5 Universal Design Principals to Consider in Bathroom Renovations

You only renovate a house maybe two or three times in a lifetime. It is worth considering using the principals of Universal Design in any new renovation. Incorporating Universal Design principals will not only make your house easier to live in but may delay moving into a care facility in your later life. You can live in your house longer. Here are five things to consider when you are planning your renovation.

Accessible building entrance on an accessible route.

An accessible route means a continuous, unobstructed path connecting accessible elements and spaces within a building or site that can be negotiated by a person with a disability who uses a wheelchair, and that is also safe for and usable by people with other disabilities. 
Usable doors - that allow passage into and within all premises must be wide enough with a (nominal 32-inch) clear opening to allow passage by persons using wheelchairs.
Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in accessible locations.
Reinforced walls in bathrooms for later installation of grab bars.
Usable kitchens and bathrooms - that is, designed and constructed so an individual in a wheelchair can maneuver in the space provided.

 

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are one of the most dangerous rooms in a dwelling due to the hard, slippery-when-wet surfaces. Bathrooms typically have few handholds or other gripping surfaces useful for support. With the growing number of people with disabilities and the aging of our society, we have come to recognize that to be able to bathe safely and independently, people must be given a variety of bathing options. Traditional fixtures often do not meet the variety of individual needs.

Bathrooms designed using Universal Design principals provide a basic level of accessibility for a person using a wheelchair to maneuver about the space, approach and use the fixtures.

They do not differ in appearance from conventional bathroom designs.

Clear Space

In bathrooms, the basic building block of space used is a 30-inch x 48-inch clear floor space.

Clear floor space allow persons using wheelchairs and other mobility aides to approach and use the fixtures.

A 30-inch x 48-inch clear floor space is the approximate space occupied by an average size person in a conventional manual wheelchair.

Clear floor spaces for fixtures and appliances may overlap. The 30-inch x 48-inch clear floor space must be positioned for either a parallel or forward approach to toilets, vanities, baths and showers. Neither a vanity cabinet nor toilets should encroach on this clear floor space.

Shower Stall Size

A 36-inch deep or deeper stall better contains water and minimizes uneven warped surfaces so all four wheels of a persons shower wheelchair stay in contact with the floor. Thus, the user is better able to maintain traction and control when maneuvering into and out of the shower.

Other Considerations

Using vinyl safety flooring in conjunction with trench drains throughout the bathroom will ensure that you eliminate one of the major accident risks - wet slippery floors. Utilizing a trench drain at the perimeter of the shower stall, means that you only need to have a fall run one way for water run off. This will allow you to place a portable shower chair within the stall with minimal "wobble".

Installing single outlet mixer taps and a hand showers will enhance ease of use.

Putting some Universal Design thought into your next renovation project is bound to pay significant dividends in your later life.

Corner Bathtubs

Having a corner bathtub can be stylish and economical. These tubs come in many different styles, shapes and colors. They can come with jet spray or whirlpool style. The corner tub can fit into any type of bathroom you have. They are basically designed to take up a smaller space which is great if you have a small bathroom and not a lot of room to move around. The benefits to having a corner tub are that is is small and they are built with an area around the edging to offer a place to hold you shampoo, soaps, and shaving items. They also even offer a place to put a few candles on for that stylish look for the entire room. Another benefit of having a corner bathtub is that most are built big enough for two people to get in at one time. These types of tubs are not designed with a shower so that needs to be considered when looking for that perfect one to match your bathroom style.

Corner bathtubs come in any color and styles. Depending on your need and space available having a tub like this makes the space you have more appealing and gives your bathroom a unique feel of its own. Corner tubs are intended for placement under a window, if you have one in the bathroom. This gives it a more open feeling and the light that comes in during the day can brighten up and bathroom or space. If your remodeling your old bathroom or designing a newer house, having a corner bathtub can get your bathroom a look all it's own and can give added space.

When looking to whether or not to get a corner tub remember the feeling you get when you've had a long day and just want to relax and unwind and having a corner bathtub can ease your muscles with the jets or the whirlpool sensation that they offer.

Shower Cubicles - 5 Things to Consider Before Purchasing

Although your overall budget will have a big effect on the choice of cubicles open to you, there are several other considerations that need to be taken into account before buying a shower cubicle to ensure your chosen shower will be suitable for your home.

Many of the points raised here are made to help you integrate the shower cubicle into your overall bathroom design.

Room Size and Cubicle Size

The cubicle needs to be of an adequate size to ensure it is useable without feeling cramped but not so large that it impinges on floor-space within the room. It should not be too visually imposing otherwise it can make the room feel smaller. Small shower cubicles (700mm square or less) should be avoided if at all possible as they offer very little space and can be restrictive for larger users.

The price of shower cubicles usually increases with the size of the unit but this is not always the case and there are usually some bargains to be had if you shop around.

Shower Cubicle Shape

The shape of the cubicle can almost be as important as the size of the cubicle when comes to the visual impact it can have in a room. If you are intending to include a large cubicle into a small room it is usually advisable to opt for a quadrant shaped unit. This shape curves away from the line of sight giving the impression of more space in the room while retaining a large showering area. Pentagon shaped cubicles can also achieve this effect but the finished result is a little more angular.

Shower Cubicle Glass

The glass used in most shower cubicles tends to be clear, toughened safety glass. Some glass has a modesty panel etched onto the surface and a few have the whole surface etched. Clear glass will help to make the room look bigger and will make the cubicle feel bigger when in use. Be aware that there have been several cases of counterfeit cubicles available on the market that were not made from safety glass so make sure you are buying from a reputable source.

Cubicle Frame

The overwhelming trend in bathroom design these days is toward a minimal, white and chrome, fuss-free look and cubicle manufacturers have followed suit. The sizes of the frames surrounding the glass of the cubicle have been reduced in size or even eliminated in some cases, to tie-in with the minimalist approach. Sometimes this has an effect on the overall adjustment available for installation which can be an issue if the cubicle needs to be fitted to out-of-true walls.

Shower Walls

Most walls are not completely square, flat or level, so the adjustment available from the cubicle needs to be sufficient to cope with any variations that might present themselves in the location you are siting the shower. Very uneven walls might need to be levelled and re-tiled prior to the installation of the cubicle.

Bathroom Sink Vanity - Materials and Mounting Options for Bathroom Sink Vanities

A bathroom sink vanity can be a focal point and establish the style and decor of your bathroom. Bathroom sink vanities come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and styles and can look like pieces of art besides being functional. Colored bathroom sink vanities will cost more as will units that have delicate designs that are hand-painted.

A bathroom sink vanity can be made of the following materials:

o Vitreous China

o Ceramic

o Stainless Steel

o Porcelain

o Metals

o Culture Stone or Faux Stone

o Solid-Surface Materials

o Enameled Cast Iron or Steel

o Fiberglass and Acrylic Sinks

A bathroom sink vanity made of porcelain or vitreous china finish will be heavy, durable, imprevious to water and mildew, but it can chip if you drop a heavy object on it. Stainless steel and metal bathroom sink vanities are durable and easy to clean, but they tend to become scratched with daily use and show spots obtained from hard water and soap. Fiberglass, acrylic sinks, culture stone or marble can all be molded into very beautiful shapes, colors and patterns, but they are more susceptible to scratches and chipping than other bathroom sink vanity types.

Sinks for a bathroom vanity cabinet can be mounted on the countertop in several ways:

1. Self-Rimming or Surface-Mounted Sinks - the sink bowl gets dropped into a hole, but the hole is slightly smaller than the outside rim of the sink, forming a seal with the countertop surface.

2. Rimmed Sinks - the sink is dropped into a hole in the countertop, and the rim joins the sink and the countertop, forming a seal with a metal strip.

3. Undermounted Sinks - the rim is attached to the bottom of the countertop creating a very clean look to the vanity.

4. Integral Sinks - one piece sink and countertop unit made from the same material. The only disadvantage to this style is that if any part gets damaged, the entire unit needs to be replaced. These sinks are usually made of stone, faux stone or solid surface-type material.

