4 ms·

I have been, over-time, retro-fitting my home with pro/commercial-grade infrastructure items such as: quarter-turn marine-grade ball valves for the water-main;

by Wistar 5y ago

I have been, over-time, retro-fitting my home with pro/commercial-grade infrastructure items such as: quarter-turn marine-grade ball valves for the water-main; toilets, clothes washer, fridge and dishwasher; recessed sillcock valves; outdoor hose reels and hoses; sprinklers (this is a biggie as so many sprinklers are one-season junk); heavy-duty light switches; ceiling fans (the wonderful Big-Ass fans stuff); locks and latches, fencing hardware; outdoor lighting, and so on. Stuff that is fairly invisible but which offer high utility and, especially, durability and trust without being inconvenient or weird. At one point, years ago, my brother and I considered creating a web site that explored these kinds of high-integrity options, and acted as a directory and maybe a review site as well. A site that evangelizes high-quality, well-engineered items that are easily integrated into a home and provide much greater longevity without costing a fortune. "Overkill" is probably too strong a term for the idea.

na85 5y ago
I'd be interested in a site like that, as I have a similar appreciation for high-quality stuff that's built to last. What kind of dishwasher/fridge/laundry appliances did you end up getting?
- ornornor 5y ago
  For laundry, these are amazing: https://www.vzug.com/ch/en/product/ch-Catalog/287600 https://www.vzug.com/ch/en/product/ch-Catalog/287600 Impossible to break, engineered to was several loads every day, etc. But they’re not cheap.
  - watersb 5y ago
    In the US, there's Staber laundry machines. https://www.staber.com/residential-clothes-washers https://www.staber.com/residential-clothes-washers
- Wistar 5y ago
  I apologize as I wasn't clear enough: I was not focused on the appliances themselves but, rather, the water valves, and hoses, used to supply the water. The small but really important stuff. Crummy valves break. Most builders use the cheapest crap they can get. They save a couple thousand dollars building a house but replacing the $2 crap can sometimes cost a fortune. One of the worst offenses I have had to deal with is the use of C-PVC pipe which is brittle and will eventually crack or burst. Ideally, the site I thought about would be to educate folks about the kinds of things, components, they should specify when building or remodeling.
  - bombcar 5y ago
    These are the ones that are really annoying because the cost difference is so minimal between the cheap junk and the good quality stuff, and most of the cost is the installation.
    - Wistar 5y ago
      Exactly. I have, personally, spent more than $10K repairing damage from a $2 piece of crap CPVC pipe that burst in the wall.
ElFitz 5y ago
Would definitely be interested
tomcam 5y ago
I would pay for that site. Please feel free to harvest my email address in my profile.
spockz 5y ago
Awesome idea! How do you distinguish professional vs overpriced normal stuff? For example, Festool, Makita, and DeWalt offer awesome products but are very pricy. All the tools from the DIY shops are rubbish. Things from Bosch are slightly better. But these are all expensive. Meanwhile, the tools from Lidl around €30-50 price point are quite cool.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- bombcar 5y ago
  I find a useful indicator is to look at factory out of warranty repair pricing.
  - akiselev 5y ago
    Or resale value, which is also a great proxy for longevity. Festool stuff, for example, has been damn near impossible to get for several months of the pandemic and I've seen used Dominos going for more than new MSRP.
xen2xen1 5y ago
I'd love to hear more specifics. Do you have them anywhere?
- Wistar 5y ago
  No specifics. It was just a thought we had when my brother was remodeling his house. The idea went nowhere.
ianmcgowan 5y ago
Sounds kind of like what thewirecutter.com used to be, or a higher end consumer reports? Nowadays youtube channels like Project Farm have kind of replaced that niche, I could see a channel dedicated to hands-on reviews, funded by affiliate links. I'd watch long videos on several of the topics you mention above...
tristor 5y ago
I’d really appreciate a site like that. Light switches in particular piss me off. Every single switch sold at Lowes or Home Depot are crap and I’ve yet to figure out where to buy something that’s actually decent with proper tactility. What light switches do you use?
- Wistar 5y ago
  The $5 Levitons rather than the $1 Levitons. They have an ever so slightly larger handle and a significantly heavier "throw." They are built way better. They are available at Home Depot. Lutron builds the best outlets, they're just better made but they are pricey.
- exmadscientist 5y ago
  For the specific case of light switches, ironically, sometimes all you have to do is not shop at big box stores. If you buy the exact same 5262 receptacle from Home Depot or from Zoro, you'll see they're completely different beasts! This is pretty brazen -- usually HD has the decency to add a suffix to the cheap-out version. Longer form: there are three major manufacturers of switches and receptacles: Hubbell (Bryant), Leviton, and Pass&Seymour-Legrand. Hubbell is generally the highest price and quality. Leviton switches just feel "right" to me. I don't care for P&S much even though there's nothing wrong with them. All are completely interchangeable except for small visual details. This is really only noticable on wallplates (Hubbell stainless wallplates look the best -- and they're 302/304 SS so they don't rust in bathrooms like the 400 series trash at HD) and, if you mix them too nearby, switch rockers. Pick your brand, then get their PDF catalog and find some part numbers. (There are plenty of other ways to do this, I just find catalogs effective.) You want "frameless" switches if you're going down this path: "framed" switches are the consumer junk you're running away from. (I dislike Decora -- I think it's harder to operate in the dark, and that's kind of a thing for light switches, but if it's your thing, go for it.) You'll find many possible part numbers to pick from. You want ONLY things marked as "Fed Spec" (more formally W-C-596). A lot of lesser stuff is "Spec Grade", which is a cop-out for "we think this is up to spec but we didn't actually list it". "Fed Spec" means "yeah, this one's good". (I will accept "spec grade" for oddballs like weird configurations -- it's not like they sell a ton of those -- since it really is decent, but don't settle for that on your main switch or receptacle, because you don't have to.) You can buy the cheapest things that are actually Fed Spec and you'll be golden. You don't need the high-end Extra Heavy Duty stuff unless you're outfitting a shop or something. And you probably don't want Hospital Grade with those annoying pull-out forces, ugly green dots, and hospital prices. But none of those will hurt anything but your pocketbook, if you are so inclined. You'll just never appreciate them. You should, for receptacles, get the ones that are Back And Side Wired. That means the side screws and the holes on the back, with the screw needed to grab the holes (i.e. not those horrid stabby-only holes on the super cheap receptacles). I made this mistake (Leviton BR15 vs CR15) and regretted it during install. Oh well. If in doubt, look for the part number with the most color choices. It's probably popular for a reason. And don't forget that neon ("pilot") switches exist. They make understanding 3-ways and finding the staircase light in the dark way easier. Especially if the staircase lights are 3-way. Worth every penny! Now that you have some part numbers, you just have to buy them from a trade supplier or industrial supplier and you're done! One place that's reliable is Zoro. They even used to have great pricing when they still offered coupons; seems those are rare now. But anywhere that's not big-box can sort you out. Oh, and if this is your first time doing this, get a #1 square or Robertson screwdriver. No, not just a bit, you'll use it more than that and it's slimmer this way. The recesses on these things accept multiple bit shapes and I find that one by far the easiest to work with in that recess (due to the multiple-shape thing it's not great at holding any of them...).
dflock 5y ago
I, too, would read that site.

