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Posts Tagged ‘bathroom renovation’

The kitchen is one of the most used areas in any home. If you want a cup of coffee, a snack, or a full meal, the kitchen is where you go to get it. A lot of work takes place in the kitchen so if you are planning to do some home renovations you need to do some homework. Kitchen remodeling requires planning for counter space, storage space, and general layout that is functional and convenient.

In past years, many women stayed at home and often cooked three meals a day for their family. In today’s more modern world, women hold jobs outside the home and often share the cooking responsibility with other family members.

This requires additional work stations where multiple people can work in the kitchen at the same time. Kitchen islands have become popular because they not only provide additional workspace, they can also add an additional sink or cook top.

Kitchen renovation usually requires taking a serious look at cabinet space. Older kitchens typically did not have enough cabinets to accommodate the standards we live by today. Storage space is a top consideration when planning a kitchen remodel. Your local hardware store or a kitchen planner can show you options that will help you make the best use of the space you have available.

Choosing Durable Materials For Your Kitchen

Because of the high traffic and frequent use, you need to purchase quality materials and make sound choices for counter tops, flooring, and even appliances. Countertops usually get a lot of use and need to be made from a very durable material.

You have several choices for countertop materials such as granite, tile, marble, and laminate. Laminate is usually the cheapest but it also has the shortest life. Granite, tile, and marble can literally last a lifetime, if a little care is used to maintain them.

Flooring also comes in a variety of materials such as vinyl, ceramic tile, and wood. It is important to note that wood needs to be sealed in order to prevent moisture damage.

Vinyl is usually the most economical but also has the shortest use life. Ceramic tile is very durable but does carry the risk of breakage. When choosing a ceramic tile, be sure to choose one that is open stock. This means if you break one you will be able to replace only the broken tile.

Home renovation can often drastically increase the value of your home. When prospective buyers are shopping for a house, they usually rate the kitchen as being very important. It is also the most expensive room to refurbish but spending a little extra time and money to get quality components and design will always be worth your investment.

There are a variety of reasons to renovate a bathroom. One reason could be its lack of ability to meet the  modern standards in bathroom and shower design. Having new, additional family members or having people to stay for a long duration is a common reason. If you are going to rent out your property then statutory requirements may make you renovate.  

 In order to give the bathroom a  facelift, more minor changes can be performed such as altering the mirrors, putting pictures up, painting or adding new items such as faucets. These are small changes that can make a big difference.

A bathroom remodeling project can be done to your own particular wishes or perhaps comply with the requirements of the other users residing in the household Either way you will get to express you own creative ideas Looking through magazines, window shopping in stores and visiting show homes are a  great source of ideas for your project. . Another area for ideas can come from the employment of an interior designer although  can be costly. You could reduce those costs by going  armed with ideas and diagrams in the first place.

It is of importance to consider the following points when remodeling the new bathroom:

-Make sure that the floor will be durable and able to withstand the anticipated traffic.
-The bathtub must be big enough to host people of heavy weights.
-It is often advisable to have matching fixtures and fittings.
-There must be adequate space reserved for a mirror that is big enough.
-The shower space must have enough room and have proper drainage.
-The toilet should be durable and in keeping with the overall design of the bathroom.
-To meet building and legal rules it is essential that electrical lines and wires are well insulated.
-The lighting should be well centered to illuminate the whole room.
-There should be proper ventilation.

With all these and others in mind, it is often recommended to seek opinion from an expert designer to get your bathroom to have a stylish modern look. Although a designer will cost you some money, a lot of time and money can be saved. A bathroom remodeling project can be as expensive or cheap as you like. The more stylish you want your bathroom to appear, in general, the more it is going to cost you. It is, however, a good investment in your home and you can consider it a worthwhile investment which may pay dividends when it comes to selling . If properly done, it will save you  other maintenance costs which may come up in the longer term.

If you have a large bathroom, choosing bathroom accessories requires a bit more detail. If the spacing is permitting, or large you want to consider possible construction, such as back-to-back small areas and larger spacing. Plumbing is essential as well, especially the lines. If you are choosing bathroom accessories for a small bathroom combined with a large bath, make sure that you consider such notion as outlined, since it will save you expenses.

