New Bathroom Flooring for a Renewed Look

In terms of the size of your bathroom whether it is large or small, the floor occupies a lot of it's space. If your bathroom really has no major needs, but it just has a case of the blah's, maybe you should consider laying a new floor.

Bathroom flooring materials come in natural stones, laminates, man made materials mimicking stone, wood laminates and vinyl. They all have their good and bad points.

Natural stone,gives an opulent air to a bathroom and is often a desired flooring material for remodeling. Natural stones can be very durable, but they are costly, and they do have special cleaning and maintenance needs.

The man made materials are also on the high end. They are very durable, but periodically require professional maintenance.

Wood laminates are less costly than natural stone and hold up fairly well. Wood laminates need to be installed exactly as directed by manufacturer when installing in a bathroom. Be sure, at time of selection, your supplier knows this wood laminate will be installed in a bathroom. All laminates are not alike.

Vinyl flooring can be the least expensive depending on your selection. There are also some more costly vinyls. Vinyl can be a good choice for a bathroom because it holds up well in the moist environment, and is easy to clean. Some of the newer vinyls are very attractive, feature texture, and are often hard to distinguish from real tile. Vinyl is also easy on the feet.

When you install new flooring materials in a bathroom, read what the manufacturer suggests for cleaning and for maintenance. I have conducted some mystery shopping, and gotten a lot of misinformation about the special needs of some of these materials. Good sales people know their product, and the there are the others...

There is such a wide variety of cleaning products today, and some of them very good. But they are not created for all surfaces. Do read the labels before applying a new cleaner. It may not be right for your bathroom flooring or surface.

At Illa Maden's website you'll find tips about bathroom flooring and advice about bathtub materials and styles.

The Challenges of Remodeling a Small Bathroom

We would all like to have a spacious bathroom, but that is not always possible, so what are the options?

1. Extend into other existing space such as a closet or utilize space from another room that we feel we can sacrifice.

2. Rearrange the space that we have to make it more functional and feel more spacious.

3. Stick with what we have, and rethink how we use the existing space.

In my case, I utilized the first two of these options. I bought a vintage house with two bathrooms, both small, because I thought it had "possibilities". One bath was tiny, and served only as a powder room. The other was small and narrow, and became one of my worst nightmares.

The solution was to both expand and rearrange. Fortunately I had some space behind this bath that was an extension of the kitchen that did little more than serve as an unsightly catchall.

This bath was not only small, but narrow. The vanity and shower were placed opposite of one another on the longer walls, leaving just enough space to walk between them. My solution after bumping out the wall at the end of the kitchen was to move the shower to the short wall at the end, so that when the vanity was in use there was more than just a narrow walk through. This small addition and different arrangement made all the difference.

Sometimes, moving fixtures even in the same space can bring a much more workable arrangement, just as moving furniture in your living room can make a more pleasing and functional situation. If you have a small bathroom space, and no hope of enlarging it, draw out a floor plan, and try different arrangements to see if you can gain a more functional and pleasing situation by rearranging the fixtures.

If this doesn't work there is plan #3 which is rework what you have.

1. Use light colors and tone on tone to make your bath seem more spacious.

2. Determine what are must haves in your bathroom on a daily basis. Store items that are less frequently used in other space such as a linen closet. Use containers and arrange these items so they can be neatly stored and easily accessed when they are needed.

3. A tub/shower combination can do double duty when space is at a premium.

4. Install sliding glass doors instead of using a shower curtain. This will spread more light and give a more spacious feel. Showers with hinged doors take too much space in a small bath. If you just have to have some added warmth, use a valance above the top of the door. This will be high and draw the eyes up rather than have them dwell on the lack of floor space.

5. Use only a valance over any windows, or something simple like a bamboo shade that requires less visual space.

6. Light colored cabinetry will help just as other light surfaces. Cabinetry, walls, and floors in lighter tones will add visual space.

7. Try to avoid open storage. Shelves and cabinetry that are covered present a more unified space and will help the eye to glide over the room.

8. Avoid small displays of decorative items. A small bath is not the place for that prized collection of fancy little perfume bottles. If you have open shelving, store larger like items on them. For example: Stack rolled same color towels on an open shelf. The eyes will just travel across them and see them as one thing.

9. Use towel rings for hanging towels rather than large towel bars.

10. Expose as few items as possible on your countertop, to give a less cluttered feel in a small bath. Some medicine cabinets are deep enough to house curling irons, blow dryers etc.

And last but not least. Don't hang towels o4A4r robes on the back of the bathroom door. Bulky items that protrude can eat up a lot of visual space.

Here you'll find many more good bathroom remodeling ideas as well as a bathroom remodeling checklist.

Different Types of Carpet Pile

Carpeting can be a major purchase for your home. You want it to have a long life, look good, and be comfortable to walk on. Before you choose your carpet, it is important to understand the different types of carpet piles that are available and their advantages and disadvantages.