A bathroom sink vanity cabinet provides countertop space, a place for the sink and faucets and storage below -- these are called vanity-mounted sinks. You can also find pedestal sinks, wall hung sinks and freestanding sinks. Vanity mounted sinks are popular because they provide storage, a place for the sink and the most countertop space. Pedestal sinks use very little floor space, they can be placed in corners and they have a classic look, but they lack storage space. Wall hung sinks have the advantage of being easily installed at various elevations which accomodates children, short or tall adults.

Bathroom sink vanities provide a perfect place for shaving, washing, shampooing, brushing your teeth and personal grooming. Sizes of sinks vary from 12x20 inches to some that are as large as 33 inches in diameter, depending on the shape. If you and others in the household will be using the bathroom sink vanities considerably on a regular basis, consider the sizes and styles carefully before making your selection.

Whether upgrading an existing bathroom or planning a new one, the bathroom is a good home improvement investment. You and your family and guests will enjoy the bathrooms in your home every day. And should you ever sell your home, attractive and functional bathrooms will add value to the selling price. Before you buy, read as much as you can on choosing the bathroom sink vanity online or in stores that will be the best for you and your bathroom.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Dealing With The Leaking Bathtub Faucet

Drip, drip, drip. A leaky bathtub faucet is a common problem in many homes. If you have one, the good news is they are usually fairly simple to take care of.

The repair of leaky faucets is another often minor plumbing job that can be done by yourself with a minimum of effort and with no special tools. Although this may be true, it is an extremely important job. A single pinhole leak in a water pipe can waste up to 70 gallons of water per day. A badly leaking faucet can waste even more. This is a serious environmental issue today. There are some who claim that the very population levels of the world are depending on the supply of potable water. And we are already running behind.

There are two major types of faucets. The most common one in older homes is called the compression faucet. This faucet uses a rubber washer that is compressed when the valve is closed. The compressed washer expands and seals off the water flow. This process is hard on the washer and after a time they will wear out and need to be replaced.

When you go to replace the washer, you must first shut off the water supply to the faucet. Sometimes it is possible to do this at a more local spot close to the faucet, but other times it is necessary to shut off the main water supply to the home to isolate the faucet. It is a good idea to protect the enamel of the bathtub with towels to protect it from chips from dropped tools. Another good preparation idea is to cover drains to prevent small pieces from being dropped into them.

When you take apart the faucet to get to the washer, make diagrams or notes of exactly how you do so. This will make it easier to put it back together. Normally, the replacement of the washer will solve the leak problem. Keep spare washers handy in your tool box. You will need them again before long.

The newer type of faucet is called a washer less faucet. The name tells it all. The valve opens and shuts by an actual physical closing of the valve. You can usually tell if your faucet is compression or washer less just by feel. A compression faucet needs to be tightened to get it closed. The washer less faucet glides easily into place and does not need additional pressure to cut off the flow. There are fewer problems with leaking on washer less faucets. They tend to be either working or not. When they wear out, or do not operate properly, they should be replaced.

Small Bathroom Design Problem Solved With A Small Toilet

A small toilet could be the key to your bathroom-remodeling problem

Remodeling small bathrooms can be difficult especially when you try to fit more into your makeover bathroom than you had in your old one. The key to solving your problem could lie in the design of your new toilet.

Fitting more stuff in your small bathroom

This was the situation that I found myself in when I remodeled my very small bathroom. I wanted to turn the place into a beautiful ceramic heaven that all my family and guests would be pleased to use. I also wanted to add a separate shower cubicle to replace the shower over the bathtub that I hated and this is where the problem lay.

My little bathroom was already crowded with just a bathtub, toilet, washbasin and radiator but I desperately wanted a new shower so I set to work on the design. I armed myself with measuring tape, pencil and graph paper which can be printed for free from here Free Graph Paper for Bathroom remodeling and used it to rearrange the items in bathroom on paper.

By moving the radiator over the bathtub and the washbasin to the opposite wall I managed to free up quite a lot of space but I could see that I still didn't have enough room for the toilet. At least not for one the same size as I had already.

The problems with toilets

The main problem with a lot of toilets is that they take up too much wall space. Not only are the cisterns or tanks too wide but they also often tend to have the water inlet and overflow on the side of the tank, which takes up even more wall space. So I started to look for toilets that would fit into the space that I had available and found that there is quite a lot to choose from.

Choose a small toilet with a bottom inlet feed

I was pleasantly surprised when I started to look for small toilets. I found some that were so tiny that they would fit almost anywhere. Unfortunately they would be very little use for anyone but the most petite of us because they would be completely impractical.

So it's a compromise that we are looking for. A toilet that is big enough to be used by all, and small enough to fit into the available space. You should be able to find small toilets that have cisterns of 16 inches width or less with plumbing that enters from the bottom rather than the side.

The plumbing arrangement helps a lot because side entry takes up a lot of room. The toilet that I chose even directs the overflow into the waste outlet rather than requiring a side-exit pipe to carry it away.

I managed to fit my new small toilet next to my nice new shower cubicle and it all worked out great. I hope that yours does too.

Add Your Personal Touch With Custom Shower Curtains

Custom shower curtains are an excellent way to get your shower curtains just the way you want them. The only restraint is what your mind can dream up, what you are capable of putting together, and what length your tailor is willing to go to. To help you choose what type of curtains you would like to put in your bathroom, here are a few things for you to think about before making any concrete decisions.

What style of curtain are you looking for? Style is a big part of the decision making process. Do you want something that has some type of special meaning to it? If so, you can get portraits of your family members put on your curtain or maybe a picture of an item that is part of an inside joke, for example. Or if you are designing one for your kids' bathroom, you can put their favorite cartoon character along with their own picture; bath time will no doubt become much more fun for your kids after that! The possibilities are endless when it comes to a custom shower curtain because you are the one who holds the power to decide what your finished piece will look like.

What type of fabric do you want to use for your custom piece? Do you want something completely functional or just for looks? If you want something completely functional, you may consider getting one made of plastic for example. If you want something that is only for looks, you can have it made with any fabric you choose. You can also have a little bit of both worlds. If you are looking for something that is for looks but also want it to function in your bathroom, you can have a custom shower curtain made in any fabric that you choose and pair it with a plastic curtain liner so that you can enjoy your custom shower curtain while keeping it protected at the same time. Keep in mind though that the steam from your shower may still have some impact on the quality of your curtain. If you are looking for something easier to clean and maintain you may want to choose a fabric that is of a lighter weight and of a fabric that will not be likely to fade quickly over time.

The great thing about a custom shower curtain is that you can really let your personality shine through. You should take your time and make sure that it fits your needs and expectations before making any decisions.

My Toilet is Clogged - What Should I Do With It?

Toilet clogging is the last thing you want to experience. The problem results to other problems like foul smell and inability to use the toilet. With kind of dilemma, you can fix the problem yourself before seeking the help of Cincinnati plumbers. Clogged toilet is due to a foreign material that either intentionally or unintentionally placed there. Someone may have flushed a large object in it that stuck and did not make it to the waste pipe.

If the toilet is not overflowing with water, the use of plunger will do. Cut the water supply while doing the job. Just keep a bucket of water nearby to assist you with the task. The small amount of water in the bowl is enough to make a forceful suction. Keep the pushing and pulling actions, do this for 15 to 20 times. Try to pour some water from your bucket to check if the clog clears. However, do not add too much water. It will cause overflowing if the clog is still there. If the clog remains, call for the Cincinnati plumbers to help you deal with it.

To avoid this problem, you have to orient everyone in the household about what not to flush in the toilet. Cincinnati plumbers identify sanitary napkins, tissues or other large objects as possible cause of obstruction in your waste pipe. Inform your family members to use the trashcan to dispose these things properly. The trouble of clogging objects is more common if you have the low flow toilets. Since they do not have enough water pressure, it does not flush everything in the drain line. To avoid clogging, flush several times or you assist it by manually pouring water while flushing.