by Wistar 5y ago

na85 5y ago

I'd be interested in a site like that, as I have a similar appreciation for high-quality stuff that's built to last. What kind of dishwasher/fridge/laundry appliances did you end up getting?

ornornor 5y ago
For laundry, these are amazing: https://www.vzug.com/ch/en/product/ch-Catalog/287600 https://www.vzug.com/ch/en/product/ch-Catalog/287600 Impossible to break, engineered to was several loads every day, etc. But they’re not cheap.
- watersb 5y ago
  In the US, there's Staber laundry machines. https://www.staber.com/residential-clothes-washers https://www.staber.com/residential-clothes-washers
Wistar 5y ago
I apologize as I wasn't clear enough: I was not focused on the appliances themselves but, rather, the water valves, and hoses, used to supply the water. The small but really important stuff. Crummy valves break. Most builders use the cheapest crap they can get. They save a couple thousand dollars building a house but replacing the $2 crap can sometimes cost a fortune. One of the worst offenses I have had to deal with is the use of C-PVC pipe which is brittle and will eventually crack or burst. Ideally, the site I thought about would be to educate folks about the kinds of things, components, they should specify when building or remodeling.
- bombcar 5y ago
  These are the ones that are really annoying because the cost difference is so minimal between the cheap junk and the good quality stuff, and most of the cost is the installation.
  - Wistar 5y ago
    Exactly. I have, personally, spent more than $10K repairing damage from a $2 piece of crap CPVC pipe that burst in the wall.

