An in Depth Home Improvement Article on Everything in the Bathroom (part 1)

Article by: Neal Baker

Tips and advise when buying your bathroom , How to Hide Wood Paneling suite: (part 1)

POTTERY:

Also known as sanitary ware, ceramics, porcelain and ware. There are four basic areas that affect the quality of pottery and its expected lifespan: The depth of the glaze: The glaze is the glass-like surface coating which is fired onto the pottery in the kiln when it is made. The glass , How To Choose Outdoor Carpeting enables the pot , The Benefits of Owning an Air Purifier to be waterproof and protects it from chemicals, such as bleach etc, over its life. The thicker the glaze generally the longer the life. Once this glaze goes, wears out, the pot , Bathroom Remodeling For the Luxury of Style becomes porous, absorbs water , Planning Permission Tips UK - Two Story Side Extensions - The Common Mistakes and eventually cracks. The more you use and clean the pottery the faster the glaze wears out. To make the glaze thicker you have to apply it a layer at a time and each time fire , Hand held vacuums buyers guide it in the kiln. This process results in breakages within the kiln.

For example, if I fire , Planning Permission Tips UK - Two Story Side Extensions - The Common Mistakes 100 pieces of pot , How to Hide Wood Paneling once I may get 99 back in one piece, so the 99 pays for the 100. If I then fire , Small Appliance Parts the 99 again I may get 80 back in one piece, so now 80 have to pay for 100. If I then fire , Hand held vacuums buyers guide the 80 I may get only 50 back in one piece, so now 50 have to pay for 100. You get the gist of this by now. If you assume that each layer of glaze lasts approximately 5 to 7 years you can soon see how the system works. If you glaze once you get a less expensive cost to manufacture but the product , How to Hide Wood Paneling does not last as long in a house. , Little Giant Ladder – A Complete Guide To Working With One The thicker the glaze the longer the pottery lasts.

Quality of the clay:

The quality of the clay that is used to make the pottery is very important. The reason for this is that the finer the clay the smoother the finish will be on the item being made. If you use a poorer grade of clay it will have more grit in it and the surface will have a more rippled appearance. You may also find that because of the increased grit content the pottery is heavier than an item of the same size made with a finer grade of clay. The finer the clay the more tonnes of rough clay you have to use to refine down to make it. It is therefore less expensive to produce pottery with a coarse grade of clay.

The overspray or colour:

The white colour, , Securing Your Castle or whatever colour , Small Appliance Parts it happens to be, is applied to the pottery before the glaze. Each manufacturer , Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible mixes their own colour , Kitchen Cabinet Hardware to try to match it to the colour , Home Improvement Projects for the New Year of the acrylic baths. The white colour , Removal Of Asbestos Floor Tile -A Specialized Job of the acrylic bath is a worldwide , An Overview of Aluminium, Plastic and Timber Conservatories standard set by the acrylic manufacturers. , A Few Concrete Suggestions You need to be aware of this if you client tries to mix and match pottery from different manufacturers. , Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement Tips - 3 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvements Its usually acceptable to have a toilet and basin from one supplier made to match the bath but if you put a basin from one supplier and a toilet from another and then the bath together it will stand out like a sore thumb. The thicker the colour , Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement Tips - 3 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvements is applied, the less fading on the edges takes place , Information to Help You Understand the Difference Between Mini Blinds, Wood Blinds, and Vinyl Blinds and the colour , Removal Of Asbestos Floor Tile -A Specialized Job is even over the whole of the item. The colour , How To Choose Outdoor Carpeting as with the glaze is applied in layers and then has to be left to set before the next coat can be applied. The fewer coats the quicker the product , Beds and How to Track Down the Correct Model can be made and the less cost is involved.