Clogged toilets are disgusting. By keeping a plunger in your home, you can deal with it yourself. However, if the clog is too difficult to handle, Cincinnati plumbers are always ready to assist you.

Bathroom Design Ideas For Your Assistance

Bathroom is one of the most private places in the house where you can unwind yourself at the end of the day. Your bathroom is that corner of the house where you can take a shower to soothe yourself or soak yourself for a bubble bath to release your tension. We always look for imaginative bathroom design ideas for remodeling and improvising some changes to make that private corner of the house a suitable place for ultimate relaxation. The first step would be to jot down the entire bathroom remodeling idea in pen and paper.

While planning your bathroom design, you must first imagine how you want your bathroom to appear. Your imagination can then be turned into reality by allowing all the things to fall in place. You need not choose from the ideas and designs given in the catalogs; sky's the limit if your imagination and you can go as far as you want to.

To begin with, you must first determine the theme of the bathroom design. If you can look through some of the recent magazines, you'll come across several popular designs; just add a personal touch to those designs to make it ideal for your bathroom. Aquatic and nautical designs are very popular themes for bathroom designs.

You must choose appropriate colors for your bathroom as well as it can make a lot of difference to the outlook of the area. Some of the prominent color hues used for bathroom are purples, soothing blues, calming aquamarine and revitalizing blue-greens. Patterns can also be used to suit the chosen theme.

The flooring of the bathroom is also very important and must look nice and appealing. The walls and the flooring must maintain a color contrast, so if your bathroom walls are of a darker shade of color you must use lighter shades for the floor and vice versa. You could also use floor tiles to make a difference.

Make proper use of fabrics to add some detailing and texture to the appearance of the bathroom. Neatly arranged shower curtains, bathmats and fluffy towels can be used for this purpose.

You must accessorize your bathroom well, but don't mess up things. Arrange all your accessories very neatly so that it looks appealing. Bathroom accessories include proper furniture, fixtures, storage shelves, decorative pieces, hampers etc. You can also use pot plants and aromatic candles to enhance the appeal. Place mirrors on the walls and try to simplify the look. Use good looking soap stands to maintain the overall look of the bathroom. Avoid using too many accessories; you must limit using too many things to save enough space in the bathroom. It is not necessary to have all our storage within the bathroom, make some arrangements outside as well to make your bathroom more spacious.

All these bathroom design ideas are very simple but useful and handy. You can try these tips to remodel your bathroom almost immediately and it won't cost you much.

Showering With Electric Showers - Are They the Best Option For Showering With Combination Boilers

Electric Showers are a solution to a problem not always are they the best option for showering performance.

I hear customers all the time saying to me "my plumber say's I need an electric shower as I have a combination boiler" why? are they scared of committing themselves to using the hot water that the combination will produce, the truth is they are.

The problem often is that to win the job the plumber is quoting for a cheaper boiler although they will all perform well at 80-100,000 Btu's for the central heating side of the boiler the domestic hot water performance is always not important to the consumer when taking up a quote, but this is one aspect that is going to fill your bath in good time and give you the shower that you dream of.

If you are reading this article and have not yet committed to your new heating system or an electric shower then these are the main questions to ask of the installer about the boiler and your water system.

Will the boiler heat up my house.
What Domestic hot water flow will the boiler you are suggesting produce at 38-42 degrees.
What pressure do I have at the mains water supply.
What flow rate do I have on the cold water supply.

If he cannot answer these questions then he is probably not the right man for the job.

Remembering that you need a good constant pressure and a decent flow rate into the property to get any instantaneous heater to perform well whether it be a boiler or an electric shower.

An electric shower is a good choice if your property suffers from the following issues.

Small hot water storage capacity.
Combination boiler with a Low flow rate.

Requirements for the installation of an electric shower.

Minimum running pressure 1.0bar.
Spare 30amp fuse minimum for 7KW and 45amp fuse for 10.5Kw showers

The installation of an electric shower can be expensive not necessarily from the plumbing point of view if you have the right water supply, but from the electrical installation, you will need for lower power options a 6mm cable or higher powered units 10mm run from the consumer unit (fuse board) to the shower and with the likelihood of having to fit a RCD (Residual Circuit Device) and a double pole switch and in some cases an extra fuse board. I have had customers that have had an electric shower installed and there main fuse into the property is not man enough, it does not take a lot electric cooker, electric water heating, storage heaters, kettle then add an electric shower then bang the lights go out.
Sorry this is the bit where I recommend always consult a Qualified electrician.

You can expect a flow rate of between 4 - 8 liters per minute out of an electric shower depending on the supply temperature and the power of the electric shower. On mains this will be about 5 degrees cooler in the winter therefore the heater will have to work a lot harder when you are wanting hotter showers.

Other Options for showering are:

Power showers(gravity fed systems only)
A pump and a shower valve, you can buy all in one power showers (integral power showers) or for best performance a recessed shower valve with a separate pump.

Thermostatic Shower Valves(both gravity and mains fed)
The best performing showers available with the best designs, and the most options.

Manual shower Valves
Although these are cheap they can be quite dangerous for showering as they do not hold the temperature as a constant, and any other items being turned on will effect the temperature.
The should never be used with combination boilers or other modulating gas devices such as water heaters.

Get Your Dog to Follow Your Orders

Experts say that dogs are one of the smartest animals. To prove their point, they have shown dogs that can add, flush the toilet bowl, get the newspaper and even play the piano (off tune, of course)! If you are a dog owner but have no experience in teaching your dog anything at all, you might want to start now while your dog is still young.

The first thing any owner would teach their dog is how to sit. Just like any other command, the sit command cannot be taught overnight. You need to have a lot of patience (and a lot of treats) until the dog finally masters it.

When you start training, you could give your dog treats for successful commands. However, as you progress, wean him off the treats so that the dog will follow your command because you told him so and not because he wants to get a treat.

As you slowly take out treats from your training process, make sure that you give positive recognition for every command that your dog follows. Dogs associate high-pitched voices, much like baby talk, as a positive reinforcement.

If your dog does not follow you, do not shout and hit him! Instead, correct him with "No" but make sure you say it in a deeper voice to show the dog that you mean business. As soon as he stops, repeat the process again.

Make sure that you do not stop in day one when teaching your dog any trick. Not all dogs have the same retention. Some might be able to remember the command overnight, while some might need a week. Just be consistent in teaching him tricks by setting aside about twenty minutes every day for your training.

Pre-Potty Training Tips

Potty Training can be much more effective if you prepare yourself and your child for the task prior to actually starting. There are some very simple things you can do that will help you with potty training your child regardless of the method that you use.

Never go from diapers to pull-ups. Many parents buy pull-ups and start calling them "big" boy/girl pants and that confuses the child as they're just like a diaper and it's "ok" to mess in them. Avoid pull-ups altogether for better success later.Stop giving your child a cup or bottle to go to bed with. Besides the fact that bottles and cups can rotten your childs teeth, it makes it hard for the child to wake up dry in the morning. The earlier you can break the night time bottle or cup the better.A couple months prior to potty training, stop reacting to poopy diapers with a laugh. I often see parents laughing and making funny faces and smiling about how the poopy stinks. The child starts to think that pooping in a diaper is fun. If you stop reacting to the poops and just change them without saying anything but giving a "that stinks really bad and gross" look on your face they too will start looking at poops as stinky.Let your child go into the bathroom with you. Let them see that it's ok to flush the toilet. Let them do it for you. Let them see you say bye bye to the potty. Letting the child see that there is nothing to fear with the flushing of the toilet and letting the poopy go down will make them not fear the potty chair.Never, I mean NEVER, make your child just "sit" on the potty chair. There are many methods that talk about having your child sit on the potty chair until they go but all this does is end up making the child "fear" the potty chair and see it as a punishment. If the child starts seeing the potty chair as punishment, it's likely that they'll refuse to use it.

Choosing a Professional Plumber

At least once every year, you need to check your plumbing, pipes can clog up, water can get infected, and leaks can spring. When any of these happen, you need to call professional plumbers you can rely on.

