Fitting A New Shower Tray

Fitting a New Shower Tray
By Clive West

Shower tray installation was promised to be a simple matter by our plumber - a sage old man who wanders around the house muttering 'Bello', 'Grande' and 'Buono' seemingly at random and to himself. The reality of our experience fitting a new shower tray was a bit different and went as follows.

I am disabled and require a bigger space and stronger platform than most therefore we were already focusing on a quality product and not the usual bog-standard (if you'll excuse the pun) bathroom fitting. In consultation with our local builder's merchants we chose a Kaldewei enamel steel shower tray or shower tub carrier as it is sometimes called. The size I chose was large but not the biggest; 1.2m x 1.2m and it was made of thick white enamel steel. As a result we were quoted over €400 and a delivery period of 4 weeks.

About 2 months later, the shower tray finally arrived and we took delivery of it. We had left a suitable space in the floor of our bathroom but had not been able to plumb it in as we weren't certain of the location of the drainage holes in the floor of the shower tray.

We opened the huge cardboard box and removed the steel tray. We were surprised to see that it had wires attached to it but later reading of the rather confusing instructions suggested that we need to ask our electrician to earth this surface. So, now we had 2 builders men waiting to finish the bathroom, a plumber waiting to fix the shower tray and an electrician earthing it.

On top of that, the shower tray came mounted on a huge chunk of polystyrene which we assumed was packing (and rather wasteful at that). It turned out that this was to be embedded in the floor of the bathroom around the pipe work and the shower tray mounted on top of that. The instructions from Kaldewei leave a lot to be desire - multilingual they may be but they are completely confusing in any of the ones we understand. I've got them in front of me and, even though we now know how it all works, the instructions don't seem a whole deal clearer!

After many man-hours of swearing, arguing and, finally, sweating, we got the shower tray fixed into place and tiles laid around it to protect it and to keep water from going underneath it. If it works as well as it looks, it will have been worth it.

We're now waiting for the plumber to put the silicone sealant around it and then I can use our Kaldewei shower tray.

Clive West is a retired civil engineer. He now lives in Italy with his wife, Damaris, in a former Umbrian farmhouse which they are modernising. You can read more of his helpful guides and see about living in Italy on their websites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clive_West
http://EzineArticles.com/?Fitting-a-New-Shower-Tray&id=1436982

Planning a Bathroom Remodel

What to Consider in Your Bathroom Remodeling Plans

By Milos Pesic

Bathrooms are one of those havens that you can just be yourself and get a retreat from everything and everyone else. So, why not capitalize on these few minutes of getaway fun? A lot of people have already tried bathroom remodeling and found satisfaction in it. They just made it a point that their designs are actually of their taste and want.

One has to carefully think and plan when renovating this room, because not only will one has to consider the intricacies of the design but more so with the budget. One has to qualify the bathroom remodeling he has in mind, whether he’s considering a small or a big renovation. Time, money, and design impact differently when you are just adding a cabinet or a vanity kit, adding or changing a bathtub, re-tiling, or a total bathroom remodeling. As long as you make sure that you have a work plan in mind, then you can start from there.

Bathroom remodeling is a pleasure all on its own, the planning and the executing of the plans are already satisfaction themselves. But if careful consideration is not thought of, you might regret some remodeling ideas you may have, so there are some small pointers and tips that you
may include in your bathroom remodeling plan and design.

Do consider small details, addition of a shelf or bowls or natural ornamental decors, but don’t overdo it. Accent the room with good but low-voltage lighting. Try to replace paint with other colored stains for your wood panels and things. Tiles and wood should also be considered
for the walls and ceiling. Proper ventilation should be in place.

While doing your bathroom remodeling plan, you always have to keep in mind everyone’s safety as well. What’s the use of having beautiful bathrooms when there are high risks and dangers involved. So, you must think that water and electricity don’t work well together, thus, make
sure that electrical appliances in the bathroom are kept away from sinks, tubs, and other plumbing areas; just ensure that the wires and cords are a good distance away from water. Also, always have your medicines and bathroom cleaning chemicals stored in cabinets or kits. These are only a few of the many things that one must keep in mind, but consider these important precautionary things when renovating the bathroom. It’s better to be safe than sorry at the end.