The design , Use Air Filters and Common Sense for Allergy Relief of the item:

The more intricate the design , How to Install Kitchen Cabinets - You Can Do That the more expensive the mould is to make and the more chance there is that you will not always remove it from the mould without damage. Plainer shapes are usually less expensive. You should also note that basins, toilets and bidets are made as matched sets. You will often find that the foot of the pedestal on the basin matches the foot of the toilet pan and that the back of the basin matches the toilet cistern lid.

One general point to be made is that pottery is often sold in what is known in the trade as a four-piece set. That is a basin, pedestal, pan and cistern. Unfortunately the retail customer sees the set as two pieces: the basin and the toilet. If you use the term four-piece set to a retail customer they may think you mean a basin, toilet, bath and bidet. So always explain what you mean by four pieces if you should choose to use the term.

PRODUCT TYPES:

TOILETS & WC'S:

There are five types of toilets currently available in the UK. These are Wall , Top home sauna kits and equipment hung, Back-to-wall, Close-coupled, Low level and High level.

Wall hung:

This type of toilet has the pan hanging on the wall , Deck Building Ledger - The Secrets to Successful Deck Construction and the cistern concealed in the wall , The Different Roofing Materials Used for Flatroofs, Their Advantages and Disadvantages behind it. More common in mainland Europe, it has become increasingly popular over recent years as more people travel abroad. You do however need to ensure that the pan is supported properly when fitted either by the use of special floor , Advantages Of Vinyl Porch Railings mounting brackets or the use of a framework.

These frameworks, which support the pan and provide a place , Water Treatment Systems for the cistern, are available from several suppliers. This type of WC allows ease of cleaning and as the pan is the only visible piece of pot , Roofing, Flashings, and Chimneys it minimises the impact of the WC on the design , ing Your Kitchen for Your Budget of the room. , Roofing, Flashings, and Chimneys

Back to wall:

This type of toilet is normally used mainly when having fitted furniture. , Roofing, Flashings, and Chimneys As with the wall , How To Select A Conference Room Chair hung toilet the cistern is concealed inside , Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible the furniture , Home Building Costs but the pan is sat on the floor. , Metal Shingles

Close coupled:

This is the most common type of toilet in the UK. This type of toilet has the pan and cistern joined together. It is often confused with the low level toilet, so make sure you are clear that you mean a toilet with the pan and cistern physically joined together.

The advantage of this type is that the pan has a splash back built onto it where it joins the cistern, so that when men and boys stand at the toilet and miss there is not so much mess. Toilets are meant to be sat on not stood against. If you want to stand up you should buy a urinal. This toilet is easily maintained and is therefore ideal for downstairs cloakrooms and main ensuites where they are likely to get a lot of use.

Low level:

This type of toilet has a freestanding pan and the cistern sits approx 900mm or 36inches up the wall , Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible with a short flush pipe in between the two pieces.

Before the advent of the close-coupled toilet this was the most common and is still what most people with older houses , Deck Building Ledger - The Secrets to Successful Deck Construction have. This is why they confuse them with the close coupled. They are now most commonly sold with traditional bathrooms , Clear Wax Candles vs. Gel Candles and have a chrome or gold flush pipe.

The difficulty with this type is that if men or boys use them they are apt to miss and the pipe goes green. , Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible Once this happens there is nothing that can be done to repair , The House that Feng Shui Built it. They are generally priced at 50% to 60% higher in price than a close coupled and are bought more for their aesthetic value than practicality.

High Level:

This type was popular in the Victorian era and is associated most closely with bathrooms , Advantages Of Vinyl Porch Railings of that period. The pan is free standing and the cistern sits on the wall , Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement Tips - 3 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvements approx 1800mm or 6 feet up the wall , Home Improvement Projects for the New Year with a chrome or gold flush pipe and a chain pull flush. It has the same disadvantages as the Low level when used by men and boys. In terms of price, this type is normally 50% to 60% more than the Low level. Sold mainly for the aesthetic value, all toilets in the UK now have to flush using 3 and 6 litres of water. , Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement Tips - 3 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvements It makes no difference which type you buy, they all use this amount and as a consequence the high level and low level flush no better than the close coupled.

