posted21/07/11
Attic conversions are highly popular during the summer period because it is dry and warm.
The space between the ceiling of the top floor and the actual roof is usually mistaken as a ‘loft’ however, it is actually known as the attic. Some of these attics are very small and can be shaped awkwardly. However, the ones which are quite spacious and accessible can be easily changed into bedrooms. After this conversion, this space is then known as a loft.
Storage space
The simplest conversion is to make the attic space clean and dry to use it as a storeroom. This is done by proper flooring installation and creating some sort of easy accessibility such as pull down stairs. Many people like to fit a window, the type of window is usually a velux or you can fit a permanent glazed window. But, it is important to be careful of condensation though.
Rooms
If you want to use the space as a functional room the attic will need to be completely renovated. If you have previously used it as a storage space it is a bit cheaper as some of the work has been done already.
A loft is cheaper than an extension because you do not require an additional attachment made to the existing structure. You can also use the loft as a bedroom, playroom, study, den ect.
Since the loft is a space situated just below the roof top, during the winter, it can be really cold. Also, it can also be too hot in the summer! So good ventilation and insulation is required, this is all covered by law in the UK so make sure your builder sticks to the regulations! Also don’t forget to install fire alarms in the new space.
Before adding a toilet or a bathroom to your attic floor, you need to think about draining and the pipe system first. I recommend you hiring a professional plumber to do this!
When the attic is solely being used as an attic, ladders are the normal method of entry. However, you entrance may be a little different for you new loft… make sure you have decided upon the opening through which you will access the attic and where you will place the stairs up to the loft.
posted05/07/11
When it comes to home décor, many people are quite particular about how they want their interior to look, what sort of feel it gives their home and what sort of impression it gives off to other people. Many people are now also focusing on the décor of their bathroom, after all a lot of attention is paid to living rooms and kitchens, areas which are normally used as social areas, where you can ‘show off’ as it were to your guests. So it’s important to make sure your bathroom is up to the same standard, after all guests will use these facilities too.
When it comes to the design for your bathroom you should always have the theme and specifications spelled out before construction, so you make sure you have all the aspects covered. After all many people believe that the bathroom is a place unwind with a long hot shower after a long hard day. And what better way to unwind than with a luxury shower enclosure? After all not everyone has time to take a long hot soak in the bath so a good shower can also relax you, especially when your shower has great features such as massage options, steam options and even relaxing lighting options.
You can find shower enclosures in varying shapes and sizes to fit any space and they can be fitted in around your other bathroom features such as a feature tub or sinks. You can have walk in features, like a wet room or some are enclosed such as quadrant shower enclosures, the style and size can be worked into your bathroom design, no matter the theme. Anything from patterns on the shower glass to colour of tiles inside and specific fixtures and fittings which match what you have elsewhere in the bathroom.
posted24/06/11
There is nothing worse than turning on your shower and stepping in to your shower enclosure with the intention of having a satisfying showerbut not getting enough power to it. Many times a showerhead will begin spitting, or losing strength of flow, after it has been used for a few years. This is a common occurrence and there is usually no need to replace the showerhead or call a professional. This problem can be fixed quickly and easily.
In most cases, the reason for the spitting or loss of flow is a build up of lime scale in the small holes in the showerhead.
To fix the problem, remove the showerhead from the hose. There will be a retaining screw inside the showerhead. This must be removed to release the central plate. If the plate has lime scale on it, it needs to be cleaned as well.
Take some white vinegar and soak the showerhead and the central plate. Make sure that all parts are completely submerged. In most cases, the showerhead will only have to soak for about five minutes. If after this time there is still lime scale, let it soak another five minutes.
Rinse off the showerhead or wipe it with a cloth. The showerhead and the central plate should now be free of debris and lime scale build-up. Before you reattach the showerhead, turn on the water to flush out the hose.
Reattach the hose and make sure that the rubber washer is in place. If the washer is missing or damaged, make sure to replace it as this will prevent leakage from the hose. Do not over tighten showerheads when reassembling. You may want to use some pipe tape around the thread before screwing it back on to further prevent leaks.
posted19/06/11
Over time, the caulk in a bathroom can begin to discolour. Instead of removing the existing caulk and applying a new bead, there is a fast and simple way to remove stains from existing caulk and make it look as good as new.
You will need two common household items to clean the caulk in your bathroom: salt and bleach. The cleaning process is safe and simple; however, you should wear gloves when working with bleach.
Place some salt in a container and slowly add the bleach, stirring to make a paste. When the paste is formed, apply it to the caulk that is discoloured. After the paste is applied, use a damp paper towel and lay it over the paste. Allow this to sit for 30 minutes.