Bathroom remodeling is not an easy feat but once done, it’s truly fulfilling. As long as you have the 3C’s in mind---convenience, comfort, and caution in your bathroom remodeling plans and designs, then you’ll truly have a wonderful and relaxing time while pampering yourself in your new remodeled bathroom.

Milos Pesic is an expert in the field of Remodeling and runs a highly popular and comprehensive Home Remodeling web site. For more articles and resources on Home Remodeling related topics, Remodeling Contractors, Home
Remodeling Loans, Remodeling Ideas and much more visit his site at:

=>http://remodeling.need-to-know.net/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milos_Pesic

http://EzineArticles.com/?What-to-Consider-in-Your-Bathroom-Remodeling-Plans&id=362589

Modern Bathroom Vanities

Bathroom Appearance Made Classic With modern bathroom vanities
By Love Reynolds

In today's world, the modern bathroom vanities are important to match the modern house atmosphere. It is an element that makes a typical house look classic and modern by how it impacts the appearance of the bathroom. Just like any household vanity, it is made up of styles and designs that suit the theme of the space.

modern bathroom vanities come in various materials. The materials include wood, steel, ceramic, granite, aluminium, fibre glass and plain glass. Aside from materials, there are also the kinds of furniture for the bathroom vanities such as the basin sink bathroom cabinets, mirrors, stand-alone shelves, mounted wall shelves, and vanity cupboards. These wide selections make the bathroom vanity fit any type of lifestyle and preferences of modern living.

To give you idea of what to look for in bathroom vanities, below are the lists of bathroom vanities to consider:

• Glass and lighting vanities - There are two choices of glass vanities: Venetian mirrors or designer glass. The Venetian mirrors can be mounted independently on the wall of the bathroom or can be attached in vanity basin sinks. It can also be attached behind cabinet doors, within the shelf or behind the bathroom door. For the designer glass, it could be incorporated as cabinet door, vanity basin sinks and shelves. Glass and lighting vanities create an overall classic and grandeur appearance of the bathroom.
• Cabinet and shelves vanity - The wood bathroom vanities are almost always referred to the cabinets and shelves of the bathroom. It comes either with attached mirror or in plain wooden materials. Some vanity bathroom cabinets, though comes in steel which is actually cheaper. Whether steel or wood, the vanity cabinets and vanity shelves are used if there's more space in the bathroom. If there is limited space, vanity wall cabinets can be suitable as it is merely mounted on the wall and does not require floor space.
• Basin sink and bath tubs vanity - These two items are essential items in modern bathroom vanities. The materials that provide high durability for basin sinks and tubs are stone bathroom vanities. It can be in granite or marble which is enduring in bathroom heat and chemical actions. There would also be no problem if you choose wood bathroom vanities for the basin sink since it is usually quoted with some chemicals so it won't easily be scratched. The chemical coating also endures the various temperatures in the bathroom surroundings. As for the bathroom tubs, the usual materials used are ceramic, granite and marble. All these materials are durable and it's up to you to choose among the various styles and colours that suit the theme of your bathroom.

All in all it is best to get bathroom vanities that compliment the overall appearance of your bathroom. Aside from the appearance, other factors such as the costs, durability and low maintenance requirement should also be considered. You can usually get tips and ideas from friends and relatives with their experience on modern bathroom vanities.

To get more idea online, the site
http://www.homelivingstyle.com provides you more options.

http://www.homelivingstyle.com is an online store providing a wide range of wood bathroom vanities including modern bathroom vanities, furniture style bathroom vanities, and venetian mirrors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Love_Reynolds
http://EzineArticles.com/?Bathroom-Appearance-Made-Classic-With-Modern-Bathroom-Vanities&id=1419047