ElFitz 5y ago

Would definitely be interested

tomcam 5y ago

I would pay for that site. Please feel free to harvest my email address in my profile.

spockz 5y ago

Awesome idea! How do you distinguish professional vs overpriced normal stuff? For example, Festool, Makita, and DeWalt offer awesome products but are very pricy. All the tools from the DIY shops are rubbish. Things from Bosch are slightly better. But these are all expensive. Meanwhile, the tools from Lidl around €30-50 price point are quite cool.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
bombcar 5y ago
I find a useful indicator is to look at factory out of warranty repair pricing.
- akiselev 5y ago
  Or resale value, which is also a great proxy for longevity. Festool stuff, for example, has been damn near impossible to get for several months of the pandemic and I've seen used Dominos going for more than new MSRP.

xen2xen1 5y ago

I'd love to hear more specifics. Do you have them anywhere?

Wistar 5y ago
No specifics. It was just a thought we had when my brother was remodeling his house. The idea went nowhere.

ianmcgowan 5y ago

Sounds kind of like what thewirecutter.com used to be, or a higher end consumer reports? Nowadays youtube channels like Project Farm have kind of replaced that niche, I could see a channel dedicated to hands-on reviews, funded by affiliate links. I'd watch long videos on several of the topics you mention above...

tristor 5y ago

I’d really appreciate a site like that. Light switches in particular piss me off. Every single switch sold at Lowes or Home Depot are crap and I’ve yet to figure out where to buy something that’s actually decent with proper tactility. What light switches do you use?

Wistar 5y ago
The $5 Levitons rather than the $1 Levitons. They have an ever so slightly larger handle and a significantly heavier "throw." They are built way better. They are available at Home Depot. Lutron builds the best outlets, they're just better made but they are pricey.
exmadscientist 5y ago
For the specific case of light switches, ironically, sometimes all you have to do is not shop at big box stores. If you buy the exact same 5262 receptacle from Home Depot or from Zoro, you'll see they're completely different beasts! This is pretty brazen -- usually HD has the decency to add a suffix to the cheap-out version. Longer form: there are three major manufacturers of switches and receptacles: Hubbell (Bryant), Leviton, and Pass&Seymour-Legrand. Hubbell is generally the highest price and quality. Leviton switches just feel "right" to me. I don't care for P&S much even though there's nothing wrong with them. All are completely interchangeable except for small visual details. This is really only noticable on wallplates (Hubbell stainless wallplates look the best -- and they're 302/304 SS so they don't rust in bathrooms like the 400 series trash at HD) and, if you mix them too nearby, switch rockers. Pick your brand, then get their PDF catalog and find some part numbers. (There are plenty of other ways to do this, I just find catalogs effective.) You want "frameless" switches if you're going down this path: "framed" switches are the consumer junk you're running away from. (I dislike Decora -- I think it's harder to operate in the dark, and that's kind of a thing for light switches, but if it's your thing, go for it.) You'll find many possible part numbers to pick from. You want ONLY things marked as "Fed Spec" (more formally W-C-596). A lot of lesser stuff is "Spec Grade", which is a cop-out for "we think this is up to spec but we didn't actually list it". "Fed Spec" means "yeah, this one's good". (I will accept "spec grade" for oddballs like weird configurations -- it's not like they sell a ton of those -- since it really is decent, but don't settle for that on your main switch or receptacle, because you don't have to.) You can buy the cheapest things that are actually Fed Spec and you'll be golden. You don't need the high-end Extra Heavy Duty stuff unless you're outfitting a shop or something. And you probably don't want Hospital Grade with those annoying pull-out forces, ugly green dots, and hospital prices. But none of those will hurt anything but your pocketbook, if you are so inclined. You'll just never appreciate them. You should, for receptacles, get the ones that are Back And Side Wired. That means the side screws and the holes on the back, with the screw needed to grab the holes (i.e. not those horrid stabby-only holes on the super cheap receptacles). I made this mistake (Leviton BR15 vs CR15) and regretted it during install. Oh well. If in doubt, look for the part number with the most color choices. It's probably popular for a reason. And don't forget that neon ("pilot") switches exist. They make understanding 3-ways and finding the staircase light in the dark way easier. Especially if the staircase lights are 3-way. Worth every penny! Now that you have some part numbers, you just have to buy them from a trade supplier or industrial supplier and you're done! One place that's reliable is Zoro. They even used to have great pricing when they still offered coupons; seems those are rare now. But anywhere that's not big-box can sort you out. Oh, and if this is your first time doing this, get a #1 square or Robertson screwdriver. No, not just a bit, you'll use it more than that and it's slimmer this way. The recesses on these things accept multiple bit shapes and I find that one by far the easiest to work with in that recess (due to the multiple-shape thing it's not great at holding any of them...).

dflock 5y ago

I, too, would read that site.