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Bathroom Renovation for the Differently-abled

Published on May 6, 2013, by in Bathroom Renovation.

small__6575695837Many bathroom renovations often lean toward the luxurious and cutting-edge technological side of things. Architectural sinks, ergonomic tubs, and even heated floors and toilets all connote living in the lap of luxury. However, there are also some renovations you can do to your bathroom to make it a more inclusive place. While these may not necessarily be applicable to certain home bathrooms, it will certainly be to a company’s benefit to put these renovations into effect.

For the differently-abled, it is important that everything is executed to make their trips to the loo as hassle-free and easy as possible. Installing Braille signs on many things (from the door signs to the diaper-changing station to the hand soap container and hand dryer) will make bathroom experiences for the visually-impaired a lot easier. Stalls with bidets and more room for a wheelchair to maneuver into will be a boon to many who traverse by wheelchair.

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Improvements That Will Increase the Value of Your Home

Published on April 8, 2013, by in Bathroom Renovation.

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If you are a homeowner contemplating selling your house in some future time, then you should be actually looking into improvements that will increase its value. Of course, it would be nice if you can get to enjoy it for some time as well to see for yourself if it has added any significant value to its use. While some improvements can be quite costly and may prove difficult to recover, some are quite sensible decisions which can make you wonder why you didn’t think of it in the first place.

1. Improving on Essential Indoor Systems

Plumbing, electrical wiring, heating, and other indoor systems are usually taken for granted by homeowners until the time something goes wrong and mess up their newly renovated bathroom or kitchen. They are not actually aesthetic concerns but they can easily destroy whatever physical beauty the house prides itself with. These are problems that need to be checked often before they have any significant effect in the condition of a house.

2. Improving on Outdoor Essentials

The first thing that greets a prospective buyer’s sight is the outside of the house. If the buyer finds nothing encouraging from the outside, chances are they would rather not check further. A home’s exterior appeal has to be spruced up thus it would be best to look into roofs, doors, windows, and the front lawn.

3. Additional Bedroom and Bathroom

Among the added bedrooms, it is the attic bedroom which gives a higher return on investment. Bathrooms have also become very important to buyers thus an additional one usually succeed in providing additional value. A facelift for an existing bathroom may be a less costly way to achieve higher home value.

4. Improving on Existing Kitchen

Because of the significance of a kitchen with family life, much attention is placed on kitchen. New paint as well as new cabinets, sink fixtures, and better lighting all contribute to a better-looking kitchen. Ceramic tiles look more updated than vinyl tiles.

5. Improving on Landscaping

The issue of curb appeal comes to mind in the issue of landscaping.A well-maintained lawn can do magic on the value of a home because of the instant visual appeal even before buyers get to enter the house. Not because an improvement costs much doesn’t necessarily mean it will give as much return on investment when the time to sell the house comes. Homeowners should usually temper on personal preferences as compared to universally appealing choices. It can be such a disappointment to spend so much on one area of the house only to find out that they do not contribute to added home value. A professional handyman service is your best option if you don’t have the time or knowledge for home DIY.

About the Author:
Alanah Kaleski is a real estate agent who knows exactly what increases the resale value of a home.

Image source credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wordjunky/137261655/

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DIY Bathroom Renovations

Published on March 16, 2013, by in Bathroom Renovation.

Bathroom is one of the most used parts of any house. It is where you spend time for cleaning yourself. To truly enjoy the benefit of your bathroom, it is important that you keep it free from dirt all the time. Some people even hire professional cleaners for their bathroom, but of course it comes with a cost. To avoid spending money or any expenses, there are Do-it-Yourself bathroom cleaning tips that can help your restroom always clean, fresh and attractive.

Unblock your drains: A lot of trash can go through your drainage. The best way you can do to unclog your drainage system is by placing few drops of cleaning detergent, followed by a vinegar chaser. Then wait for a couple of minutes before you rinse it with clean, hot water.

