Archive for January, 2010Have you ever thought about laying laminate flooring in your bathroom? Is laminate flooring the right choice for you? Asking yourself diy laminate flooring installation questions can help you determine the practicality of laminate floors in your home and help you figure out your laminate flooring cost. Questions such as: How big is your bathroom? Do you plan on installing the laminate flooring yourself? Are you a young growing family, on your own, or a mature couple? Do you entertain a lot in your home? Are you planning to sell your home in the near future or are you putting down permanent roots? Do you have the time and inclination to vacuum often or is the hand broom your best friend? Laminate floors can make clean up easy. Do you have pets? Do they have the run of the house, including the bathroom? Indoors, outdoors or both? The answers to these lifestyle questions along with the following laminate flooring installation tips and laminate flooring installation instructions will give you a sense of what it takes to lay in a new floor. Consider the following pros and cons of laying a new laminate floor below when trying to decide if laminate meets the flooring needs in your home and bathroom. Read the rest of this entry » Who doesn’t want a beautiful new bathroom? But who’s got the time (let alone the inclination) in their busy schedule to start a drawn out bathroom renovation project they have been putting off for the last year or so. Sound familiar? But what if that old run down looking shower stall and tub was there one day and gone the next? That would be sweet indeed! Well, for those of you with a sweet tooth, Bath Fitter may just have the sugar fixed solution you are looking for. It’s quick, painless and best of all you don’t need to get your hands dirty. At least that is how it was explained to me by Stephanie a rep from Bath Fitter down at the 2010 Home Expo in Calgary, Alberta. The advantage of Bath Fitter over conventional bathroom retrofitting is that when its time to remodel your bathroom, you don’t need to disturb your existing flooring or plumbing. So Presto! Just like magic you could have a stunning new bath in a one day or two. Read the rest of this entry » Most bathroom renovation or remodelling projects begin with a trip to your local home improvement store or surfing the net to gather ideas just to see what’s out there. Another good place to start is to get to know the jargon and terminology that the trade’s people in the home refurbishment industry are currently using. This is beneficial so you won’t get totally lost when you try to communicate with them as to what you want. Here is a short list of common bathroom renovation terms encompassing: plumbing and lighting, flooring, framing, planning and design terminology. This is not a complete list but more of a work in progress and relevant terms and descriptions will be added on a regular basis as we assess them. Read the rest of this entry » Water and bathrooms go hand in hand, everyone understands this. The thing that most home owners don’t quite grasp is the difference between hard water and soft water and whether or not they should purchase a water softener system for their home. On my rounds down at Home Expo 2010 I happened to come across a display for Water Solutions and I was fortunate enough to have an expert explain the benefits of having a water filtration and purification system in your home. Hard water, as it was explained to me, contains large amounts of calcium and magnesium, two minerals that cause the soapy scum on glasses and lime residue on bathroom fixtures. It was further pointed out to me, that while this water is suitable for drinking and gardening, hard water can cause mineral build-up in water heaters, pipes and showerheads, reducing the waters natural flow (which could lead to costly repair or replacement). Also a fact little known to home owners is that hard water furthermore reduces soap and shampoo’s ability to lather properly (so you use more), and more over, laundry becomes harder and duller in appearance. Read the rest of this entry » Metal Tiles in Your Bathroom? What a strange combination you may be thinking, metal and water? But why not, aren’t your taps and faucets made of metal? Decorative metal tiles are an interesting alternative to glass and ceramic tiles. And just like their more traditional counterparts, they are available in smooth (polished or unpolished) finishes and can even be embossed with attractive designs. The only thing that the homeowner should be aware of is that some metals mature and may discolour overtime if they are exposed to constant moisture. So if you don’t mind the slight weathering, then metal tiles in your washroom may be the choice selection you are looking for. Recycled metal tiles can be a viable green alternative as well, these metal tiles are versatile and add a textural design element that is modern and hip that appeals to our visual senses. Metal tiles