If you have a bathtub and shower installed in the center room, you may want to consider storage, vanity, accessible storage space, etc. A wire-over tub basket will provide you additional spacing as well.

How to choose storage:
When choosing storage the purpose is to free up clutter. When considering storage you want to focus on the items in the room. For instance, if you store medications, cosmetics, linens, grooming items, appliances, etc, you want to consider storage for these items. If you have a medicine cabinet, it can help free up space, since you can store cosmetics and medicines in the storage area. Hairdryers and curling irons can clutter your bathroom countertop. Perhaps you want to consider bathroom accessories, such as hooks. Install the hooks and hang the appliances up away from your countertop. The wire-over baskets install on your tubs, which are great storage spacing for soap, bath toys, sponges, wash towels, etc. In the shower, you may want to install the wire-over to store your shampoo, shaving lotions, razors, conditioners, and so forth.

If you store your towels, linens, etc, in the bathroom, you may want to consider bathrooms accessories, such as handy baskets. In addition, you can add extra shelves to store your accessories.

If you have a large family bath, consider installing dual vanity cabinets. Some vanity cabinets enable you to install 3-way mirrors, which is ideally for family rooms.

How should I choose storage for cleaning supplies?
If you have a large bathroom, you may want to install sink shelves if you do not have any installed already. If you have installed sink shelves, i.e. the cabinets beneath the sink you may want to purchase handy bathroom baskets, racks, or wired shelves. The bathroom accessories make nice hangers, which can clear up clutter and add more space to your cabinets.

If you have small children in the home, you may benefit from choosing bathroom accessories, which enable you to lock down the items that could put your child at risk. Animals also can benefit from the lock down bathroom accessories. I recommend you go online to search for such bathroom accessories.

Would you like to save money, make your bathroomlook better, and be able to take pride in the fact that you did it yourself?  Decided to start a home improvement project can be a little freighting but with the right tools and information, you will soon be on your way.  You will have the confidence to do it yourself and know that you have done a good job.

The first step to getting started with your new faucet project is getting the information to do the job.  You need to consult the web and/or educational books to make sure that you have all that you need to make this process happen.

Once you have all your information compiled and feel ready to undertake your home improvement project, you need to look at all the different faucet manufacturers for the best quality for the money you are willing to spend.You will want to purchase a faucet that is durable, as well as, blending well with your existing bathroom accessories.

You now have the perfect faucet purchased.  It is sitting in its box awaiting its new home on your bathroom vanity.  You need to make sure that you have the correct tools available.  This would include:

A basin cock wrench or pipe wrench
Philips-head screwdriver
Flat-head screwdriver
Slip-joint and adjustable pliers
Adjustable wrench
Bathroom caulk and caulk gun (plumber‘s putty will also work)
New flexible faucet supply tubes
Thread sealer

Your next step in this process would be to remove the old faucet.  To do this, you will need to shut off your water supply either under the sink or at the main water-supply valve.  The hot and cold water supply tubes will need to be loosened.At the faucet stem, loosen and remove the compression nut with a basin cock wrench or pipe wrench.  To remove the faucet now, all that you need to do is remove the nut holding the faucet to the sink.  The faucet should lift off.

Chrome-plated brass hardware may start to decay after time so you may wish to change that as well.  A bucket should be placed under the drain to contain excess water still in the drain.  A new stopper may come with your new faucet. If this is the case, you might like to change that also.  This will give you a consistent look on your new design.

You will need to wrap your faucet stems with a thread sealer.  Before inserting the faucet stems into the correct holes install the rubber gasket to the base of the faucet.  Don’t worry if your faucet did not come with a rubber gasket.  A bead of caulk will do the trick.When you have the faucet in position, you can thread the washer, nut, and mounting nut on to the faucet tailpiece.  Tighten these nuts by hand.  

You may now attach your supply tubes to the faucet stems.Make sure that you apply thread sealer to the shut off valve threads.Tighten the coupling nuts to the supply stems.  Be careful not to over-tighten the nuts.Reconnect the hot and cold water supply stems. 

