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What do you use for the sub-level? A guide to basement flooring

Flooring usually goes by some rules but when it comes to basement flooring, most of those rules are thrown out of the windows. The reason for this is that basements usually are subject to completely new environmental threats. Even in spaces were weather isn’t an enemy, at least not in the usually way, basements can produce a rather moist environment where certain floors don’t prosper.

So what should be done in this situation? That’s what we’re here to help you with, as we will go over the fundamentals of basement flooring so that you have a better idea of what you should use for your own instance for example. Of course, each individual might have unique circumstances which would make the entire operation more complex for them. For example if you have a basement heating oil tank, you might have to consider other flooring options simply because of the potential leaking and whatnot. Although the best course of action in such a scenario would be to call some oil tank experts and maybe tway lifting to help you get it out so you can enjoy your basement properly.

What is the grade and what does it mean to be below or above it?

You might be confused if you talk to a constructor and they start talking about below grade or above grade materials. They are not referring to material quality and they aren’t suggestion that you should invest in cheaper or more expensive supplies. They are simply stating whether or not the material in question is designed for below or above ground level.
The former category isn’t safe from water vapors and similar threats whereas the latter, above ground level category can withstand such dangers.

Understanding the necessities of basement flooring

When you’re talking about below grade materials for your basement you have to abide by a different rule set if you’re going to get a long lasting job done. It’s important to keep these things in mind when proceeding with the flooring of your basement or otherwise you will most likely have to revisit it in the not so distant future.

Look for the hardest materials

The hardest materials prosper best in environments such as the basement. Tile will always outperform carpeting for the basement, but there are also other options out there such as concrete. It also depends on what your design or style plan may suggest, so that it’s not just efficient but also in tune with everything else in the basement.

What happens when there’s a flood?

Flooding is one of the permanent concerns that you will face regarding your basement, regardless of your flooring option. Yes, flooring helps one way or another but it won’t stop actual flooding from happening in the eventuality of there being one. When it comes to flooring, ceramics are great because they dry out in the eventuality of a flood.

You can also go for a laminate or wood approach but this implies a while other cause and effect. It is possible to install laminate flooring in the basement with the help of a foam underlayment, so if you really aren’t a fan of tiles or plain concrete, you can do that too.

Flooring your basement remains a tricky job simply because of how many things you have to keep in mind at the same time. However, it is far from impossible to pull off. It is however very important that you do it right the first time so you don’t have to come back and revisit the project every so often.

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Opting for DIY Home Improvement

DIY Home Improvement Ideas

Each one of us wants a prefect abode but delay our home improvement plans as the cost incurred is too high. Spending $50,000 just to remodel a kitchen does not seem to be a good move when your old kitchen furnishing is doing just fine.

Moreover, these home repair & renovation jobs are quite expensive and hiring a professional contractor further adds to the costs. However these days, you do not have to spend so much to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home, especially if you are ready to put in some effort yourself. Do-It-Yourself or DIY task will allow you to save significant amount of money as you do not have to pay any professional for the job.

In order to improve your home you can paint the walls, update fixtures, or install energy saving solar panels, insulation or even flooring. Any of these will do wonders to improve the aesthetics of your home and increase its value. Installing floors is a great option to give a delightful visual effect to your abode. Further, tiling, grouting, carpentering are also other options for floor improvement.

Availability of highly effective do-it-yourself or DIY kits present in the market have made it all the more easy for homeowners to renovate their homes rather than seeking professional help. Homeowners who availed the services of expert professionals in the past are also opting for DIY home improvements nowadays. The reason for the surge of user-friendly DIY home improvement kits is that these are easy to use and come with detailed procedure description that allows even first time DIY enthusiasts to complete the task with ease.

This trend got tremendous boost due to easy availability of various government grants and refinance options. These finance options allow people to spend their savings on enhancing the look of their homes and get financial incentives that help in offsetting some of the cost incurred on the task.

Performing the DIY tasks is convenient, provided you have patience, skill and adequate tools to complete the task. One of the simplest DIY tasks is installing new floor as it can drastically change the overall look of the house. For installing new floor, you need to choose from the different flooring options available. Tile vinyl, laminate floor and epoxy are few alternatives that can be installed in no time. After you have decided what flooring option you want to install, you need to ensure that all the tools are working properly and have all other essential things that is required for doing the task. While installing new floor or doing any other task, make sure you follow all the instructions carefully, along with following safety tips.

Doing task on your own and seeing the outcome, you realize that all the effort was worth as it adds to the aesthetic appeal of your home as well as increase its value. Moreover, opting for DIY home improvement helps save substantial amount of money as well as avoids dealing with annoying professionals. Furthermore, you gain immense satisfaction on seeing how all your efforts have improved the appearance of your home. Owing to all these factors, more and more people are opting for DIY home improvement.

Things to Consider for Remodeling Your Bathroom

Bathroom, is the most integral part of every home, and thus, you should give due importance to its remodeling. Bathrooms can be redefined with new colors, designs, looks and styles. These days, you can find a number of themes for bathrooms, which are especially designed to address the contemporary demands of the people.

People pay special attention while getting their bathrooms constructed and make sure that their aesthetic and luxurious appeal is enhanced. On the other hand, when it comes to offices or work places, bathrooms are designed in such a way that they present a contemporary look. The designing, colors, accessories, fittings and themes incorporated in the bathroom depends on the space available and the budget.

There are lot of areas where one should focus on while going for a bathroom remodeling. Right from cabinets, fixtures and hardware to mirror, flooring, tub, shower and lighting, every aspect of the bathroom is equally important and needs to be highlighted accordingly.