TYPES OF FLUSHING MECHANISM

There are two main types of flushing mechanisms: the syphon and the dump valve.

Syphons:

Syphons have been used for many years in the UK as the means of flushing the toilet. They work with the use of a lever or pull chain. When this is pushed a small amount of water , Treatment Systems is forced over the syphon in the cistern, which creates inertia that draws the rest of the water , Bathroom rugs bring out the beauty along with it and flushes the toilet.

They are very effective with high levels of water , A Few Concrete Suggestions in the cistern but become less efficient as the water , An Introduction To Garage Door Openers level falls. , Decorating A Baby Nursery: A Few Essentials In the past toilet cisterns originally contained 12 litres of water, , How To Select A Conference Room Chair then 9 litres and now 6 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush .

People who now have a 6 litre flushing syphon type toilet often complain that they have to flush the toilet twice to get it to work.

Dump valves:

In recent years dump valves were not allowed in the UK, but with the advent of new legislation they are now fitted in most new toilets. The dump valve works by means of a push button, either a single or a double one. As you press the button it lifts a valve that instantly releases all the water , An Introduction To Garage Door Openers down through the toilet. This makes this type of flushing mechanism very effective with low levels of water. , Storage Sheds

Overflows:

Most old types of toilet have an overflow which let the water , The House that Feng Shui Built flow outside , Planning Permission Tips UK - Two Story Side Extensions - The Common Mistakes the property , Four Ways to Quality Check Your Drywall Project if the ball valve mechanism fails. This is called a visible overflow.

Most new types of toilet have an overflow which flows back into the toilet bowl if the ball valve fails. This makes them easier to install. This is called an internal overflow.

BASINS (sinks)

Basins are often referred to as sinks. This is incorrect. Sinks are fitted in kitchens , Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible and basins are fitted in cloakrooms, bathrooms , Decorating A Baby Nursery: A Few Essentials and ensuites.

The term basin came from the use of a jug and basin in the days when these were used to wash yourself , Deck Building Ledger - The Secrets to Successful Deck Construction in the bedroom. There are six main type of basin available in the UK.

These are basin and full pedestal, basin and semi-pedestal, cloakroom, semi-recessed, counter top and under-slung.

Basin and full pedestal:

This where the basin sits on full size pedestal and is the most common type in the UK. Normally the waste pipe and hot , Deck Building Ledger - The Secrets to Successful Deck Construction and cold water , How to Hide Wood Paneling pipes run through the pedestal and into the floor. , New!! "One Stop Shop" Online Mini Mall

Basin and semi-pedestal:

This is where the basin sits on a half height pedestal which does not reach the floor. , Little Giant Ladder – A Complete Guide To Working With One They are very common in Europe and becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

When recommending this type of unit care should be taken to ensure that you have the type of pipe work arrangement necessary to install the basin. Please consult your local , Metal Shingles plumber or bathrooms , Use Air Filters and Common Sense for Allergy Relief installer for more advice. , How To Select A Conference Room Chair

Cloakroom:

These are usually fitted without a pedestal, as they are normally very small basins. There are some available with pedestals but you are best to check first. Wall , An Introduction To Garage Door Openers hung basins are normally fitted with a decorative bottle trap.

Semi-recessed

This type of basin has a bow in the front but the underside has been cut away to produce a flat , Metal Shingles area. This is because this type of basin is usually fitted into a worktop.

Counter top: This type of basin is either round or oval and fits into a hole cut into a worktop.

Under slung

The type of basin is fitted under the hole in the worktop. This means that the worktop has to be a solid surface material, such a marble or stone. , Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement Tips - 3 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvements

TAP HOLES:

Basins come with one, two or three tap holes.