Carpeting pile can be divided into four primary categories:

• Cut Pile: This category includes Saxony, Texture, Velvet/Plush and Frieze carpets.
• Cut and Loop Pile: This category includes Berber carpets.
• Level Loop Pile:
• Multi-Level Loop Pile:

Cut Pile

Cut pile carpet is the most popular of all the carpeting, with textured cut pile outselling all the others. A cut pile carpet is manufactured by cutting all of the looped fibers at the top of the bundles. This creates a carpet with yarn bundles that stand straight. To create a luxurious appearance the cut pile is pre-sheared several times. Cut pile carpet, as compared to other styles is the least resistant to crushing.

Saxony

In order to manufacture a Saxony carpet, the fibers are twisted tightly, cut and then straightened using heat. A Saxony carpet consists of two or more fibers twisted together to produce a yarn. The soft texture of a Saxony carpet works well in both formal and informal rooms. If you do not want to see foot prints on your carpet, then do not use a Saxony, as it will show all foot prints and tracks from a vacuum cleaner. Saxony carpets have a medium level of durability.

Texture & Textured Saxony

The best selling carpets are Textures. Textures work very well in family rooms, childrens bedrooms, and other informal areas within a home, primarily because of their soft feel under foot. Textures are produced with tightly twisted fibers and are set with heat creating a medium durability carpet. Texture carpets have a multi-color appearance that hides any footprints and other tracks.

Velvet & Plush

Velvets and Plush carpeting are manufactured with a uniform color and a light twist. Because of the light twist, they are softer than Texture carpet. Because of its visual luxury and feel, Velvet and Plush carpeting is perfect for living rooms, master bedrooms, and other formal areas within the home. These carpets will show all traffic marks.

Frieze

For high traffic areas, a Frieze carpet is recommended. Perfect for informal areas the fibers are made of a highly twisted cut pile carpet. Frieze carpets have short fibers that curl in all directions at the surface, which has the effect of hiding all footprints and vacuum cleaner tracks.

Cut & Loop Pile

Both cut and looped fibers are combined in order to produce a Cut and Loop pile carpet. With a medium density, it provides a vast array of textures and/or sculptured effects available in solid and colored patterns. One of the advantages of the cut and loop carpet is that because of the different levels of yarn the carpet hides dirt, stains and footprints exceptionally well. The carpet is used in both formal and informal areas in the home.

Berber

The carpet with the highest growth in popularity is the Berber. In an informal area, Berbers limit footprints and vacuum tracks. Berbers have a very high durability because they can have thicker yarns than other level loop pile carpet. Two negatives with respect to Berber carpets are, they retain dirt and are easily damaged by snags to the loops. Berbers are made of natural fibers such as wool and man made fibers such as nylon, olefin, or nylon-olefin fibers.

Level Loop Pile

For the best carpet in durability, ideal for high traffic areas and resistance to marks you should choose a carpet made with Level Loop pile techniques. These types of carpets are made by weaving even loops of yarn through both ends of the carpets backing. By using higher loops the carpet has a much more luxurious appearance. For easy cleaning a Level Loop carpet utilizing short and densely packed loops is easy to clean as they prevent dirt from filtering into carpet.

Multi-Level Loop Pile

The difference between Multi-Level Loop pile and Level Loop pile is that with Level Loop Pile all of the loops of yarn are at the same height and with the Multi-Level Loop the heights of the yarn varies. The Multi-Level Loop creates a random texture making it a good choice for high traffic areas. The primary negative of this type of carpet is that the small loops have a tendency to hold more dirt and dust.

For additional information on flooring products for your home or other renovation projects including landscaping and gardening, visit Renovation Headquarters

Fix a Leaky Faucet

It's just about time you learn how to fix a leaky faucet if you constantly experience having to wake up in the middle of the night to the irritating noise of drip, drip, drip from a leaky faucet. By doing so, you will eliminate the need for a plumber, and consequently, high plumbing costs. And of course, the best part is, no more sleepless nights.

You might think you really need a plumber to fix a leaky faucet. But no, you can do it by yourself! And with these s5B4imple and easy to follow steps, you will never have to dial a plumber again.

Here are some basic tools and materials you will need:

- Screwdriver - Washers

Before You Start

1. Look under your sink and search for a shutoff valve. Turn its handles counter-clockwise (off) to switch off the water supply. Remember the saying "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey". This will guide you in switching your water supply on and off.

2. Keep an assortment of replacement parts at hand. This includes washers, O-rings, and etc.

3. Make sure to plug down the drain (maybe with rags). This is to avoid having small parts like screws and washers go down the drain.

4. As you work, keep in mind the exact order of the parts from the moment it was taken apart and line them up. This will serve as a guide when it's time to reassemble it, so you wouldn't have a hard time tracing what goes in first.

Begin Working!

1. First, take the faucet handles off. You can do this by using your screwdriver to remove the screw that is holding them on. Once you've removed the screws, lever the handles open using a flathead screwdriver.

2. Faucet handles removed, you may now proceed to removing the old washer located behind the handle. If no washer is present, then don't fret. Buy one and use it later on.

3. With the new washer that you just bought, replace the old washer. Put it where the old washer used to be. 5B4Keep in mind that the hole in the washer must be just a little bit bigger than the post where the handle turns.

