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Archive for March, 2008


Bathroom Remodeling Information and Ideas

When homeowners decide to do home improvement, they think the bathroom. This is the place where one can get away from all the stresses in life. By redesigning your bathroom cabinets, sinks, bath tubs or even the floor, you can turn your bathroom into a newly designed retreat where relaxation and unwinding is the ultimate experience.

The bathroom is the most used room in the house so it should seem that it is the most remodeled room. After a certain period of time owning a home, the bathroom becomes the most boring even if nothing has been done since you moved in. Most likely your bathroom is the standard white sink, white tub, and white toilet. Now there are many bathroom renovations ideas to choose from such as a spa bath, fog free mirrors, a warming bathroom floor to name a few. Install a new shower faucet with an anti-scald pressure regulator - remove the scenario where someone flushes the toilet and out comes scalding water from your shower faucet.

Replace crumbling tile in the shower stall with a maintenance free shower surround. Grab bars in the shower, new water-saver toilet and/or a new whirlpool tub. You can go from a small bathroom remodeling design project to a major bathroom renovation. The size of the project will depend on the size of your budget and the amount of inconvenience you want to have. Remodeling a bathroom can be expensive. The average cost of a full renovation of a bathroom when hiring a contractor is about the same as the cost of a small car. By doing part or all of the remodeling work yourself, you can save thousands of dollars. While making a decision about bathroom remodeling, remember that in most recent years homeowners were able to recoup approximately 85% of their costs upon sale of their home. This recovery is when a professional remodels the bathroom.

Some professionals consider small projects consisting of replacing the tub with a new tub or a shower unit. If this is what you are considering for your bathroom, you will need to include the flooring in your plans. Most new tubs or shower units will not cover where the old flooring conformed to the old tub. This work will involve removing fixtures (toilet, etc.) which will cause labor costs to rise. A project like this is okay but most homeowners usually consider a medium to large remodeling project for the bathroom. For these projects you want to plan very carefully so you will be happy with what you end up with after the project is completed. You will want to make sure that you have extra facilities to use while the remodeling is in progress.

Your plans should include the fixture placement, i.e. do you keep the old layout or create a new one? What type of lighting do you want? Do you want task lighting at every functional area or general lighting throughout the bathroom? Do you want a bathroom heating system to keep you warm when you get out of the shower (i.e. floor warming system)? Do you want greenery or how about a HiFi television for your bathroom? Fog free mirrors? No more waiting for steam to clear before you can see yourself! Plan carefully and within your budget! When the project is completed, enjoy the new room you designed for you and your family!

K Hoyng is the web master and operator of http://www.quickcash2u.com which is a good
source of information for remodeling and much more information.
Visit this site at http://www.quickcash2u.com/BathroomRemodeling.html

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How to Plan and Estimate Costs for a Bathroom Remodeling Project

Remodeling a bathroom can be an exciting and fun experience, particularly if your bathroom has outdated baby blue or pink tile covering the walls. Planning and estimating bathroom remodeling costs prior to starting the project however is critical for ensuring a completely positive experience.

Today many new bathroom remodeling jobs include Jacuzzi tubs or whirlpool baths, along with separate showers. In addition there are a multitude of toilet, vanity, countertop and sink styles to choose from. Costs for these items vary widely.

If planned properly a bathroom remodeling project can be accomplished on a shoestring budget and still look like you’ve completely transformed the room. It depends only on your creativity and level of sweat equity. All new bathroom fixtures are not critical in remodeling a bathroom. Many fixtures can be restored to a brand new appearance with just a little time and sweat equity. In some cases, such as with toilets, it is frequently the preferred route. Older toilets use more water per flush than the new models. Though the new ones are environmentally friendlier, they have a reputation for clogging and thus many people choose to preserve their older toilets in a bathroom remodeling project.

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. It is usually where you start and end your day. Thus the return on investment for remodeling a bathroom is fairly high. Consequently it makes a great deal of sense to spend some money and remodel a bathroom, even if you do not plan on being in the house for a long time.

A bathroom remodeling project however can be a messy and annoying home improvement project. Frequently bathrooms are right off bedrooms or in the master bedroom. Consequently they can cause significant disruptions and cleanliness issues with your home. And the length of the disruption can take as long as a month or more, even when well planned out.

