Archive for December, 2009

At Bathroomguru Review we are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ideas for your bathroom to inspire and challenge our readers. One online resource that we frequent is Trendhunter.com which looks at emerging trends in many different fields from around the world. While browsing through their archives I recently came across an article entitled "56 bold bathroom décor ideas". While there was some cutting edge, bold and inspirational washroom ideas, the one that caught my eye was the article on “one piece bathrooms”. With traditional lavatory design, everything in your bathroom is either built in or somehow hung from your restroom walls. But Undpartner, an Australian company, would like to challenge your concept of what is a conventional bathroom space with its one-piece-bath concept called of all things, the Panay. Read the rest of this entry »

While down at the Buildex convention in Calgary, Alberta I had the opportunity to talk to Deano Pellegrino, the west coast sales manager of CaesarStone. CaesarStone is a manufacturer of quality quartz surfaces used by professional interior designers for home renovation and design applications. These quartz surfaces are so versatile they can be used for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanity countertops, backsplashes, wall paneling and can even be applied to quartz floor tiles amongst many other creative uses. Quartz surfaces are beautiful and durable and come in a vast range of original aesthetically pleasing finishes to suit just about everyone’s bathroom or home décor. Read the rest of this entry »

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Many first time home renovators are intimidated with copper plumbing because of its unforgiving nature. While it is true that copper can sometimes be a little tricky to work with, it is also a very stable, resilient and versatile plumbing material. Unlike plastic pipes, copper pipe takes special tools and practiced skills to get it right. Just be aware that you will be using a red hot soldering torch with equally hot solder in order to “sweat the joints” probably in a tight or enclosed cupboard space. But it’s not as intimidating as it sounds. Once you learn to respect the medium, soldering copper tubing will just be another skill you can use in your arsenal of tools when remodelling or renovating your bathroom. Read the rest of this entry »

We have all flushed our toilet and without a second thought, left the bathroom to the sound of the toilet bowl refilling with water and went about our daily business fully expecting the bowl to fill then miraculously shut itself off, only to find ten, fifteen or even twenty minutes later that there is still a sound coming from our bathroom when all should be silent. So you trod back to your lavatory with a quizzical look on your face only to find the tank is filled but the water is still running. This is not only annoying but could also turn out to be costly with all the water you are wasting. If this happens first check the handle and trip lever to make sure the assembly that is connected to the flush ball is not malfunctioning. Make certain the flush ball is properly seated on the ball seat. The two things that could cause this leak are: the ball seat being corroded or the float ball may be punctured and may have excessive water inside, hindering it to rise up to the correct level. Read the rest of this entry »

What could be more relaxing than soaking in a hot invigorating bath surrounded by flickering candles? How about taking a green tea bath? Green tea has a refreshing “grassy” aroma. Green tea products have been drunk for centuries by many different cultures for its detoxifying and immunity boosting assets. But recently green tea beverages has come to be known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well that researcher’s claim is great for your skin. So soaking in a green tea bath is beneficial for those with skin disorders and may actually mitigate the aging process by reducing skin cell damage. Whether you use green tea bags, loose green tea leaves or an off-the-shelf green tea bath product is up to you. Yet, few things in life are as enjoyable and luxurious as taking a sensual green tea bath with your favourite essential oils to invigorate your body and relax your mind. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the latest trends in bathroom design is the wet room. A wet room can be defined as a watertight room with a barrier-free floor and a shower. Wetrooms are increasingly becoming popular in high-end modern bath design and often have features such as glass screens to separate the wet and dry areas. Stylish and simple, wetrooms are the latest movement for en suites, shower rooms and can even be constructed for the main bathroom, though most prospective home buyers do expect a family bathroom so the en suite would be the best choice. With the increasing popularity of the home spa, these simplistic wet rooms are the perfect remedy to our ever-increasingly cluttered and chaotic lifestyles. Read the rest of this entry »

Plumbing pipes and fittings in modern bathrooms are predominantly made from some type of plastic material along with supply lines made of copper but it was not always so. If your home was made before 1950, you more than likely have cast-iron drainpipes with galvanized steel water supply pipe lines that sometimes even included branch drain lines too. The only problem with this material was that even though galvanized pipe is extremely strong, its shelf life was only about fifty years due to the fact that the joints frequently rusted and leaked and the build up of minerals in the pipes reduced water flow and occasionally even clogged the channel. Read the rest of this entry »

There are a couple of drain pipe materials and fittings you can use for the plumbing in your bathroom including: plastic pipe, copper piping and black ABS pipe. Installing plastic drainpipe (PVC) is cheaper and easier to install than copper piping but the trade-off is that it takes a little more planning because once the pipe is glued, it cannot be adjusted. The only way to correct the problem would be to cut out the section and start from scratch again which is why it is important to make a preliminary drawing of your drain pipes and vent assembly before attempting to put your plumbing pipes together. Read the rest of this entry »

Cement backerboard is a product made primarily as a substrate (waterproof base) for ceramic tile. It is normally installed over plywood or some other underlayment on walls, countertops or floors because it is unaffected by fluctuating temperature changes or the presence of moisture. Before you install the cement backerboad on your bathroom floor, you must first mark off the stud locations on your ceiling and joist locations on the walls because once you have troweled on the thinset, you want to be able to see the marks so you know where to fasten the backerboard screws. Also its always a good idea to protect your finished floors with a tarp of some type; this prevents your good floors from being scratched by the backerboard. Read the rest of this entry »

Installing track lighting in your bathroom gives you a variety of ways to integrate decorative mounted lights into your layout and design and is a great ceiling and lighting idea. Installing bathroom track lighting is the perfect solution for your bathroom lighting needs. From a straight line to visually interesting patterns on a mounted ceiling track such as L, H, or T shaped tracks, you can install these track lighting configurations to enhance and open up your bathroom space and complete your home lighting decor with track lighting. The nice thing about bathroom track lighting is that you can direct the beams of light in any direction. Installing track lighting in your bathroom is great because it gives you the flexibility to use track lighting for general illumination or if you choose, you can highlight a specific fixture or area in your washroom that you use for a particular task such as shaving or putting on make-up. Installing a track lighting system in your bathroom is not that difficult and can be done in an evening with two people. The parts required include a track, mounting plate, lamps and other ornamental fittings. Read the rest of this entry »