Cross Team Properties

There are many different types of Ideal Standard bathroom furniture and other accessories that make a bathroom feel more luxurious.

One popular piece of furniture for luxury bathrooms is the freestanding bath.  This is a way of setting a bathroom apart as the look of this bath is quite distinctive.  There is also something quite regal about bathing in a freestanding bath.  However, this type of bath is also strategic as it opens up space in other areas of the bathroom, creating the same effect as an island counter does in a kitchen.  This type of bath is an alternative to the hot tub or Jacuzzi, which have long been regarded as fixtures of the luxury bathroom. 

You do not always have to go all out in terms of budget for a bathroom to become a luxury one.  Well-placed textiles can do the job just fine, and promote a luxurious feel.  This is especially true of curtains or blinds that are simply coloured in black or white.  This accessory in itself can bring a romantic atmosphere to a bathroom.

The same thing can be said about the proper lighting system.  Common luxury choices for lighting are the chandelier and the crystal configuration.  These both serve to make a room more romantic, and are therefore suitable choices when this is the goal of a luxury bathroom motif.  In bathrooms that have copious amounts of natural light coming in through windows, the effect of dim lighting can be quite stunning.  This lighting technique helps to make the bathroom environment ore relaxing.

There is a wide range of bathroom suites available that will enable you to improve the look of your bathroom.  As the bathroom is one of the most important rooms within the home, you will need to select a bathroom suite that not only offers style but also comfort.  Whether you are looking for a traditional suite or wish to create a completely new look for your bathroom, you are sure to find the ideal bathroom suite amongst the many styles available.

The majority of suites consist of a sink bath and toilet, with some offering extra items such as a bathroom cabinet or bidet.  Suites are available in a number of different styles and colours, enabling you to easily find something that suits your taste.  As well as selecting something stylish, you will also need to think about practicality.  For example, some suites include walk-in Aqualisa showers, which offer more convenience for those who have difficulty climbing in and out of a bath.

Exploring the many styles of bathroom suites available will enable you to find something that not only suits your needs but also your budget.

All you really need to cut tiles, apart from a few basic tools, is a certain level of confidence. Use a tiler’s spike to make straight cuts. This will score along the line to be cut and will penetrate the surface glazing on the top and edges of the tile then it is simply a matter of snapping along the line of the cut.

The easiest way to snap a tile after scoring is to lay it on a flat surface with the glazed side up and placing some matchsticks or a pencil under the cut line and pressing evenly on both sides to make the tile snap. There are also a number of tile-cutting gadgets on the market if you prefer to use these. Most of them also incorporate some device for snapping the tile after it has been cut.

In the case of an L-shaped cut, often needed around pipes in a bathroom, this is a little bit trickier but by no means rocket science. It is not possible to snap along the scored line, of course, and here the best method is to use pincers to nibble away at the unwanted area and finish the job off with a file on the ragged edges. You could also try using a saw file fitted into a hacksaw frame to achieve more complicated cut edges and patterns.

Working with tiles is often seen as a daunting task but as with most simple DIY jobs, it need not be if you take your time and use appropriate tools.

Choosing a new bath is not as simple as it once was.  Of course, the bath you select will always be influenced by personal taste as well as by the space that you have available in your bathroom.  Traditional baths will always be popular, but in recent years they have been joined by some exciting new options.  One of the new breed of bath you are likely to see in the modern bathroom suite is the whirlpool bath.

Whirlpool baths feature hydrotherapy jets which work to give the bather an invigorating massage.  Adjustable lumbar jets for back massage and pulsating neck jets offer soothing stimulation to aching muscles.  There are also models which will rapidly shoot jets of water up and down your back in a more intensive fashion for a real massage workout.  Hydrotherapy jets are volume adjustable so you can control the pressure applied to your body.

When considering installing a whirlpool bath you need to bear in mind that there is extra hardware involved, such as pumps and an integral heater for maintaining water temperature whilst the motor runs.  Installing a whirlpool bath can be a complicated process, and is best left to a professional.

Other questions requiring careful consideration include: Where should the pump be located?  Is there room for safety grip rails?  How many jets do you want, and where should the jets be situated?  Do you want armrests?

