Do not Settle For A Mundane Bathroom Remodel

Walking as a result of the door you recognize incredible tile in abundant, deep tones beneath your feet. Then you see polished, sophisticated fixtures, and warm, mild, ambient lighting. Have you walked into a posh resort with a best of the line spa? No, you've plainly entered your individual present day bathroom developed with your fashion and your necessities in thoughts.

When it arrives to bathroom remodels, the sky is the limit. In truth some plumbing contractors also give whole, upscale bathroom makeovers. Extended gone are the days of the drinking water closet wherever functionality is the only driving pressure in layout. At the moment, aesthetics, performance, indulgence, and personal taste rule the structure and remodeling of the modern bathroom.

It is no longer mandatory to restrict your self to the frequent outdated requirements for bathroom structure. So nearly all possible choices are available in a broad assortment of budgets that it is totally reasonable to style and design the bathroom of your desires and go significantly beyond the mundane. What about going for a spa form bathroom with a whirlpool tub, warming lights, and heated towel racks? Or why not construct a gentleman cave with a state of the artwork sound procedure and tv screens?

Despite the fact that present day bathrooms offer you all the performance of models past, they are no extended stark and minimalist. An individual start looking in the showroom and you will see many model choices from classical to contemporary to modern. There are also countless options in the variety of programs. Indulge in these important things as rain shower heads, saunas, tankless water heating systems, and surround sound techniques, to title a handful of.

Thoroughly modernized whole shower devices with several jets, temperature controls and person memory opportunities can be put in to match your individual necessities. If a bath is a whole lot more your style, whirlpool bathtubs, nostalgic claw foot model tubs, or the much larger and a lot more spacious backyard tub could perhaps be the selection for you. Probably both will get their way into your layout, and why not? With pros available to make guaranteed your excellent programs are installed effectively there is no factor not to pamper oneself.

When it arrives to a bathroom layout or remodel, making use of a certified will not only preserve you limitless time, but it can likely conserve you a lot of dollars as properly. No one particular else appreciates the solutions they perform with more desirable than a certified, permit on your own how they will want to be appropriately set up and taken care of. Effectiveness is very important and no one wishes to be bothered about regardless if their fixtures and appliances are heading to be put in to do the trick correctly. Peace of thoughts, soon after all, is priceless.

For your new bathroom, whether it can be a new development or a bathroom remodel, get in touch with a expert. They can allow make your vision develop into actuality. And will need to the might need arise, you can also simply call them for assist with h2o heaters, drain cleansing, and sump pumps. All of your must have can be addressed by the professionals.

Writer: Nick Messe

Bathroom Interior Design

Any information or guidebook on the interior style and design of a bathroom must be primarily based about 1 rather simple principle: keep it common. Rooms within of a residence needs to have practical factors, and if one area is crafted for tremendously specific features, it is the bathroom. There have continually been a wide selection of jokes about the "throne" of a household, but the truthful reality is that creating a visibly delightful and relaxed bathroom will inspire favorable emotions to its consumers.

Hardware alternatives really should be the primary issue when designing a bathroom. Faucets and spigots, as very well as tubs and toilets, created in a variety of designs and products can centerpiece a design. Open showers are currently favored with the younger upwardly- mobile crowd, and claw-foot bathtubs are basically almost always thought to be to be traditional and appealing. Evaluate privacy difficulties 1st never set the toilet and tub as well shut collectively.

Is it a chance to center your bathroom close to a favored theme? The solution is most without doubt "yes." Always keeping in thoughts that "less is even more" although looking for a decoration pattern that will coordinate with the relaxation of the dwelling will open a multitude of design possibilities. Finding a color or pattern inspiration from uncomplicated or not so big artwork can be the very first step towards developing a bathroom masterpiece.

When developing a bathroom's tiling, take the time to store all over as a result of distinctive hardware, decoration and craft retailers. The considerably more really expensive of the totally different variations of tiles need to have durability, aesthetic worth, and a non-porous surface area. It have to be comfortably cleaned and sanitized, and it must have to install simply without the need of any overpriced or caustic glues or cements. Get creative also all tile in bathrooms desire not be built of porcelain.

Following the style and creation of a space-conscious and captivating bathroom have been accomplished, focus on decoration components to carry out individuality and individualism. The bathroom is the most sacred place of any interior, and putting prized possessions on the partitions or shelves is an captivating way to bless this exclusive area. Use courageous ideas and do not be afraid to take probabilities, but above all: keep it effortless.

Author: Allan Wilson

Remodeling a Bathroom

So you've decided that it's time to update your bathroom. Whether you're planning to sell your home or you've simply decided your family needs a more updated space, there are a few important decisions you should make before you start.

First of all, consider what needs to go (no pun intended). Are you remodeling because all of the fixtures- tub, shower, toilet and sink- are outdated? Or is there a specific area of the bathroom that doesn't work for you? Maybe the floor is outdated or peeling, or the mirrors are in inconvenient places, or you'd like to knock out a closet or install some shelving. Before you start, pin down the exact things about your bathroom that need work. Don't immediately assume you need to overhaul the entire room. You may be able to save yourself big bucks by starting with the problem areas.

