North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

Archive for the ‘Baths’ Category

Solid stone baths are very fashionable at the present time but they do tend to be very expensive, they stain easily and need careful, specialised maintenance to keep them looking as good as the day you bought them. They are also extremely heavy and it will probably be necessary to check that floors are strong enough to hold the weight of the stone and a bath full of water. This kind of structural work can be very expensive so it needs to be taken into consideration when deciding whether to choose a real stone bath, or something a bit lighter.

There is an alternative way of getting a very similar look. Composite baths look like stone but they tend to be much lighter and they are easy to clean and care for. This type of bath does not make the water go cold as quickly as a stone one would and there will be no need to do any structural work to accommodate the combined weight of the bath and the water.

Stone resin baths are moulded into shape and have all the natural looking beauty of solid stone without the expense, or the additional installation problems. They can also be purchased in a resin that looks like marble but does not have all the attending cleaning problems. Colours look natural and will blend with stone floor tiles, or other bathroom features and the most popular shape is a freestanding oval.

Stone resin baths offers an alternative way to get that realistic stone look without having to spend so much money, or worry about installation problems.

The first thing to consider when you go to purchase a new bathroom suite is the size and layout of your bathroom and what appeals to you. There are a number of different shapes, colours and styles of bathroom suite to choose from. First select your sanitary ware and then add your preferred taps, or brassware.

Bathroom suites come with different numbers of pieces. Most of these have a hand basin and pedestal, bath, toilet and cistern. However, some people have separate toilet facilities.  Most bathroom suites are made of vitreous china but many buyers prefer to buy a bath in a different material such as 5mm acrylic. Not everyone wants all the items from the same packaged suite, so all the items for a bathroom suite are available to purchase separately. It is also possible to just buy a china pack and then add a bath to it.

The easiest way to ensure that the items you are selecting for your bathroom will fit properly into the space available and not cause too many awkward plumbing problems is to ask an expert to plan your bathroom for you and advise you on the best choices.

If budget is a consideration it is not wise to try to save money by buying very cheap taps because these really set the rest of your bathroom off. Cheap taps will need to be replaced in a few years and you will have to pay for taps and fixing all over again. If you are trying to keep costs down, do it on something else in your bathroom, not the taps.

Most baths need bath panels for one or two sides and for the ends. The purpose of these panels is to hide all the messy looking pipe work beneath the bath and give a neat, streamlined appearance. It also makes for easier cleaning. However if you have bought a bath with ornate decorated legs, or feet, you certainly won’t want to box these in with bath panels.

The first thing to do is to measure your bath because bath panels are not of a uniform size. You also need to look and see if you need matching end panels. When it comes to selecting material for your bath panels it all depends on how much you want to spend and how much time you are prepared to spend on maintenance.

Acrylic bath panels are usually at the cheaper end of the market and they come in a range of colours and designs. These are easy to maintain and only need to be wiped with a damp cloth. On the other hand, wooden bath panels are more expensive but they look good and really add something to a bathroom. The down side here is that they need to be waterproofed and maintained regularly or water will seep in and warp and rot the wood.

Which ever type of bath panel you choose make sure that you know how to handle the material and that you are aware of any special treatment it will need. Experts in your bathroom supplies shop will be able to help you.

It seems as if every day brings a new design or concept into our bathrooms. Interior designers and bathroom accessories have revolutionised the way we now look at and use the room.

Where once we would have had to visit a luxury hotel to enjoy a steam sauna or Jacuzzi, the option is now there for us to indulge ourselves in the comfort of our own home. Best of all such luxury comes at a very affordable price.

A good casing point is the sharp rise in domestic whirlpool installations. Particularly popular is the air-jet variety. This appliance streams air, at high pressure, directly into the bath. The user can relax for hours by adding fragrant oils or cleansing salts, an experience previously available only to the very rich and privileged.

But why stop there? Chromotherapy is another innovation that is fast becoming popular. This works by placing lights inside the bath, which are operated by a remote control unit to produce a variety of light patterns. By doing so, the manufacturers claim that the body experiences intense relaxation.

Aromatherapy works on roughly the same principle. Different fragrances drift around the bath, creating a unique atmosphere in which to contemplate the travails of modern day life. Users claim that the as the body relaxes, the mind becomes sharper and focused, so is better equipped to deal with whatever problems the next day throws up.

Finally, whirlpools are not only good for the body; they are also kind to the bath. Because of the constant circulation of water, unpleasant fungi and spores have a vastly reduced chance of building up.

Choosing a new bath is an investment, but what you pay for will be more than recompensed by the hours of pleasure it will give you. Think how much time you spend soaking away the cares of a busy lifestyle. Why settle for anything less than luxuriating in the bath of your choice?

There are many different types of bath to choose from. Naturally, what you buy will be dictated by the amount of space you have to work with. However, baths now come in many different sizes. If you have a very small bathroom, you could always purchase a vertical Japanese-style vertical soaking bath.

Even the most basic bath can now be found in a range of dazzling colours. There is no rule that forces you to have a standard white model. Match it with a brand new colour scheme. Make it the focal point of your bathroom and complement it with other accessories, such as towels and bathmats.

If you have a dual-purpose shower bath arrangement, don’t forget to factor in the shower curtain. These come in a multitude of colours, styles and designs and anyway, why stop at a plastic curtain? Buy fabric; hemp and cotton are relatively cheap. All you need is a shower curtain liner in vinyl to thoroughly waterproof it.

Scatter scented candles around the edge of the bath and perhaps add some plants. Many enthusiasts create miniature Japanese gardens in glass tanks and line the shelves next to the bath with fascinating creations.

