The choice of flooring material is one of the most important things you have to decide on when planning a complete bathroom remodel. Homeowners often think that a waterproof material such as tile or stone is the only choice for a bathroom. While it’s true that your bathroom floor has to stand up well in a “wet” environment, there are ways to introduce wood flooring into a bathroom without compromising the water resistance of your floor.
First, let’s look at what is not a good idea for your bathroom floor. You should not even consider installing solid hardwood flooring in the bathroom. Yes, it looks beautiful. And yes, really hard woods such as maple, properly sealed, appear as if they would be water-resistant. But over time, even well-sealed maple will suffer from an excess of water. Once water finds an entry point to the floor, then buckling, warping, and eventually rotting, will result. In a nutshell, water is the enemy as far as solid hardwood is concerned.
Laminate flooring, which is a manufactured product made to look like hardwood flooring, may be considered as the lowest-cost option for a wood floor look. Laminate floor is basically a “sandwich” made of chip board, resin-impregnated paper, and topped with hard plastic melamine. It is water-resistant and hard-wearing. However, if water should find an entry into the sandwich, trouble could be brewing. As with solid wood, water is the enemy of chip board, leading to warping and rotting.
Your best option for achieving a wood floor in your bathroom is by installing an engineered wood floor. Engineered wood is comprised of a thin layer of finished hardwood on top (anywhere from 1/8″ to 1/16″), and a layer of plywood beneath. The layer of plywood is laid crosswise to the grain of the top layer, creating dimensional stability that resists warping. The top layer of hardwood comes prefinished, and should prove resistant to water. Even if some water seeps through to the plywood, it holds up well against minimal amounts of water. And the cross-laying of the plywood in engineered wood helps prevent warping or buckling.
Wood may not be a traditional choice for bathroom floors, but for homeowners seeking the special look that wood flooring offers, it is possible to achieve that vision. Engineered wood flooring offers features that allow a wood floor installation without the risks inherent in solid hardwood flooring. And it looks great!
When you need a plumber, you want to be sure that you hire a good one. While you are looking for reasonable prices, you are also looking for someone who will do great work. In addition to the job being done properly, you also want it done on time and at the price that was quoted. These guidelines will help you hire the right plumber.
Personal References are Great!
Talk to people you trust and ask for their recommendations. This includes family, friends, neighbors and even your local hardware store. You can also use online services or trade groups.
Ask for Work References
When you interview the references the plumber gives you, be specific. Don’t just ask how the work was, but ask the following specific questions:
• Was the quality of the work and materials what you were promised and expected?
• Was the project completed on time and at the price you were quoted?
• Did the plumber keep you informed of the project’s progress?
• Were you and your family treated with respect at all times?
• Would you hire the plumber again?
Be sure to also get at least one reference that is more than four years old so you can ask how well the work has held up over the years.
Competitive Bids
Get at least three bids and compare them carefully. If you are looking at a bid that is substantially lower than the others, look more closely to see if you can determine why. Ask questions about what types of materials will be used.
Things to Clarify
When hiring a plumber, find out of the price quoted includes removing any old fixtures.
Find out the minimum charge for a job and their standard hourly rate.
Find out if they offer 24 hour emergency service in case you have a problem, and if that service carries a fee.
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association
Visit phccweb.org to find a master plumber. These experts will have the experience and skills that you require. Taking the time to make the phone calls and do the research can be tedious but this time is not wasted. The last thing you want is to hire a plumber who may charge too much, take too long; or even cause damage to your home by doing the job incorrectly. When you follow these steps, you can rest assured that you will be hiring a professional who will do the job right the first time.
About the Author:
Pablo is a licensed plumber in Houston that offers services to both residential and commercial customers. He has over 10 years of experience in the plumbing field and enjoys providing tips on anything and everything in the plumbing world. Read more about his company at http://www.texaspowerplumbing.com.