If your bathroom seems too small, you might not need to tear out a wall. Maybe you just need a pedestal sink instead of a cabinet one. If you're more than ready to just tear the whole thing up and start from scratch, you'll have to make some decisions about what's going to replace the current fixtures. Take some measurements of your tub, sink and toilet, the replacements you're considering, and the size of the room. Keep in mind that just because you want a claw foot bathtub doesn't mean you should have one- your bathroom may be too small for anything but a tub that fits closely into the wall. Draw some diagrams, and move things around until they seem to fit. But keep in mind that the layout of a bathroom is fairly limited. The water pipes only come out of the walls in certain places, so unless you're planning on tearing up the walls and the plumbing, your toilet and shower will probably stay where they are, even if you replace them with new ones.

Making decisions about what new items to buy should be the easy part. Look into purchasing a low-flow toilet. If you haven't had a new toilet in awhile, you will be amazed at the savings on your water bill once a new, water-saving model is installed. This is also a huge plus to potential buyers, who will love the idea of saving on utilities each month.

Safety in the bathroom is also a consideration. Consider handles around the tub and a non-slip floor covering specifically designed for bathrooms. Many older bathrooms are lacking in safety features, and that's a down side when it comes time to estimate a home's value.

Remodeling your bathroom is going to be a job that requires some forethought. Whether you're doing it to sell the home or for your family, it's best to take space, safety, and convenience into consideration. You spend an awful lot of time going in and out of your bathroom. It might as well be comfortable!

Author: Richard Rigor

TOP OF THE HEAP

It the edge of a rutted, pot-holed parking lot on the outskirts of Greensboro lies a rusting 16-foot-long steel beam as wide as a picnic table. Nothing distinguishes it from the rest of the junk littering the yard surrounding D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co.'s office, some of it salvaged from buildings the 44-year-old company has demolished, some retrieved from industrial customers the company serves as a recycler. In one corner is a pile of aluminum car and aircraft parts. Out back is a stack of seats from Fulton County Stadium, once the home of the Atlanta Braves. A skiff's fiberglass hull rests nearby, as does a clutch of claw-foot tubs. But the beam isn't scrap. It won't be cut into chunks and sent to a steel mill to be forged into joists and girders. It's a hunk of history and will stay where it is, as much a memento as a pair of bronzed baby booties or a smudged golf ball from a hole-inone.

David Griffin Jr., vice president of the family-owned company, had it hauled from the ruins of the World Trade Center. Griffin - everyone at the company calls him David to distinguish him from his father, known as D.H. - drove to New York City Sept. 13, 2001, and wound up staying seven months. He was drawn by the same notion that sent people flocking to blood banks after

terrorists slammed two airliners into the twin towers - he wanted to help. But he had something most people didn't: expertise. He knew how to extract debris from dangerous sites.

David, who's now 34, has been demolishing buildings since he was a teen-ager, when his father, despite teachers' grumbling, pulled him out of class to take him out on jobs. This was his chance to show people, including those in the company, how well he'd learned those lessons.

Back then, he was a guy who worked for his dad. "I know," he still likes to joke, "who the D.H. in D.H. Griffin is." He'd been given what his father had built with a ninth-grade education and the instincts of "the best natural-born horse trader I've ever seen," says Paul Ferguson, who manages the wrecking company's Atlanta office. The World Trade Center job gave him the chance not only to prove himself but, in a way, best his old man, who wouldn't tackle it. "His daddy casts a big shadow," says Norbert Hector, president of D.H. Griffin Construction Co., another of the family's businesses, "and he's always had his dad to back him up. Then he goes to New York by himself, and he excels."

When David saw the smoldering heap of rubble from the towers on television, "I knew it was a giant demolition job." It would be the biggest ever undertaken - 1.6 million tons of crushed concrete, mangled steel, broken glass and, hidden among the rubble, the remains of approximately 2,800 people. Few in New York had heard of D.H. Griffin Wrecking. Companies get famous for designing or constructing buildings, not knocking them down. But it is the largest wrecking company in the Southeast and, according to the Pennsylvania-based National Association of Demolition Contractors, the nation's third-largest.

In addition to it and Raleigh-based Griffin Construction, the family owns Demolition and Asbestos Removal Inc. in Greensboro.

Together, they employ about 600 and have about $200 million of annual sales. They're all profitable, but the Griffins won't say how profitable. The Griffins also are partners in Kernersville-based Atlantic Scrap and Processing Co., which owns four metal-recycling plants in the state, and have a stake in a Knoxville, Tenn., junkyard.

In the early days, most of the money came from what was called salvage and today is known as recycling. D.H. learned that after starting the company almost by accident in 1959. While working on an assembly line in the Lorillard cigarette plant, he bought an old church on an acre lot with $600 he borrowed from his father-in-law. Tearing it down, he used what he salvaged to build himself a house.

A city inspector told him if he got a license he could tear down an apartment downtown. The job paid $1,700. "I saved everything out of that building," he says. "I saved the pipes and made clothesline poles with them.

