Archive for the ‘Bathroom’ Category
Eco Toilets For the Home
The bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the entire house, and a major source of water waste and inefficiency. Showers and toilets are two of the biggest consumers of water.
According to a 2009 report released by the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States flushes over 4.8 million gallons of water per year and the average American flushes 9000 gallons of water per year. The report also stated that replacing flush toilets that use 3.5 gallons per flush with eco toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush will result in a 34% savings in household water consumption.
There are a variety of different toilets that homeowners can install to reduce water consumption, save money, and save the environment. Many homeowners are choosing to install eco toilets such as the dual flush toilet to reduce water consumption.
The dual flush toilet works by providing the user with a half flush option and a full flush option on the same toilet. Typically a user would choose a half flush for urine and a full flush for feces. The half flush option only uses 0.79 gallons of water per flush, compared to the 1.6 gallons of water required for a full flush.
Many satisfied users report that the half flush is adequate for almost all flushing needs, and that the full flush is rarely needed. Experts suggest that a household can reduce household flush volumes by 68% using a dual flush toilet.
The composting toilet is gaining popularity around the world, and is just beginning to be introduced into American markets. Composting eco toilets work by using naturally-occurring bacteria to break down human waste into a usable compost material called humus.
The toilets do not use any water, are completely self contained, and all waste is collected and composted in the same unit. The toilets are carefully constructed with a special venting and air flow system to prevent unpleasant odors, bugs, and pests.
The composting toilet can even accommodate regular toilet tissue. A composting toilet is more expensive than a regular or dual flush toilet, and will require professional installation to ensure that the venting system is properly installed.
The squat toilet, although common in Eastern countries, is rarely used in the United States. These eco toilets are located flush to the ground, and the user must sit in squatted position to use the toilet.
The waste is removed by pouring water into the bowl with a hose or bucket. A squat toilet requires much less water than a conventional toilet, and many experts believe that it is more sanitary, as the buttocks and thighs do not come into contact with the toilet surface.
Hand-Held Shower Heads – Pros and Cons
The quality of a person’s bathing experience can depend greatly on their shower heads. A really slow and thrifty flow can frustrate a person who needs to clean himself thoroughly to feel refreshed, while a flow that is too strong can sting sensitive skin and waste water. Before, mostly all shower heads were fixed and mounted high on the bathroom wall. Such shower design allows beads of water to conveniently fall down a person’s head, thus, permitting it to reach almost all parts of the body. Nowadays, however, more and more people are opting for the hand held shower-heads. Instead of being permanently bolted on the wall, these shower fixtures are removable. They can be easily mounted and dismounted whenever the bather wants to. The great thing about this kind of shower is that they are very convenient to use and easy to operate. You can also choose to point it directly to your aching muscles to relieve the tension. For people who are satisfied with the standard shower heads in their bathrooms, getting a hand held variety may seem impractical. It costs more and installing a new one to replace the standard head can be a bit of a hassle. Also, fixed ones are made of stronger materials; hence, they are more durable and can last longer. The line that connects the hand-held version to the rest of the shower can also be damaged if pulled or twisted excessively. However, if you can afford the extra cost of a hand-held shower head, it can reward you with added luxury whenever you shower. Rinsing out dirt and soap even with a weak water flow now becomes an easy task because users only need to point the head on the body part that they would like to rinse out. Hand held showers are also great and functional additions to bathrooms that have tubs in the shower area.
Shower Valve Facts
Typically, shower valves are sold in either a one-handle or two-handle design. Among the two, the one-handle shower valve is perhaps the most popular. This is mainly because of the fact that the one-handle design offers users with quick temperature and volume adjustments by just using one valve. Meanwhile, the two handle shower valve is also becoming increasingly popular these days. They are the usual choice of homeowners who are into a more traditional look.
