Fixture installation in Franklin

Some owners want fixtures that suit the age of the house, like a pedestal sink, a clawfoot tub or a vintage-style faucet. Those can be a joy to install and a headache if the supply lines and drain are not set up for them. We check and adjust the rough plumbing so the fixture works the way it should.

The most common problem with period fixtures is buying one that does not match the rough plumbing. Send us the model number before you order and we will tell you what the install will involve. It is a small step that avoids a lot of returns.

The flexible hoses that connect a faucet or toilet to the wall valve wear out. Rubber ones can swell, crack or burst, and even braided stainless ones, which last longer, eventually corrode at the fittings. When we install a new fixture, we install new lines with it. The cost is small and it removes the most common cause of a sudden cabinet flood.

We also check that the shutoff valve works. If it does not, we replace it. A fixture you cannot isolate is one you cannot work on later without shutting off the whole house.

A kitchen faucet swap in a house near Columbia Avenue can get interesting. The sink may be an older cast iron model with only one hole in the deck, so a modern three-hole faucet will not fit without a deck plate. The cabinet may have been built around a particular sink and leave no room for a deeper bowl. The supply stubs may come out of the wall at an angle, and the drain may be galvanized.

None of this is unusual, and all of it has an answer. A good plumber looks at the sink and the cabinet first, then helps you choose a faucet that will work, instead of fighting a fixture that was never going to fit. If the plumbing behind the sink needs updating, we do that at the same visit.