Look For 15 X 12 Clear Tempered Glass Surface Saver at Amazon
|
Step 1 – The Study of Space: Space – How much may I have? The next step is to find out more with regards to the space that is available for this new bathroom. Is it restricted to the existent bathroom footprint? Can you remove the linen closet and use that space in a dissimilar way? Do you in truth use the whirlpool tub? Can you use an adjacent closet, a coat closet or share of the adjacent bedroom? Empty nesters may be very more than willing to give up a bedroom to make a new master bath. Master baths with all the amenities may take up a lot of space in a hurry. Look at all the options. Be originative and think outside the “box”. Now look at the room(s) available. Are there windows that will dictate the design? Is there a finished or not finished basement below? Is there a creep space below? How much access is there to the plumbing and electricity and HVAC? What is above? An attic, or a finished room? In a two story home, it is likely that the baths are stacked. Note this and get started to think when it comes to the waste lines and supply lines (waste lines are by far more important and more difficult to re-configure). What walls do you think the waste lines are coming down? Are the walls thicker than the normal walls in the house? Other questions to ask yourself are whether the existent configuration is a good one. Does it fit your new needs? Is it safe, efficient, attractive, comfortable, inviting? How much natural light is there? [Tip: An easy way to get light into a bath with little or no natural light is by using a light tunnel. Velux Sun Tunnel skylight and SolaTube make easy ones to install and they work fantastically. Of course you'll need attic space above the room in question.] If you are going to use an adjacent room, then you need to look at what is bearing on the wall(s) to be removed. If they are bearing, then you will have to put in a beam to aid the load. Most of my clients would rather see no proof that a wall has been removed. In other words, they want a flush ceiling, which means you have to cut the joists isolated and install an in-ceiling beam. It’s not that hard, but there is a definitive technique to doing this. I suggest you use a qualified remodeler to do this. In summary, you are looking at how much space is available, the existent configuration, the design restriction that openings or other physical objects place on your design, how the existent mechanical parts are run and your access to them, and the bearing points that may come into play with your design. Step 2 – Function: Ask yourself, “How do I want to use this space?” What do you need in this space? How would you like the room to function? How will the bathroom be used? Who will use this bathroom? How galore at one time? Who wakes up first? Is there a need for privacy? Does one collaborator get up earlier and let the other sleep? Does the room require better than normal soundproofing? Do the water closets (toilets) need to be separated? Is there a need for door(s) on the water closet(s)? Are the kids going to use this room? How old are they? Are they neat or a bit scattered? Is a tub a requirement in this room? Will a person need to dress in this room? Should a walk-in closet be attached to this room? If so, who will use the WIC the most? Is availability a essential concern? Are there any particular needs that will have to be addressed? As you write down the answers to some of these questions, you are beginning the design. As a great deal of designs as I have done, my clients have always been very involved; commonly to the point that they are designing the bathroom themselves. Use these design tips as your guide. Gather all the pieces of the puzzle. Place everything in the best position. Create the look and feel you want. When you are all done, contact a trusty contractor to make sure that the design is feasible, within your budget, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Step 3 – Budget: Why do you need to have a budget? It costs what it costs, right? Nope. Part of your exploration has to include what you may perchance spend for this project and what is included. This will require a good deal of conferencing with a potential contractor. Don’t think you may figure this out by yourself, because you’ll be off by a wide margin. I’ve met lots of people who have tallied up all the materials, thrown in a few dollars for labor and think that is all there is to it. The contractor knows all sorts of things that have to be done that you couldn’t guess. That’s why they are contractors. Don’t forget that they do this for a living, so they have to be remunerated for their work. Bathrooms are expensive. The second most pricey room after kitchens. Your potential contractor (PC) may at least give you a range that he or she may pull from their past jobs. Do this early in your planning. It would be a huge waste of time to do all the planning and design, only to find out that this project, as designed, is way out of your budget. After your PC, who has listened to what you suppose from your bath, has given you some examples and ranges of price, you have to determine whether to move in front or not. In reality, the occupation as you want it, will cost