You are now ready to clean the supply tubes to your new faucet.  To do this you need to remove the aerator from the faucet.  Now turn on the water.You will need to check for leaks while the water is running.  If there are none, shut off the water and replace the aerator.

Now sit back and enjoy your new bathroom faucet. You can take pride in the fact that you just installed it yourself.

Whether you own your house or rent an apartment, the fact still remains that this is your home.  As such, it is important to remember that there are many steps that can be taken to remodel your apartment home.

First of all, understand that home renovation ideas do not necessarily equate to conducting major structural changes.  Apartment remodeling ideas can be simple modifications that, when accomplished, can give the apartment a whole new remodeled look.

Some apartment renovation ideas can be grouped together in three various ways.Those three ways include the arranging of the furniture, the lighting and through accessories.

Furniture

Furniture is an important feature of any home.  Certain sizes and styles of furniture, such as French provincial, Mediterranean, Spanish, etc. can set the tone for the home’s décor.  The home remodeling efforts can capture the size and style of the furniture and carry it through the entire home or just the one room.

When it comes to apartment dwelling, the same concept applies.  When considering apartment remodeling ideas, it is important to consider the positioning and size of the furniture that is placed in the apartment.

Often apartments are smaller in size.  Therefore, a critical apartment remodeling idea is to obtain custom made furniture that is in proportion to the size of the apartment.  Avoid large overstuffed and extended pieces of furniture.  Also, an effective apartment remodeling idea is to place the longest piece of furniture on the wall that is the greatest in length.

Another apartment remodeling idea is to enhance the flow of movement in the apartment.  This can be accomplished by placing the furniture so that it does not obstruct individuals from entering or leaving a room.  Also, accessibility to cabinets, fireplaces or other features in the apartment home should be maintained.

Lighting

Another practical apartment remodeling idea is the choice of lighting and where the fixtures are situated.Room enhancing tricks to give the apartment a larger look include the use of soft lighting.This type of lighting helps to reduce shadows which gives the appearance of the room being larger.

A form of lighting that should be avoided is the use of lighting that shines from the ceiling.  This type of lighting has the effect of diminishing the height of the room.
Accessories

The use of accessories, as part of any remodeling plan, are an important part of the overall remodeling look.  Some accessories include the use of pillows, color schemes and wall decorations.

Some apartment remodeling ideas include the use of soft, one color schemes.  These soft colors give the appearance that the room is larger than it is.  Also, another recommendation that gives rooms a large look is the use of mirrors.  Finally, pillows and wall hangings should be of moderate size so that they do not overshadow the dimensions of the room or other placed items.

Renovating bathroom is one of the most common home improvement projects because homeowners prefer a toilet and bath area where they can relax from a hard day’s work. In addition, people who plan to sell their homes in the future understand that remodeling a bathroom has one of the highest return-on-investments of all home renovations.

If your project involves remodeling a bathroom completely from scratch, you can hire a contractor if your project includes plumbing, electrical wires and other technical issues. However, if you will only remodel the exterior of the bathroom without touching the electrical wires and plumbing, you can perform the tasks on your own.

Guidelines of Bathroom Renovation

If you choose to hire a contractor for your project, you need to follow several guidelines to ensure you can meet all finances, legal issues and important details. When you want to remodel the entire bathroom, you should ensure to complete building permits, follow zoning regulations and pay the fees related to your renovation. Remodeling a bathroom with the necessary permits gives you protection from hazardous building practices or low-quality workmanship.

Once you have settled the paperwork, you can now evaluate your budget based on your design. Make sure to estimate all expenses from labor and equipments. You should also reserve a fund to cover unexpected costs or expenses.

Before remodeling a bathroom, you should first explain your plans and designs to the contractor. You should also confirm the start of renovation, delivery of equipments, implementing of tasks, estimated completion of the project and insurance coverage. This can ensure that your budget can shoulder labor fees for the given days or weeks of completion.

While your contractor is responsible for remodeling a bathroom, it is your responsibility to ensure all materials has been delivered. Before starting the project, inspect all items and equipments are complete to prevent delays due to lack of equipments.