There are usually between six and 11 jets in a whirlpool bath system.  Controls vary from the simplest ON/OFF switches to fancy computerised systems.  Some models have integrated underwater lighting to create the ultimate in relaxing moods.

If the idea of a whirlpool bath appeals to you but you would rather not completely overhaul your current bathroom suite, there are companies which will convert traditional baths into whirlpools.

If your bathroom is looking tired and in need of an update but your finances won’t stretch to a completely new bathroom suite, a new set of bathroom accessories can help to refresh and renew any bathroom space.  Bathroom accessories offer the cheapest and quickest way to create a new, exciting look in even the plainest bathroom.

Bathroom accessories tend to come in two main styles: contemporary and traditional.  Many popular and affordable bathroom accessories utilise chrome and ceramics in a variety of combinations.  Smooth, gleaming chrome coupled with white ceramic looks great and will fit right in with many existing bathroom decors without clashing.

New wall mounted toothbrush and tumbler holders, toilet roll dispensers, fitted soap dishes, free standing or wall mounted toilet brushes, glass shelves, and shaving mirrors are all accessories that can give your bathroom an instant facelift.  Chrome is easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth and has the added benefit of lighting up darker bathrooms with its reflective properties.

A new towel rail can also make a big difference.  Single, double, and triple rails, as well as heated towel rails, are available.  Wall mounted towel shelves help to solve storage problems and look nice when filled with neatly stacked, folded towels.

Toilet roll holders come in many different styles, but remember to place them with care.  When fitting it to the wall, ask yourself if every member of the family will be able to reach it easily.

Finally, a row of new chrome robe hooks across the back of the bathroom door not only look great, but are very useful as well. 

A common household DIY job is the replacement of an old WC cistern. In the case of a flush panel cistern, you can connect the new cistern up to the existing pan. This is simply fitted to the wall at the rear of the pan, projecting outwards by about 115 millimetres. The narrowness of the cistern is required because a high-level arrangement would mean that the pan would project too far and interfere with raising the toilet seat.

It is often easier to cut through the piping rather than to spend time and effort in releasing the old and often stuck connectors when releasing an old cistern. As new pipework will have to be installed, cutting through the pipework will cause no harm.

To replace a cistern, you will need to close off the water supply and flush the cistern before cutting into the pipework. Next, take off the lid and lift the old cistern away from the wall. When fitting a new cistern, fit its brackets to the wall. Place the cistern into position and mark the fixing holes, then drill these and plug them before screwing the cistern into place on the wall.

The overflow pipe then needs to be connected to the cistern and led through an outside wall or else to a nearby drain, bath or shower tray. The siphon assembly should then be mounted into the bottom of the cistern and the flush lever fitted and connected to the flushing mechanism. After the ball valve assembly has been fitted to the cistern’s side and the sealing washers fitted into place, the flush pipe is fitted between the cistern and pan and then a 15 millimetre supply pipe attached to the ball valve inlet.

Is it time to give your bathroom a new look? Don’t be intimidated by the thought of a remodel! Make a few quick updates to your bathroom’s look without spending a lot of money or time! Making select changes in your bathroom’s décor, fixtures, and colour can make your room look brand new.

Change the Colour

If your home was built some time ago, you may have a basic wall colour such as white or opaque. Simply painting your walls a new colour can do a lot to update the room’s look. To add a calming mood, try a mild, relaxed colour such as sea green. To give the bathroom an invigorating feel, go for a bold colour like bright purple or red. Remember to change your linens to complement your new colours as well.

Upgrade the Fixtures

Changing the taps in your shower and sink can also do a lot to make your room look new. Modern taps such as cartridge taps move smoothly and do not require as much maintenance as older taps. Some stores even carry taps that can be turned on and off with a simple touch rather than a manual handle. These taps could be very useful in homes with small children or older people. Don’t forget to update the bathroom light fixtures as well! Think about using softer lighting to reduce glare from the mirror.

Switch the Hardware

While you might not have the money to install new bathroom cabinets, you can make your old ones look new by changing the hardware on them. If your bathroom cabinet or set of drawers has pulls, swap the old pull knobs out for newer, polished versions. Brushed nickel and bronze pulls offer a streamlined, modern look that is easy to accomplish quickly.