a finite amount, and there is no escaping it. There has to be a lot of degree of trust as you discover these realities. It’s kind of a give and take. Neither you nor the PC will want to show all your cards. The PC can’t perchance recognise what the final cost will be, and doesn’t want to make a untrue guess, and you won’t want to tell him how much cash you have. When the contract is signed, that will be the moment of truth. Remember that the design and your material selections will be a major factor in the cost. The finishing touches may be a big portion of the cost of the project. Phil Rhea, a noted remodeler and speaker for the industry told a story of a visit with a potential client. When asked what an addition costs he said, “I may build you an addition for $1,500 or I may build you one for $250,000. I may build your occupation for whatsoever you want to pay, but you’ll only get what you pay for.” In other words, he was telling them that he may build a dog house or a in truth good addition, but he necessitated to recognise what they were more than willing to invest in the project. And your rebuilding costs are investments that will give you years of pleasure as well as a return on your investment. A well designed project will give you a better return on your investment. Unlike cars, or boats or RV’s, which depreciate rapidly, laying out capital in your home will give you a positive return on your investment. So spend your time doing the research. Remember how much time you spend when you are planning to buy a car or a product. Those are little investments equated to what you may spend on your home. Let’s summarize what you have done so far. You have earmarked the available space and how it will be used. You have come up with a budget range for the project. You have started to “paint a picture” of the new bathroom and it is getting exciting. Now onto Step 4. Step 4 – The Layout: Configuring the bath – So far you have thought when it comes to the available space. You also recognise who is going to use the room and how it will be used. And you have come up with an approximate budget. Now it is time to think regarding the layout of the bathroom, or the configuration of everything that you plan to put in your bathroom. In this fourth, and very necessary step you will list all of the items you want in the bathroom, and roughly where you would like them. Items such as the soaker tub, the toilet, the walk-in shower, the sauna, the sink(s) and other fixtures such as lighting and faucets. The layout comprises of these five parts: 1. General Rules of Thumb 2. Accessibility 3. Configuration 4. Accessories 5. Lighting. (1) General Rules of Thumb – First you need to put the toilet in the most inconspicuous location. When you walk in the bath, (or someone else does), the firstborn thing you see will have to not be the toilet. This is in particular true in powder rooms, where those not intimate with the home will be entering. Put the toilet behind a door or a knee-wall in regards to 48″ high. Allow at least 36″ – 42″ width for the toilet area. An sheer minimum will have to be 32″ wide. If you are fixed by space in front of the toilet, consider a round bowl; other than as supposed or expected use an elongated bowl. Kohler sells a marvelously effective unit that is a Class 6 and uses only 1.28 gallons of water per flush.If you have a big room, you may want to build a distinguished room for the toilet. Some master suites even have two discerned water closets. Use windows or sun tunnels to fetch in daylight at a minimum cost. For your shower, concede as huge a space as you can. There are hundreds of ways to configure showers. Even so, compensate close to attention to water usage and other disbursements such as tile amount and those imagination valves and diverters. Let me give you a water usage example: If you use 4 body sprays at 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm), one overhead shower head at 2.5 gpm, and if two people take a 15 minute shower each, you will use 375 gallons each day. That will give you pause won’t it? If you go this route, enlarge your supply lines to at least 3/4″ pipe and buy a larger water heater. The smallest shower I would commend is 3′ x 3′. 3′ x 3′ Neo Angle showers are sold as a unit, and are handy in little baths or bathrooms that are seldom used. A good starting point is a 4′ x 3′ shower. A 4′ x 3-6″ shower would be even better. You could also install a tub shower, where the tub doubles as the base of the shower. It is a good idea to have at least one tub in a house for a assortment of reasons. I like larger tubs for this intention such as the Kohler Bellwether K-876. They are a little bit wider and have higher sides. Adding a curved shower rod even gives you more room. Moen has an easy-to-install model. When placing the shower valve(s), see if you may put it on an interior wall rather than an exterior wall. Less probability of freezing. If you may access the valve from the other side of the wall (such as in an adjacent closet) it is even better. It is for less and requiring little effort to fix sheet rock rather than tile when a fix is needed. Also consider putting the shower valve near the entrance to the shower so you don’t have to enter the shower and