Technically, valves are available in three types – the regular, thermostatic, and pressure balancing. Regular valves are the cheapest among the three. They are not capable of regulating water temperature and even the water pressure. If you use this kind of valve, chances are, when someone flushes the toilet, a burst of hot water will come out of the shower heads (which can be very dangerous as this can scald your skin). This stated scenario simply implies that you do not have any control over the flow of hot and cold water within your piping connections. So, don’t be surprised if a cold burst of water suddenly comes out of the shower as you take a bath, because probably someone is using hot water somewhere in the house.
To prevent such situation, the use of pressure balancing valves is recommended. This efficient shower control automatically adjusts the changes within the temperature and pressure of water so you won’t accidentally scald yourself. They are a more reliable option as compared to the regular valve. Meanwhile, the thermostatic valve is perfect for those who want full control over the temperature and pressure of their shower. These valves are capable of effectively measuring and regulating water temperature. Once you have set the valve according to your desired temperature, you are assured that it will maintain the same temperature unless you configure its settings again. Unlike the two previous models, thermostatic valves feature two controls.
Apart from that, shower valves can also be customized to include additional features such as body sprays and handheld showers. They can be sold individually or as a part of the shower system. Be sure to ask the salesperson on the available options so you’d know if you can save more if you purchase a shower system that is already equip with a valve or it will be more practical to buy it separately.
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Kids Shower Curtains – A Great Way to Enjoy Bath Time
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One of the first things parents learn is that if they want their children to spend time anyplace is that it needs to be kid friendly. That is one reason many parents spend time and money creating a welcoming environment for their children in the bedroom. Yet, when it comes to the bathroom their children are regulated to using, they give little thought to creating a child friendly environment here. Making a bathroom more child friendly doesn’t mean going to a huge expense remodeling. In fact, there are several little and fairly inexpensive things you can do to make a bathroom more child friendly. One of the simplest and least expensive changes you can make is to simply put up a kid’s shower curtain.
A kid’s shower curtain adds a bit of bright color and child friendly design to any bathroom instantly. Finding Kid’s shower curtains aren’t difficult and there are many designs to choose from that your child will love, mermaids, jungle animals, construction equipment are just a few of the designs in today’s kids shower curtains. These shower curtains takes an average adult bathroom and transforms it into a place where you child is not only willing, but looks forward to spending time.
You just might be amazed to discover that the child you used to have to fight to get into the tub suddenly begins asking you if it is bath time yet. How your child who used to rush through brushing his teeth suddenly begins taking the time to brush them thoroughly. How can something as simple as changing a shower curtain suddenly make your child more willing to spend time in a bathroom you wonder?
It’s simple. Just as adults tend to spend more time in bathrooms where they can feel relaxed and comfortable so will your child. While adult comfort may be scented candles, quiet music and extra thick towels comfort to a child is bright colors and something that holds the interest of their active little minds and fires their imagination. Sure your daughter may be inspired by the mermaid kids shower curtains to “swim” a bit in the tub and your son just might bring that small car into the tub to run up the road on that construction bath curtain, but that is part of being a child and relaxing in an environment that is suitable to them.
While a kid’s shower curtains may not change your child’s hygiene habits over night, it will encourage them to want to spend more time in a kid friendly environment which just may result in them actually spending the time brushing their teeth while they imagine themselves on safari in that jungle depicted on their kid’s shower curtain. If nothing else your child will be less reluctant to take that bath because they will see the bathroom as a place where they can have fun. After all, isn’t that what childhood is all about?
Shower Trays – Perfect Installation
For a perfect installation of complete shower section, choosing the correct shape of shower tray to be fitted is of utmost importance. When out to hunt for shower trays, you will find them in all shapes and sizes.
The variety of shower trays available in the market is just immense. So, choose a tray that fits your needs rather than the one that looks good in the shop. The shape of your bathroom and amount of space available should determine the kind of tray you buy. Also, before actually hitting the streets and starting your shopping, it is best to take an overview of what all options are available pertaining to the trays for shower. Following are some of the most popular types:
Square Trays: The name of this type of tray is pretty self-explanatory and it is easy to picture that the tray is square-shaped. The most popular size in square shower trays is the 700 mm tray. One of the benefits of this type of model is that it can be easily placed in corners. This actually is one of the reasons for the popularity of square trays.