Clean the toilet: You dont need to learn Thai or any other language just to know that among the most difficult and hated DIY bathroom cleaning procedure would probably cleaning the toilet. However, you can now purchase cleansing products such as denture tablets to clean easily your toilet. When scrubbing your toilet, be extra careful to prevent damaging the bowl. If there are stubborn stains on the bowl, you can pour some vinegar into it and leave it to sit throughout the night. Then in the morning rub the bowl with the pumice stone.

Accessories cleaning: Make sure that the mirrors and other room’s accessories are clean as well. Change curtain if needed. Throw away all unnecessary thing. Don’t display expired products and always have an available face towel or tissue at your comfort room.

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Shower or Bathtub?

Published on February 12, 2013, by in Bathroom Renovation.

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When deciding to renovate your bathroom, one of the most crucial questions that will arise is whether to go for a dedicated shower, a dedicated bathtub, or both. Some people will definitely be Team Shower, some Team Bathtub, and some, both. Let’s look at the pros and cons of option.

Having a dedicated shower is best for people who want to be over and done quickly with their baths. The shower also allows the bather to quickly change water temperature, so he or she can go from a nice hot shower to a cold one to encourage circulation and close their pores. On the other hand, reliable and durable showerheads and fixtures can be expensive, and sometimes may tarnish over time. The heat can also encourage humidity in the bathroom, and thus mold growth will happen on the tile walls.

A tub is great for people who want to take their sweet, blessed time luxuriating over themselves. If the words “bubble”, “milk” and “fizzy” are the only words you can ever imagine associating with “bath”, then a tub is the best bathroom fixture for you. However, you won’t be able to quickly change the temperature of the water, and you must be ready to pay for an expensive water bill. Also, slipping as you get out of a bathtub can be very dangerous.

A combined bathtub-and-shower setup combines the best (and worst) of both options. Just be ready to find solutions against any liability or problem that this can bring you.

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Bathroom Humidity

Published on January 20, 2013, by in Bathroom Renovation.

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There’s nothing more refreshing, relaxing, and rejuvenating than a shower. Taking a hot shower not only helps improve your circulation and makes sloughing off dead skin cells easier, it also can relax tired muscles and nourish your skin. Taking a cold rinse afterwards is also beneficial, in that it tightens pores and your skin for a younger-looking complexion.

After taking your shower, do you make it a point to let the hot, humid air out?

This step is very important as it prevents the build up of mold, and helps prolong the life of your metal fixtures. Humidity can lead to moisture, and a lot of moisture encourages the growth of molds and harmful bacteria that could be detrimental to your health. After your shower, simply leave the door or your bathroom window open, or install an exhaust fan for easier ventilation. An exhaust fan is a worthy investment. Your bathroom and your health will thank you for it.

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Bathroom basics

Published on December 24, 2012, by in Guide.


The bathroom is the smallest part of the house, so you need to use the space economically. Bathrooms are not hard to design, as their use is pretty straightforward.

The most basic design is to use white. You can hardly go wrong with that. White is a very neutral color and choosing the fixtures are easier. You should also have plenty of storage space for towels, medicine, tissue paper, soap, and other stocks of toiletries you will be storing in the bathroom. You should also have some scents in the bathroom – but nothing to strong. A subtle scent from potpourri or scented candles will do the trick – avoid air freshener smells, since they’re too artificial. You may also opt to use older styles, but be sure that you maintain a balance between old (antique) fixtures and new ones.

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Vinegar, Your Secret Weapon Against Molds

Published on December 14, 2012, by in Home Improvement.

In the last post, we focused on an advantage and a disadvantage of owning a see-thu shower. In this post, we’ll tackle on particularly icky problem that can affect surfaces of showers – mold!

A bathroom is a very humid, moist place. We bathe in it, do our business in it, wash our hands and faces in it, brush our teeth in it. Sometimes, a pipe might turn leaky, or the toilet seat tank could turn drippy, and this adds to the moisture content of the room. In addition, it is often dark and dank – in certain bathrooms, ventilation isn’t a big priority. This present the perfect place for mold to thrive on tiles, grout, and other surfaces. Eeeyuck!