4. Start putting things together. Put everything in place, according to the opposite order of how you took it apart. After, you can put the handle back to its post and screw it on. When you screw it on, make sure that you don't screw it in too tight so that you wouldn't damage the brass fittings. Just keep it hand-tight.

5. Test it. Turn your water on by turning the handles of your shut-off valve clockwise or to the left.

6. Hopefully, your faucets wouldn't be leaking by this time. That is if everything went well. If not, you can always try to tighten the screws a little bit more or do the whole procedure over again. If you were still not able to stop the leak, it's probably time you face it and call a plumber.

Miscellaneous Tips

In going to the hardware when buying a washer, ask an employee for assistance. He could recommend the specific washer that is used for your sink.

Sometimes, leaky faucets are due to lime build-up. If you notice that a lot of lime build-up is on your faucet handle post, remedy this by using lime away products to clean the build-up.

There's no need for you to stay awake at night and listen to the annoying noise of a leaky faucet instead of enjoying fitful sleep. Learn to fix a leaky faucet yourself and say goodbye to plumbers, high plumbing costs, and34F sleepless nights.

Know how to fix a leaky faucet yourself. Find your faucet guide.

Basement Renovation

A finished basement can be a great place where you can entertain your family and friends by putting in a recreation room which includes a pool table, ping pong table, pinball machine, and/or dartboard.

Before a basement renovation you should:

1. Look for basement foundation cracks. Hairline cracks in the basement can be the fault of improper curing where as large cracks are most likely caused by settling. Both can be repaired with hydraulic cement if the crack is not active i.e. whatever caused the crack 111Cis no longer an existing problem. If the basement crack is still active then the crack patching may be re-opened later.

2. Look for basement moisture problems. Moisture problems may be tough to fix. Water is persistent and can make its way through the basement walls that are considered permeable. An easy way to test water problems is to tape a piece of aluminum foil to various places on the basement walls and floors. Seal the edges of the foil tightly and leave in place for several days. After several days, if moisture droplets appear beneath the foil then moisture is going through the basement masonry. If the moisture appears on top of the foil, the problem is condensation from basement humidity. Look for other water problems by looking in the underside of the basement's first subflooring for signs of leaks. Fix any faulty pipes and fixtures. Look for brownish stains on the basement subfloor and sides of the basement joists. This will indicate active or an old leak that has been repaired. If the stain is spongy, an active leak exists.

Basement renovation planning is key to the success of your basement. For instance, if you decide you want a wetbar and/or bathroom, you will need to have the plumbing done first. This would be a top priority because the plumbing usually goes beneath the cement floor. After the plumbing is completed, you need to plan and install the electric which may include hiring a certified electrician. Your plans should include enough electrical outlets, telephone lines and cable hook-ups. These will be used for your television(s), lamp(s), computer(s), electronic games, and a computer modem. Once installed, you must decide on paneling, dry walling, or painting to cover your cement walls. Although paneling might be cheaper, the refined look of drywall makes it the material of choice for finished spaces. Paneling can look dated and does not always last long.

The next phase in your plans should be the stairwell. Some professionals suggest you should open up the stairwell and install a banister because a basement typically features stairwells that are enclosed. By opening up the basement stairwell you remove some of the basement like atmosphere. Some designers would like to see the doorways of the basement widened and employ arches and columns to dress them up. Examples include French Doors for privacy or a partial separator using decorative glass to add elegance to the basement room.

When looking at windows, if applicable, add as many as you can. Basements tend to be dark and gloomy but with more natural light it becomes a better and well lit area. If windows are very limited, look into security and use glass block windows. When it comes to artificial lighting, the choices are fluorescent lights, table lights, floor lamps and ceiling lights. If your budget allows, stay away from the fluorescent lighting since it is not the most appealing in design.

When installing the ceiling, stay away from suspended ceilings because they make the basement look like a basement. Consider using tray ceilings. When choosing the color for painting, use a light, bright, or dramatic color scheme. With these colors, you can turn that dark gloomy basement into a room that opens and brightens.

The basement floor is always cold since it is in direct contact with the ground. Look at having a subfloor between the concrete and flooring space. This will make it a warmer and dryer living area and a smooth surface for your carpet or flooring of your choosing. If a subfloor is not in your plans and you are using carpet, get plenty of padding to put under the carpet. Try to have a storage room added, maybe around the sump and furnace area. This would be convenient for all those things that can't be thrown out. Think about adding shelves to this room to keep it fairly organized.

To control noise, have thick wall to wall carpeting and a high quality pad can absorb much of the sound. You can use sound deadening material below any underlayment or subfloor. This is nice especially if the basement is used for a bedroom or office. An easy way to reduce noise is by installation of thick insulation between ceiling joists.

In below-ground basement renovations, should you want to add a kitchen or bath you can tie into the plumbing system that is in place above. You can buy toilet4B9s and lavatories that are specifically designed for below grade applications.

After your basement renovation are complete, start adding the "toys" that will make it an enjoyable area where you get away from it all.

Keith 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/basementremodeling.html