After choosing a new home, it is of vital importance to bear in mind that the two most frequently used rooms in any household are the bathroom and the kitchen. Often new property owners fail to take this into consideration and end up either over-budget, with no money left to spend on creating the type of bathroom where they will feel comfortable and able to relax at the end of a busy day, or fail to adopt an overall view of the bathroom design and find themselves with a collection of ill-assorted articles with no relation to each other.

Remember that the appearance of your bathroom gives an immediate indication of who you are and the lifestyle you lead.

And this is not only for the sake of appearances. Do you have time to relax? Are you choosing a shower because it can be quicker than taking a bath? Do you need a bath? And if so, which design is more appropriate in terms of space or price? A corner bath? A luxury or standard sized tub? Perhaps a whirlpool bath or even a Jacuzzi?

Have you children? In which case you will need a child-friendly bathroom, perhaps with a novelty lavatory seat and  shower curtain. And then there are the safety factors. Where to position the medicine cabinet? Where do you store items such as razor blades, deodorants, cleaning products? Do you need to dry clothes in the bathroom and need a laundry basket and clothes line?

Remember, the bathroom is a functional area as well as a haven of relaxation.

Forget thinking of your bathroom as a purely functional space, there are now many ways to give your old-fashioned inset bath a complete and unforgettable make-over.

Have a look at those gloomy acrylic panels. Why not envelope your bath in tiles? Or mirrors and coloured glass and illuminate the bathroom with light emitting diodes?

And this need not be as expensive as you might think. Positioning your bath in the middle of the bathroom and cladding it in different materials creates a freestanding look for a fraction of the cost of buying one new.

Wood is also an eye-catching way to refurbish a bath. Cherry, rosewood, ebony, ash or olive, are all woods that make for wonderful panelling.

Wedi board is also a waterproof panelling system that is perfect for cladding your bath – particularly as you can mosaic directly on to the board. However, be sure to enable access to the plumbing in case anything begins to leak.

And do not forget that there are lots of different shapes apart from rectangular baths to choose from. Why not try an oval or square bath, or even hexagonal?

However, whatever shape or size you do eventually decide upon it is worth bearing in mind that a bath will always take up the greatest proportion of space in your bathroom. It might be worthwhile hiring a retailer who is able to design a complete space. In this way, you may be able to do something elegant and clever that will save you money as well as creating something that will be the envy of your friends.

Choosing the right bath taps for your bathroom suite may be a lot harder than you think. The vast range on offer means that you will definitely be spoilt for choice. Of course, the modern fittings will always prove popular, especially with anyone who is living in a relatively new house or apartment.

Single (monobloc) bath taps are now a common sight with the majority of new bathroom suites and not only will they save you plenty of space around the head of your bath, but they will also complement any modern design. Wall-mounted bath taps, however, are also becoming more widespread and will give a sleeker appearance to your bathroom.

Chrome is easily the finish of choice for modern bathrooms, but if you want to add a touch of tradition, gold coloured or bronze bath taps will be the best option. For stand-alone baths, they will also be the most obvious choice. These old-style fittings come in a range of different categories, such as Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian, so if you are trying to match up your bath taps to any other fittings, accessories or furniture, be sure that it is part of the same style. Mixing brand names is also something that is never recommended.

Since the arrival of power showers, combining showerheads with bathroom taps is not as popular as it once was, but if you feel installing an electric shower in your new stylish bathroom will take away from its character, there are a variety of options that will suit both modern and vintage designs.

Installing new bathroom taps is not recommended if you are in any way unsure about how to go about doing it correctly. However, knowing how to install your own bathroom taps can greatly cut the cost of your bathroom. Of course, whether you are using a single-bloc mixer or just a regular two-tap pair, each will add its own degree of difficulty to the procedure.

The most important thing to do before you start to remove existing taps and connect the new ones is to ensure that the main water system has been shut off and completely drained. Also, you should never fix the bath into place before installing the bath taps, as this will make the job a lot harder, especially when you are trying to connect the pipe work to the taps.

The taps should be secured by hand on to the base of the bath or basin before the pipe work is connected. If you find that the existing pipes are unable to make a proper connection to the taps you will need to use corrugated copper piping, which you will be able to bend into shape, or flexible tap connectors to make a secure connection. You should then secure the copper piping to the insert of the taps before the existing pipe work.

Once the taps and the corrugated copper piping are in place connect the pipes and secure them tightly with a spanner. You can then tighten the bathroom taps to the bath or basin and turn on the water again.

Like most bathroom components baths also come in a wide range of sizes and styles to suit any bathroom. Easily the most common are the straight baths that have the bath taps right at the end. The double-ended version usually has a single-bloc mixer placed in the middle on the long side. This can be beneficial for getting an even temperature for the water as well as allowing more room as you lie lengthways in the bath.

However, even though not everyone has the luxury of installing a full-size bath, there are still plenty of attractive styles that can be fitted into smaller bathrooms. A popular choice in this category is the corner baths that are widely available. Most of the different styles come with an ergonomic design that allows you to relax and unwind, while built-in overhead showers can also be combined.

Of course the most sought after and by far the most iconic of all bath designs is the stand-alone roll top style that is a common choice in traditional bathroom suites. Naturally if the main feature of your bathroom is going to be in the middle of the floor you are going to need a lot of space. But as much as this type of bath is more associated with older-style suites, there is still a wide range of modern options that will easily complement any contemporary design. The price for roll top baths will no doubt add a few pounds onto your budget, but it will be worth the cost for that extra touch of class.