Bathroom Design Ideas

When tiling around your kitchen sink or bathroom you are inevitably going to reach a point when you will need to cut your tiles, whether this is to finish the edges, tile around taps and pipes or to butt up against mouldings.

Measuring

There are a couple of ways you can make sure your cut tile fits.  The easiest cut is a straight line; here you simply hold the tile back to front in the gap you intend to fill allowing for grouting and mark off the cut line.

Cutting Straight Lines

Using a sharp tile cutter and a straight edge, score the line in one smooth motion. Place the tile on top of a thin lathe of wood or two used matches to slightly raise it up and apply downward pressure to crack the tile.

Cutting Round Corners and Curves

Make a paper template for awkward shapes and use a lead pencil or china graph pencil to mark the cut line. You can then score a line across the curve and using pliers nibble out the excess tile to create the curve. Alternatively you can use a tile saw to manually cut around the shape or an electric saw fitted with a tile cutting blade will allowing you to follow the required shape effortlessly.

If you use a saw – either manual or especially electric – make sure the tile is properly supported as they can be easily broken by the vibrations and stresses from the saw.

Choosing the proper hardware for your shower door can make the difference between a bathroom that meets your needs, and one that leads to frustration or costly repairs.  The following simple guide will help you determine the kind of hardware you need for your shower doors.

The most important and varied hardware category is hinges.  Depending on the type of shower enclosure (or shower cubicle) and the shower doors you have installed, you’ll want to select hinges that compliment your existing features.  There are generally three main types of shower door hinge:  glass to glass, back plate, and pony mount and it essential to obtain one suitable for the same range of shower cubicles or enclosures.  Consult your local home improvement store or a reputable contractor to advise you on the hinges that are appropriate for your shower enclosure.

A threshold is essential for keeping water inside the shower enclosure and off your bathroom floor.  Most types are rather inexpensive and easy to replace.

Full glass shower enclosures usually require panel support, a set of bars that hold the glass to the bathroom wall.

Not to be overlooked are shower door pulls or handles.  These come in a variety of styles and sizes to compliment your decor; some are drilled directly into the glass while others can be mounted on the door frame.

If your shower door slides along a track, it likely has rollers that make it glide smoothly open and closed.  Found on the top and bottom of the door frame, rollers are very inexpensive and easy to replace if defective.

Underfloor heating has been around since Roman times, and in fact one of the earliest modern versions of radiant floor heating was a variation on the Roman method, called Hydronic Radiant Heat.  Where the Romans built their floors up on tile columns and circulated hot air from an outside fireplace through the below-floor airspace, modern hydronic systems use a network of plastic pipes to circulate hot water in pipes beneath the floor.  This is typically known as a “wet” or water underfloor heating system, although the professionals prefer the term hydronic underfloor heating.

 The floor does not need to be elevated nearly as much as the Roman floors (theirs were typically built up two feet), and the pipes are generally safely embedded in a concrete slab.  As hot water circulates through the pipes it heats the concrete, which then radiates the heat into your room.  Typically, underfloor heating insulation beneath the concrete forces most of the heat up, even though heat naturally rises, lowering the loss of heat to any place other than your room.

Thermostats control the temperature in various “zones” of the house if a whole-house installation is used.  You can heat just one small area or your entire house, saving money and energy by heating only the living space that needs to be heated.  In many cases, whole-house heating is best served by a water underfloor heating system as it is slightly more energy-efficient than electric underfloor heating.

 Also, for new home construction, the floors can obviously be initially constructed with the pipes already embedded in the plastic, and the home can be designed with the needs of this heating system in mind.  This type of system is obviously a little more difficult in a home already constructed, although for additions to an existing house they can be ideal.  

Choosing taps for your bathroom sink or bath is an important matter. Taps are one of the most used items in a home and they act a bit like jewellery in a bathroom and bring everything to life. They can be used to add contrast, or to bring dazzling light into the room.

