Entries Tagged 'Bathrooms' ↓

Most bathrooms have either tiles or linoleum. There is a big difference in the two materials, most tiles are made from ceramic and the have that heavy feel to them and linoleum is light weight and fits snugly to the floor. When it comes to a choice on which set of materials you want for your bathroom, there are pros and cons of them both.

Ceramic Bathroom Tiles

One of the pros of having tiles is that they can come in any style and color you can think of. The other great thing about tile is that they can have a more of an appeasing look. Tiles give the room a whole new dynamic. You can color coordinate with the tiles with mats and shower curtains.

The cons about tiles are that if left really uncleaned for a long time the grout become filled with mold and mildew and before you know it you will be scrubbing the tiles with a toothbrush with a bleach cleaner product trying to remove the stains. As we mentioned that you can color code a room with the colored tiles, then you will always have to have keep the same color scheme unless you stay with white tiles then you need bleach to keep them clean, it is a win lose situation. Continue reading →

The bathroom is the second most popular room in the home. Besides the living room or kitchen more people come through the bathroom more than any other room, whether it be to use the toilet, wash their hands, or do a little reading.

In this case you want to enhance the bathroom and make it more appealing. Enhancing your bathroom can be done in 10 easy steps.

Bathroom Faucets

Choose the right style of faucet for your bathroom. You want to stay away from the plain standard faucets. They don’t do anything for the look. You want to decide if you want a single handle or double handles.

Replace Your Medicine Cabinet with a Fancy Mirror

Depending on what kind of vanity you have, if you have a medicine cabinet, consider removing it and putting up a frameless mirrors. Then at that point you can paint the wall around the mirror of you can use a wooden frame if you choose to. Medicine cabinets are very bulky and they do take away from the bathroom. In the next steps we can show you where to put your cosmetics and medicines.

Replace Your Bathroom Sink

This is a matter of preference, some people like their sinks but if your sink is on the older site and is stained with mildew and hard water stains, replace the sink with a small bottom sink.

You don’t need a basin sink just something small enough to wash your hands. But if you choose the hook faucet then a deeper sink may be required.

Hideaway Your Unmentionables

The next thing you want to do is place a stylish and small sizes basket, chest or container under the sink vanity. This is where you can keep the unmentionables and medication from a medicine cabinet. Choose something small in stature and does not take up much space at all.

Replace your Lighting Fixtures

Make sure that the fixtures you choose are the right size in relation to the size of the bathroom. Many people tend to buy a fixture because they like it and then they install it and when they look at it they realize it is too big for the room.

Speak to the salesperson when buying fixtures, give them the measurements of the bathroom and ask them to show you what size fixtures would look nice.

Take Care of Your Bathroom Tiles

Make sure all of your tiles in and around the shower are always clean. Scrub them down with bleach. Make sure you get the grout in the middle of the tiles, that is where mold and mildew settle. Clean once a week with an industrial cleaner or you can use bleach from the store and dilute with water.

Quick Paint Job

Paint your walls to match the room. There are bathrooms that are painted very bright colors like yellow or green.

These are not bad but in order to bring out the features of the bathroom you want to use a darker color. Not too dark but not pale colors either. Try baby blues, soft greens, medium pinks or ivory or beige.

Decorative Bath Linens

Match your towels, shower curtains and floor mats to match the shade on the walls. They don’t have to be an exact match but something close.

Dual Shower Heads

You may want to try livening up the shower (and your sex life) with a dual head shower for a great relaxing or efficient shower.

Bathtub Fitters

If you have a bathtub shower and it is stained and cannot be cleaned you can enhance the room by using a bathtub fitter. You will have a great looking new tub.

HG Lucas Construction & Woodworking Company has been a local Montgomery County based licensed General Contractor since 1980. HG Lucas has over twenty-two years of experience as a Home Remodeling Contractor specializng in custom cabinetry, Kitchen and Bath Remodeling. Continue reading →

From CaymanNewNews.com, Here are 10 ways homeowners can make their homes easier to maintain:

1. Urethane Products : Accessorize the exterior of your home with durable urethane products. Easy-care shutters, window and door trim pieces, louvers and balustrade systems resist warping, weather damage and insect infestations. Products are longer-lasting than wood products because they don’t absorb moisture and are weather resistant.

2. Composite Decking : Tired of termites feeding on your deck? Try composite decking. Made from plastic and wood fibers, this low maintenance product installs and cuts like wood, but resists rot and insects. There’s no painting or staining required and in many cases fasteners are hidden. The investment in composite decking pays back during the resale of a home… and during all those weekends you’re not forced to strip and reseal a wood deck.

3. Vinyl Siding : When it’s time to reside your home, invest in vinyl siding with insulator boards behind them to create the most energy efficient and low maintenance exterior possible. According to the Vinyl Siding Institute, there are a wide variety of vinyl siding textures and colors available, including woodgrain replications. Visit www.vinylsiding.org to locate certified vinyl siding products and for answers to your questions on vinyl siding. 

4. Acrylic Block (Italian Glass) Windows : Forget about hanging shades or blinds in areas of the home where you desire privacy. Instead, install obscure acrylic block windows that guarantee privacy. Both the blocks and vinyl frames are easy to maintain with mild soap and water. Acrylic block windows come in operable casement and awning styles along with large, fixed picture windows – ideal for use in the bathroom.

5. Tilt-In Easy Cleaning Windows: When ordering windows for your home, make sure to request the tilt-in sash option. This feature eliminates the need to clean the outside of your windows by standing on a ladder because you can use the tilt-in feature to quickly and easily clean the glass from
the inside of the house.

6. Fiberglass Columns : Add decorative style and maintenance ease to your home with fiberglass columns. Available in both round and square profiles, the columns are insect, weather and decay resistant so they can be used both for interior and exterior applications. Versatile and elegant, can be load-bearing and can be accented with decorative capitals and bases.

7. Mouldings : Install moisture resistant urethane mouldings and decorative millwork in extremely humid areas of the home, such as bathrooms and kitchens. No matter how much steam is produced from showers or cooking, these products won’t warp like wood mouldings.

8. Vinyl Replacement Windows : Replace existing windows with low-maintenance vinyl framed windows. Easy to clean with mild detergent and water, windows with vinyl frames never have peeling paint that needs to be stripped and replaced. As a bonus, vinyl is an excellent insulator, so vinyl-framed windows are extremely energy efficient.

10. Acrylic Block Showers : Save time and effort every time you shower by installing an acrylic block shower surround. The easy-care blocks don’t require you to squeegee them after every shower to remain clean and attractive. As an added benefit, the obscure blocks provide privacy in the shower while adding a stylish look to the bathroom.

Basics of Bathroom Refinishing

The do-it-yourself “fixer upper” you decided to invest in is finally nearing completion and looking like a decent place to live; there are only a few more projects to complete. Passing up the final touches like remodeling the guest bedroom, you look down at the tired old bathtub that came with the home. It is a nice size and shape and the fixtures are antiques. The plumbing works, and it has great bones; it just looks old and beat down. Grabbing your list of projects you circle “bathroom refinishing” and settle down to work.

Improve your home and your tub

You don’t have to be in the throws of handyman heaven in an investment property to refurbish your bathtub; this is one of those home improvement projects that will not only breathe new life into the look and feel of the bathroom, but can go a long way to upping the value of the entire home. The majority of bathtubs that are “off the shelf” are made from a form of industrial grade porcelain, the kind that loses its finish, and along with it its shine, over the years of use, not to mention water deposits. Continue reading →