That same ethic - resell and recycle still animates the company. Chat with D.H., and he doesn't want to tell tales about New York. He'd rather talk of South Square Mall in Durham, which Griffin Wrecking is demolishing. He boasts that the company will grind up the brick and asphalt and sell it for reuse as a base material for parking lots. Drywall will go to a reprocessor in Sanford.

He's equally frugal in his personal life. He drives a Lincoln, but he and his wife have lived three decades in the house he built with bricks from a Wachovia building he tore down in Charlotte. The den has a stained-glass window from a church he tore down. His company's headquarters was built from reused bricks. The front door came from a McDonald's, a little Golden Arches badge still affixed to the frame.

He learned the value of living cheap in the mid-'70s. Back then, business was so good that he owned a plane, and his pilot would fly him around the South to bid on jobs. He sold it in 1974, the year he nearly went broke. He underestimated two big jobs - a 1,200-foot pier in Norfolk and

a foundry in Louisiana - and his mistakes cost him $1 million. The company pulled through, and he switched back to flying coach. These days, David insists that employees fly low-cost Southwest Airlines when possible. Tickets that cost more than $500 require his approval. Nobody, not even the Griffins, flies firstclass.

Another holdover from the early days is a commitment to do small jobs. The Griffins will tear down a bungalow as readily as an office building. A house "can be a great fill-in job," taking only a few hours, David says. Plus, a guy who wants a house demolished today might wind up a big-time real-estate developer tomorrow.

A third tenet grew from his daddy's dislike of unions: Griffin Wrecking largely hews to the South to avoid them. In the early days, D.H. did a few jobs in union towns. He'd bring his machines, and the unions provided the manpower. But his experiences weren't good. He considers unions wasters of time and money. Griffin Wrecking recently turned down a chance to bid on the demolition of Veterans Stadium because of the prevalence of unions in Philadelphia.

Imagine his reaction when David said he wanted to go to one of the nation's strongholds of organized labor to see if he could help out. "I didn't encourage it. I wasn't sure he ought to go." What could his son accomplish in a town where he knew no one? Plus, though D.H. loves to work - he's a man without hobbies - he had just returned to the office after having his knee replaced and was hobbling on a walker. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, David promised he'd be back the following Monday if he hadn't found a role. Reluctantly, D.H. agreed.

The next morning, David, his wife, Donna, and their two girls and baby boy piled into their Chevy Suburban and drove 10 hours to New York. On the way, he worked his cell phone, gathering names of Bovis Lend Lease employees at the site and offering his services. (The Griffins had worked with Australia-based Lend Lease, one of four contractors that New York City hired for the cleanup. Though its U.S. headquarters are in New York, the company has offices in Charlotte and Raleigh.)

They checked into a hotel in midtown Manhattan, a few miles north of the Trade Center. The next morning, he set out for the site, hardhat under his arm and respirator slung around his neck. His workman's attire got him past the first checkpoint, but National Guardsmen at the second demanded to see his pass. He didn't have one. He ambled off to the side and waited. When Red Cross workers arrived with coffee, he slipped past. "For the first 30 seconds, my heart was pounding. I was sure I was gonna hear them shouting for me."

He made his way to Bovis' trailer and, thanks to his connections, got hired as the company's demolition consultant. He began attending the twice-daily meetings to coordinate the cleanup and to toss out ideas on how to proceed. Within days, he started bringing up his people - in all, about a dozen - to assist.

Author: Gray, Tim

Cache rewards

You have expended hrs at the shop, seeking for that one special product to give your house decor a one of a kind touch.

And then you detect that nearly everybody in the checkout has 1, too. Even worse, when you get it in your dwelling space, your neighbors and friends join in a rousing chorus of "oh, yeah, I have one particular just like it at family home."

Maybe it is time to store off the beaten route, a tactic that can be creatively exhilarating -- and even help save you profit.

We have scouted the territory and arrive up with some out-of-the-way sites to inspire you. Our searches turned up green clawfoot tubs, virtually new purple sinks and fashionable kitchen counter tops at four bucks a foot.

Use them for their meant objective or, even far better, invent one thing new out of others' discarded junk. Chosen window casings as image frames. Aged doors for desk tops. Wrought iron for wall hangings. Army missile cones for planters. Permit your creativeness be your guidebook.

And completely happy hunting.

DECORATING ON A DIME

701 County Line Road

Palmer Lake

559-1220

This 4-year-older organization is the place to come for designer- excellent furniture and equipment at beneath-retail total price.

Operator Karen Jones, who decorates model residences and has won a variety of awards for her perform with the Parade of Properties, states she can have very low charges simply because the lease on the warehouselike space is so low-cost. She started out the shop in her basement for her very own purchasers and inevitably opened this model for the public.

Client Suzanne Drumm was there fairly recently, "poking approximately to see what is new." She and a good friend have been right here at least a dozen times and have acquired a leather sofa, chair and custom drapes. "I've found the merchandise fabulous and price ranges cheaper than the Springs," Drumm explained.

At minimum she found it. The problem would-be customers consult Jones most generally by means of telephone is: "Exactly where the heck are you?" Even MapQuest has the shop pinpointed on the mistaken facet of I-25, Jones says.