One very simple solution to this problem lies in your kitchen – vinegar! All you need do is place some vinegar in a spray bottle – no need to dilute it with water. Mist the surfaces with vinegar, and let it stand for 15 minutes. Repeat the process if necessary – wait for twenty minutes on the second try, then rinse. Vinegar not only attacks mold on tiles, it also can seep through grout and knock out potential mold roots, giving your bathroom a deep-down cleaning job!

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See-through Shower Stalls: Yay or Nay?

Published on November 19, 2012, by in Bathroom Renovation.

A new trend in bathroom renovation is the see-through shower stall. It’s becoming a quick favorite among homes a Moderne flair in design, as well as high-end hotels. There are pre-fabricated see-through shower stalls that are comparatively easier and cheaper to install than those built from scratch. They also come in either
glass or clear plastic, and have become an image in movies, TV shows, and music videos that denotes hot, steamy sexytime in the bath. However, just what are the Yays and Nays of a see-through shower?

Yay: See-through fun. Aside from the aforementioned sexy potential of the shower, having transparent walls can be used in other ways. If you have kids in the house, you can bring out the crayon soaps and encourage them to doodle on the glass or plastic. The experience of bathing your dog or cat in a see-through shower can net crazy entertainment for onlookers. Also, fog sketches in a see-through shower can be fun.

Nay: Say goodbye to privacy. There’s a good reason why bathrooms with see-through showers installed need locks on the door. Imagine: you’re well into scrubbing yourself down, when a house guest badly, badly needs to use your loo. They open the door, rush in, and see you in all your glory. Hilarity ensues.

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Funkify Your Bathroom!

Published on October 15, 2012, by in Bathroom Renovation, Home Improvement.

I love pretty bathrooms. I really do. I believe it’s wonderful to bring a sense of fun and comfort to this special little place, because why would you call it a “comfort room” if it were not even comfortable to do your business in? I mean seriously, would you rather sit and stare at boring tiles and white-washed walls, or have something interesting and exciting to look at?

It pays to inject a bit of fun into your bathroom experience, and you can do so on very little. No need to take a giant loan out to personalize your bathroom. Here are some tips to go from hum-drum to hubba-hubba!

  • Bathroom, meet Color. Now Kiss! Never be afraid to introduce bright colors into your bathroom. Orange walls with a lemon yellow ceiling can give you a jolt of energy (and maybe give you an appetite) while making the room look taller. Cerulean or Robin’s Egg-Blue walls give the place an offbeat character.
  • Walls — not just for fixtures anymore. Hang up a favorite art print, shadow box, or framed photographs. If you’re the artistic type, now’s a good time as any to even paint something on the walls! Give it a DIY stencil border, practice your typography with different colors, or even paint a mural! The sky’s the limit with your imagination.
  • Say “this is an awesome place!” with flowers. Flowers always add a certain je ne sais quoi to a bathroom – just be mindful to change the water in the vase everyday. Fresh blooms not your thing? Why not try crafting some of them on your own? Origami flowers; newspaper roses, felt-and-button daisies – there are just some of the blooms you can make yourself. They’ll last longer, and will add a unique touch to your bathroom!

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    Plastic Plastic Everywhere

    Published on October 5, 2012, by in Bathroom Renovation, Facts, Guide.

    plasticshowerPlastic fixtures, shower screens, hangers and tubs, it seems there’s no end to the possibilities when it comes to plastic one of the most polluting and pervasive materials invented by man. They are tough and non-reactive to acids and base chemicals but they do have one very nasty trait, scratches would most surely result in ugly, stained and quite unappealing. Plastic scrubbing pads only that tends to glide over the surface but any solvents that gets into it, would also result in ugly melted plastics so keep lacquer and other strong solvents away. Want a nifty way to make them water-proof (like a windshield), use the same stuff you use on your car applying two times to ensure proper coverage. Just be sure to read the label and warnings so you don’t end up making an ugly plastic enclosure well uglier? (more…)

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