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Flooring Supply Shop Blog | Flooring and Floor Heating Supply - Part 41

Maximizing your bathroom space

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Bathroom is an integral part of every house and generally these are designed keeping functionality in mind, thereby most of the bathrooms are cramped and small. Sometimes, it is so cramped that there is not even enough space to move around. Most of the bathrooms are stuffed with tub, shower, sink, shelves and other necessary things in a small area. As a result, the place looks cluttered, probably the most disorganized room in the entire house.

In case, your bathroom is also small and cramped which you wish to renovate into a beautiful and functional bathroom, then there are several steps which can take, without having to incur heavy expenses. Foremost, for the walls of the room, choose light colors where stripes can do the trick as it help elongates the walls’ appearance and the space seem bigger. Moreover, you must choose an even lighter shade for the ceilings, as compared to the walls, as it will make surface recede from view and enlarge small space. You can use light colored tiles, paints or wallpapers with small prints as large, bold prints can make the place look cluttered. The most important factor is to keep it simple or otherwise it will impede all the efforts to maximize your bathroom space.

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Another simple way to address the lack of space in your bathroom is maximize the storage around sink where you can add vanity or shelves under the sink for cosmetics, toiletries and other belongings. In case you already have a vanity, then you can increase its storage capacity through simple modifications. Add shelves or half shelves, wire racks on the inside of cabinet doors, built-in nooks and include pullout elements, similar to the kitchen cabinetry, such as towel rods, shelves and wastebasket.

Apart from vanity, another simple option is to use shelves for placing pretty much everything you need. You can either mount it on the wall or recess it into the walls, without taking up the limited floor area. Amongst the different shelf options available in the market today, corner shelves are your best bet, which can easily hold all the indispensable items. In case there is scope for some space, you can even opt for free-standing shelves as these can be easily moved around for your convenience.

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In addition, you can even use a lot of mirror in your bathroom as it easily creates an illusion of space. To further camouflage the lack of space in the small bathroom, you can use two mirrors placed opposite to each other as it creates an illusion of a never-ending room. Further, instead of shower curtains which clutter the view, you can use clear glass shower doors as it does not obstruct the space or its view. Moreover, keep the doors, trims and accessories in soft colors, such as pastels which reflect light or better yet, of the same color as that of walls so as to make the space appear wider.

Hence, these simple steps can help you maximize your bathroom space, without having to compromise on utility or aesthetic value.

Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Wooden Flooring Nature trail

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Remember the joy of climbing those verdant oak trees in your childhood? Well, now you can bring in the same innocence in your life and relive those wonderful moments with the help of wooden flooring! It will bring all the blessings of nature right inside your home and also add tones of elegance to your interiors. Wooden floors come as a welcome break from the traditional flooring materials available in the market and lend a discernible allure to the interiors.

Wood is one of the most precious gifts from nature and has a unique appearance owing to the presence of natural grains and colors. It is perfect as a flooring material due to its sturdy nature and poetic appearance. However, it is a care intensive product and requires a proper maintenance both before and after installation. Proper care will protract the longevity of wooden floors and ensure that it keeps on shining for a longer duration giving you a shining floor that looks as if it was installed yesterday.

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One of the most popular variants of wooden flooring is the engineered wood which can be customized as per your requirements. To get the most out of a wooden floor it is important to pay attention to the installation of these floors. An inspection of the floor is the first step in installation which will ensure that the entire installation process can be carried out smoothly. If there are any problems with the acceptability of the material then you should look for proper substitution. In case there are any doubts do not hesitate to take the advice of a professional installer.

It is also equally important to ensure the condition of the sub floor before installing the hardwood floor. The sub floor should be able to meet all the requirements which a typical flooring site demands. The use of filler and putty stick is the normal procedure while installing wooden floors and hence should be accepted. Care should also be taken to ensure that an extra waste factor should be added to the square footage amount depending on the layout.

Installation of hardwood flooring will vary according to the environment and surface and hence should be carried out in the proper way. For instance, in a new construction the hardwood floor should always be the last item to be installed. Similarly while installing hardwood floor over radiant heated floors take care that the hardwood material is Oak, Hickory or Walnut etc to ensure complete safety of the heated floors.