It is also a good idea to have your plumbing checked to see that everything is in order. Also, in case of extreme emergencies, you need plumbers who will provide you with the service you need. The question then is, how do you know who to call?

Many plumbing companies claim to be the best, of course they will. And in a place like Reading, you can be sure there will be many companies who say their number one. But how do you find competent plumbers in Reading? How do you find a professional plumber in Reading who can cater to all of your needs? Here are some basic tips to help you find one.

1. Pricing

Money is always an issue. You want a company that has the best bang for the buck. Plumbers in Reading will provide you with reasonable price quotes for whatever task you have in mind. Be it a small leak underneath your kitchen sink, to a busted toilet pipe that caused a flood from the second floor; they will give you a competitive prices that guarantee quality results.

2. Experience

Who would you rather choose? A plumber reading an instruction manual as he works, or one who has experience in handling your plumbing needs? It is always a good idea to see how long a company has been around to scope their abilities. Instruction reading plumbers have a knack of messing up when confronted with a problem that is not in their manual. Plumbers in Reading has plumbers with numerous years of experience that can be depended on.

3. Safety Guarantee

Safety should be a very big concern. It is not a good idea to readily assume your plumber will act professionally when confronted with accidental injury, and property damage. Ask questions to see how a company will handle incidents that were not part of the plan. The Plumbers in Reading company has a top-notch safety guidelines that are strictly followed and in the rare case of a mistake, they are ready to handle it.

4. Clean up

Why spend more money on cleaning up after them? Look for the plumbers who include clean up as part of their contract. You are already paying them to do a job that will sometimes get surrounding areas dirty, the least they can do is clean up after they are done. A competent commercial and residential plumbing company such as Plumbers in Reading ensures that you do not spend more than you need to.

5. Insurance

A qualified plumbing company will not hesitate to show you its insurance policy. Make sure they are fully insured. Check if they have liability insurance and workers' compensation. Needless to say, you are putting yourself in danger if you hire a plumbing company with no insurance. Plumbers in Reading shows you its insurance policy up-front, no need to ask. We want you to know that it takes its work seriously and covers all the basics.

How a Quality Sink Water Filter Can Protect You From Ingesting Chemical Poisons Every Day

You may not feel that there is a lot to be gained by installing a sink water filter in your home, but the truth is that one of these appliances can do you a lot of good. If you allow unfiltered tap water to freely enter your home, then you are setting yourself up for a lot of health problems in the future. You may not think that the state of our water is that bad, but believe me, it is.

Studies have shown that every time you drink a glass of unfiltered tap water you may be ingesting anywhere from three to five individual chemical agents. There are traces of as many as 80,000 different chemicals present in our reservoir system. Some of these chemicals entered our water supply by accident, but the majority of them are there due to careless disposal.

Millions of tons of chemicals have entered our water supply because of major industries dumping chemical waste directly into our lakes, rivers, and streams. The bulk of these chemical agents are toxic to human beings, but there are at least 2,100 of them that have been positively identified as cancer causing agents! Are you convinced yet that you need to install a sink water filter in your home?

If that did not do it for you then I have another fun fact that may cause you to sway towards my way of thinking. Have you ever wondered what hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics and pharmacies do with all of the out of date medication that they have on hand? What they do is follow the instructions from the pharmaceutical companies as to the best method of disposal; they flush them down the toilet.

In order to prevent all of these chemical agents from entering your home you need a sink water filter. You can't depend on the treatment facilities to protect you like so many others do, because they are helpless to do anything to halt the flow of chemicals, toxic metals, and parasites and cysts in your water. That's right, not all potentially dangerous microbes are killed during the chlorine disinfection process; indeed, shockingly few dangerous substances are removed.

A high quality counter top or under counter sink water filter will feature a quartet of filters each designed to remove certain contaminants from your drinking water. Due to the tremendous number of chemicals present in your water, you actually need two different filters to fish them out. The multi media block and granular activated carbon filter will effectively remove these chemical agents.

For blocking traces of toxic metals such as lead and copper in your water, your filter needs to be equipped with an ion exchange. This handy filter will replace the toxic metals that it finds with healthy electrolytes, and it will also ensure that the pH level of your water stays balanced. An ion exchange will ensure the removal of any disease bearing parasites and cysts present.

A high quality sink water filter is a major necessity in your home. You simply can't afford to overlook this lifesaving but inexpensive device.

Toilet Terrors And Other Potty Training Fears

Potty training fears, often called toilet terrors, are common among toddlers and small children. Look at things from your child’s perspective. He is giving up the security of a diaper for a big, cold thing with a giant hole that might swallow him. Up until this point, your child has been able to go in his diaper. He didn’t have to control himself until a potty was available. He could go anytime and anywhere, knowing that someone would always be there to change his diaper. The idea of having to go to a specific location means he will have to stop what he’s doing to use the potty. To top it all off, he looses the warmth of his diaper and must now go potty naked where other people might be watching!
Common potty training concerns and solutions:
Fear of Making a Mistake – Your child is just beginning to control his bodily functions. He won’t be perfect at it, and might worry that he will be punished for accidents. Throughout the potty training process, assure your child that you are there for him and he can come to you if he’s afraid or worried about something. When accidents happen, don’t make a big deal out of them. Simply clean up and tell him that you know he is trying. Potty training is often a good time to build a trust between you and your child that will last throughout your lives.
Fear of Automatically Flushing Public Toilets – More and more public restrooms switch to automatically flushing toilets. Children who are at the later stages of potty training (transitioned from the potty chair to the toilet) are often fearful of the public toilet flushing while they are seated. These fears can be alleviated with a simple, inexpensive device called the Flush Stopper.
Fear of Falling In – The fear of falling in the toilet is common when your child has mastered the small potty-chair and transitions to the toilet. You can help alleviate this fear by purchasing a potty seat that either fits on the toilet or attaches to the toilet such as the Flip-N-Flush [http://www.zipbaby.com/potty_training_products_flipnflush.php] or PRIMO's Ducka [http://www.zipbaby.com/potty_training_products_primo_ducka.php]. The potty seats will decrease the size of the toilet hole and help your child feel more secure. The Flip-N-Flush is especially useful because it flips down for your child’s use and flips up so that other family members can easily access the regular toilet seat.
Your child’s fears need to be addressed as real and serious fears. If your child knows that you understand and are trying to help, he will feel more relaxed and comfortable while potty training.

The Advantages of a Squat Toilet

Frequent travelers and those who are stationed overseas are very familiar with the concept of a squat toilet. Others, though, may find this to be a very unusual bathroom fixture.

Rather than sitting up off the floor like a standard flush toilet, the squatting toilet is basically just a hole in the ground into which you urinate and defecate. The only exception that you will find is a "pedestal" squat toilet. This style is approximately the same height as toilets found in America.

Squat toilets are most frequently found in Asia and Europe and go by a variety of names, such as Iranian, Turkish, Eastern or Natural-Position toilets. Yet, they function in much the same way as a traditional one.

The main difference between a squat toilet and a flush one, other than the position of the fixture, is the lack of toilet paper. To compensate for this, a bowl or bucket of water is placed next to the unit and you wash yourself rather than wipe. This can be very difficult to get used to when you come from a country with flush toilets, but adjustments have to be made in certain situations.

The reason the squatting toilet is so popular is that many believe it is cleaner and safer than its seated counterpart. Some studies have shown that sitting on a toilet may lead to hemorrhoids.

In addition, it is believed that straining while seated during a bowel movement can lead to illnesses such as constipation, IBS, and colon cancer, among others. The reasoning for this is that the straining causes a lot of pressure on internal organs which leads to nerve damage in these organs. The damaged organs are then more susceptible to disease.

Other concerns focus on the amount of fecal matter left during a bowel movement produced on a seated toilet. Some experts believe that fecal matter left in the body can stagnate and lead to disease also.

Yet, concerns about disease also arise from the use of a squat toilet. People often do not use the fixture properly, or don't care enough to hit the hole. This can lead to a dirty floor surrounding the toilet. When the next person goes to use it, their skirt or pants may fall and land in this mess, leading to sickness. So many people choose to completely remove their lower clothing before using the fixture to eliminate this problem.