What exactly is bathroom furniture?  Put simply, it can range from an everyday bathroom suite consisting of a bath, sink and toilet, to a wide variety of items you might now expect to see in a modern bathroom, including a shower, bidet and bathroom cabinet.  Bathroom furniture may be modular, fitted or freestanding, depending on the effect you might wish to create for your bathroom.  Furniture is available to complete any bathroom look, whether you opt for a colonial feel, classical elegance, or a sleek and stylish modern finish.

Styles and finishes vary dramatically, but you may wish to opt for a tongue and groove wooden finish for a fresh seaside effect, or a darker tropical wood, such as walnut, to create a rich colonial feel.  Mirrored finishes are a popular choice nowadays for an opulent bathroom, where a single outstanding piece of bathroom furniture such as a mirrored bathroom cabinet could become the centrepiece of the whole room. 

Sink vanity units are also becoming a popular trend, with either neat cupboards to hide your bathroom essentials, or open shelves to showcase your towels and scented soap collection.  For an extremely modern style, the floating shelf, incorporating a free-standing sink, is a stylish piece.  The mirror is, of course, an essential piece of furniture for any bathroom, be it a simple wall-mounted unit or a brightly illuminated vanity unit to give your bathroom that touch of old-fashioned film star glamour.

Mosaic tiles can be used to create uniquely beautiful decorative features to any kitchen or bathroom.  The finished project may look impressively complex but the tiles are simple to apply.  The small tiles (tesserae) are supplied face mounted on paper or mosaic film, or back mounted on a fibre mesh.

When using mosaic tiles, especially glass or transparent ones, it is very important to follow the manufacturer’s guidance on adhesive and grout choices, because trowel lines and variations in opacity will be visible and can mar the appearance of the finished project.

First apply adhesive to the prepared wall or floor to create a smooth and even surface to receive the tiles.  To avoid trowel lines and air bubbles, also apply a thin layer of adhesive to the back of the mosaic tile. 

Squaring and aligning of the tiles must be done as you work, before the adhesive hardens.  Misalignments cannot be fixed later.  Gently beating the tiles with a covered hammer, or a soft rubber mallet, will even up the surface of the tile, especially at the edges where tiles meet each other.  Beating will also release air bubbles.

Excess adhesive on the face of the tiles should be removed using warm water, and the tile surface should be thoroughly dried and buffed with a soft cloth before the adhesive dries.

After 24 -48 hours most adhesives will have fully hardened and grout can be applied.  Again the manufacturer’s recommendations should be closely followed.  If the tiles are face mounted on paper or film, this must be carefully removed prior to grouting.  The choice of filler for the grout lines is frequently the same material that has been used to mount the tiles.

Grout is applied by spreading it in a diagonal direction across the tiles, filling the grout spaces as you go, but working only a small area at a time.  With a lint free cloth soaked in warm water remove excess grout from the tile surface and then buff them dry with a soft cloth.  After 2 or 3 days the tiles can be further cleansed and polished.  A waterproof sealer with a mould inhibitor should also be applied at this stage to protect the grout.

Preparation

If the wall currently has any traces of wallpaper, paint or plaster on it, all must be completely removed before tiling over it.  Failure to do so might result in weak tiles.  If the wall is currently painted, strip the paint down and remove all paint flakes.  Afterwards, wash and sand the wall down.  Finally, use a wet cloth to remove all dust before applying the tiles.

If the wall you wish to tile is slightly uneven, you should apply a thin layer of new plaster first.  If the wall does need to be covered with new plaster, be sure to let it dry completely and add some primer sealer before tiling on top of it.

Although it is possible to tile over existing tiles, it is better to remove all tiles and start on an empty wall.  If it is impossible to remove the current tiles, avoid lining the new grout lines up with the old as this will cause weaker tiles.

After you have measured the walls and worked out how many tiles you will need, add roughly 5-10% more tiles to it in case of breakage.  If you wish to create a pattern on your wall, lay out the pattern on the floor first to judge whether or not it’s what you want before mounting them onto the wall permanently.

Be Prepared!

Tile adhesive is designed to go on and dry quickly, so make sure you have all tiles and tools at hand before you start to tile your wall to avoid the adhesive drying up while you are looking for your tools.