can also serve to counter balance the feeling of too much wood in your bathroom and add an upscale trendy feel to your loo. Read the rest of this entry » I caught up with Alison Turcotte, a business development manager of Wolseley Canada down at Home Expo 2010 about an hour before the show was about to end and despite the fact she was winding down from a very busy day she was mindful enough to chat with me about some interesting trends that were occurring in the bathroom industry. For those that are unfamiliar with Wolseley, they are a global company offering more than 175,000 products to over 27 countries worldwide in many different industries. So, whether you are constructing a new residence or simply upgrading a bathroom, their Kitchen & Bath showrooms offer you one of the biggest collections of plumbing fixtures, faucets, and bath accessories from quality name brands, displaying some of the latest trends and cutting-edge styles in the bathroom industry Read the rest of this entry » Hi everyone, it’s me again, Anthony. I just got back from the Home Expo 2010 Show down at the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta and I believe this is the first show of the year directed towards the housing industry. Home Expo is one of Calgary’s premier home, renovation and décor shows, this year featuring such personalities as Sarah Richardson (host of Sarah’s House on HGTV) and John Sillaots and Reena Nerbas. The show was very diverse this year and even included a section featuring Recreation and Investment Properties. I must say that it was really busy this year and having talked to some of the bathroom renovation sales reps and business owners down there, according to them, things seem to be picking up pretty good as we enter into 2010. One business owner even told me that compared to similar shows he had attended last September and October 2009, this year he was able to make twice the contacts and leads than last year, so he was definitely a happy camper! Read the rest of this entry » Shelves in your bathroom is a great idea. If you are like most homeowners, you are constantly running out of space in your lavatory. Adjustable bathroom wall shelves as opposed to a medicine or vanity cabinet, offers you an alternative solution to your bathroom storage problems or can serve to complement your existing cabinetry or bathroom furniture. Wall mounted shelves are a viable option for storing your bathroom accessories because they provide ample storage shelving without taking up any floor space. The great thing about bathroom accessories is that because of their appealing, quaint looking packaging, most bath items are suitable for display on a storage shelf. Lotions, bath salts in glass jars, exotic soaps and perfumes, even rolls of toilet paper add to the ambience of your shelf unit. The only thing that you have to remember is to organize your bathroom shelving unit so that it isn’t a jumbled mess of bathroom accessories. Hope fully these bathroom shelving ideas can help you organize your toiletries and essentials inside your bathroom. Read the rest of this entry » Home additions can be exciting. Whether you are planning on incorporating a home spa into your present bathroom floor plan or you just want to include a changing or sitting area where you can put on your makeup or even enjoy a beverage station, your new bath design must seamlessly incorporate these new design elements while at the same time leaving you enough room to perform your daily amenities. Planning is critical for any type of bathroom expansion. The first thing you must decide is whether you will be slotting in the addition to the exterior or interior of your home. It should go without saying that adding space to the exterior of your home will be a lot more expensive than if you are able to make the space internally. Unfortunately if you don’t have any extra space in your home, then an external addition may be your only alternative. Read the rest of this entry » A silky warm milk bath sounds sumptuous doesn’t it? And why not, how many times have we heard that milk is good for you. For ages nutritionists have been raving about how good milk is for your bones and teeth, so why wouldn’t it be good for your skin and complexion as well? What most people don’t realize is that women have been using milk as a beauty product secret for centuries and it is not until recently that the general public have been made aware of the replenishing wonders of a milk based bath. Milk baths when taken on a regular basis can soften and smooth your skin, even making it firmer and more radiant and silky to the touch due to milks natural exfoliation properties. While a milk bath does offer you the benefits of skin care in a home spa, you can also add other natural ingredients such as honey, oatmeal, lavender and even natural clay to increase the beautifying affects of your milk bath mixture. Read the rest of this entry » |
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