The least complicated route is to just take exit 163 off I-25 and go west two.2 miles to the gigantic green 701 County Line Street sign. Turn left into the parking ton. If you cross the railroads tracks, you've gone also far.

Park in the dirt ton, then pick up a clipboard and a card at the door to create down your choices.

The warehouse is set up like a showroom, crammed with luscious Tuscany and French region furnishings, and uncommon knickknacks.

We spied an ornate Asianstyle lamp for $eighty, a dazzling sunflower print for $524 ($75 a lot less than the total price marketed in a trendy catalog) wrought iron grates converted to wall hangings for $sixty a six-foot-tall by 6-foot-extensive oak show circumstance for $718 a aspect table with a checkerboard printed on top notch for $70 and rustic candle holders for $8.

ReSTORE

411 S. Wahsatch Ave.

Colorado Springs

667-0840

You might probably not be as lucky as the guy who bought a great, heart- formed spa and trucked it to his house in Mexico, but there is usually some thing enjoyable or advantageous to be had here.

The save, which opened a yr ago, is run by Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit group that uses donated merchandise and volunteers to build residences for the needy.

The keep raises funds for Habitat assignments by promoting donated and overstocked products for the house. On any day you can locate house owners and contractors shopping for nails, paint or light fixtures.

On a modern day, purchaser Don Schmalz was trying for tin to correct up a horse trailer. "I arrive right here a good deal. I like the price tags and the odds and ends."

That day, the 12,000-square-foot warehouse had shelves stocked with Olympic paint for $five a gallon, doorknobs for $2.fifty, 8-foot items of molding for fifty cents, wallpaper for $three a roll, electric light plates for 15 cents and antiquelike glass tulip light fly- strikes for 50 cents.

Manager John Veteto is commonly stunned at the objects that are donated. His popular is four comprehensive, packaged solar sizzling water heating devices.

USE All over again Building Resources

506 W. Cucharras St.

473-2150

In an company cozily heated by a wood stove, you are likely to come across supervisor Rick -- who makes use of only his very first name, even on his organization cards. He'll assist if you are looking for a little something distinctive.

But in actual fact, you would not ought a lot direction. For a salvage property, this just one has the flotsam nicely organized.

"If you are unable to unearth it, I can not promote it," Rick says.

Rows and rows of toilets are lined up like operates of art, and there's a designated lumber lawn had been put into use wood in superb affliction can provide for significantly less than 50 percent of retail. There have been sliding glass windows for $5 outdated pedestal sinks, $125 a green clawfoot bathtub, $300 countertops, $four a foot toilet tank tops, $ten and the proverbial kitchen sink, $seventy five.

The quickest way to uncover the spot is to just take Colorado Avenue west from downtown, flip left on Walnut Street and make a appropriate on Cucharras. The salvage yard is on the suitable.

Just one word of help and advice: Be careful not to trip around the appropriately scruffy junkyard dogs and cats lazing all-around.

HILLSIDE ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE

1006 S. Institute

209-1366 or 520-9463

You will find an impressive array of salable salvage scattered across the four acres of this demonstration garden middle. But the military missiles fashioned into tiki torches and the rocket nozzles that serve as planters essentially stand out.

They signify the clever facet of owner Larry Ash and his household, who see other people's junk as prospective objets d'art for the back lawn.

Not all sorts of things here is for sale. You cannot pay for the rusted tin alligator or the humorous green crocodile sculpture or the dancing muses, no issue how a whole lot you covet them. Ash refuses to part with them given that they include ambience to the cafe and grounds.

But never ever fright. There is loads of other things you can lug family home to establish your personal piece of garden heaven.

The day we visited, we observed cast iron sinks that make great planters, an assortment of tractor and other farm equipment wheels, cogs, spindles, old pots, wind chimes, tree grates, slabs of rock and balusters. In warmer weather, you can stroll through the themed demonstration gardens and obtain a wide variety of native and strange vegetation.

ALLIED RESTAURANT & BAR Provide

120 W. Cucharras St.

578-8668

You don't have to possess a restaurant to shop right here. If you have a kitchen, you're coming to the perfect site.

"There's a treasure trove here," clerk Doug Dawson states.

Who would not want 1 of these expert roller stuff that retains scorching dogs turning as they cook? Or a single counter seat in glowing purple? Or a large, glistening, pearlized pink clam bowl, optimal to fill with ice and shrimp? Or it's possible one of people twirling pie situation holders that you could fill with granny's apple pies or your knickknacks.

"The only thing we do not have are left-handed spoons," Dawson says.

The shelves groan with a great many new items as effectively as put to use kitchen area equipment from eating places that threw in the towel, and from chefs who wanted newer cookware. A swift inventory not too long ago turned up Chinese dragon motif plates, espresso grinders, butcher tops, earthy wanting brown mugs for a buck, assorted spoons ($4 a dozen), classic restaurant saucepans, 24-count muffin tins ($12) and bakers racks.

Out back again is exactly where you can come across the larger appliances: sizeable restaurant freezers, specialist stoves with twelve burners, ice makers significant ample to rest in and more modestly sized refrigerators that could squeeze into most place kitchens. The price tags for some of the behemoth appliances can be 1000's of dollars, but still about half of retail amount, relying on issue.