The choice of whether to install a squat toilet is personal, and only you can decide if it will work for you. For more information about these unfamiliar eco toilets, see the author's website, shown in the paragraph below.

Cat Litter Disposal - Is Cat Litter Flushable?

What is the proper method of cat litter disposal? If your cat is not litter trained, the answer is simple - clean up the poop with tissue paper and flush it, mop up the pee with more tissue paper and flush it. But what do you do after your cat does its business in the litter box? Can you still get rid of it the same way - is the cat litter flushable?

That depends on whether it is pee or feces, and what type of cat litter you are using. If you use sand for your cat's litter box, you should not flush it. Even though not much sand will stick to the cat poop, your toilet will choke up in the long run. The same goes for the other two main types of litter: clay cat litter and clumping cat litter. The plumber's bill to unclog your pipes will bankrupt you.

If you use crystal litter, which is made of silica gel, your job of cat litter disposal is slightly easier. Crystal cat litter absorbs cat urine into itself without clumping, so it is flushable in small amounts. Not much sticks to the cat poop either, so you can also flush that down the toilet. However, it is still not adviseable to do this regularly in the long run.

As for biodegradable cat litter, that depends. Some of them are made of rather large pellets which might also choke up your plumbing. Others are made of wood, or sawdust and might go through without any problems. Still, if you have a septic tank, realize that these material do not necessarily degrade immediately. We could be talking about years - which could cause your septic tank to become rather full. Somehow, the thought of used litter and cat poop coming out of my backed up drains leaves me with a cold sweat.

Some manufacturers have started to make flushable cat litter, in the face of calls for more convenience. Naturally, these flushable cat litter costs more. To make cat litter flushable, they use various biodegradable materials which are supposed to safely go through your plumbing. These newer types of cat litter will not turn into a sludge which can choke up your sewage pipes - in theory. Some plumbers beg to differ. In the course of their business, they have gone to homes where the sewage pipes and plumbing were choked up by flushable cat litter. Or so the embarrassed and distressed house occupant said. Who is lying, here? I do not know, but it is probably not adviseable to flush large amounts of litter down the toilet.

It is still better to dispose of the bulk of your cat's litter the old way - either bagged up together with the rest of your trash or carefully buried somewhere in the garden. In the garden, your cat's urine and feces would make a good fertilizer for your grass and flowers. Cat urine and feces can contain dangerous bacteria, so you should not use it to fertilize vegetables and fruit trees.

I must admit that a true flushable cat litter would be awfully convenient when it is snowing or raining heavily. It would really simplify cat litter disposal.

Getting the Decent Toilet For Your Bathroom

Modern people will definitely find difficulties without toilets. This particular bathroom equipment is very crucial that we cannot live without it these days. Other than its main functionality, you may want to get a proper toilet that is suitable to your bathroom decoration. Pokey looking toilet destroys the look of your bathroom. This is something that you want to avoid at all cost. The message here is to get the proper toilet that will serve you great functionality as well as beautiful design to your bathroom. There are various toilets available in the market with different prices. Therefore, you need to equip yourself with sufficient knowledge so that you can get the proper toilet for your bathroom.

Most of the toilets that you find in the stores will offer 3.5 and 5.5-liter toilet flush capacity. They are the standard for average models. The advanced technology has been contributing to the modern toilet innovation. The new toilet model is introducing low flow feature. This model will only require 1.6-liter water, but the performance will be the same as the one with bigger water capacity. It is a great feature because it is very efficient in term of water usage as well as your water bill. You can minimize the waste water by using this particular model of toilet. This way, you have supported the environment because this toilet is an environment friendly product

Many unbranded toilet manufacturers also come with this low flow feature. However, you should be careful with their products. There is no guarantee that the products can work, as they should be. They might offer you more affordable prices. If you are not careful, you may need to spend more money to repair the toilet later. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you only get a high-quality toilet. You can refer to some popular toilet brands. They have been proven as best in the industry that you can always expect the top quality products as well.

If you are still hesitant to determine which toilet product will be the perfect one for you, you may refer to following tips:

1. You need to check if your local authority requires any standard for the toilet installation. If there is certain requirement, you should comply with it. You need to get the model with the standard compliance.

2. You should purchase popular toilet brands, like Toto and Kohler. They have been manufacturing great quality toilet for years. We recognize their products to be superior in the market. Therefore, you should get this branded toilet if you do not want to get disturbing problems later.

3. There are various model and design of toilet to choose in the market. You should determine what you need and which will suit the decoration of your bathroom. For example, you may want to get 1 piece model with an regular flush toilet, rather than 2 pieces toilet with a gravity flush system.

4. The toilets also come in various sizes. The installation of the toilet requires particular measurement. Generally, you must spare 12-14 inches from the wall so that you can install the toilet properly. Therefore, you should measure your bathroom first before you head off buying the toilet. This way, you can get the right size of toilet that will match your bathroom perfectly.

Learn About Sump Pumps

The job of your sump pump is to avoid flooding in the basement of your house. Most basements have what's known as a sump hole designed to be a collection Pt for water that seeps in. Beneath normal circumstances, a sump pump removes this water aggregation from your basement without incident.

Sump pumps are available in two essential types. The submersible type and the pedestal type. The pedestal type pump device is designed with the motor positioned above the sump hole for maintenance accessibility. It is much more visible, which could be an inconvenience if your basement is decorated.

The submersible pump is just that - entirely submersed in the sump hole. The insides are entirely sealed off to avoid electrical inconveniences; however it's less hard to gain access to in the event of a fault - with perpendicular water.

Needed in every sump pump is a examine regulator - a one manner water regulator. It enables water to movement out of the pump device and through the drainage pipes, even though avoiding the water from siphoning behind into the basement. A cover is also certified to keep minor critters like children from plugging the pipes the moment they movement throughout.

Only normal 120v household power is needed in most installations. Unfortunately, beneath emergency circumstances, normal household power is not available. A battery backup power system consists of a periodic automobile battery, and a power generator does quite well in this condition too.

A periodic maintenance schedule of for or five years is certified to keep your basement sump pump in dependable condition for years. Sand and dirt ought to be ejected out of the sump hole. If not the life of constituents like the examine regulator could be unduly shortened, allowing water to movement into your basement.

To dirt free the sump pump, always unplug the system initial, and scoop sediments out of the hole. You may also employ a wet/dry shop vac for this element of the job. Finally, experiment the system by reconnecting any pipes ejected, fill up the hole with more than a few water and form sure everything works as expected.

Regrouting Floor and Wall Tiles

Tile on walls and floors sometimes lose grout. We see installations that are many years old that never have lost any grout - and ones done last year that need attention. Installations or construction issues combined with settling are the cause. I recently saw a home built in the 1950's and the tile looked like they were new (they had in fact gone out of style and had come back in) and the install looked as perfect as it must have 60 years ago.

Tiles are attached to the wall or floor (a majority of the time) using thinset. Thinset is a process that uses a special adhesive to attach tile to a substrate such as water resistant wallboard or reinforced backerboard. When hardened, fresh grout is then forced into the spaces between the tiles with a rubber trowel and wiped clean. When the grout fails the danger is water, finding its way to the thinset. This begins the process of releasing the tile from the substrate. Water can gather behind the tile and develop mold. This mold will eventually show back through the grout, and a shower will start to smell swampy. We see these every day. This is the reason it is imperative missing grout (or caulk - we will get to that later) has to be replaced.

Regrouting by a tile installer who probably installed many of the time bombs these situations represent (always check their references with contractors they sub for as well as past customers and you will find a great one) usually begins with trying to remove the grout. Often we see a razor blade/utility knife used to score the grout so it will hold the new grout. This process is doomed to failure, as the grout will look good at first, but will be washed away. Much sooner than the homeowner wants it to be.