Rectangular Trays: This type of tray is beneficial in making use of maximum floor regardless of whether the bathroom is long, broad or square. These can be customized to fit bathroom of any shape and size.
Quadrant Trays: These have a curved front side and mostly come in the sizes of 800 to 1000 mm. These shower trays are frugal when it comes to occupying the floor area and are preferred by people who have smaller bathrooms with sliding shower doors.
Offset Quadrant Trays: An offset quadrant shape is basically a rectangular tray with a slight curve on one of the corners. The sizes that this variety of shower trays comes is in from 760 mm to 1200 mm. When considering buying one of these is that these come in both left hand and right hand configurations, so depending on the layout of your bathroom you can choose the configurations that suits you the best.
Trays come in lots more shapes and sizes, the listed ones are the more popular ones. It is quite possible to find and like a type of shower tray not mentioned above which suits your needs the best. So, research is the key in order to make a good buy. Once you decide upon the shape and size of the shower tray you require, you can go shopping for it.
A Beginner’s Guide on the Bidet
When we speak to folks who haven’t used a bidet before, it’s great to be able to clear up some of the common misconceptions. With bidet usage still being relatively new in North America, a lot of people have yet to fully understand the bidet. It’s human nature to be skeptical, even afraid to try things for the first time. And while using water instead of toilet paper is a new concept to many Americans, it’s nothing to be afraid of.
One of the best things to do when speaking to someone who has never used the bidet, is remind them that they clean with water everyday. They use water to wash their face, wash their hands, and to take a shower. Since people already use water to clean their bodies, it’s natural to use water to clean yourself after using the restroom. Then, we talk about the international preference for bidets – that it’s not just one country or region but rather, dozens and dozens of countries. From Europe to the Middle-East, from Asia to South America, bidets are preferred all over the globe.
At this point of the conversation, people start to make the connection. We hear things like, “That’s right, I do clean myself with water everyday.” Then they’ll start asking a bunch of questions. A lot of these questions are good ones like, “Does the electronic bidet use cold water or warm water?” or, “How does the bidet work?” Other comments though, seem to come from common misunderstandings about the bidet and we’d like to clarify them. Here are some of the things we hear:
I’m afraid of water going up my butt – Some folks seem to think that a bidet will shoot water up their butt. This is not true. All that’s needed for a thorough wash is a light spray on the outside surface. The bidet’s wash isn’t designed to go up your butt. (Some electronic bidets do come with an enema feature, but this is optional and not the bidet’s primary function).
I’ve heard that bidets use a lot of water – Studies indicate that people wash for approximately 15 seconds on average. This equates to about 1/8 of a gallon per wash for the electronic bidet – less than the water used to wash your hands. Some people also think that savings in toilet paper will be offset by using more water. According to an article published by Scientific American, several gallons of water are used to manufacture just one roll of toilet paper. The amount of water used for washing doesn’t compare to the amount of water needed to create the toilet paper in the first place.
I don’t think a bidet will fit in my bathroom – It’s true that basin-type bidets will take up more space in the bathroom. However, modern electronic bidets attach to the top of your existing toilet. This makes installation for the electronic bidet really easy, since most North American bathrooms weren’t designed to handle another fixture next to the toilet.
Bathroom Towel Radiators
Whenever one thinks of a bathroom, he can picture only a cold, dingy and a wet place. That’s the way a bathroom is; with slick wet surface. During the early mornings, a bathroom can be particularly cold as it has not been in use for a long duration. Bathroom Towel radiators are a welcome relief to such cold bathrooms providing you hot towels and comfortable warmth in a bathroom at the same time.