The first thing that comes into notice in any bathroom is the cabinet. Any change made in the cabinets transforms the entire interior of the bathroom. For giving an illusion of space in the bathroom, you should go in for subtle colors like beige and mauve. You can also go in for cabinets in themes like rain forest and ocean blue.

Fixtures are the next important things which require a conscious decision before getting a bathroom remodeled. Faucets and sinks should be selected in synchronization with the style of cabinetry and the overall décor of the bathroom. One can go for trendy styles or can stick to the old elegant & sophisticated look.

Hardware that one wants to use inside the bathroom should be cautiously selected as these enhance or deteriorate the overall appeal of the bathroom. Lighting is another focus area that you should pay attention to, as it makes the room look brighter and gives depth to it. You would find a plethora of options in types and shapes of lighting options.

If you have a small bathroom, then you can make it spacious looking by altering the size of the mirror used. Mirror is a major point to concentrate on, while going for remodeling. These days people prefer to have large mirrors in bathrooms, majorly because they make the bathroom look larger.

While going in for remodeling of bathroom, you should also focus on the type of tub or shower to be used. These are available in different shapes, sizes and colors to enhance the overall interiors. Make sure that the bath tub blends with the color of the tiles & flooring, or is in contrast to them. You can also opt for flooring and tiling, which has a similar shower counterpart available. This would add finishing to your bathroom and make it look more elegant.

Keeping in mind these important points, you can completely transform the looks of your bathroom and give it a fresh appeal.

Evolution of the shower

The showers that we find in most homes these days are far from what the early Romans and Greeks used. The first experience that man had of a shower was not under a man made structure, but under a natural one: a waterfall. However, the desire to have a personal shower led to the creation of customized shower areas inside the house.

The Greeks were probably the first ones to invent a shower by creating aqueducts made of lead, and a sewage area. This was an effective system that allowed pumping of water both in and out of the communal shower rooms. Similar to this system were the boathouses created by the Romans. The remains of these boathouses can be found around the Mediterranean as well as in the modern day England. However, after the fall of the Roman era, showering almost became a religious taboo and was completely abandoned until the Victorian era.

It was during the Victorian Era that the famous ‘English Regency Shower’ was invented. This shower was made out of metal, but was painted to make it appear like bamboo. The structure of the English Regency Shower consisted of a basin at the top and a drain at the bottom. A pump like arrangement at the drain forced the water to the top basin, from where it was pumped over the occupant through a nozzle. The English Regency Shower even had a basic shower curtain for the privacy of the occupant. Although the design of this shower was effective, the only drawback to it was that the same water had to be reused while showering. A number of modifications were done to this shower, including a hand pump, several sprayers and nozzles that could be interchanged.

It was after the invention of the English Regency Shower that plumbers started experimenting with new showering tools. It was during this time that the shower moved indoors and was being used only by a few privileged homeowners. Lead plumbing was introduced around the 1850s, and it was around this time that it started looking similar to what it is today.

Today, you can find a number of advancements in this domain, thereby leading to the creation of high utility showering structures. One such structure is a combination of a shower and a bath tub. This combination is generally used in small bathrooms where there is not enough space to construct a separate shower and bath tub. Such a combination not only results in maximum utilization of space but also leads to a significant saving in plumbing costs.

The ultimate in showering luxury these days is a sauna shower. A sauna shower provides a spa like experience to the occupant and ensures complete relaxation while showering. A typical sauna shower consists of jets, ceiling rain, Personal Massager and radio.

Thus, we can see that the shower has evolved in a significant manner over the years. Not only is the shower structure more effective, but the plumbing as become more reliable as well.

leak proof shower no more a worry

One of the most common problems pertaining to a shower area is water accumulation over the pan liner. Since your tile floor is not completely waterproof, some water will trickle down to the pan liner. In case your pan slope is not appropriate, the water that seeps down the tile floor might not be directed towards the drain, and might accumulate between the floor and the pan liner. This water accumulation could lead to serious problem of mold in your shower area in the long run. Whats more, in case there is a leakage in your pan liner, your sub floor could also get damaged due to the water leak.

Traditional mortar beds can soak the excess water and can remain wet for a long duration of time, thereby resulting in damage to the tiles as well as the grout lines. Further, mortar can choke the drain weep holes, thereby resulting in a blocked shower drain. All such problems can result in an unpleasant showering experience for you.

A leaky shower area or excessive mold could cause serious problems and could result in unnecessary repairs and maintenance expenses. Now, with the introduction of ready to tile shower pans, leaky shower is no more a worry. Ready to tile shower pans are a contemporary version of traditional pan liners, which used to be placed over the shower sub floor. Ready to tile shower pans are manufactured with high grade polystyrene, and are rot proof as well as leak proof.

Ready to tile shower pans have a pre-formed slope of 1/4” per foot that is as per the industry standards. This slope ensures that any water which seeps through the tile floor is effectively directed towards the shower drain weep holes. Effective drainage and non accumulation of water below the tile floor ensures no leakage and no mold growth in your shower area.

Constructing a traditional mortar bed shower pan requires a lot of time as well as a little masonry skills. However, the easy and convenient structure of ready-to-tile-shower pans ensures that every do-it-yourself enthusiast can install it without any difficulty. The fact that these pan floors can be tiled as soon as they have been installed makes them all the more convenient and effective.

Although installing a pan liner is still the most popular method of constructing a shower area, more and more people are realizing the importance of ready to tile pan floors. Their easy to install and highly effective nature ensures high value for money. Further, the preformed slope, which is in accordance with the industry standards, ensures that any water that seeps through the shower floor is effectively directed towards the drain weep holes. You can also find a few ready to tile shower pans that come with integrated curb to ensure that you do not to spend extra time or money into building a shower curb. It is due to benefits such as these that the use of ready to tile shower pans has picked up significantly in recent times.

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