The first thing to consider is budget because taps come in a wide range of prices depending on design and materials used; then decide on style. Contemporary taps are designed with clean lines and fewer handles than traditional ones. There are also taps which fit into the side of the bath and require three fixing holes for the two taps and the spout but you will need to have the correct hole pattern drilled or cut into your bath for these.

Taps with zinc alloy bodies tend to cost less but they will corrode over time. In hard water areas the water itself can cause corrosion on inferior metals and the longest lasting taps are solid brass ones. In general it is possible to tell the quality of taps by their weight. The heavier a tap is, the higher the quality.

When you have decided what quality of bathroom taps you want to buy, it is time to select the finish. There is lots of choice here including antique and polished brass, bronze, nickel, chrome pewter, and a number of other materials which are available from various designers. Bathroom taps are an exciting thing to buy when you see how wide the choice is.

Shower accessories come in all shapes and sizes, from soap-on-a-rope to shelving units and are a perfect addition to Mira showers and enclosures. There is something to suit all bathroom styles and decor. A chrome hanging bathroom shower caddy for instance, can hold all items needed for a shower, from shampoo and soap to a facecloth or sponge, everything is in one place. The chrome wire is also ideal for draining, so if it gets wet it won’t rot like wood will and is also easy to clean. It can hang over the door of the shower cubicle for easy access.

Tension pole caddies work on the same principle, except there is an extendable tension pole that fits from floor to ceiling and has several small shelves attached. These also come in plastic or chrome wire.

A unique shower accessory is a waterproof radio. There are even AM/FM digital radios available, an ideal accessory for those who love to sing in the shower. Most of the radios come with brackets for wall mounting inside the shower enclosure.

Shower mats are a perfect accessory to prevent slipping while showering. They help the feet to get a firmer grip to the floor, which also makes them an ideal shower solution for those who have mobility problems, or are unsteady on their feet.
Of course, shower accessories are not just limited to storage and entertainment, loofahs and back scrubbing brushes are essential accessories for the shower. Natural sea sponges are unbleached and better for the body, which all helps to heighten the showering experience.

A wet room is a tiled room which is completely water tight. Many wet rooms have walk-in baths, showers with seats and even access for wheelchairs. However, this is not something that is only suitable for disabled people. Wet rooms are becoming more and more fashionable and popular, and many modern houses are being built to include them.

When considering the possibility of installing a wet room there are several factors to be considered.  It is important to make sure that the floor is strong enough to hold the weight of tiles, etc. Reinforcement may be required. The drainage system must be placed away from the door so that water does not seep underneath, ventilation needs to be sufficient to clean any condensation and the floor must be made of non slip tiles.

There are various options when it comes to choosing bathroom fittings for a wet room and the room does not have to be completely open. A shower screen may be fitted to stop everything in the room getting wet when the shower is in use and the addition of a wall hung toilet will make it very easy to keep clean and hygienic.

Remodelling an old bathroom and making it into a purpose built wet room will make using the bathroom a much more enjoyable experience and the choice of tiles and fittings is huge. A properly built waterproofed wet room will stay looking good for much longer than an ordinary bathroom and if it is installed as a second bathroom, it will also add a large amount to the value of your home.

A new underfloor heating system is a wise investment, but it can be made even wiser by the addition of a thin layer of insulation beneath the wires or pipes.  Of course heat rises, that’s what makes floor heating so efficient, but a certain percentage will still work its way downward; proper use of insulation will prevent unnecessary heat loss.

Underfloor heating insulation is a thin layer of material such as cork or polystyrene foam.  Sometimes a thin layer of felt with a backing of Mylar is used.  What all these materials have in common is that they stop heat loss from the pipes or wires.  The laws of physics state that heat will always disperse to colder areas. The sub-floor beneath your pipes or wires is cold, and some heat loss will occur there. The insulating layer will substantially slow that loss.

