Design Your Own Bathroom Makeover! - Peruse, Price and Plan

Thinking about a bathroom makeover? The cost of a bathroom redo can get out of hand easily and that is why you need a plan. We planned the renovation of our lower level bath carefully and have stayed within budget.

Since I have a degree in art, I am acting as the designer. I am also acting as the contractor and this will save us 15% or more on makeover costs. You do not need a degree in art to design your bathroom makeover. All you need is patience and these steps will help you sort wants from needs.

Your first step is to peruse bathroom design. I started a makeover file. When I saw a photo I liked, I cut it out and filed it. These photos helped me to refine the design. The Internet has thousands of photos and looking at some of them is worth your time. You don't have to replace everything to update your bath. According to the "Basics of Bath Design," an article on the bathroom Remodeling Website, "Giving your bathroom a new look is a simple as upgrading your tub." Our lower level bath has a shower only, so we didn't have to deal with the tub issue.

Pricing is the next step you need to take. Start a list of products and manufacturers. For example, you may like Moen faucet. Put the list in a file or notebook. "One way to begin is to start keeping a notebook for when a design idea for your bathroom comes to you," advises the Dream Log Home Website. "You'll soon define the room that will be the best for you." Keep this list for several months and, as it grows, do some comparison shopping. Cross off products, put a star by the possibilities, and narrow your choices.

Financial planning is your last step. Of course, you could make a budget first. But the problem is, you don't know what you want, or how much you can spend, until you see what is available. We comparison shopped, decided how much we could spend, and made our budget. According to an article, "Does Your Bathroom Need a New Look?", on the Bathroom Central Website, you don't want to get half-way through the job and discover you're out of money. Include the cost of "contractors, electricians, and plumbers if you're not a do-it-yourselfer." Even if you're handy you may wish to hire professionals.

My husband and I are both do-it-yourselfers and, though we've painted more walls than we care to count, we hired a professional painter. We also hired a plumber and a carpenter. These charges are included in our budget. The lower level bath is still a mess, but we are rounding the third base of our bathroom makeover, and headed for home plate. Our lower level bathroom is going to be striking.

If you peruse, price and plan, your bathroom makeover can come in on budget and be just what you imagined. Enjoy it!

By Harriet Hodgson

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Is Bathtub Refinishing Over Spray Fumes Making Your Hotel Guests Sick?

One of the most important bathtub refinishing concerns for hotels and homeowners who are considering incorporating tub re-glazing in their over all bathroom renovation is what to do with the obnoxious smell of over spray fumes that linger for days after a tub is re-glazed. With the increase in awareness of indoor air quality and the constant chant by hotel guests for eco-friendly or green remodeling, many in the hospitality industry have taken the issue of over spray fumes very seriously. Over spray fumes from tub re-glazing can cause allergic reactions in many and serious health problems for the elderly and young ones in particular.

While there has been advancement and insistence on the use of air scrubbers that capture particles, toxins, while destroying annoying odors and even sterilize the air in other industries where over spray fumes are a problem, many in the bathtub refinishing industry are still using antiquated negative air exhaust systems. Here is the problem:

Bathtub refinishing schools- an unfortunate anachronism

The problem of annoying bathtub refinishing fumes is not new. In fact, it can be traced all the way back to the teachers who instructed the bathtub refinishing students. In 2009, most bathtub refinishing companies are using 70's technology. Do a search of bathtub refinishing training schools and the training methods are similar and unfortunately, the over spray fumes have spread to the industry and given it a bad name. The schools teach and then encourage their students to buy old technology from an affiliated coatings and supplies company, where the cycle of old technology continues.

Bathtub refinishing is a two part coating system. First, the tub is cleaned, etched, cleaned, primed and top-coated. The equipments used are a low pressure turbine and sprayer and an exhaust system that is supposed to capture the over spray and draw the air to the outside. The exhaust fan has huge hose attached to one end to draw negative air out.

The problems with old fan exhaust system:

Most hotel windows are sealed for safety and savings in energy bills. Exhaust fans need outside air. If the bathtub refinisher wears a protective gear, the fume exhaust containing high levels of VOC's cannot be a friend of the environment.

Exhaust fans are health hazards since the house has to be run from the bathroom, through the hallways and finally to the outside. Guests may fall, break their backs and break your bank.

Old exhaust fans cannot capture fume particles and odors and leave odors that linger for days.

Exhaust fans are very noisy and drive guests away.

Over spray fumes are annoying, drive guests away and cause health problems later in life.