To mitigate the disruption of a bathroom remodeling project, planning is absolutely essential. The first item to consider is whether you will do it yourself, or hire a general contractor. Regardless of what route, a homeowner needs to first sketch out some bathroom remodeling ideas to ensure the bathroom design and cost estimates will meet their targeted functional requirements and budget. If a general contractor is to be hired these initial sketches will be helpful in communicating your bathroom remodeling plans and ideas.

During the planning phase, you should identify the main objectives of the future bathroom. Is a Jacuzzi or whirlpool tub desired? Is a pedestal sink preferred over a traditional vanity? You should research the latest products on the market including: cabinets/vanities, countertops, toilets, shower/tubs and flooring. Also, homeowners are now more frequently using tile in bathrooms, both on the floors and walls. Tile adds a look of elegance to a bathroom that is not captured with vinyl or Linoleum flooring materials.

It is also important to consider any structural changes to the existing bathroom area. In particular, if a Jacuzzi or whirlpool tub is to be installed a deck area will probably need to be framed in. In addition, if overhead lighting is desired then soffits may need to be framed in.

Your initial sketches of your bathroom remodeling plan should include the basic layout of the bathroom with the toilet, shower/tub and vanity locations identified. In addition, dimensions should be included in the sketches. Also, if there are already known preferred manufacturers for the various bathroom utilities then they should also be included on the sketches. Once the sketches have been completed it is time to contact a remodeling general contractor. They should be able to work from your sketches to develop a firm fixed quotation on the bathroom remodeling project.

For more help on remodeling your bathroom, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Bathroom Remodeling Bid Sheet. The Bathroom Remodeling Bid Sheet will help ensure that your bathroom remodeling project goes smoothly and you get the finished bathroom you are looking for. In addition, it will help to ensure that your remodeled bathroom will be accomplished on time and on budget.

Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

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What’s So Good About Alloc Laminate Flooring

When it comes time to add that beautiful flooring to your home that you have always wanted, it is time to consider going with Alloc laminate flooring. This Swedish company produced the original glue-less flooring that has given to the industry a new standard of excellence. It has also given to the do-it-yourselfer an edge that makes it so much easier to put these beautiful floors in for themselves. Here are some reasons why you should consider the easy to install system of the Alloc laminate floors to enhance the beauty of your home or office.

No Glue

Each one of the boards that is used in the Alloc laminated flooring has a specially patented lock joint that firmly holds the boards together, giving you a very tight fit that leaves no spaces between the boards. In addition, the boards stay together and will continue to look beautiful long after they have been installed in your home.

Because of the tongue and groove interlocking pieces, absolutely no glue is needed. This eliminates a lot of mess, and no cleanup is needed afterwards, either. A precise aluminum joint that provides a great deal of endurance is strong enough for them to give you a lifetime warranty on some of their products. Other products are typically guaranteed for at least 25 years. This same joint system gives you a fit without unsightly spaces and keeps them that way.

Easier To Install

The purpose of Alloc laminated flooring was to make it much easier to install. Because of the ease with which it can be installed, people who have never put down wood flooring before can do it, all they need to do is to follow simple instructions. One of the intended plans of the manufacturers was to make a floor laying system easy enough that it could cut out about half the time it normally takes to install a floor.

Underlayment Attached

To further simplify the system, the company decided to attach the underlayment directly to the boards. This time saver feature helps you to get your new flooring in place as a one-day weekend project that you can walk on as soon as it is in place. As if that is not enough, you even have the ability to pick the floor up and move it to another room - if you should ever want to do that.

Long Lasting

The construction of each of the Alloc laminate flooring boards helps it to last a long time. The flooring boards, which are made by direct pressure, have a surface of melamine and aluminum oxide, which gives it excellent durability. Each board also has its edges impregnated with wax in order to make it moisture resistant and to quiet the steps of anyone walking on the floor.

For Home Or Commercial Use

Alloc has about 25 different laminate flooring styles and is the ideal choice for either your home or office. It also can be used in commercial places, too, and it certainly is durable enough. With many so many styles available, you will easily be able to get the color and texture you want to match just about any need. The flooring is readily available in stores all over the country, and the features of the Alloc system are also sold by a number of sub-brands, too.

Visit the Laminate Flooring Co
for more information on the entire range of Alloc Laminate Flooring.

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