get wet when you turn the water on. The valve doesn’t have to be right beneath the shower head. Make sure that light is plentiful. Keep the floor space as open as possible so the bathroom is easy to navigate. Use tall cabinetry rather of framed linen closets because they take up far less space. The tiles on the floors must have a minimum coefficient of friction of 0.5. The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, recommends 0.6. Use a tile baseboard rather than wood baseboard. Much more comfortable to maintain. When painting the walls, use a high quality paint. The walls get a lot of moisture, ordinarily daily. I like to use semi-gloss on the bathroom walls because it holds up well. Be conscious that a semi-gloss has rather a bit of sheen, so it won’t suit everyone. (2) Accessibility – Whatever your age, make the bathroom and it is fixtures without apparent effort accessible. Make your doors 32″ wide or more, and keep the floor plan open. Making your shower curbless costs a little more (custom showers), but they are a joy to use. And if you ever need a wheelchair, no further modifications are needed. Eliminating the door will make the shower much more accessible and saves cash on a major item. Do a lot of exploration on Universal Design, which promotes accessible design for everyone, disregarding of age. Use grab bars in all your showers and tubs. Grab bars make a lot of sense. If you are retrofitting grab bars and can’t put the wood blocking in the wall, which you need to firmly attach the grab bar, Moen has a actually clever grab bar you may install right in the tile. It uses a fastener called SecureMount. They likewise have a heap of of the best looking bars in the industry with sameness finishes and styles. (3) Configuration – Configuration is dictated largely by what space you have and the locatings of doors and windows. Leave at least 18″ from the center of the toilet to the nearest bathroom fixture or wall. Code requires a minimum of 15″ from the centerline of the toilet to an obstacle, a bath fixture or a wall. If you have an older home you may have a window above the tub. You may replace the window with a good quality vinyl window that may withstand the moisture. Tile around the window. Or cover the window with a piece of tempered glass, either frosted or clear. If you have room, install a linen closet or tall cabinet. If you don’t have sufficient room, use nooks, hooks and shelves for towels and linens. (4) Accessories – Accessories are items such as towel bars, toilet paper holders, and medicine cabinets. Usually you’ll need regarding two 24″ towel bars, a little hand towel bar, a towel ring, one toilet paper holder, a robe hook or two. Medicine cabinets that double as mirrors may be very utile too. I like the Kohler Archer K-3073 that has a front mirror, a mirror on the backside of the door, and a mirror in the back of the shelves. With two of these installed with doors open, you may look at yourself from all sides. Heated towel bars are a luxury, but such a nice one. Some of the larger ones may even add a little heat to the room. Choose your accessaries for the duration of the design process. This is necessary because you need to put wood blocking in among the studs in specific emplacements so that the accessaries may be without apparent effort and securely fastened. Blocking needs to be done for the duration of the rough-in (the initial phase of building). 2×8′s, 2×10′s, and 2×12 scraps makes good blocking. [Tip: Make a diagram or "map" of your bathroom when all of the blocking is in place. Instead of the height above finished floor (AFF), it is best to measure off the ceiling, since the finished floor may not be installed yet. Don't measure to the center of the blocking, but rather from the top to the bottom, so that if a emplacement preference changes, you will know how much latitude you have. Measure from an adjacent wall from one end of the blocking to the other end and note this on the drawing. Also make sure that you photograph your rough-in thoroughly. You'll find this to be a real life saver someday.] (5) Lighting – Lighting is very essential in the bathroom. You need to see where you are going, and you need to see yourself without doubt or question to carry out the frequent daily bath tasks such as shaving, applying makeup, grooming and showering. Besides being very practical, lighting may also be rather beautiful. Well designed lighting may fabricate a potpourri of effects using dissimilar kinds of fixtures. The simplest way to add a lot of zest to your bath is to install dimmers on the lights, my bestloved being the Lutron Maestro. Be sure that you put a dimmer on your “entry’ light, so when you enter the bath in the morning it doesn’t blind you. [Tip: I commonly put the shower light on the firstborn switch you come to as you enter the bathroom. The shower light is commonly out of the way sufficient so that it doesn't blind you in the morning. Or you may even use it as a night light.] It is ominous that a great deal of of the most functional light fixtures for applying your makeup, are downright ugly. You’ve seen them in theatrical makeup rooms where the lights are on both sides of the mirror and above the mirror. This is regarding the best way to position