Once everything is prepared for the renovation, you should keep pets and children away from the bathroom to avoid accidents. You should also warn other members of your household about the scheduled dates of renovation to prepare them for the construction noise.

Take a picture of the bathroom before the project starts to compare the changes made after the construction period. If you have time, you can supervise the contractors while remodeling a bathroom to ensure all no task is left undone.

When the construction period ends, inspect all changes made and evaluate if all sinks, water drainage, light fixtures and other bathroom equipments are working properly. Once you are satisfied with the project, you can now take your first relaxing shower and enjoy a long-term benefit from the investment you made.

Bathrooms are in their own way a sanctuary within our homes. Increasing amount of people find that they can remodel their bathrooms to create the perfect place in which they can relax, refresh, rejuvenate and/or have a romantic time. Here is how you can implement some Tuscan bathroom remodeling ideas in order to make it welcoming, elegant and romantic.

Tuscany: The Land of Wine and Romance

Tuscany is a beautiful place in Italy, which is world famous for its wine primarily but also for breath taking landscape, romantic ambiance and rustic architecture. When you want to achieve a Tuscan bathroom look, you are looking for warmth, elegance and romance, which can be found in wood, metal and stone depending on your personal style and choice.

Essential Tuscan Bathroom Renovation Ideas

The color of the walls is the first thing that you must decide and ideally you should choose pastels colors of yellow, green or browns. If you are looking to create a bright bathroom, which is indicated in order to wake you up in the morning and also relax you in the evening you will choose yellows and greens however if you are looking for more romantic earthy tones and browns will be the right choice.

The next Tuscan bathroom remodeling idea is the furniture and lighting; you will find with ease in all custom made furniture or home improvement Tuscan style mirrors in either wood, metal or stone appearing design, the mirror is probably the most important piece of furniture in any bathroom. The next things to focus on are the tub, sink, faucets and knobs. You will also find with ease Tuscan style lighting, tiles, marble and carpets to complete your Tuscan bathroom look

More Tuscan Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Once the main things are set in you will need to add your own personal touch to make the bathroom complete such as, a plant, painting or a statuette that is in the Tuscan style. Depending on your budget you can choose the Tuscan bathroom remodeling idea that best suits you keeping in mind that wood is probably the most expensive of them all and also the hardest to maintain in bathrooms where you will have high humidity levels.

Helpful Tips

Metal is a great choice for medium to low budgets for Tuscan bathroom fitting also you can find with ease in most home improvement stores wood imitation cabinets or stone imitation floors which will provide you the looks while keeping you within the budget.

Most of us have recognized the amazing powers our bathroom has to refresh, rejuvenate, relax and relieve stress but also the perfect place to spend a romantic evening like no other. Many of us have increased the amount of time we spend in the bathroom and therefore require extra space; here are some points to consider before you start bathroom fitting.

Professional Advice

So, you found adjacent space to your bathroom that you would like to add to it in order to create that large, spacious bathroom you have always wanted; well, first and foremost you will require professional advice before you knock down any walls because some walls in the house are resistance walls, which basically means that protect the frame of the house and should not be weakened, as they can weaken the frame of the entire house.

Get a professional to have a look at the house plans before you start bathroom renovation in order to make sure that you can go ahead and break the walls you have in mind. A professional will be need also to do any additional installations should you want to change the position of the shower, tub or the sink or else you may be at risk of flooding your entire house.

Additional Help

If you are planning on remodeling and enlarging a bathroom by yourself because you have the skills and/or know you can do this project, remember that with the enlargement you may need to repaint the walls, add extra tiles and possibly some new custom made furniture. It is all very adventurous and relatively easy if you know what you are doing and if you are learning ensure that you have all the right instructions before you start the remodeling and enlarging a bathroom.

Helpful Tip

When remodeling and enlarging a bathroom whether it is done in house or by a professional team set a budget and time frame but also be prepared to overlook them as they most likely will not be respected. Remodeling and especially enlarging any place has unexpected expenses and work that will usually take longer then expected.