Bathroom Towel radiators were first made famous by European hotels where it was used both as a towel dryer and as a towel rack. Then it caught the fancy of the Americans and became even more popular. A towel radiator is known to radiate heat unto its surroundings and at the same time dry the towels slowly. It reduced the pain of drying a towel separately and hunting for a fresh dry towel. Once hung on the radiator, the towels got dried and were dry for its next use when needed.
You can easily find Bathroom Towel radiators at a plumbing store or at stores selling bathroom fittings. A Bathroom Towel radiator will cost you anything around $1,000 to $5,000 and this solely depends on the design and the model you are choosing. You have to carefully check the BTU consumption and also the EPA ratings of the unit you are planning to buy, before the purchase. As these units are designed to be used in wet conditions like in a bathroom, most of them are safe. Still it is better to check the safety conditions and follow the tips provided by the manufacturer in the manual.
You have to be careful about the care and maintenance of the Bathroom Towel radiators. You will have to discuss with your plumber for expert care and also read through the manual provided along with the unit. This being a radiator, you will need to bleed the unit for excess water and air at regular intervals. When you feel that the radiator rings are not as hot as usual, get the radiator key and bleed the unit for some time. Just make sure that you disconnect the unit entirely from the heating system, before you attend to the job at hand.
Bathroom Towel radiators are great additions to your bathroom. You can feel the result of all your labor when you step out of a shower and see a hot fresh towel waiting for you.
Whenever one thinks of a bathroom, he can picture only a cold, dingy and a wet place. That’s the way a bathroom is; with slick wet surface. During the early mornings, a bathroom can be particularly cold as it has not been in use for a long duration. Bathroom Towel radiators are a welcome relief to such cold bathrooms providing you hot towels and comfortable warmth in a bathroom at the same time.
Bathroom Towel radiators were first made famous by European hotels where it was used both as a towel dryer and as a towel rack. Then it caught the fancy of the Americans and became even more popular. A towel radiator is known to radiate heat unto its surroundings and at the same time dry the towels slowly. It reduced the pain of drying a towel separately and hunting for a fresh dry towel. Once hung on the radiator, the towels got dried and were dry for its next use when needed.
You can easily find Bathroom Towel radiators at a plumbing store or at stores selling bathroom fittings. A Bathroom Towel radiator will cost you anything around $1,000 to $5,000 and this solely depends on the design and the model you are choosing. You have to carefully check the BTU consumption and also the EPA ratings of the unit you are planning to buy, before the purchase. As these units are designed to be used in wet conditions like in a bathroom, most of them are safe. Still it is better to check the safety conditions and follow the tips provided by the manufacturer in the manual.
You have to be careful about the care and maintenance of the Bathroom Towel radiators. You will have to discuss with your plumber for expert care and also read through the manual provided along with the unit. This being a radiator, you will need to bleed the unit for excess water and air at regular intervals. When you feel that the radiator rings are not as hot as usual, get the radiator key and bleed the unit for some time. Just make sure that you disconnect the unit entirely from the heating system, before you attend to the job at hand.
Bathroom Towel radiators are great additions to your bathroom. You can feel the result of all your labor when you step out of a shower and see a hot fresh towel waiting for you.
Basins and Washstands
You should never underestimate the power your bathroom has. To many it is a room where a few necessary functions are performed. But in todays busy, noisy world, bathrooms are often the only places where peace and quiet prevails. They are also excellent outlets of style, and a stylish bathroom can change the entire atmosphere of your home. To fully amplify the calming, relaxing sense your bathroom has, you should give a fair bit of consideration to each aspect of the room.
One often overlooked aspect of a bathroom is the basin. People often assume that the entire atmosphere relies on the more noticeable aspects like the tiles and the toilet. But a stylish and appropriate basin could really have a positive effect on the feel of your bathroom. Whether you opt for the elegance of traditional basins or the sleek effectiveness of modern ones, there are three main types of basin you might install:
Free Standing Basins – ideal for larger bathrooms, free standing basins can either be mounted to a wall or stand on their own base. They come in all sorts of styles, and are a great way to emphasize whatever aura you are trying to create in your bathroom.