One tap hole:

This type of basin uses a mono bloc mixer, which normally incorporates a pop-up waste. The water , Bathroom Remodeling For the Luxury of Style is controlled either by a lever on the tap or a separate hot , Bring Summer Into Your Bedroom and cold , New!! "One Stop Shop" Online Mini Mall handle on either side of the spout.

Two tap hole:

The most common type of tap configuration has a separate hot , How To Select A Conference Room Chair and cold , Top home sauna kits and equipment tap with a plug and chain waste. The hot , The Different Roofing Materials Used for Flatroofs, Their Advantages and Disadvantages tap is normally fitted on the left hand side of the basin.

Three tap hole:

There are two type of tap arrangement that can be fitted to this type of tap-hole arrangement. Either a three-hole mixer which is a hot , Kitchen Cabinet Hardware and cold , Four Ways to Quality Check Your Drywall Project valve head and a separate spout, usually fitted with a pop up waste. Or you could fit a pair of basin taps and what is known as a chain stay waste. A chain stay waste uses a plug and chain but the chain is held in place , Tips for Buying A Bathroom Vanity by a disc, which is fitted into the middle of the three holes

BIDETS:

Bidets are not that common in the UK as we are not normally raised to use them. However for those that do have and use them there are a few points to consider.

For a bidet to work effectively they have to be fitted next to a toilet-not at the other side of the room , How to Install Kitchen Cabinets - You Can Do That or several feet away.

A UK bidet now come with the tap fitted on the top and is usually a mono bloc mixer. There used to be bidets in the UK, which came with an up-spray or fountain spray as it was known. This type of bidet is no longer available.

BATHS:

There are four main types of material used to manufacture baths in the UK. These are cast iron, pressed-steel, glass , Bathroom rugs bring out the beauty reinforced plastic , Planning Permission Tips UK - Two Story Side Extensions - The Common Mistakes (GRP) and acrylic.

Cast Iron:

This is the material from which most baths used to be made and is now most commonly used for free standing baths. There are two commonly held misconceptions concerning cast iron baths.

The first is that they are too heavy. The weight of a standard cast iron bath filled with water , Four Ways to Quality Check Your Drywall Project is in the region of 25 stones. , Securing Your Castle The bath is usually fitted with four legs which means that the weight on each leg on the floor , Home Building Costs is approximately 6.25 stones. , Deck Building Ledger - The Secrets to Successful Deck Construction

As we walk across the floor , Buying the Right Garage Door Opener foot to foot we actually weight more that this. The second misconception is that they are cold. , Tips for Buying A Bathroom Vanity This is because years ago when we all used cast iron baths the houses , Realign Your Budget - Purchase Your First Piece of Fine Art did not have central heating. The bath can only reflect the temperature , great alarms of the room , Top home sauna kits and equipment that it is in. If the room , Why is Wood the First Choice for Windows and Doors? is warm the bath is therefore warm. There is, however, one possible exception. If the bath is fitted in with a panel as apposed to free standing it may be that the air , Use Filters and Common Sense for Allergy Relief temperature under the bath is cooler due to the holes left by the plumber. If this is the case, insulation under the bath will solve the problem.

Pressed Steel:

This is where a layer of steel several millimetres thick is coated with a stove-enamelled surface. They are most commonly used in hotels and commercial premises.

As the material of the bath is very thin they tend to cool down very quickly. They also tend to be very plain in shape due to the manufacturing restrictions of the material.

Glass Reinforced Plastic , Removal Of Asbestos Floor Tile -A Specialized Job (GRP) :

This was the first type of plastic , Four Ways to Quality Check Your Drywall Project material used to produce baths and was used by almost everyone until the invention of Acrylic. It has very good insulation properties , Buying the Right Garage Door Opener and enables baths of many shapes and styles to be easily produced.

The two main difficulties with this material are as follows:

1. As the colour , The Different Roofing Materials Used for Flatroofs, Their Advantages and Disadvantages for the bath is produced in batches there can sometimes be problems with the match to the pottery.

