concern, Kohler makes several cast iron models that feature therapeutic jets, bubble massage jets, and jets that fill the water with bubbles for aesthetics only. These tubs can be purchased with LED lighting and remote controls for added pleasure and convenience.

Kitchen

Kitchen Sink

Drop-in stainless steel sinks in 20 or 22 gauge are the building standard. They are naturally stain- and corrosion-resistant, but they are thin, the finishes aren’t very good, and if you drop something in them they ring like a bell. Mid-level homes or condos often offer drop-in cast iron, which is tough, naturally sound-deadening, and has great heat retention properties. Cast iron sinks come in a variety of shapes and colors. When the homeowner upgrades the type of countertop to granite or a synthetic aggregate, most choose to buy an undermount sink. The sink is mounted underneath the counter using clips, usually pre-drilled by the countertop supplier/installer. Upgrading to an undermount stainless steel sink is the most popular choice when the countertops are also upgraded. Stainless provides an attractive color contrast between the counter and the sink and is extremely durable. Please take note: several years ago, upgrading to an undermount stainless steel sink assured you of a heavy-gauge sink with superior sound-deadening and a lustrous finish. However, some manufacturers have taken advantage of the sink’s popularity by producing cheaper versions — buyer beware. When installing a Corian or other acrylic-based solid-surface countertop, the kitchen sink can be integral, meaning it is fused to the countertop. The sink can be the same color as the counter or, more preferably, a contrasting color. Finally, quite a few manufacturers have begun producing quartz-based drop-in and undermount sinks. They are available in a very limited selection of colors — white, black, and granite (gray/beige) are the only ones currently available. They are extremely durable, some are up to 80% quartz, and their sound-deadening is on par with cast iron.

Kitchen Sink Faucets

The entry-level faucet is a chrome single-handle faucet without a side spray. You can request the same faucet with a side spray as an upgrade. Similarly to lavatory faucets, you can upgrade the finish, and even entry-level faucets now come in a few popular finishes. The first real upgrade comes in the form of a pull-out spout. These faucets are manufactured by almost every major plumbing fixture company and are quite convenient. You can buy entry-level faucets with pull-out spouts, or upgrade further — these upgrades will affect the finish, durability, and cartridge material. The selection of finishes and styles for kitchen faucets is vast, so be sure to visit the manufacturer’s website to find the right faucet for you.

Garbage Disposals

You either ask for one or you don’t. If not used properly they can be a source of headaches for your plumber. As a general rule of thumb, as the price of the disposal increases, so does the horsepower rating — the quality of the housing material improves and the sound insulation gets better as well.

Miscellaneous Upgrades

The following upgrades apply to the entire plumbing system.

Cast Iron Waste Piping

There will always be a debate about which material is superior, but this we can say with certainty: cast iron is quieter piping. However, it’s heavier and more difficult to cut, prepare, and install, so we’ll call it an upgrade.

Copper Water Piping

PEX plastic tubing is code-approved in just about every jurisdiction; however, most plumbing professionals would agree that copper water pipe and fittings represent a superior installation. Copper is expensive and the labor to install it is expensive, so for argument’s sake we’ll call it an upgrade.

Water Softener

Depending on the hardness of the water in your area, you may want to install a water softener. We recommend having your water tested so you can install the correct softener. Softened water is easier on clothes, skin, and the plumbing piping in your home. The only downside to having a softener is maintaining the salt that needs to be added to the system for proper function.

Whole House Water Filter

This is a water filter that removes the taste, odor, and sediment from the entire house water supply. How often the filter cartridge needs to be changed depends on the quality of the incoming water. If the water quality is poor and has a high amount of suspended solids, the cartridge gets clogged and the water pressure throughout the entire house drops off drastically. It can be inconvenient, but at least you know exactly when the filter needs replacing.

Water Heater

Most average homes are installed with either a 40 or 50-gallon water heater. You can upgrade to a larger storage tank or go with a tankless unit. Be advised: tankless heaters work superbly if installed correctly, but are usually more than double the installed cost.

Hot Water Recirculation Pump

If a home has a long footprint, hot water may take a while to reach the farthest plumbing fixture. Having a recirculating pump installed decreases the wait time for hot water dramatically.

Pressure Booster Pump

Depending on the water pressure in a municipality, homeowners with higher-than-average water demands may want to look into installing a pressure booster pump. These pumps come in two basic models: manual, where you flip a switch when you need higher water pressure, and variable frequency, which turns on on demand. The latter is the more expensive of the two, but it is a more convenient system.

Underground Sprinkler System

Most home builders offer automatic lawn sprinkler systems or landscape sprinklers. Sometimes when a lawn sprinkler system is installed, a water pressure booster pump also needs to be installed to supply adequate water pressure.

Battery Backup Sump Pump

In areas where basements are common, battery backup sump pumps are extremely popular. In the event of a power failure, a battery backup will continue evacuating the sump pit, removing groundwater away from the foundation for up to 8 hours of continuous pumping. If the pump activates 3 times an hour, you’ll get close to 24 hours of protection.

Fire Protection System

In quite a few jurisdictions this isn’t even an upgrade anymore — in new homes it is standard and code-required. However, where it is not required, it’s usually offered as an upgrade. We don’t think we need to say much more to sell this upgrade: it can save lives.