Vanity Mounted Basins – these basins will have less of an effect on the overall feel of your bathroom, but they are ideal for smaller bathrooms because they combine two pieces of bathroom furniture into one. They are practical too – having your basin and a vanity in one place will allow you access to your beauty products and taps at the same time, excellent for busy people to whom every minute counts.
Integrated Basins – integrated into items, these basins are an excellent choice where saving space is as equally as important as generating style. Such basins can even be integrated into novelty furniture pieces such as barrels, giving your bathroom a truly unique feel.
Another great addition to your bathroom is a washstand. Similar to vanity mounted basins, washstands are usually made from natural wood or granite, travertine or marble, depending on your choice, and have a basin sink as well as storage space. You can either have drawers or cabinets, also depending on choice. In fact, if you are a person who knows exactly what you want from your bathroom, and you have enough space, a washstand is a great choice as it allows for plenty of personal customization to both complement and enhance the atmosphere of your bathroom.
How to Plan a Bath Remodeling Project
Bath remodeling not only inserts enjoyment and beauty to each and every home, it also increases your home’s value once you plan to sell in the long run. Bath remodeling is the most common undertaking for the reason that it provides the highest return on your investment. Property owners may enjoy their relaxing bathroom from the time they remodel until they decide on selling the house.
Measure it Out
Once preparing the design of your bathroom remodeling, make certain to take correct measurements and form a map to work with. Mark the position of the plumbing, mark the setup of your fixtures, so you may plan sensibly what you need to do. The secret of a great bath remodeling design is good planning, and a map is the right way to keep you fixed on precisely where everything needs to be. Have it outlined and map it on paper.
Form Follows Function
The secret of a made well washroom is to put function above the beauty appeal of the bathroom. No matter how gorgeous your washroom turns out, in case you have a poor design that makes your washroom uncomfortable to use, you won’t enjoy it. During your bathroom remodeling design process, reflect on what you want your bathroom to cater for and work toward that goal.
Reflect on Your Plumbing Fixtures
Make certain to learn exactly where to place your fixtures when planning your bath remodeling. Your toilet, sink and tub are remaining exactly in the position you have them at the moment, unless you may wish to move the plumbing at added costs.
Know Your Budget
The extent of your bathroom remodeling project will be contingent with your budget range. In case you have loads of money for your bath remodeling, you can design your washroom from scratch. However, you may still renovate your washroom even with a minor budget just by replacing the bathroom furniture, light fixtures and accessories.
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Innovative Ideas For Your Bathroom Window Treatments
Since the bathroom is one of the most used parts of the house, you always have to ensure that it is clean, well-ventilated, and bright. If your bathroom has no protection against cold or hot temperature, or does not filter light properly that you always have to turn on the light when in use, then it’s about time to reconsider your bathroom window treatments.
The first thing to do is to come up with a window treatment checklist. What type of window blinds should you use? For sure, use of wooden blinds is a big no-no since wood is prone to warping and swelling and the bathroom is a place where high levels of moisture can occur. Go for mini blinds made in vinyl or aluminum. These are materials that are resistant to humidity and cleaning them even with a damp cloth will not make them crack. If you want a touch of wood in your bathroom windows, go for the faux wood instead. You get them at a cheaper price than real wood minus the problems associated with true wood.
There are many colors and designs to choose from. In order to maximize the light filtering capabilities of your window blinds, choose shades in pastel colors like yellow, lime, sky blue, and beige. You might also want to paint your walls in lighter tints so that during daytime, when natural light enters through the blind slats, there is no need for you to turn on the light. You save immensely on electricity and purchasing your shades will definitely be an advantage.
To eliminate unwanted odors in your bathroom, you may opt to slightly open the blinds to let air properly circulate within the area. And to maintain privacy while inside the bathroom, just close the blinds and you are assured that your time alone in the bathroom is secure.
Optimize your bathroom experience with window blinds today.