The tool we use to deeply remove the grout before regrouting is our key advantage. The tools used to remove grout are crucial to doing a professional job. We use the Fein Multimaster to achieve a great result. A gentle oscillation removes the grout (not disturbing the tiles), and we are able to replace the grout in a manner that will last much longer than any method. Dust is kept to a minimum. We started using this method, after seeing the ineffective way grout and caulk is removed in most cases, leading to customer unhappiness when the newly skimmed grout disappears in a matter of months. Ineffective removal techniques include (attempting to score the grout with a utility knife as well as just skimming over the old grout) are only efforts to make sure at least some of what is applied sticks for a little while.

Another important consideration in regrouting is how the edges are treated. Edge and corners must be caulked. Grout begins to shrink as the water evaporates and cracks form. Caulk contains latex or polyester instead of water, and this insures (if applied properly) corners and edges will not form cracks. Your installer may tell you he has used grout in the edges for years and never had a problem. We hear this all the time as we are estimating showers with cracked grout in the corners. I suspect the reason for not caulking are twofold: 1- the trouble one must go to to acquire the caulk that matches the color necessary of the grout 2- the technique of caulking requires patience not everyone has.

The first place we usually start in the regrouting process is to match the existing grout color, since it is only the rare circumstance where we will have to remove all the grout. This can be a problem in some cases, and if necessary we can apply a colorseal to the grout to attain an even look.

Save Money and Water With a Dual Flush Toilet Kit

In South Florida every drop of water counts. Water restrictions place limits on how much and when homeowners can irrigate their gardens. People are expected to go to car washes instead of washing their vehicles in their driveways. Conscientious folks take quick showers, flush only when necessary, and don't let the water run when they brush their teeth. That's why dual flush toilet kits are so popular in the sunshine state.

Dual flush toilets save water by using a half flush for liquid waste and a full flush for solid waste, saving overall toilet water usage by 50 percent. All you do is pull the handle down for a half flush and up for a full flush. And, these flapper-less toilets don't leak, as do 12 percent of toilets with flappers-adding to the savings.

While dual flush toilets save water and money in the long run, they are expensive to buy, especially if you already have a perfectly good old-fashioned toilet. Dual flush conversion kits remedy this problem. With a toilet conversion kit homeowners can easily convert their old toilets into "smarter flushes."

The retrofit fits into the tank of any two-piece toilet, converting it into an efficient dual flush toilet in less than 30 minutes. The full conversion kit includes a dual flush valve, a water fill valve, and stainless steel nuts and bolts. With the complete instructions that come with every kit you don't even need a plumber to revolutionize your toilet system. But if you prefer to hire a professional to do the job, you won't have to pay for much of the plumber's time because the retrofit is so easy to do.

In addition to saving money on water, conversion toilets save money on maintenance. By using the conversion kit you replace all working parts in the toilet with new state-of-the-art parts and materials that are resistant to rot, decay, bleach, disinfectants, and corrosion. And there are more advantages: by reducing water usage you reduce wastewater and sewage or septic tank overload.

Converting your existing appliance rather than buying a new toilet means your upgraded toilet has the same color as your old one-no worries about matching the color of the toilet to the sink and tub. And because you are not replacing the bowl the converted toilet has the same footprint as the old one, which means you don't have to be concerned with exposed flooring. If that's not enough to convince you of the benefits of using a dual flush conversion kit, consider this environmental benefit: you won't be adding another old toilet to the landfill.

Exactly how much water and money each household will save by changing to a dual flush toilet depends on local water rates and household water usage. With water prices expected to rise 27 percent over the next five years, your investment will pay for itself in no time. Plus, you'll be doing your part to keep drought from drying up our water supplies.

Maine Coon Cats - Large, Longhaired and Beautiful

Maine Coon cats are one of the largest breeds of domestic cats. They are big and sturdily built, broad-chested, with a long body, large slanted eyes, long glossy coat and long plumed tail. These pets are gentle and playful, tolerant of children and other animals.

Characteristics

Maine Coon cats developed outdoors into a large, rugged cat with a water-resistant longhaired coat and a hardy constitution. They weigh in at 10 to 20 lbs with the male cat usually somewhat larger than the female. In 2006, the largest male Main Coon ever documented measured 48 inches from tip of nose to tip of tail.

The most common color and pattern is brown tabby, however, these felines come in most colors and patterns except; chocolate, lavender, ticked tabby and pointed.

Eye color varies from; green, green-gold or gold. Sometimes a white cat will have blue eyes or one blue eye and one gold eye.

Main Coon cats have medium long dense fur made up of two layers, an under coat and longer guard hairs. Often they will have long hair on the chest, called a ruff, and long hair at the back of their legs and between their toes. This extra fur keeps them warm in the winter. Sometimes they have fur tufts at their ears known as Lynx tips.

There have always been a lot of polydactyl cats born in this breed. Polydactyl cats have one or more extra toes, and are gaining world-wide popularity due to their perceived increased dexterity and above average intelligence.

Temperament

Main Coon cats are highly intelligent and playful. They have a high degree of dexterity and have been know to open doors, flush toilets, turn on water faucets and pick up small objects. They rarely eat alone, preferring the company of other cats or humans. However, they are not usually lap kitties.

Due to their intelligence, these pets are very trainable and a favorite game is fetch. They will often accompany their owners on chores like walking the dog and picking up the mail.

These felines love being around, but not in, water. They may dip toys in their water, turn the bowl over, or dunk their paw in water and drink that way.

Brief History

Main Coon cats are one of the oldest breeds in North America, native to the state of Maine. Although exact origins are unknown, most breeders agree that they are a cross breed of North American shorthairs and European longhairs.

In the early to mid 1800s prior to the Civil War, there is written documentation describing the coon-cat as a distinct breed of cat. Tongue-in-cheek, the locals use to claim that the coon-cat is a cross between a raccoon and a common cat, even though that is biologically impossible.

There are other tales describing a seaman named Coon who collected cats as part of his job on a sailing vessel to combat the wharf rats. As the story goes, an exotic long-haired mother cat and her litter found safe harbor in Maine sometime during the 1800s, and the rest is cat history.

Care and grooming of Maine Coon cats ought to be kept up as any other housecat; frequent combing of fur, good nutrition, regular play and veterinary visits. For more information on the care and feeding of our favorite furry pets, visit: lovefatcats.com.

Water Conservation Information - Part 2

If you prefer not to switch to a newer toilet right away, a low-tech way to save water in the bathroom is to fill a small milk jug with water and place it in your toilet's tank. This will greatly reduce water use per flush. Low-flush toilets are a better option and will save you even more water though, so you should think about switching eventually.

The next thing you can do to save both water and energy is to switch to a low flow shower head. A low flow showerhead can cut your water use in the shower by more than 30 percent.

Some lo flow showerheads are designed simply to reduce the amount of water coming out. This unfortunately means you get a rather low pressure shower. Thankfully, the technology used for many modern lo flow showerheads gives you a good shower without sacrificing pressure. See an example of a high pressure shower head here. These showerheads use something called the Venturi Principle to improve water pressure. They also add oxygen to the water, which leaves your skin cleaner and healthier. You can read more about modern lo flow showerhead technology here.

A typical heads uses roughly between 5 to 8 gallons of water per minute. Most low flow heads can reduce this amount to around 2.5 gallons per minute. (Source: Michigan State Government Water Conservation Website). Some low flow shower heads, like a water saving shower head, can reduce the rate of water flow to 2 gallons per minute or less.

A low flow shower head helps you save you money in two ways because it reduces both the amount of water you use while bathing, and the amount of energy used to heat the water. Considering that a showerhead of this kind costs between $35.00 and $60.00, a low flow nozzle pays for itself again and again. Manufacturers of one brand of loflow showerheads claim that the average family can save up the $600 a year by switching to their showerheads.

Choose Bathroom Glass Shelving That Suits You Best

Setting up a bathroom glass shelf is probably one of the best things you can do to help keep your bathroom uncluttered. Not only will your bathroom look a lot more cleaner than it was earlier you will also appreciate the extra space that is created since everything from your toiletries to your shampoo are not lying around on the floor now. You'll also end up saving a lot of time as it is much easier to just reach out and grab your shampoo, loofah or your conditioner rather than having to look for it on the floor or on your sink when you have soap in your eyes.