In today’s ever changing market, being able to save some money, month over month, is becoming increasingly important. One of the easiest, and most often overlooked, ways to do this is through the replacement of your house’s tank water heater with a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters are small, easy to use and affordable. They can be installed where the normal tank water heater currently is and save about 4 times the space. Most tankless water heaters can be run on the same system your tank runs on, but some also require gas venting to vent the fumes from the water heater safely outside of your house.
Tankless water heaters come in three different configurations: electric, natural gas, and propane. A tankless water heater works by receiving incoming water and instantly heating it to the desired temperature before sending it out into the water line. While a tank water heater is keeping your water hot 24 hours a day, even when you do not require it, a tankless water heater only requires electricity when hot water is needed. Not needing the stand by heating of a tank water heater directly affects your monthly electricity cost. Consider this Tankless water heater savings calculator which takes your monthly electricity bill and estimate the savings for switching to a tankless water heater.
Selecting the Right Tankless Water Heater
So you want to make the switch? Selecting the right tankless water heater can be difficult as there are 1000s of options to choose from. Below is a chart that shows the typical gallons per minute (GPM) that is used by different bathroom and kitchen fixtures.

The average incoming water temperature of most water lines is around 55 degrees, and the average person enjoys water between 90 and 105 during their shower. Using that math you can estimate what type of unit you will need to give you the right temperature increase at the right GPM.
If you are looking for an electric whole house unit you may want to consider the Stiebel Eltron Tempra 24. This unit can give you about a 50 degree water temperature increase with both a shower and faucet running at the same time. This unit is designed to efficiently handle your entire bathroom’s hot water while still being able to provide hot water to your kitchen.
For natural gas you should consider Bosch GWH-425-HN-N and for propane the Rheem RTG-74DVP-1 which will both give you about a 55 degree increase while filling up a bathtub or running two showers at once. These units can handle more bath fixtures simultaneously then the electric tankless water heater can, so if you have a large family that is always requiring hot water these product should be considered.
Lastly, if you only need hot water for one sink you should consider an Electric Point of Use Tankless Water Heater which can be installed directly below the designated sink and can provide instant hot water for those cold mornings when you are trying to wake up.
All of these units can be installed by a local professional for a small fee, even though their price is higher then that of a tank unit, the amount you save in the long run will be significantly more then the amount you paid for the initial purchase.
Bathroom remodeling is no easy task as it is, but it gets even more challenging when you don’t have a lot of space to work with. Or at least it would seem so. If you know how to go about it, however, small bathroom remodeling can be as fun and full of possibilities as any other kind of room remodeling. The trick is to use the space you have efficiently so that it creates the illusion of a larger space. Install pared down fixtures and use bold paint and decorative accents. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Glass Showers
Installing glass shower enclosures opens up your shower space and creates the illusion of more room, as it allows you to see from one end of your bathroom to the other. If you’d like the option of added privacy you can install a curtain inside.
Floating Vanity
Floating vanities are great for remodeling small bathrooms. They give you a countertop space on which to place all your essential vanity items while taking up minimal space and looking stylish in the process. This can be a particular necessity when doing San Diego bath remodeling where floor space is a limited resource.
Open Shelving
Instead of conventional bathroom cabinetry with doors and protruding hardware, try open shelf cabinets, which will make the room appear bigger by letting you see all the way to the wall.
Mirrors
Mirrors are not just for staring at your reflection in front of the sink. They can be placed on other walls of the bathroom to create the illusion of open space, and as simple decorative additions to any room. Wall length mirrors are especially good at opening up the space in your bathroom.
Color Theory
As any painter or San Diego interior designer can tell you, lighter colors will make a surface appear larger when contrasted against darker colored surfaces. To create the illusion of more space, make the walls of your bathroom a neutral, light color and use darker, warmer colors for the bathroom cabinetry and furniture. Curtains and other decorative accents are where you want to go ahead and use bright, bold colors and designs. Consider these ideas if you plan on doing any San Diego home improvement, as well.
