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Home insurance and bathroom renovations go hand in hand because if something goes wrong with your renovations you will be covered with your household and contents insurance. Homeowners must have home insurance. It may seem like a no-brainer for homeowners who are considering a renovation project to first work out if the investment they plan to make in upgrading their bathroom is going to be one of value. When it comes to home insurance benefits, it may come as a surprise to most homeowners that some bathroom upgrades are less financially advantageous than others. To the laymen, when considering homeowners insurance, bathroom repairs or redecoration are the most predominant ideas that come to mind, however, safety improvements and energy saving measures are another way to proceed that will make your insurance broker happy. It is also reassuring to know that bathroom renovations offer homeowners a 75-100 percent payback potential of return on their investment. Talk to your resident home insurance agent if you’re planning on renovating your bathroom or adding a new addition to your home. Ask your agent what factors regarding home renovations may affect property insurance premiums and inquire how you can keep your costs to a minimum. Another thing you may want to ask your insurance broker before hiring a contractor is if they have any local contracting companies on file that they recommend. Protecting your largest asset, your home, can prevent it from becoming an unnecessary liability when bathroom renovations go awry. Read the rest of this entry »

Begin installing mosaic tiles by first examining the sheets of mosaic tiles that you have purchased to verify their condition and mosaic backing type. Glass mosaics tile sheets usually come with a thin plastic film on the front surface of the mosaic tile to hold the tiles together. Installing glass mosaic tile sheets is basically the same as installing marble mosaic or ceramic mosaic tiles, the only real difference being that ceramic or marble mosaic tiles are normally mounted from the back on fibreglass netting, plastic mesh, paper, or threaded backing. Most mosaic tiles are glass or high-fired porcelain which makes them impervious to wetness in your bathroom. The good thing about installing porcelain mosaic tiles in your bathroom is that they come in glazed surfaces for walls and alternatively non slip surfaces for your bathroom tile floors. When installing mosaic tiles, a starting point on your bathroom floor or wall must be established and should be marked as to where the mosaic tile sheets are to be laid down. Just remember when installing your tiles to mark and level the guidelines at right angles to each other depending upon the size of the mosaic tile sheets to be installed. To get started with your mosaic tile installation, marks off the squares of a couple sheets, making sure the guidelines are horizontal and vertical to establish a level pattern. Read the rest of this entry »

We have all heard the term family friendly bathroom but what does that really mean? What exactly is a family bath and how do we make it family friendly for users both big and small without compromising usability and style. How do we create the informality of a children’s bath with the functionality and practicality of a grown up bathroom. Children like to play and adults like to lounge so why not combine the two and create a bathroom where family members can bathe, perform grooming duties, read and congregate as necessary. The other thing that both adults and children need is storage on all levels and the next thing you should try to incorporate into your family friendly bath is a relaxed timeless style that allows bathers to lounge and linger by integrating personal touches to create a customized bathroom space designed for the whole family. Just remember your family friendly bathroom should be flexible enough to adapt to your families changing needs as they grow. Read the rest of this entry »

Preventing mold in your bathroom is a very important safety concern. Bathroom mold fungus is unsightly, unhealthy and ruins your bathroom walls and ceiling. Your bathroom is one of the dampest rooms in your home, which provides the perfect environment for black mold fungus to cultivate. The fact that heat and moisture is habitually generated in your bathroom itself encourages mold growth as these contributing environmental factors provide textbook conditions for mold spores to flourish. If you have small children or a family member with asthma or allergy problems, preventing mold and mildew in your bathroom is vital for their health and for the way your bathroom walls and ceiling looks. What you have to look out for is, if neglected, bathroom mold will likely spread internally through your walls, ceilings, and floors and this damage could lead to an extremely expensive bathroom reconstruction project. That is why it is important that you learn how to identify and eliminate mold from your bathroom. Read the rest of this entry »

Bathroom vessel sinks are not as original as some people think. While the popularity of above the counter vessel bowl sinks has increased in the last couple years, vessel sinks are just a case in point of the old becoming new once again. Remember back to the days when there wasn’t any plumbing and people had to put ceramic bowls and pots on their vanity counter top so they could wash their hands and face. Well, bathroom vessel sinks are essentially a reincarnation of this old concept but this time around they include plumbing supplies. Don’t get me wrong; based upon the elements of design, modern vessel sinks are a far cry from the old crock pots that we used to dump out our dirty water through an open window. Today’s vessel sinks are decorative pieces of art both functional and versatile and most could be at home in an art gallery or on display in a residential bathroom setting. So where do you begin? How do you choose a bathroom vessel sink and faucet combination when remodeling your bathroom? Read the rest of this entry »

Caring for marble tile is a prerequisite when you have marble tile in your bathroom. Taking proper care of your marble is a must because it is as expensive as it is beautiful. Marble tile in the residential bathroom is renowned for its ornate, refined beauty but maintaining correct maintenance of your natural stones in your bathroom can sometimes be a problem. With regular cleaning and care of your marble tile surfaces, you can keep your marble tiles looking brand new and polished. Give lustre to your marble floors, walls and bestow splendour to your bathroom backsplashes and marble countertops. Marble tiles can increase the value of your home if you learn the proper polishing techniques and scratch removal procedures. Natural stone is one of the most durable of all bathroom flooring materials, yet to maintain a polished, scratch and stain free marble surface, you must understand the properties of marble stone and the best cleaning agents for your marble tile floors, walls and backsplashes and this all starts with getting the right advice about how to care for your marble tile flooring. Read the rest of this entry »

Tile repair and maintenance techniques vary depending upon the severity of damage to your ceramic tile and are usually caused by factors that include improper installation and substrate problems. Whether you have a loose bathroom tile, a cracked floor tile, a chipped ceramic back splash tile or a broken wall tile will all determine if you have to mend the cracked tile or replace the broken tile altogether because it is beyond a simple patch up job. It should go without saying that if the chip is too big; you will probably have to replace the damaged tile. If on the other hand your damaged tile is simply cracked or has a little chip, all you have to do is match the chip area with analogous tile colors and then fill the indent with a clear epoxy. Read the rest of this entry »

Bath lifts are designed to aid homeowners with mobility restrictions to continue enjoying the everyday ritual of taking a bath or shower. Whether that person is an elderly individual or some one recovering from an accident, a bath tub lift provides independence and stability to those needing assistance while taking a bath or shower. A bathtub lift chair is normally installed on the side of the bathtub, and the user simply sits in the seat and is lowered into a warm, soothing bath. When the bath is finished, the bath tub chair lift then raises the user to tub level where they can independently and without help step out of the bathtub. A textured non-slip seat on the tub lift gives the user comfort and safety when bathing or showering Read the rest of this entry »

Screw driver, electrical drill or screw gun, which of these tools is better for installing drywall? When it comes to hanging drywall, screw guns are king. If you are renovating your bathroom from scratch and you have to apply drywall over a large bathroom surface by means of drywall screws, using a screwdriver can be a real pain in the wrist as well as create calluses on your palms. An electric drill is a good back up but offers less control. A better solution is to use a drywall screw gun to install your sheetrock to the studs. A screw gun has a special cylindrical collar (dimpling attachment) that houses your no. 2 Philips bit and a mechanical clutch that stops the driving action of the screw gun when your drywall screw has reached your required depth to keep the head of the screw just below flush with your drywall surface. A quality screw gun is vital if you are installing large amounts of drywall in your bathroom. Read the rest of this entry »