So not only is it an aesthetic thing, it is also quite a good investment from a safety point of view. While closets and living rooms need to be equipped with shelves, they can become cumbersome and extremely impractical in a bathroom very quickly. Not only is the weight a consideration during the install, you also have to take into account the fact that water as well as the humidity in your bathroom can quickly destroy your wooden shelf

Wooden shelves tend to swell, peel and in some instances even becomes so warped that they don't even fit into their holdings any more. And we're not even considering the health hazards of having wet wood in your bathroom. Let it be moist and humid for a few days and you might find that mold, bacteria, fungi and spores have decided to make it their home. Your bathroom can truly use glass to its greatest aesthetic and utilitarian advantage when installed correctly as a shelf.

How to Install a Shower Faucet in 7 Easy Steps

Installing a shower faucet is not a herculean task. If you know the right tricks it is as easy as conjuring up a rabbit in mid-air. Here is how to install a shower faucet in 7 easy steps.

Before starting the installation here are few things you need to take care.

Check the supply pipe for leaks.

Replace wall with moisture resistance dry wall as base for wall covering.

Always clean the pipe thread and apply a new pipe joint compound.

Run hot and cold water lines to shower mixing valve attached.

Plan for a trap door in wall.

These are just a few pointers you need to take care before installation. Now let us begin the installation.

First you can connect the shower in two ways. You can either choose the conventional method with copper pipes or you can opt for PEX pipes. The plastic pipes are easy to install when compared to the copper pipes.

The next thing you need to do is the shut off the water supply and drill a hole in the shower walls with a hole saw. It is better to plan before hand where to install the shower and the faucet and mark them with a pencil.

Now position the valve so that UP indication points upward and then connect the hot and cold water pipes to each side of the valve. When welding them take care to see that overheating does not take place. You can also use welding adapters if required. Secure the valve inside the wall and connect the raise tube and spout pipe in welded adapters. If valve is without spout then use a brass cap to block the outlet that will not be used. Put the shower in place. This completes the installation of the valve.

Next to install the faucet handle slide the decorative plate in the valve and position the handle screw adapter on cartridge using hexagonal key.

Now to install the shower head connect the upper outlet to shower head supply pipe after applying Teflon tape. Wrap clockwise the shower head's pipe filets with Teflon tape. Manually screw shower head using adjustable wrench.

Finally to install the spout turn the spout on copper pipe so that set screw faces up. Tighten the screw with hexagonal key and then turn spout to normal position.

Last but not the least open the hot and cold water supply and check if there is no leak. Next open the faucet to lukewarm position to release all the air caught in the pipes.

That's it. You are done. Now you can show off your skills to your wife or your neighbor.

Toilet Cisterns - Simple Ways to Save Water and Money

The bathroom and toilet cistern make up over 40% of the total water usage for the average household. By carrying out a few simple tests you can find out whether your toilet cistern is using more water than necessary, and if it is take steps to reduce your water usage and save money.

1. Fix toilet cistern leaks

A leaking toilet cistern can waste large amounts of water - more than 12 liters an hour. This quickly adds up to a significant amount of water especially if not noticed or ignored. Households should check for leaks and if any are discovered be vigilant in fixing them, if necessary by a plumber.

A leaking toilet cistern will often make a constant humming sound as the toilet is forced to keep taking in more water to replace the water that escapes through the leak. This is not always the case though or may not be heard, allowing water to leak imperceptibly and unnoticed against the white porcelain of the toilet bowl. If you suspect that your toilet cistern is leaking, a DIY test you can do to check this is to remove the cistern lid and put in a few drops of food dye. If colored water appears in the bowl before you flush, then there is a leak. Alternatively, hold a piece of toilet paper against the back of the inside of the bowl. If it gets wet it would again indicate that you have a leak. In the event that a leak is discovered leaking toilet cistern repair should be carried out as soon as possible to avoid any further waste of water. If you are still unsure after carrying out this test, contact a plumbing service for more information.

2. Install a dual flush cistern

A dual flush toilet cistern is a unit that has two buttons - one for a full flush and a second for a half flush. Though the planning regulations in many countries now require that all new houses and apartments install dual flush units, most older houses and apartments will not have them. Older toilet cisterns are much less water efficient and will use about ten liters of water per flush. By comparison, more modern units will use between four and six liters for a full flush or three liters for a half flush.

It is easy to measure how much water your toilet cistern uses. Turn off the water supply using the tap found behind or under the bowl. If this tap cannot be located or is still leaking, turn off the main water supply to the house. Remove the lid (note that with some units it may be necessary to unscrew the flush button to do this) and mark the level of water using a waterproof marker or tape. Press the flush button and allow the toilet cistern to empty. As you have turned the water supply off it will not refill automatically. Refill the manually using a measuring jug or bottle, counting the number of liters required to fill the toilet cistern back to the marked line. Don't forget to turn the water supply back on when finished!

Success Tip - Commitment Versus Compromise - Take a Pick

Nothing beats a man or woman who is CONVINCED, CONVICTED and COMMITTED to a CAUSE. We can tell how far you will go by what powers you. Your engine capacity (internal VALUE system) spells out your DESTINY coordinates. You have no one to blame but yourself if you end up at someone else's destination. Commit to your PURPOSE, your PATH and your PLAN rather than spend time observing other people's PROGRESS. Many times we attempt to do things but we do not have a deep seated commitment and conviction about what we do. We do things to merely spend time and see another day but not to intentional leave a mark or an impact. We act while harboring doubts about the outcomes hence we are not convinced enough. Alternatively we start working on a project but we lack commitment to making things happen. We do it when we "feel" like doing it hence the project suffers from lack of attention. Eventually it was another good, sensible idea, gone to waste. All the great people I have studied have shown an unwavering, unshakable and immovable desire to be committed to their dream, passions and ideas. Commitment separates great men from fly by night dreamers. If all the inventors and innovators had one day old commitment, we probably would not have the great, smooth lives we enjoy to this day. Someone had to be committed to what they saw in the dream, they let nothing or nobody influence them negatively. You have to realize that your invention may look too simple to some people but in no time, people cannot live without it. Check the history of the originally simple idea of online community called Facebook. To this day, people get to the point of addiction to this new idea and concept but did not even think beyond email and web browsing not so long ago. Even the coming of the internet was itself not much of an addiction to many than this new phenomenon.

Jeff Mullin, a senior writer of the News and Eagle started his article by asking a vital question "What couldn't we live without". In his article he mentions some of the greatest inventions of all time which look simple now but took a great deal of commitment to make. He highlights that "the flush toilet, invented in 1591 by Englishman Sir John Hampton, was on the list of the 325 "Greatest Inventions of All Time," recently released by the folks who publish Encyclopedia Britannica. The list ranges from the aerosol can, invented in 1926 by Erik Rotheim of Norway, to the zipper, developed in 1893 by American Whitcomb Judson. In between are such modern items like disposable diapers and Post-It Notes, as well as venerable favorites such as the automobile, the telephone, the steam engine and the airplane".

Commitment and conviction is what helped me during the most devastating time in economic history. It is interesting that I formed Infotech just a year after the economy of Zimbabwe had started the decay process. It was down-hill all the way such that when the Global economic crisis hit other nations towards 2009, we had been hit many years earlier so it was not new to us. We had the experience. There were justifications and good reasons for anyone who managed to close shop and sell businesses. Somehow my conviction kept me hoping that someday the whole meltdown and economic madness would end. Sure enough it had to take all the 9 years since I had been in business for some level of sanity to prevail. No one would have blamed me if I had quit on my vision. Many bigger corporates closed shop and left. I remained convinced that I would cross over to a new economic order which indeed happened. At the time of writing this book, we have started seeing the signs of economic recovery in our nation after the dollarization of the economy.

Ponder Points - Think about this - What cause are you committed to? Are you committed to your dream and ideas to the point of not letting go in the midst of adversity, criticism and discouragement? What ideas do you have which may seem small but no one has ever done it before?