However, the good part is that having a time frame and budget set it will not throw you too far away from what you initially planed if you keep a close watch on both. There is no greater joy to a house owner then to remodel and especially enlarge a special room such as the bathroom. So, enjoy every minute of it and more importantly enjoy the outcome of your work and labor.

Decorating a bathroom can be a project that completely changes the look of the room, even if you’re just going for a layer of new paint on the walls and a little new lighting. The thing is, decorating a bathroom badly is also easy to do, and the newness won’t be countered by the problems of a mismatched, bad looking bathroom. With a little consideration and some simple rules, though, decorating a bathroom can be easy to do, and you’ll have something that looks wonderful.

Start with Planning a Motif

The easiest way to ensure that bathroom renovation will have successful results is to start with a central motif to tie in all your decorating changes. This will not only make it easier for you to have great results from your decorating project, but it will also give you a way to narrow down the choices for what you need to purchase, from paint to fixtures.

Do you want a retro look? Get polished chrome fixtures for a sleek look and colors to go with it? For a beach feel, try a sandy colored paint or a light blue, like the sky, and add a single picture or two to help support the theme.

Consider Building Materials

When you’re decorating a bathroom, you need to think about what you’ll be using for materials. This goes in particular for the floors. Different flooring materials, from vinyl to marble, all have drawbacks. Things like marble, for instance, look great but are going to be slick when wet. Natural-looking tiles and some ceramics will give your floor an interesting, textured look, but may ultimately be harder to clean.

Plan Your New Fixtures

Remember that to support your motif, you may need new fixtures as well. For the previously mentioned retro look, plenty of polished, shiny surfaces may work well, and you may want to take things one step further, finding a sink that has a great vintage look. Similarly, there are claw-foot bathtubs that might add more character to your bathroom than a simple tub or shower.

Of course, taking it beyond new faucets when decorating a bathroom is an expensive thing to do, so be careful and watch your bottom line. If it’s too much, find a motif that works within your budget.

Coordinate With Softer Materials

Bathroom fitting isn’t all tiles and metal fixtures. What will really round out your bathroom’s look is the use of cloth material to complete the look. Be sure to purchase towels that match your bathroom’s new look, and the same goes for the shower curtain.

Even something such as a set of blinds in the bathroom needs to fit into the new look somehow, so make sure to get these new things to support the look you want. Remember, pick a look you want, stick with it through the planning stages, and consider materials carefully, and you will have a bathroom you can be proud of.

As the world turns and young people grow up, they want to be able to buy a home.  Some people may have saved for a few years waiting for the right opportunity.In most cases, the first house that people buy is smaller.  It is most likely an older house that may need some home renovaton and decorating.When people buy their first home they are so excited that certain things can be overlooked.  

Most of the things that need to be done are things that the people can do by themselves.  One thing that is almost certain to be done is a small bathroom fitting.  The bathroom is small because the home is small.Decorating a small bathroom does not have to cost a lot of money.  There are many things that can add perceived space and make the room look up to date.  

Hanging mirrors will make the small space seem larger.  Some small bathrooms can benefit from taking out the old sink and vanity and replacing the sink with a pedestal sink.  These can be inexpensive and it will change the appearance of the bathroom dramatically.  Cabinets can be hung above on the wall and this frees up a lot of floor space.  Also, consider new paint or wall paper to freshen up the space.

Other Things to Consider

A small bathroom renovation will change it so that it looks appropriate.  There are some things that shouldn’t be tackled at least right away.  First, try not to do any major renovations.  The cost will skyrocket and there are so many things that can be done by decorating.Renovations are best saved for another time when things have settled down and the people have saved enough money.

Depending on the age of the home, the toilet may have a large tank for water.  It can be replaced but there is something else that can be done.  Add a gallon jug of water to the tank and then the amount of water used is much less.  The entire toilet can be changed at the same time that the renovation will be done.  

Something else that can be done when decorating a small bathroom is to resurface the porcelain bath tub.  If the bath tub looks bad then go buy some bath tub refinisher and do it without a contractor.  The bath tub will look brand new and will really make the bathroom shine.  Decorating a small bathroom can be fun and can even give a young couple something to work on together.