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Following the proper installation guidelines will ensure that your hardwood floor is ready to handle all the challenges of the modern house. Proper care and maintenance of the floor will ensure that it has a long life. Caring for wooden floors is no rocket science and all you have to do is follow the basics. Keeping the floors free from spills as much a possible will maintain its natural glow. You can use a damp cloth to clean the spills as soon as they happen. Even if the stains are tough like paint, ink etc make sure to use only a soft material like a nail polish removal which won’t leave behind any residues. Clean the floor periodically with certified cleaners will also protract the life of the interior wooden floors.

A few external factors like relative humidity etc also determine the performance of ma wooden floor and ensuring proper conditions will ensure that your floor have a longer life. A relative humidity level between 45 and 65% throughout the year will minimize the natural contraction and expansion of the wood and take proper care of the floor. A shining wooden floor will blend in perfectly with your furniture and create a simply outstanding effect!

Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Options for warm flooring

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You might have installed effective heating systems in your house to tackle the winter chills, but the problem of cold floor will still remain. Stepping on the cold floor can be quite uncomfortable, irrespective of the heated air in the house. It is for this reason that you should look at ways of ensuring that your floor remains warm and comfortable during the winter seasons.

One of the most popular ways of ensuring a warm floor is using a radiant floor heating system. Other ways include insulating the basement ceiling and using rugs on the floor. Your choice of a floor heating option will depend on various factors such as your budget, the size of your rooms and the construction of your house. Apart from keeping your feet warm, a heated floor will also save on your energy costs by minimizing the use of your main heating system.

One of the main reasons for a cold floor is the chill air in the basement. It is for this reason that you should look at insulating your basement ceiling to ensure that the floor above remains warm. However, insulating the basement ceiling will make that area even cooler; therefore, you should insulate the basement ceiling only if you do not spend much time there. In case you spend a considerable amount of time in the basemen then you should look at insulating the basement walls instead. This will warm the floor above along with keeping the basement warm as well.

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If you do not wish to insulate your basement then covering your floor with rugs would be effective. This is a cost effective solution that is ideal for small sized floors. In case you wish to warm your entire house, or a large floor area of the house then you should consider a radiant floor heating system.

A typical radiant floor heating system consists of electric resistance elements that are installed beneath the flooring of a room. These radiant floor heating systems use radiated heat to warm the floors, thereby resulting in maximum effectiveness. Furthermore, one of the biggest advantages of a radiant floor heating system is that it not only warms the floor, but also warms the entire room. This results in an increase in the temperature of the house, thereby allowing you to turn down your main thermostat by a few degrees. The heat emitted by these systems does not dry your skin, as the heat of a blow air heating system does. It is due to such advantages that installing a radiant floor heating system has become the preferred choice of numerous homeowners.

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There are numerous ways by which you could ensure warm floors even during the cold winter seasons. Out of all the methods, installing a radiant floor heating system is probably the most effective one. These systems are generally quite easy to install, and consume minimal electricity. One of the biggest advantages of these floor heating systems is that they can be installed beneath different types of flooring, be it stone, ceramic or hardwood.

Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Choosing the right home improvement contractor

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Home improvement is a task that involves many technicalities. You need to analyze, decide and cross check a number of factors. So, it is very important that the person who is entrusted with these responsibilities must be capable enough to handle them. You should always keep few things in mind before you decide to choose your home improvement contractor. Let’s have a look at them in detail.

Idea Organization: This is something very important. Home improvement is a vast area of knowledge. As a house owner you should keep a track on the areas at which your home needs a makeover. Make a crystal clear vision on your ideas. This will help you zero in on the most relevant areas of improvement. Once you have an idea of the requirement, it becomes a touch easier in choosing the contractor.

Meet Contractors: Exercising the options is very important. Once you have a brief overview of the task, you can always meet a few contractors. Meeting and sharing your thoughts and getting their reviews helps in judging the experience level of the contractor. It also helps you get an idea on the current market trends and pricing of a particular project. You can always take the corporate brochures and handouts of the contractor to study the credentials of the contractor.