Affirmation Points - Say this to yourself - I am committed to my dreams and vision. I have set my mind not to turn to the left or the right. I am focussed on the ultimate goal, to be the next success story that people will be talking about many years from this day. I am more than what people have told me. I walk with boldness and knowledge that my commitment today creates my world and a whole new perception in people's minds. I am confident though that people's perceptions of my progress do not affect my commitment to all I desire to do.

Marble Floor Tiles As The Decorative Choice For Bathrooms

One of the natural stone materials that is best for homes, is marble. Marble is famous for standing out as an elegant decorative element and flooring solution, that cannot easily be matched aesthetically by others.

This natural stone has been sought after for centuries, by architects, builders, artists and artisans, is deeply rooted in the annals of architecture, art, and in the development of modern civilizations. Marble was used to create lasting and famous monumental landmarks,and stands as a material with built-in reputations of artistry, durability and uniqueness, for use with any exterior or interior application.

Marble Is Well-Suited For Bathrooms

Seeing marble tiles on the bathroom floor is quite common these days,and is seen as a necessity if your goal is to create an elegant bath. These tiles are available either honed or polished.

Honed tiles are designed to provide more traction, while polished tiles provide a more elegant look, although they can be very slippery when wet, so bath mats need to be installed at critical points in a bathroom.Most modern-day home interior experts and decorators know the key to a truly tasteful bathroom is to utilize marble around the walls and the tub. Roman and Jacuzzi tubs look truly more elegant when wrapped in this type of stone.

This stone material is also popular on shower walls and in steam showers, however again, traction is an aspect that must be taken into full consideration. Marble mosaic tiles are often utilized in shower floors, and the grout lines are there to help provide the adequate footing to prevent slipping. Hand-carved marble trim pieces are available for use as frame bath mirrors, and a lot of marble accent designs will help to create your ultimate dream bathroom.

Marble Is a Versatile Material

Marble floor tiles are historically famous for their versatility. This type of natural stone is ideal for structures, and sculptures, and it can be easily used as wall tiles. The sculptures made up of marble look extremely beautiful. When you plan to use marble flooring and wall tiles for your interiors, particularly for your bathrooms, you need to consider asking for professional advice. You also need to take some effort in maintaining the beauty and shine of this natural stone.

Taking good care of this material, will help in keeping it shiny and elegant for years. You should never ever leave spills for a longer period of time. You require cleaning it right away in order to prevent it from staining. If you want to enhance the artistic value to your home, you need to use these tiles. The elegance and durability provided by these materials help for as worthy application.

However, you can enjoy the elegance only if you take some time out to care for this stone. Marble tiles for the bathroom can be created to provide a unique shine to this part of the house. This enhances the overall appearance of a particular room where it is installed. If you make extra effort towards installing this stone in the proper manner, you need to pay only little attention to maintaining the beauty of this stone.

To find a natural stone dealer in your area, check out the local yellow pages under Marble -- Natural stone, or you could also see Marble -- Cultured. You should see the stone descriptions first, because different manufacturers and dealers use many terms for essentially the same stone. Even if the marble comes from the same quarry or source or dealer, the colors and markings may vary.

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The Effects of Toilets on Your Home's Feng Shui

Bathrooms need special treatment to have good feng shui. On one side, water symbolizes prosperity in feng shui, but too much water leads to stagnation and dampness and poor health. On the other side, all that water has to drain, and the draining action creates a very bad energy and prosperity drain. The toilet is the worst offender.

All the drains in your bathroom drain away good energy, but because the toilet is such a large opening, it sucks the lion's share of energy out of the bathroom. To minimize this, keep the toilet cover on whenever it is not in use, especially when it is flushing. Having the toilet top open while it is flushing is flushing away all your money.

The other thing to do is to block energy from coming into the bathroom in the first place. This means keeping the bathroom door closed. Some feng shui experts are so insistent about this that they recommend putting in a cat door for clients who have to keep the cat box in the bathroom, and so have to let their pet have access to the bathroom at all times. But that door needs to be kept closed, the feng shui experts believe, so they advise clients to put in a pet door so that at least the energy has a smaller door to get through.

Another way to block chi from ever getting into the bathroom in the first place is to put a large mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. A little mirror is not enough -- to really reflect the chi back you want a full length mirror. This is especially important if the bathroom is at the end of a hallway or near stairs or near the front entrance of your house. Blocking the flow of all that incoming chi will keep it from getting sucked down the toilet and will also make it slow down and redistribute throughout the rest of the house.

Keep mirrors inside the bathroom away from the toilet. You do not want the toilet reflected in any mirrors. They will just double the draining action of the toilet.

If possible, block the view of the toilet from the bathroom door. If you have to put up a silk curtain because your bathroom is tight on space, that's fine. Silk is better than other kinds of fabrics, particularly synthetic fabrics, but if you have no other choice, cotton is still better than a synthetic curtain because it is a natural material. A green curtain or a striped curtain will also evoke tree energy to help soak up the extra water and dampness in the bathroom. If you have more room, put a bookshelf or a chest between the door and the toilet. Putting a plant that grows up (as opposed to a vine, which would grow down) will help add some upward tree energy that will also counteract the downward flush of the toilet.

Finally, while the draining toilet needs to be kept away from the other energy in your house as much as possible, it is extremely important that the toilet is in good working order. A toilet that gets backed up regularly symbolizes suppressing something that needs to be dealt with. So keep the toilet clean and clear. In fact, getting the septic tank pumped might be an excellent way to clear out a lot of old yucky stuck energy, too.

Toothbrushes and Toilets in the Bathroom

You may remember hearing something horrible about the bathroom once and how, if you can keep your toothbrush in the same room as your toilet, every time you flush your toilet droplets of toilet water go on your toothbrush! Supposedly they say, you might as well be brushing your teeth with toilet water. Naturally, people immediately go out and buy all the materials to redo their bathroom and they build a wall between their toothbrush and the toilet. Well, maybe they aren't that extreme but it does brig up some concerns about the bathroom.

Bathroom remodeling is a major industry these days. THe question is, is it really necessary? Everyone seems to be into tearing their house apart and putting it back together again, usually starting with the bathroom or the most inconvenient place possible. Is it possible to have a simple bathroom that is pleasing to all members of the family without investing enough to put several kids through college? I set out to find out. Here are some great remodelling tips:

1. Sower/Tub: Try cleaning these parts of the bathroom first. If you have to buy a new one, don't spend more than 200 bucks.

2. Toilet: If it works in the bathroom, don't fix it. If it doesn't, replace it.

3. Sink: If it's cracked, keep it under $150 tops.

4. Vanity: You can usually fix up your bathroom with a nice one from Home Depot or Lowes at a very low cost.

5. Lighting: Recessed lights are always very important in the bathroom

6. Floor: Try linoleum for most bathroom floors as it cleans up easily.

7. Painting: The cheapest remodel of all for your bathroom is to slap a new coat of paint on it.

So, is remodeling your bathroom really about replacing things that don't work anymore or is it more about changing something in your life to make you feel better about yourself? For that matter, isn't home remodeling in general all about that?

Taking a wider view, bathrooms go back to before the Roman empire and everyone knows abut the Roman baths which were great big pools of water where the whole community bathed together. For them it was a social occasion: time to discuss the events of the day and so forth. In places like England and Europe it's not even a bathroom; it's a "water closet" or the "loo", and it doesn't always include all these luxurious fixtures you find in a bathroom in America. Sink, toilet, and bathtub/shower all in the bathroom together is mostly an American invention, it turns out. Not that I don't think it's a good one.

Truth is, my current bathroom is in three different rooms: toilet in one, shower in another, sink outside of both. It's not always as convenient as I'd like. I'm always wrapping myself in a towel to go from one room to the next. But I think I'll stick with the current arrangement; remodeling my bathroom as a route to reinventing myself sounds expensive. At least my toothbrush isn't in the bathroom with my toilet. There's really nothing to worry about as long as you keep your toilet clean enough.