KIM'S OLDE JUNQUE AND

Things

504 E. Pikes Peak

219-0733

Kim Martin commenced this internet business in 1993 out of sheer desperation.

"All time I finished cleaning up my home, my husband would bring some way more junk house," she says with a chuckle.

Now she has 7,020 square ft of space for "junque and things," like a provide of a hundred-yr-aged bricks likely for 75cents apiece, an arty tree stump, glass blocks, screening, glass shower doors and brass hanging fixtures covered with splattered paint.

Don Aguilar was rummaging approximately with his tape measure not too long ago in lookup of screens and heater vents for a rental apartment. "I'm a regular buyer," he says. "You will find all kinds of outstanding things right here."

Writer: CAROL McGRAW THE GAZETTE

Why You Should Use Bath Rugs In Your Bathroom

Your bathroom is not only a functional room, it's also a place where we spend a great deal of time creating a relaxing in an atmosphere we've create why we soak in the bubbles or have a long relaxing shower to unwind from our busy day. Candles, decor, and flooring all play an important role in creating the atmosphere. Here's why you should use bath rugs in your bathroom.

Change the color

If you are tired of the look of your bathroom and you want to give it a make over you can use bath rugs to help. If your walls are a neutral color your job is easy. Choose bath rugs that fit your new color scheme, buy some complimenting towels and accessories and in under $150.00 your bathroom will have an entire new look. You can even find full sets in your local department stores that come with everything to complete your whole bathroom.

Make your bathroom cozy

Most bathrooms have either linoleum or a tile floor which can look very good but is can be cold to the feet. A bit of a shock after crawling out of the tub or shower. Bath rugs can be strategically placed in front of the tub or shower and compliment the existing flooring while providing a warm and soft place for your feet.

Change the look

Modernize your bathroom or turn it into an antique haven. You can do a total character change. Choose rugs that a fun and funky or traditional Victorian for your room. Make a few other small changes to your decor and for under a $180.00 your bathroom can have a total makeover. Excluding the purchasing of a claw foot tub or jet spray tub.

Make a safer floor

Bathroom floors can be slippery when they get wet. Bath rugs can give you a level of safety when stepping out of the tub or shower while at the same time playing an important role in your room decor.

A Spa At Home

Calgon take me away. We've all seen those commercials where a woman is relaxing in her spa tub while the worries of the day disappear. Why not transform your bathroom into a luxurious spa where you can get away from it all. Imagine that deep plush pile bath rug in a rich jewel color, scented candles burning, lights dimmed, soft music playing while you soak away your days worries in your favorite scent. Under $75.00 and your room will be made over.

Fun for the kids

Is getting the kids to brush their teeth, wash up, or have a bath a chore. Are they constantly fighting you because there are other things they'd rather do? Then make your kid' bathroom a fun place to visit. Decorate with bath rugs from their favorite characters, add a matching shower curtain, some toothbrushes, and cups. You can even buy soaps that follow the theme. The only fight you'll have on your hands now is who gets the bathroom first. Under $75.00 and you'll have a kid friendly bathroom.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a bath rug is that your bathroom deserves the same attention you would give to any other room in your home. Start by deciding what you want to accomplish in your bathroom, then choose colors and go shopping for the right bath rug.

Think outside the box, try not to choose those traditional bathroom rugs everyone sell. Rather try something different like a braided rug, a Sisal rug, or an oriental rug.

Of course there are few things that are important to keeping bath rugs sanitized and looking fresh and new. Be sure to wash them regularly and don't choose rugs are susceptible to mold or mildew because of the high moisture content in a bathroom. Make sure the rug you choose has dyes that are firmly set. A rubber backing is great to prevent rotting and slippage. But remember a rubber backing will be ruined by the dryer so you'll need to hang to dry. If the rug does not have a rubber backing you can easily attach a piece and the benefit is it can be removed when you wash it.

Bath rugs are an affordable method of giving your entire bathroom a face lift. Just add some accessories and everyone will think you've been working really hard!

Author: John Murray

Splendid, Exquisite Bathtubs that Spruce Up any Bathroom

Bathtubs have become an valuable necessity of our day-to-day living for a lot of reasons. Who hasn�t loved the convenience of soaking in a nice, sizzling tub at the conclude of a particularly exhausting day. They give washrooms a bathrooms a total appearance after all with out them they glimpse vacant. Bathtubs arrive in different dimensions, coloration, styles and substance.

Bathtubs are of distinct types and have several names in accordance to their shape and look. Clawfoot, pedestal, slipper and whirlpool bathtub are some of the names of completely different varieties. Clawfoot bathtubs are built in these types of a way that a particular person can virtually rest within it even when taking bathe. On the other hand, whirlpool bathtubs are substantially bigger in size with alot more room. All of these bathtubs come in many designs like Oval, rectangular, round, triangular etc. Bath tubs are generally prepared up of 2-3 resources, but it is almost always advised to decide to buy a bath tube which is painless to clear and does not get affected by completely different variations of soaps and chemical substances.