Decide on the Budget: Once you have met a few contractors, you get a brief idea of the market bids and pricing of home improvement projects. So, you can decide on your budget. You must review each quote and bid given by the contractor very thoroughly. Try and analyze the strengths and weak links of each quote with the price and your budget. You should make sure that the proposed quote justifies the services offered by the contractor.

Take References: Experience, exposure and performance plays a vital role in home improvement projects. When you make up your mind on a particular contractor take some client references from him. This will help you get an idea of his previous projects and client satisfactory levels of the contractor.

Execute a written contract: Most often, the Contractor will provide their own Contract for you to sign. Be sure to read it carefully and do not hesitate to ask any questions for language that may need explanation or clarification. Ask the Contractor how the payment schedule will be put together. Never give a Contractor more than 50% of the contract amount up front. If the Contractor has to purchase a large amount of materials prior to starting work, a payment or draw for the materials is understandable. You should always check out for certain things that must be mentioned in the contract. Clauses like scope of work, Design selection, net and gross fees, construction schedule, detailed Explanation of the Contractor’s Warranty should be clearly stated in the contract.

Level of automation: This is again a very important point. The level of automation is a great indicator of the experience of the home improvement expert. You should always check the amount of automation a contractor can bring to your home. A good automation system may include Pro melt snow mats, floor heating systems etc. These automation systems help you lead a comfortable life by bringing down manual labor to some extent.

Quality of Material: Last but not the least is the quality a contractor brings to your home, and as they say “Quality speaks volumes without saying a word”. You should always keep a track on the quality that your contractor will offer. In order to check the details of material, it is important you do a bit of research. Browsing the internet is a good idea. You can always read some books and study materials on home improvement. This will help you keep up to date with the modern trends in home improvement.

I hope if you keep the above mentioned points in mind you will be able to strike a perfect deal.

Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Prevent cluttering in your shower

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Modern construction designs have rendered space to be a premium commodity, so it has become all the more important to make maximum utilization of the space that is available to you. Utilization of space is especially important in a bathroom since it is one of the most important areas of a house. One of the most effective ways to ensure that you are able to effectively utilize the available space in your bathroom is by using shower recess and niches.

Earlier when a separate space for keeping accessories in a shower was required people used to install either a ceramic soap dish or a corner shelf. Although effective, this method used up a lot of space in the shower area; therefore, a more effective storage solution was required. It is in order to effectively utilize the space in a shower that the uses of shower recessed shelves have gained popularity. Most people use a variety of cosmetics and accessories while showering and cluttering in the shower area has become a common problem that is faced by many.

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Not only can shower niche prevent cluttering in your shower; it can also act as an essential part of your shower’s decoration theme. These recesses and niches can be easily installed in your shower area thereby ensuring that there is no damage to the surrounding areas. Further, these porcelain recesses and niches are available in a variety of colors, shapes and designs to suit to the specific theme of your shower. You can even use these recesses and niches to create a special theme in your shower area thereby enhancing its aesthetic appeal.

For those who like to fix things on their own; while installing these recesses & niches would face the problem of effectively waterproofing it. Since even a minor leak in the shower area could significantly damage the walls, it is of prime importance to ensure effectively waterproofing the installed recesses and niches. This problem has been effectively solved by high quality shower recesses and niches such as those offered by FlooringSupplyShop. These recesses and niches do not require any waterproofing so you can easily install them within a matter of hours rather than days.

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Manufactured using high quality porcelain, these shower recesses and niches are highly durable and offer longevity. You can easily clean these porcelain recesses and niches without using any special chemicals thereby ensuring ease in maintenance.

It is due to the high utility and ease of installation that these porcelain recesses and niches are widely being preferred. You can go through the website of flooringsupplyshop to get access to the various porcelain recesses and niches that are being offered. Available in a wide range of colors and designs, you can select the one that best suits the specific theme of your shower area. The unique feature of these recesses and niches is that you will be able to create space for all your shower accessories, thereby ensuring an effective showering experience.

Copyright © 2010 FlooringSupplyShop.com

Flooring Supply Shop Blog | Flooring and Floor Heating Supply - Part 41