Odorless, eco-friendly, quiet and portable bathtub refinishing system is the answer:

In addition to using an eco-friendly sprayer that uses 50% less coatings than conventional sprayers, portable exhaust air scrubber has the following advantages:

It traps 99.97 of all airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns,

Anti-microbial filters that are designed to stop the growth of micro-organisms,

Use of large carbon filters for chemical, gas and odor control and

Ultraviolet lamps that sterilize both air and water.

Indoor air quality is better than conventional exhaust fans

For hotels concerned about noise levels during remodeling, our whole bathtub refinishing process can be used while guests sleep next door.

The system is portable and is plugged right inside the bathroom and sealed.

A portable air scrubber system is air tight, which is good news for the safety of your guests who are not exposed to electrical cords and hoses, running on the hallways of your facility. This translates into less premium on your insurance. Health benefits for guests who are increasingly concerned about their environment is assured.

Ask your friendly bathtub refinishing company how they intend to capture and contain their over-spray fumes. If they are still using the old exhaust fan system, you are in for a lot of complaints from hotel guests:

If you are serious about refinishing the bathtubs in your hotels or hotel chain, but are concerned about the effects of over-spray fumes on your guests and their health, the noise created by antiquated bathtub refinishing systems, the impact of old technology on the environment; ask questions and lots of question. Equipped with your information, let your friendly and knowledgeable tub re-glazing company help you achieve your bathroom renovation goals.

By Wilson Uche Ukah

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Why Choose a Quadrant Shower Enclosure For My Bathroom?

Quadrant Shower Enclosures are one of the most popular shower enclosure on the market. There are a number of reasons why people choose to install a quadrant shower, and one of the most popular is to save space in the bathroom. Quadrant enclosures are cleverly designed to utilise minimum bathroom space and provide maximum showering area. These units come in a range of sizes, commonly including 800mm, 900mm and 1000mm (with various configurations).

Another reason for their popularity is the enclosure's curvaceous, minimalistic design. Quadrant Shower enclosures are a modern, striking addition to the bathroom. Aluminium shower door frames are widely available in white, silver and chrome, and seamlessly complement most bathroom colour schemes. The glass doors also have different options: there's clear glass, patterned or frosted, depending on your design or requirements.

Three major suppliers of shower enclosures in the UK are Manhattan Showers, April Shower Doors and The London Water Closet Company (LWCC). These distributors' products can be found in many UK bathroom stores or in bathroom shops online.

Popular Shower Enclosures

The "Uno" by Manhattan is a single door enclosure, measuring 800x800mm or 900x900mm, and requires its own bespoke tray. The Uno Quadrant Shower has a right or left hand option which can be tailored to the configuration of the bathroom. The Uno comes with a "click 'n' clean" system, which consists of front-operated bottom guides, making the shower door easier to fit, clean and maintain. Another benefit of the Uno Quadrant Shower Enclosure is its smooth running sliding door, as opposed to pull-out door type, which saves the hassle of annoying water drips when entering and exiting the shower.

Uno's sister product is the Manhattan "Duo" enclosure, available in various sizes but most popular being 1200x900mm. As its name suggests, the Duo has two smooth-running sliding doors which meet in the middle and a choice of left or right hand side configuration. Similar to the Uno, this product also has the "click 'n' clean" system. All Manhattan's products have a lifetime combination guarantee, offering a greater peace of mind. Manhattan Shower Enclosures include a combination lifetime guarantee when purchased with a Manhattan Duralite® shower tray.

The April Shower Door collection also has a range of products, including Identiti (standard/mid range) and Prestige (premium range). A popular April Shower Enclosure is the Identiti² Bow Fronted Quadrant Shower 900x900mm, which has concealed fixings and quick-release doors for safety. The Bow Front Quadrant Shower is also wet room compatible. Also in the Identiti range is a free-standing Identiti² U-Shaped Quadrant Shower Enclosure (also known as D-Shaped or U-Shaped Quadrant Shower Enclosure). This unit requires a small amount of wall space and a dedicated shower tray.

LWCC offers its best-selling budget Quad Shower, available in a chrome finish. The LWCC Quadrant Shower Enclosure has a sleek simple design with smooth running doors which slide either way. It has clear glass and fits elegantly into almost any bathroom style. The quality and price make this one of the most competitive Quadrant Shower buys on the market.

Shower Trays

There are two main types of trays to suit the Quadrant Enclosure: Slimline and Standard. The minimalist slimline is generally between 40-45mm high and the standard tray is around 100-110mm in height and made of a stone resin mix.

The Manhattan Quad Shower Doors can be installed with a Duralite® tray, which has superior durability and fast draining abilities. The tray has a patented concealed waste, draining water at a speed of 24 litres per minute. The trays have a smooth tread, are easy to clean (with a handy removable hair trap) and all trays come with a 25-year guarantee.

By Lindy Holman

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