When wanting to choose bath tubs some issues to have a look at drain location, dimensions, shape, shade, substance as they will allow in finding out a most appropriate bathtub of our unique style and if in scenario it gets injury when number of several years then bath tub refinishing can be conveniently carried out. A appropriate bathtub not only boosts the attractiveness of the washroom but also greatly enhance the pleasure of bathing.

Writer: Mike Yeager

Lee County entrepreneur making splash with tubs

SHANNON - When Michael Mask gave up farming soybeans and corn in this Lee County town south of Tupelo, he wanted to do something entirely different. So, he bought a Tub Magic franchise to install ceramic tile and resurface porcelain tubs. He went to Salt Lake City for training and came back home to make the business his own.

"There was no money to be made in farming, but I grew up here and wanted to stay here," he said. "In Salt Lake City, they taught me what I needed to know, but it was up to me to make it what I wanted it to be."

The refinishing business went well for 16 years and is still in existence. However, Mask's entrepreneurial spirit kicked in as genuine old clawfoot bathtubs became more difficult to find and customers asked for reproductions of the traditional tubs. He persevered until he perfected a fiberglass mold mimicking an old tub and a 10-Step process to create tubs that simulate the antiques. Restoria Bathtub Company was born in 2001.

"It got to the point I couldn't find enough tubs or missing parts to restore them," he said. "I started making these tubs with acrylic on the inside that looks like porcelain and fiberglass on the outside that looks like cast iron. People think they're completely cast iron till they pick them up."

The tubs have a steel plate in the bottom for strength. The old-fashioned style clawfeet are attached to this plate for strength and durability. The tubs have been tested to support more than 11,000 pounds. "You don't have to worry about them falling over. The feet are on there," he said. "These tubs will be here as long as people use the right cleaners nonabrasive. The use of abrasive cleaners will cause the tub's shine to leave over time."

The tubs weigh about 150 pounds versus 600 pounds for the old cast iron tubs, and they cost about $1,400 compared to $2,000 to $7,000 for the cast iron versions.

Restoria is a family business. His son, Chad, a 23-year-old Mississippi State University graduate works with him. His mother, Mary, handles the paperwork and son, Tim, an employee of Maris, West & Baker Advertising Agency in Jackson, takes care of marketing and sales. The other family member, wife Kathy, is not involved in day-to-day production but is pondering how she can get a Restoria tub installed in her own bathroom.

"Sometimes we have to hire someone part time for sanding, but we touch every one of the tubs," Michael Mask said. "I didn't want to hire a bunch of people. The quality won't be the same if we hire more people."

The tubs are crafted, not manufactured, because all of the work is hands on. Mask even signs every specially printed tag that goes with each tub that leaves the workshop. Production is up and down from month to month but is usually 60 to 80 tubs each month. He says he wants to stay at that number to retain the integrity of the product. Each tub requires two to three hours of handcrafting, and the Masks have 10 tubs in production at one time.

The tubs are sold to dealers scattered all over the country, and Restoria has some partnerships with retail outlets across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. One tub was even sent to Japan after it sold on eBay. Luter's Bathroom Supply Company in Tylertown buys the most tubs from Restoria - 10 at one time. Some tubs are also being sold on the Internet. Restoria has a contract with a trucking company to pick up the tubs at the Shannon production site.

"My satisfaction is in knowing we have a good product and did our best," he said. "Our goal is to make it look as old as possible."

The tubs come in four colors - classic white that accounts for 90% of sales, bone, biscuit and black. The tubs are made in three styles - a five-foot traditional rolltop; a five-and-a halffoot rolltop; and a five-and-a-half-foot slipper model. The feet can be painted the same color as the tub or finished in a choice of brass, nickel, chrome or oil rubbed bronze finishes. Mask says 60 different combinations are possible.

The slipper model just came out this year. He may add other products along the way, but for now is content to craft the product line he has because the positive feedback keeps rolling in from satisfied customers.

"I've always done hands-on things, and I like this better than farming," he said. "I just make tubs and sleep. That's about all I do."

Author: Lofton, Lynn

Sexuality: Wing It with Your Heart

Snow glowing in a sun slice concerning the large rises on Fifth Avenue introduced to mind our magnificent Blizzard of the Century in '93, a day I cradle as the earliest day I constructed have a passion for. Not that I was a virgin at 37. But I was single…and single-breasted.

Tender sufficient from the surgical treatment and chemotherapy to struggle with dragging a bundle of logs house to my fireplace from the Union Square industry in the accumulating slush, I felt like a wounded bird, frail and fragile in a metropolis complete of the urgent and driven. They had no way of discovering I was intent on putting together the best nest for mating. Scones in the oven, a claw-foot tub complete of fragrant h2o, and Annie Lennox on the stereo….

Dying is uncomplicated it really is dwelling that scares me to loss of life ….

Writer: Mary R. Katzke

Tub & shower fixtures

The most common tub is a white rectangle with a finished front that is designed to fit within three walls of the bathroom. However, many other shapes and styles are available in a wide range of prices. Standard size for tubs is 60" wide, 30" deep and 14" high.

Drop-in tubs are designed to be installed within a tile or solid-surface surround. Old-fashioned clawfoot tubs are freestanding. Whirlpool and deep tubs are designed for soaking and relaxation. The tubs can be separate or incorporate a shower combination.