makeup lights. Many times I put two beautiful sconces on the sides of the mirror and a 4″ recessed low voltage in the ceiling. Although this is not the best solution, it works somewhat well. Be sure to put a dimmer on the recessed light to you may control the amount of shadow that it throws on your face. For all your lighting needs, you will hard pressed to beat the selection and service at Southern Cabinets and Lighting. Be sure to concede space in the ceiling for a good exhaust fan, such as the ultra-quiet Panasonic WhisperCeiling exhaust fan. Install one or more vapor-proof recessed lights in the shower area. If you have a big bathroom, put a good deal of lighting near the door and over the toilet. If you build a linen closet in the bathroom, put a light in it with a switch near the door to the closet. Check codes for the proper type of light fixture. We commonly use a fluorescent bulb. In summary – You now have a standard checklist of items you must consider as you plan your bathroom layout. Most of it is just mutual sense. Some of it comes from experience and research. Look over your progression now that you have finished 4 of the 6 steps. It sounds like you are all done by now, but there’s more to come. In Step 5 we’ll talk about material selection. With what you are regarding to spend on a bathroom, material selection will play a huge share in the price of the bathroom and it durability. Step 5 – Selecting merchandise for your bathroom: Product selection – Now you’ve finished 4 of the 6 steps to designing a great bathroom. Your design is almost done. It’s time to select the specific productions and materials that you are going to use in this project. Your contractor may be a worthful resource. Especially if they are design-build contractors that specialize in this routine for the duration of the design. They’ve probably built a lot more bathrooms than you have. Look at their pictures and ask questions regarding the merchandise used. Go over your pictures once again and start out making a list of materials and merchandise that you are mesmerized in. Research and read reviews – The best place to review productions in on the web. You may do a search on nearly anything and find it. Read reviews. Amazon.com is a good place to read reviews. Some websites grant humans to place comments. You may “grab” pictures and selective information off the web with a handy program call Snagit. Collect these in a folder on your computer. Visit showrooms so that you may get the feel of products. Pour over brochures. Talk to co-workers. Visit your friends that have had work done recently. Choosing a product – How do you determine what a superior product is? One major element is whether the product is a good value – meaning it is the best product at the best price point. If it is durable, it may have good value. It may be a good value if it is well known to your contractor and their tradespeople. If you choose something too exotic, or unknown, it may be difficult to install, and if a repair is needed, it might prove to be difficult. For instance, some alien plumbing fixtures, though gorgeous, may take a long time to get substitute constituents if needed, perchance months. There are numerous very worthy American companies that have great products, such as Kohler, Moen, American Standard and Delta. Cabinets – The most mutual bathroom cabinet is the vanity. Most vanities sold today are 34 1/2″ high, which ends up with a finished height, when the countertop is installed, of 36″. In the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s most vanities were 32″-34″ high. (For a height comparison, your kitchen counter is in all likelihood 36″ above finished floor or AFF.) Cabinets also make wondrous linen closets. They take up less space than a built-in linen closet and add a better look to the bathroom. Classic Cabinetry is an splendid source for your cabinetry. Another very nice look for your bathroom is an antiquate replica vanity. These may be purchased at a very reasonable price now and look great in powder rooms. Use your space wisely. Add open shelves in wall cavities. Carefully design your storage in the walk-in closet or linen closet. Chattanooga Closet does a fantasti occupation with their designs and installation. Consider how long it will take to get your products. Do they fit in your time schedule? A missing portion may stop a project dead. How long will the cabinets take to get? Are all your merchandise coming from suppliers that have a good service track record? Trust your contractor on a heap of of these points. In the end, it is he or she who will have to deal with this, and stay on schedule. Now that you have a list, check it to see if fits in your budget, ships in a reasonable amount of time, and has positive reviews. If it does, keep it on your list. If not, steer away from it and look at other options. Let your contractor help you – A good contractor will have gone to a heap of trade shows and attended multiple seminars to learn all they know. They ought to only give you a few choices for each item necessitated in your bathroom. Any more than that is just confusing. They will recognise what works for them. You then have to evaluate whether it is good for you. I may tell you from experience, that if you go out and buy all your productions without consulting with your contractor, there are going to be problems. This is something that we keep away from as much as possible, because we know the consequences. In summary:
Step 6- Building The Bath: Ready-Set-Remodel – You are ready. You are set. It’s time to build that bathroom. Step 6 is in regards to the actual building of the bathroom or the routine that you may suppose when you build your bathroom. Your planning and design work are going to pay off. It will be a lot more comfortable to build your bathroom because of your diligence. Every contractor has a dissimilar method of building, yet they will all follow numerous basic steps. Some companies have a pre-construction group discussion (PCC) before the occupation begins. That meeting may be just you and your architect or your contractor, going over for the umpteenth time all that is involved in the project. Most will conduct this meeting at your home. They may fetch in the lead carpenter, or even the subcontractors. Each company does this differently. Some don’t do it at all. The PCC must include a review of the final contract, and points that aren’t in the contract, such as paint colors, emplacement of the portable toilet, notes with regards to your pet(s), starting hours, your routine, or noting numerous bushes or furniture that may require special protection. Be sure to get a copy of the PCC after it is transcribed. Finally the long awaited day arrives. It is time to start out the project. Your contractor may set up a occupation sign, with your permission of course. Next, it is time to protect your property from dust, and dirt and traffic wear. And there is going to be a lot of this. Your occupation may last from a few days to over a month, depending on the complexity. And that’s a lot of in-and-out traffic. Mentally prepare yourself because this is a total disruption of your ordinary routine. Dust shelter may include floor runners or carpet mask (adhering plastic runners), plastic set up at doorways, painter’s plastic on beds and furniture. Don’t forget to cover the costume in your closet. This may be a pricey oversight. The dust will get in there, even with the door closed. Ask for a schedule of the job, so that you are prepared for the dissimilar phases. The schedule may be elaborated or very basic. Realize that this schedule will modify on a daily basis. That is the nature of remodeling. The schedule at least gives you an idea of when something will occur, and defines the dissimilar phases. It is a good idea to set up a message center at your home, or a collaboration web website such as Basecamp. You have expended a long time planning this project, and it is crucial to keep the paper trail going all the way to the end of the job. Stay in touch with your contractor, realizing that he or she has other irons in the fire, so to speak. Nevertheless your occupation is very important, so you need to keep the line of communicating open. Your occupation may be run by the owner of the company or one of their lead carpenters. You may even have a occupation supervisor that keeps the occupation organized. Be sure that you are clear who is responsible for the occupation at this point. You have hired a contractor that you trust. Now let them build your dream bathroom. This is the reason for all the planning and design work. It will all come together. The basi phases will make it seem like they will finish the entire bathroom in a few days. Don’t be deceived by how fast the demolition goes, or how quickly the occupation is framed and roughed in. When the sheet rock finishing starts, the occupation will seemingly come to a screeching halt. That’s just the way it is. The finishing of the sheet rock will take regarding a week, for the duration of which time, not much else will be done. Then a primary coat of paint on the walls and perchance galore trim. The finish work has begun. Finish work takes a long time. A habit tile shower may take 3 days or more. Hopefully your vanities and cabinets arrive on time, along with your fixtures. If you have granite counter tops, there will be a delay. They can’t measure the tops until the cabinets are in, and then you have to wait 3-7 days for the installation of the tops, depending on the granite company they use. The sink fixtures can’t go in until the counter tops are installed. Everything has to be done in a sure sequence. Be patient. Soon it will be over and I make sure you that it will be worth it. In closing, I hope you have enjoyed these design ideas and that this routine leads you to a better bathroom design. Be sure to take daily pictures of the occupation site. Keep notes. Communicate with your builder. Get a written warranty. Write a testimonial for the contractor, telling them how much you be grateful for their hard work. Most of all, receive pleasure from your new space that was once only a dream. You may email this article to your friends or copy it into your newsletter, blog or website, as long as you don’t make any changes to the article and you include a credit to ChattanoogaRemodeler.com. Most helpful customer reviews 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. |
Great chopping board
The perfect thing for my counter but…….