Development Blog

Archive for July, 2009

Most bathrooms today still have a mundane plastic shower curtain hanging on a rusting chrome rail. These are not very attractive and certainly old-fashioned, lending no fashion to the room. Shower enclosures are a much more modern and elegant alternative. They are usually in a corner with two sides of tiled wall and two sides of glass but can also be free standing if there is enough floor space. The glass is always tempered and hardened safety glass, and can be clear, tinted, textured or acid-etched with artistic designs. Shower enclosures have a tray or base which can be made of acrylic, fiberglass or composite materials with a raised lip of around ten centimeters in height. The main purpose is to keep the water off the surrounding floor. Many homeowners looking to install shower enclosures as part of the renovation of their homes are choosing modular units since they are more economical and come in a variety of sizes, styles and shapes like round, oblong or rectangular. Shower enclosures should provide sufficient space while showering as well as lending the perception of space to the bathroom. Quite a bit of construction time and cost can be saved if the new shower enclosuresare located in the same place or near the existing plumbing. If not, it may necessitate extensive alterations to the bathroom because new hot and cold water pipes as well as waste pipes will need to be installed in the walls and floor. This can mean additional tiling and repainting as well.

Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to toilet seats, at least until we need to find one in a hurry. They come in several common shapes from the normal round and oval to the opened-front seat usually seen in public restrooms. Obviously this is determined by the shape of the bowl on which they will sit. In prison they are built into the stainless steel units themselves and do not lift so that prisoners cannot remove them for modification into weapons or digging tools. Toilet seats for the home can be constructed of plastic, highly varnished polyurethaned woods, like oak or walnut, or a variety of composite materials. The decoration available seems to be unlimited. Toilet seats can be found in every colour of the rainbow as may be needed to match the décor of the bathroom. There are styles being sold ranging from Victorian to Hawaiian, from floral to newspaper headlines, or with themes from favourite sports teams to characters from children’s books. There are even toilet seats made from acrylic imbedded with almost anything you might imagine from barbed wire to sea shells to gold coins. Some more luxurious units are available with an automatic lowering feature to avoid domestic disturbances. Others have built in washing equipment and some have built in warmers for sitting comfort in colder climates. There are toilet seats that are cushioned both on the seat and on the lid for those who enjoy spending a little extra time reading or as an added seat in the bathroom.

Wet rooms are a fantastic way to join together multiple unattractive small spaces and provide a modern and attractive small bathroom with a luxurious shower. Instead of setting aside some space in the existing bathroom for a shower enclosure, making the room cramped and uncomfortable, the whole room becomes a shower. To further maximize the available usable space, wall mounted sinks and toilets can be used in wet rooms which will also allow for easier cleaning and maintenance. And because the walls, floors and sometimes the ceiling, are completely covered with non-porous tiles and properly sealed, waterproofing is inbuilt so they will endure longer than standard painted bathrooms. Converting small second bathrooms into wet rooms can significantly increase the market value of your home by making them very stylish with beautiful tiles and opulent fittings. This renovation does require the services of a professional craftsman since proper cambering of the floor to ensure efficient drainage is crucial. In wet rooms, special outdoor quality plywood manufactured with high tech waterproofing glue must be used for the underflooring which is slanted towards the drain. This is treated with a waterproof gel that creates an impermeable membrane, sealing the floor before the tile can be laid over it. A luxurious touch that will enhance all wet rooms is under floor heating. This not only warms the tiles before you even turn on the shower, it also promotes the rapid drying of the walls, floor and ceiling almost immediately after the shower is used.

Boilers are the foundation of almost every home heating system. They burn fuel oil to heat water to its boiling point which generates steam. The steam evaporates and is circulated throughout the house by means of radiators. The production of steam in boilers is a continuous process. When you boil water for tea, as soon as the water is ready, you turn off the heat. In home heating systems, it can take considerable time for the steam to stop being generated. As the water evaporates into steam, more water is automatically fed into the boilers. As more water is boiled it becomes concentrated with salts and other materials. If you look inside an old tea kettle, it is very likely you will see the white build-up. The new water piped into the boilers to replace what is lost through evaporation is not pure or free from salts so scales and deposits form which are usually calcium or magnesium. They are very bad for the efficiency of the equipment because they reduce heat transference and can eventually lead to overheating or even a burst tank. Softened water contains very little of these elements but is very acidic so can corrode the boilers . By treating them with chemicals, the acidity can be controlled and the scales and deposits eliminated protecting this very critical element of the home heating system. The water will keep on becoming more and more concentrated as the water to steam cycle continues so should be replenished with fresh, softened water.

Regardless of whether your home is heated with a steam or hot water system, it is vital to have all of your radiators examined and serviced by a qualified professional at least once every year. This will not only give you peace of mind but keep your family safe and healthy. Just as important is the realisation that ensuring that everything is performing at peak capability will significantly reduce your utility bills. Properly maintained radiators use considerably less power so heat your home much more economically. Between professional visits, there are some things you need to do to guarantee that minor problems do not become major disasters. One, check that all radiators are slightly tilted towards the steam inlet pipes which come up from the floor or out of the wall. Two, make certain that there is no corrosion, rust or paint blocking the air from escaping from the vents. Any air that gets trapped in the radiators will prevent steam from circulating and so keep them from heating up properly. Three, you will want to check that your inlet valves are either all the way open or all the way shut so verify their positions to avoid knocking or banging sounds. Four, look for water dripping from the inlet valves of the radiators. Normally it is the cap nuts that are leaking, not the valve itself. These are the big nuts located where the vertical and horizontal connections meet, and can usually be fixed simply by retightening the nuts.