Tubs are typically made of cast iron, acrylic or fiberglass. Cast-iron tubs are the most durable and do not stain or scratch easily. Acrylic is a better insulating material so the water takes longer to cool, and its lightweight and flexibility make it a better choice for larger tubs. Fiberglass tubs are easy to install but are more apt to fade and scratch. Tub and shower combinations are typically made of reinforced fiberglass with a polyester finish.

Bathtub liners are an easy way to remodel a bathroom without tearing out the original tub and replacing the floor or wall tiles. The liner should feature a non-porous surface for easy cleaning and be made of high-impact material to guard against dents and cracks. Tub liners, which come in a wide variety of colors and styles, are attached with adhesive.

MASSAGING SHOWERHEADS

Massaging showerheads use water pressure forced through a diverting valve to create one or more pulsating water actions. In most cases, users can vary the amount of pulsing pressure or force to their liking. Massaging showerheads can be hand-held or permanently mounted. While all offer massaging action of one or more kinds, they can be converted to conventional shower action.

STANDARD SHOWERHEADS

Most standard showerheads have full-range, adjustable sprays and feature self-cleaning rims and swivel ball joints. They are typically made of chrome-plated brass or plastic. Plastic models are less expensive but also less durable. All new models must meet the federal standard of 2.5 gallons per minute, although some deliver a more satisfying shower than others.

CONTINENTAL SHOWERS

A continental shower is a versatile wall and hand shower combined. Quality brands feature on-off flow control built into the handle, a brass push-button diverter valve that permits instant switch from showerhead to hand shower and a 6' flexible hose and hang-up bracket. It can be attached to existing shower arms.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

While low-flow showerheads help conserve water, they are also more susceptible to sudden changes in shower temperature since there is less water pressure being exerted. There are two types of anti-scald valves. Pressure-balanced valves have a high-temperature limiter that provides consistent water temperatures despite pressure fluctuations in the supply line.

Thermostatic valves respond to outlet temperature rather than inlet pressure, then adjust the hot-water pressure accordingly.

Tub/shower models are available that automatically provide consistent water temperature regardless of changes in water pressure. Advise contractors to check local plumbing codes for compliance requirements. Homeowners can also lower the temperature of their water heater for further protection.

Scald sensors are also available that shut off the water supply when the temperature reaches a certain level.

To prevent accidental scalding, faucets can have adjustable settings to restrict how far the handle can move toward hot. One knob controls both water temperature and flow in single control units. This allows water temperature to be set permanently. Water can be turned off, then on again, without changing the temperature setting.

Other bath safety considerations include grab bars for next to the tub or toilet, slip-resistant tub bottoms, shower seats or transfer seats, toilet guardrails and rounded edges on vanities.

Ace Hotel Portland

Look at into the new Ace Hotel Portland to fully recognize the city's take on urban chic. The blocklong historic property has been renovated into a 79-space magnet for youthful artistic types, flawlessly positioned downtown on the edge of the Pearl District--just techniques from the famed Powell's Books flagship. An ethos of reuse and neighborhood pride is embedded in the retro information: unique murals by homegrown artists, Pendleton wool blankets on platform beds, apple-crate stepping stools next to claw-foot tubs, and classic vinyl documents on loan from the lobby. Make like a native and linger at the adjacent Stumptown Coffee Roasters cafe, known for its superlative brew. Then hop on 1 of the hotel's fleet of shiny Dutch bicycles and take delight in September's crisp sunshine--in advance of the inevitable rains set in. From $95 www.acehotel.com/portland or 503/228-2277.

Returning home -- Avenues residents lovingly restore 1912 house to

David Richardson and his wife, Amy Wadsworth, and their 8-year- old, John, live in an old home with a new kitchen. Earlier in their married life, when they had a houseful of children, Richardson and Wadsworth were thankful that someone had added on to the 1912 home, building bedrooms under the attic dormers.

But now the older kids are grown and gone. For the most part, the family only uses the 1,500 square feet of the main floor. They live almost entirely in the original home; a living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and one bath -- with a claw-foot tub.

Richardson wonders why any family of three would ever need more space than this. He and his kin couldn't be more comfortable in their Craftsman-style bungalow. An architect, construction company owner and preservation specialist, Richardson has done much of the restoration himself.

This weekend a thousand visitors will walk through the Richardsons' home as part of the Utah Heritage Foundation's 37th annual Historic Homes Tour. The tour promises a stroll through 100 years of Avenues history, featuring homes in a variety of styles by some of Utah's most prominent architects. The oldest home on the nine-home tour is a 1865 Gothic cottage. The newest is a 1948 Modern.

Wadsworth bought their home in 1985, while Richardson was on a business trip. At $110,000 it was in their price range, he recalls.

About a week before it went on the market, probably at the advice of the Realtor, he imagines, the previous owners put several coats of white enamel paint on the coffered ceilings. "They even painted the oak floors," he says.

One of Richardson's first tasks as a homeowner was to strip the wood on the living room ceilings. As he worked on the wood, paint thinner splashed on the gray fireplace and he discovered beautiful green tile underneath that paint.