Bathrooms? They may be the most important room in your home. The kitchen may rival it, but you could realistically get along without it. You will always need a place to cleanse, relieve yourself, and do those by yourself things. It’s also the one place in the house that you can shut the door and acceptably “do your business”.
Have you ever wondered how much time you actually spend in the bathroom? Everyone is different, and some people’s “needs” take longer to take care of than others, but a good estimate would be about 30 minutes to an hour a day. It may not seem like much overall, but if you live to be 75 years old, you’ll have spent one and a half to three years of your life in the bathroom. Hmm. Puts a different spin on the importance of how your bathroom looks and feels, doesn’t it?
Spruce it up a bit and make the most of your alone time.
Visual Appeal
Ever notice how many rooms are painted white, especially bathrooms? White is easy, but you could add some color with borders, fancy mirrors, layers of towels, matching shower curtains, or go full blown with a whole theme, like sea shells, earth tones, rainbows, or even sci-fi.
Put Some Life In It
Bathrooms are perfect places for plants. If you have some decent light, you can make you bathroom a mini-greenhouse. They love the steamy showers and the atmosphere. Ailing plants have been known to make remarkable recoveries in bathrooms. Plus, they are great for filtering the air and giving you an extra fresh environment.
Add Some Inspiration
Pictures with uplifting messages, pictures of family, things that are known to help you refocus, regenerate, or renew your spirit. You are going to be alone in there. Take advantage of allowing it to not only be a place of relief, but of renewal, too.
More Ideas
Want more ideas? Home improvement shows are running amok on your Dish Network channels. Flip through to find new ideas or use your smart search to find or track Dish Network channels that focus on bathroom remodeling.
Most of all, treasure your tub and toilet time.
When it comes to building the bathroom of your dreams, there are a few luxury items that no homeowner should be without. Here are the top five which we love the most:
Glass Sink by Art Bathe
There’s something truly magical about using a glass sink for all of your daily hygienic needs. A glass sink simply seems to add a stronger aura of health and cleanliness to your bathroom space. Besides, it is also easier to clean than white enamel. The best of us never wash their faces in anything else.
Parma Vessel Filler Bathroom Faucet
A high quality bathroom faucet hardly even qualifies as a luxury, as I’m not sure how anyone could do without one. A top notch faucet is more like a staple of bathroom accessories. If you want to make sure that your sink is always there for you, hot or cold, with full water pressure, you simply cannot be stingy about your faucet. Go with a functional model that will last for years and you will never cease to thank yourself for it.
Jacuzzi Bathtub
Now here’s a real luxury, but also one that will save you money in the long run. Think of all of the money you will save on massage bills later on, not to mention never paying the chiropractor whom you will never need to visit. Do I even need to mention the money that you will save on couples therapy after you and your partner have one of these installed? And in the end, there is no price that can be put on the ability to relax at the end of a long day in a hot jacuzzi bathtub.
Elongated Super Flush Toilet by Eridanus
You can’t really understand how important it is to have an excellent toilet unless you’ve had the experience of owning one that is sub par. With a toilet equipped with an air pressure system, you will never have to worry about clogs or overflowing. You can simply let your luxury toilet do its job and never have to bring the plunger out of the closet again. This toilet uses a special space age modernist design to enhance the look of your bathroom, while the long form allows for ultimate comfort. Who ever said that a toilet has to be ugly?
Custom Imaged Bathroom Tiles
There is no better way to personalize your bathroom than with custom imaged bathroom tiles. These days, you can place just about any image you want on your bathroom tiles. One client of ours recently hired a professional artist to design the imagery for their entire bathroom floor, and the results were astounding.
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Add the convenience of fast hot water to your bathroom remodeling project and turn your bathroom green.
There is an inexpensive way do get your hot water faster and eliminate running water down the drain while you wait. It’s called the Chilipepper hot water demand system, and can save you thousands of gallons of water every year, saving you money and reducing your carbon foot print.
What most folks like though is not having to wait for hot water. Instead of turning on the hot water full blast and standing there while it runs water down the drain, you push a button and the demand system pumps the hot water to your fixture much more quickly than running the faucet, and no water gets run down the drain.