When the 30 minutes is up, remove the paper towel. Using a damp sponge, begin to wipe away the remaining paste. Once it is removed, go over the caulk again with a clean sponge. You will see that the caulk looks as good as new. Repeat this for any other place in the bathroom that has discoloured or stained caulk. Keeping the caulk clean will reduce the chance of mould forming, as well as brighten up your entire bathroom.
Cleaning existing caulk is a quick and easy alternative to spending the time and effort that it takes to remove old caulk and reapply a new bead.
posted17/06/11
One thing that can be very annoying is a clogged drain, especially one in your shower enclosure and it can become quite problematic, when showering if water doesn’t drain away quickly. Many shower enclosures are not designed to hold a large quantity of water any you could find yourself stood in the shower for a while, while it drains away, getting cold!
If you find yourself with this problem, its best to take action straight away, before the problem gets too bad and causes damage and you have to call in a plumber. The reason your drain may be blocked could be as simple as the drain cover being covered with hair and grime, this is simple to remove, so you should always check the drain cover first, before looking at pipes.
You need to remove any hair that is in the drain and throw away you can do this by removing the drain cover, if the hair is tangled and knotted, use a lighter to burn it off the drain cover and out of the drain.
If water still drains away slowly the blockage may be further down the pipe, and easy way to find it is with a garden hosepipe. Push this down the drain until you feel an obstruction, then turn on the water to give it a blast, this should push whatever is blocking your pipe out of the way.
If that option fails you can try using a plunger, place a wet rag over the drain and use the plunger on top of this up and down several times to move the clog through the pipes.
Finally if you are still finding your water drains away slowly, your pipes might be blocked by dirt and debris, which only chemicals can move. Try using liquid drain cleaner to shift the dirt and they are normally strong enough to move clogs of this type.
If all else fails then it’s advisable to call a plumber rather than taking apart the pipes yourself as you can cause a lot of damage in your bathroom and mess yourself if you don’t know what you are doing.
posted03/06/11
Unfortunately mould and mildew is in the air we breathe so it can be hard to completely get away from it, there are common causes which make it worse, such as; low circulation of air, poor lighting or low lighting, warm environments, high humidity and damp areas. There are also many different species of mould and mildew so it can be quite hard to completely get rid of it, luckily most types are harmless to humans, there are only a few which can cause serious health problems, when growing in large quantities.
It can be very frustrating when you have mould or mildew in your bathroom, whether around the edge or your bath or shower enclosure, however we have a couple of tips that will help you get rid of mould and mildew. To begin with you need to control the humidity in your bathroom, mould thrives when its humid, hence why its prevalent in bathrooms. To avoid humidity, once you have taken a shower or bath, open a window or door, to bring the moisture level down. This will also help with circulation of air, so it doesn’t become stagnant, also leave a light on or blinds open after too, you want to keep your bathroom as light and airy as possible.
There are many different products available on the market which claim to get rid of mould and mildew, some are more effective than others, however one way many old housewives swear by is using distilled white vinegar, vinegar actually kills many species of mould and mildew. All you need to do is pour some white vinegar into an empty spray bottle and spray the affected area a couple of times and leave. Bleach is also quite effective at removing mould and mildew and the stains they leave behind, bleach is most effective on fixtures and fittings and the best way to clean out mould and mildew that builds up on theses. You need to make sure you remove mould from your shower heads and taps, after all you wouldn’t want to wash in mouldy water would you?
If you keep up with effective cleaning you will find that you won’t get much of a build up of mould and mildew.
posted24/05/11
If you’re looking at fitting a new bathroom suite, then whilst in the planning stage you should look at what sort of towel radiator would be most convenient for your bathroom and what would also fit in too. In the past many people just fitted a bog standard radiator into their bathroom, just like the ones in their other rooms; however there have been many improvements made over the last few years and now you can also choose from a wide range of towel radiators.
Towel radiators not only heat your room, but because of the way they are designed they can also dry your towels instead. In the past it was hard to dry more than one towel on a standard radiator, they were never that big, because there generally isn’t a lot of room to fit a wide radiator into a bathroom. New designs mean that more than one towel at a time, which is great for families, it’s also better for your health because damp towels are prone to mould formation which not only smells bad but can also damage your health.
Not only do designs of towel radiators mean you can dry multiple towels, but also you can fit the radiators onto awkward spaces, making them an ideal for awkward shaped or small bathrooms. As well as that there are also aesthetics to consider, some of the pricier designs also look really good to with time taken to make some look more like pieces of art, which will improve the overall look of your bathroom too.