The doors and windows are original to the house, Richardson is pleased to report. He thinks one of the worst things remodelers can do is to remove the original windows.

When they purchased the house, however, the front door was missing its central glass pane. Some time ago the window had apparently been broken and replaced with plywood. Richardson commissioned Beehive Glass to construct a new, beveled pane.

The home is part of the Cobble Knoll development, planned and executed by Frank Whitney. Richardson explains that running water didn't come to the Avenues until 1907 or 1908, so their house had to have been among the first to be built with plumbing included.

Since they moved in 16 years ago, they've redone the bathroom twice and the kitchen once. They took the kitchen down to the bare studs, uncovering a window in the process. They also opened up an interior wall, making what had been a linen closet in the hall into a glass-fronted pass-through cupboard. As a result, their new kitchen is much lighter than the original one would have been.

As part of the remodel, Richardson had kitchen moldings milled to match the wood in the dining room. The new tile floor in the kitchen, by American Olean, is almost an exact match of the original tile floor in the bathroom. That tile was uncovered under several layers of tile and linoleum.

There is more to be done on this house, Richardson notes. The entryway ceiling still needs to be stripped, for one thing.

But Richardson believes his next project will be to remove the stair railing and balustrade. He wants to replace them with something more appropriate, something in the Craftsman style. The stairs were added at the point in history when the bedrooms were added to the attic. Before that, attic access was through a fold- down stairway above the kitchen.

Though they were glad for the extra bedrooms when they bought the house, Richardson imagines the original owners would have been fine with putting all their children in bunk beds in the one bedroom where his son now sleeps. After all, he says, it is a large bedroom.

And as for the babies in the family, he knows where they slept -- in a nursery off the master bedroom. Richardson and his wife use the nursery as a walk-in closet.

But he knows it was a nursery originally. It was designed to hold not one, but two, cribs, he explains. Just because it was 1,500 square feet doesn't mean his home couldn't have held a large family, quite comfortably, back in 1912. Then, as now, he says, "This is a good place to bring up children."

If you go ...

What: Historic Homes Tour

Where: Tour headquarters are at Ensign Stake Center, 135 A St.

When: Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

How much: $20

Phone: 533-0858

Web: www.utahheritagefoundation.org

E-mail: susan@desnews.com

Author: Susan Whitney Deseret News

Products ON Screen

1. Strom Plumbing By Sign of the Crab (Booth #B135) provides a wide ranging product or service line that features cast iron pedestal bathtubs these as the Peninsula, a 5' Dual Cast Iron Tub on a Pedestal. The complete line consists of cast iron pedestal or clawfoot tubs, acrylic pedestal or clawfoot tubs and reproductions of antique originals in a multitude of finishes.

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Classic Bathtubs - Timeless High-quality That Will not likely Go Out of Type

oing vintage has hardly ever gone out of fashion. Indeed, it has forever been a magnificent choice for the discriminating purchaser. Classic equipment and fixtures can entail just about any component of the property. Gaining to the rest room in individual, vintage bathtubs have develop into an final alternative for so many visitors. Who can say "no" to antique and vintage merchandise no matter if for aesthetic magnificence, or practical operate?

These days, it feels current models and designs are constantly staying released to the sector. There is the continuous growth of types and patterns that incorporate the concept of the present day society and the personal tastes of the specific. But, even while the recent and best programs have their area, "aged school" techniques and technologies have acquired resurgence in recognition in modern many years, sparking an interest in the traditional items of yesteryear.

The rest room is one of the most personalized sections of the family home. For some buyers, it even serves as a type of sanctuary wherever an individual can chill out in a prolonged soaking bath or an invigorating shower. This is the motive why most people young and old are eager to pay out a effective sum of cash just to get their sought after bathroom a specified seem and experience.

1 can barely go incorrect with a vintage clawfoot bathtub for the household. There are a great many designs of faucets and other components with a classic look and feel that will flawlessly complement your option of vintage tubs.

Whilst some many people do not prefer vintage models on the grounds that it connotes being previous or outdated, various other folks like classic seeing that it represents superior, sturdiness, and a return to a easier era. The traditional glimpse of an antique or clawfoot bathtub has a timeless quality that will not mature old fairly rapidly.

In conclusion, classic bathtubs have a timeless high quality that would not go out of type any time shortly, and are confident to stay popular for a multitude of many years to arrive.

Author: Ric Hite

Kentucky Showroom Celebrates Open Home

Erlanger, KY - Signature Hardware, a neighborhood plumbing programs and hardware retailer, has marked the opening of a retail showroom in Erlanger, KY.

The 6,300-sq.-ft. showroom spotlights the offerings of the plumbing, hardware and lights retailer.

Highlighted items involve conventional clawfoot tubs, stone bathtubs and sinks, copper bathtubs and air baths, sound brass faucets, door hardware, floor registers, bathroom vanities and relevant goods.

Signature Hardware is a ornamental plumbing, hardware and lighting retailer established by northern Kentucky natives Mike and Matt Butler. The enterprise, founded in 1999 below the identify Clawfoot Supply, continues to be relatives owned and operated, and employs increased than 55 everyone.