2. If the bath is fitted in direct sunlight they are prone to the plasticiser leaking out of the surface and crazing of the surface texture occurring.

Acrylic:

This is the most common material now used to produce baths in the UK and Europe. It has the same characteristics as GRP in that it insulates well and can produce great shapes.

However, as it is produced to internationally agreed standards of colour , New!! "One Stop Shop" Online Mini Mall it is now what every pottery supplier uses to obtain their colour , How to Install Kitchen Cabinets - You Can Do That match. Acrylic comes in several thicknesses most commonly 3mm, 5mm, 8mm and 10mm. There is a common misconception that the thicker the acrylic the stronger the bath.

This is not so. The acrylic is there only to hold the colour , How to Install Kitchen Cabinets - You Can Do That and maintain a waterproof barrier. You will normally find that the thicker the acrylic the plainer the style of the bath.

The strength of the bath comes from the glass-reinforced plastic, , Removal Of Asbestos Floor Tile -A Specialized Job which is sprayed on the underside of the bath. You should always look for a full encapsulated baseboard.

This is where the chipboard base that supports the bottom of the bath is fully enclosed to prevent it from coming away after a few years of use. The sides of the bath should also be reinforced to prevent them from bowing out when the bath is filled with water. , Designing Your Kitchen for Your Budget

If the bath does bow out in the middle the result is often that the top ledge will drop producing a gap between the tiles , Four Ways to Quality Check Your Drywall Project and the bath.

BATH SIZES AND SHAPES:

There are a multitude of bath shapes and sizes available in the UK at present but they break down into several groups.

Rectangular baths - Single Ended:

This is the most common style of bath with the taps at one end and is ideal for one person to bathe in on there own as it usually has a gentle back slope which offers good back support when relaxing.

The most common size is 1700 x 700. They are however produced in sizes ranging from 1200 x 750 to 2000 x 1200. When a client comes in saying that there bath is 1680 x 680 this is usually because they do not realize that the bath is fitted into the plaster work when installed so that a bath that is 1700 x 700 straight out of the box is often small when fitted.

Rectangular baths - Double Ended:

This type of bath is common with people who prefer to bathe with a partner as the taps are mounted in the middle of the bath. They are becoming a lot more popular in the UK. However to make extra room , Kitchen Cabinet Hardware for the two people the two back slopes on the bath can often be at quite a severe angle and therefore make the bath less comfortable for one person to lie out. Once again they come in a multitude of sizes, from 1700 x 750 to 2000 x 1200.

Corner baths:

There are two mains types of corner bath: equal sided and offset, where one side is longer than the other. Two equal sided corner baths are usually available 1100 x 1100, 1200 x 1200, 1300 x 1300, 1400 x 1400 and 1500 x 1500.

The first three sizes are more commonly used as shower , How To Choose Outdoor Carpeting baths as the bathing area is too small for most people to use effectively. The 1400 and 1500 are big enough to use by most people for bathing. The offset corner baths are usually available in two sizes 1500 x 900 and 1500 x 1000. They are not very effective as a bath for most people less than 5 feet 4 inches tall due to the internal length. They are available with or without a seat in the corner.

Shower Baths (Ophelia, Ianthe):

These baths have a larger area at one end to allow for more room , The Benefits of Owning an Air Purifier for showering. They are usually supplied with a bath screen made especially for the shape of the bath.

Space Saver baths:

These baths are made to a special shape usually thinner at one end to allow for more room , Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible to fit furniture , Why is Wood the First Choice for Windows and Doors? or make more room , great alarms for pottery or even a shower , Top home sauna kits and equipment cubicle.

Written by Neal Baker on behalf of http://www.bathroomsensuite.com and http://www.bathroom-furnitureuk.co.uk, online , Advantages Of Vinyl Porch Railings retailers of bathroom furniture, , Small Appliance Parts bathroom , Choosing Sinks for Your Home suites and bathroom accessories , Tips for Buying A Bathroom Vanity in the UK.