The Chilipepper returns the cooled off hot water in the hot water piping back to the water heater through the cold water pipes. When hot water reaches the fixture the pump shuts off so hot water does not get into the cold water lines.
After the pump shuts off, you have instant hot water at your fixture. You will feel good each time you use hot water knowing that you are being green and not only saving water and energy, but also reducing the amount of water going into the sewage system. This results in even more savings from not needing to treat as much sewage, further reducing your carbon footprint.
The Chilipepper works with any kind of water heater, even tankless water heaters and solar water heating systems. Gas or electric and even heat pump water heaters all work with a Chilipepper.
During your bathroom remodel is a perfect time to install a Chilipepper. The Chilipepper itself is very easy to install, requiring only hose connections to the hot and cold water supply valves under the sink where it is to be installed, usually the furthest sink from the water heater. However it does require an electrical outlet under the sink to plug it into.
Typically adding a outlet under the sink is pretty easy since there is almost always an outlet above the sink which can be tapped into without tearing up any of the wall. It’s a simple job for an electrician.
A Chilipepper under the sink will provide near instant hot water at all of the fixtures and the shower. Other fixtures like the guest bath and kitchen sink may also benefit from the Chilipepper depending on your plumbing layout. Normally you would put the Chilipepper at the sink furthest from the water heater and if any other fixtures share a common hot water pipe they will also get faster hot water. Just put a remote start switch at that location.
The Chilipepper has a suggested retail price of only $179.99, has a 30 day unconditional money back guarantee, and a 5 year limited warranty.
Whether you’re putting in a fancy new shower enclosure with multiple shower heads, a walk in Jacuzzi tub, or your are just painting your bathroom a new color, turn your new bathroom green, conserve water, save time, save money, and experience the convenience of fast hot water. Install a Chilipepper hot water demand system today.
Spring’s on the way. And DIY is in the air. It’s the perfect time of year to step back, take stock and transform your bathroom into something really special.
Thankfully minimalism is on the way out and color is streaming back into our lives. Here’s a handful of simple ways to change a boring, minimalist hotel-style bathroom into something with a lot more pzazz!
1. Did you know you can paint tiled surfaces – even shiny ones – with eggshell paint? Eggshell comes in two flavours, oil and water based. It’s almost twice as expensive than ordinary emulsion or gloss. But it’s worth every penny. Eggshell has a lovely subtle sheen and it’s incredibly durable. And water based eggshell dries to the touch really quickly. So instead of re-tiling, choose from thousands of delicious colours and paint your bathroom bang up to date.
2. Add house plants! Bathrooms make an excellent environment for humidity-loving tropical plants which appreciate the warmth, regular moist air and subdued light. Add one large specimen or three / five smaller plants – odd numbers always work best – for an exotic, jungly feel.
3. Include art! People don’t often think about hanging paintings in the bathroom, but an interesting piece of art looks fantastic whatever the room’s function. It’s tough going as well as highly impractical to hammer picture hooks into tiled walls, so use sticky fixers instead. Buy good quality fixers, from a quality brand like Sellotape or No More Nails, and you’ll find even the biggest canvas sticks fast to your tiled wall without a problem.
4. Think twice about colour before embarking on a traditional bathroom colour palette. All those seaside blues, watery greens and deadly dull brilliant white. There’s no reason why your bathroom shouldn’t be themed around deep purple, rich scarlet, sophisticated rusty orange or even a beautiful mellow chocolate brown. The world of colour is your oyster so why not add a little color to really set off that beautiful, modern white bathroom suite?
5. A few finishing touches like fat fluffy towels and fragrant soaps! Something as simple as a bale of gorgeous, thick colored towels can turn an ordinary bathroom into a luxurious, relaxing space. Adding lovely soaps creates great smells as well as delightful splashes of vivid color.
Add the convenience of fast hot water to your bathroom remodeling project and turn your bathroom green.