You want the vast majority of the heat you pay for to remain in the home, so you and your family can have cosy winter evenings.  Underfloor heating insulation is rarely very expensive, even for an entire house, and will more than pay for itself in the first year in energy savings alone.

Also, with an insulating layer preventing heat loss through the sub-floor, the floor you wish to heat will reach the proper temperature much faster.  The floor can switch itself off when the desired temperature is reached, saving you money.

When selecting an underfloor insulation, ask about the insulative properties of the material and how durable it is.  Since underfloor heating systems typically last decades longer than more conventional heating systems, it’s critical that you protect your investment with something that will stand the test of time. Installation of the insulation is generally a snap, and you’ll soon be enjoying a warmer floor and home, with your new underfloor system.

When you are faced with a whole range of surface types in your bathroom, it is tempting to go and buy a range of cleaning products to suit.  There are those which are designed for cleaning bathroom tiles, different ones for glass shower doors and plastic shower enclosures as well as special ones designed for enamel baths. 

Manufacturers of cleaning products have now caught on to the fact that having half a dozen different cleaning products for one room in the house is time consuming, as well as expensive and often messy.  Most will now have a bathroom ‘all in one’ type product that can be used on all surfaces and will clean both dirt and limescale.  Most of these cleaners are also designed to work without too much user effort.

If there is one separate product that it is worth investing in then a product that helps to stop limescale forming on shower cubicles is a good idea. Unless you are happy to clean your shower every day, then this can be a timesaving idea that will involve you spending less time scrubbing and will give you more time to yourself.

You should also take care to stop mould and mildew forming on the grout between your bathroom tiles.  This can happen without you even realising it, but is easily resolved with the use of a good cleaner.  Several of the aforementioned ‘all in one’ cleaners now contain an ingredient that can help remove and prevent the build-up of mould on grout, and regular usage should keep it at bay.

There are a number of bathroom accessories and shower accessories that can have a drastic effect on your bathroom’s style making it a more glamorous place. Some bathrooms, due to their smaller-than-average room size, require more creative thinking to make them fashionable. But all it takes is one idea to get the creative juices flowing and with the number of potential themes the possibilities are limitless.

One thing to do before you undertake this process is to set a budget limit and time limit for the completion of the project. This will help you stay on track and make sure you complete the project so that it doesn’t become an ongoing, endless endeavour.

You can alter the entire atmosphere of your bathroom with just a few changes. In line with your new theme, coordinate your bathroom furniture, shower curtain, towels, bathroom rugs and other bathroom and shower accessories. If they all complement each other and your theme you will get that new glamorous look you crave.

Another way to help improve your bathroom’s style is changing your shower cubicle to a new shower enclosure. There are many shapes, sizes and styles of shower enclosures that add a more modern look to your bathroom with the bonus feature that they are easier to clean.

Other ways to accessorise your bathroom include adding a live, thriving plant or changing out your light covers or fixtures. Adding lamps or lights around the bathroom mirror can help throw more light around the room and brighten things up.

Remodelling, especially when it comes to bathrooms, can be an intimidating project. There are a number of items available on the market when it comes to bathrooms. Sometimes the vast quantity of them can be overwhelming. It becomes an issue where to start – bathroom cabinets, designer radiators, sinks, faucets, etc – they are all available. If you are trying to give your bathroom a new look but don’t really want to redo everything then one of the items to consider is a new shower enclosure.

Shower enclosures come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. They are no longer merely square but can be a pentagon, an offset circle, rectangular, etc. Have a look at the available space in your bathroom and pick the appropriate style. If there is not a style that conforms to the size of your bathroom you can get one custom made. Above average skill is required to install these items, so some homeowners choose to get them installed by professionals. Check and see if the store you bought it from will install it for you.

There are many advantages to a shower enclosure such as the fact that they give your bathroom a modern look while being easy to clean and you will no longer need a shower curtain. Other shower accessories are available to add to the new look such as shower heads, shower trays, mirrors, soap dishes, or even speakers if you feel the need.