What's Inside
Cordless Tools: Tips To Increase Battery Life - If you've ever went to use your favorite cordless tool , Tips For Buying A Furnace and found the battery dead or took the battery off the charger and have it go dead prematurely, then you know the frustration that comes along with owner cordless tools. , Winter is Coming - is Your Swimming Pool Prepared? Tip #1. Heat...
Estimating Home Improvements - To be successful, every home , Which Type of Radiant Floor Heating is Best For Me? improvement project should be based on a sound plan. , Why I want a swimming pool There are an abundance of books and other publications available, where you can get some great ideas. After you decide exactly what you want to do, try to estimate y...
Prefabricated shower stalls come with their own watertight walls - Tile is the traditional material used for shower , Nothing Says More About Quality of a Home Than the Choice of Great Flooring and tub walls. , Hidden Cameras But the grout requires lots of maintenance. An alternative is to replace the tile , Nothing Says More About Quality of a Home Than the Choice of Great Flooring with showers , Inspecting Home Inspectors - Examining the Quality and Consistency of Home Inspections stalls, which essentially is small rooms , Bath Tubs & Bathing: which Bath to Choose? with walls, , Ceiling Fans - A Lovely Addition to Any Room made of tile, , Luxurious, Comfortable and Complete: Transform Your Bathroom glass, , What is a Stair lift? plastic, , Patio Furniture - The One-Minute Makeover For Your Backyard! or some...
Information About Toilet Bowl Mops And Toilet Bowl Brushes - When you think about it, toilets are pretty gross. Public toilets can be used up to 100 times a day, that means 100 people are using them. It is said that whenever a toilet is flushed it releases over 5000 bacteria into the air. , Tools - Choosing A Handsaw So, when you wa...
Vinyl Siding - Launched in the early 1960s, through a profile extrusion process, vinyl siding has turned out to be one of the premium methods for preserving the exterior walls , A Step By Step Guide On How to Sand Your Wood Floor of homes. , Ever Wonder About Those Slats Missing From Your Fence? Initially, there was some difficulty regarding control over the material tur...
Solar Boilers - Have the Sun Pay Your Energy Bill - Residential hot water , Which Lamp Should I Choose? is a significant energy , Curing Squeaking Floor Boards consumer for most households. , Caring for Your Hardwood Floor In fact, hot water , Managing Your Winter Heating Costs is sometimes the largest single energy , The Advantages of Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings cost. Using solar energy , Choosing Your Builder: Cheapest Quote Wins? to provide at least some of the hot water , Caring for Your Hardwood Floor in your household , Basement Moisture Sealing: Top Four Steps to Sealing Basements can result in significant...
Fireplace Safety Issues and Tips to Help Prevent Accidents - Safety begins even before you install your fireplace. There are a number of different styles and types fireplaces on the market, some are not considered as safe , Surviving Winter in Style as others. As an example, ventless or vent free gas , How to Buy a Home with Good Feng Shui fireplaces are not approved in Can...
Spring Cleaning: Out with the Mold - Are black spots showing up on the bathroom walls , How About a Jungle Mural to Put Some Swing Into Your Child's Room? and ceilings? Is a musty smell curling your nose? Let’s face it, you’ve got mold. A touch of mold doesn’t present much of a health problem for healthy , You Get What You Pay for when it Comes to Above Ground Pools adults but can cause coughing, sneezing and whe...
Consider Rubber Decking – The Possibilities Are Endless - Rubber decking is the ultimate material to consider when you need to install decking in commercial areas. Wherever you have a lot of people walking or working, rubber decking provides the best safety , 7 Materials For Creating The Perfect Kitchen Countertop net because of its non-slip features. , Planning Permission Tips UK - Agricultural Plots of Land for Sale - The Latest Mug Punter Scam? Rubber de...