CrossTeam Properties Offers Advice on Home and Garden Improvements

When using a bathroom everybody wants to be comfortable and enjoy a pleasant experience. A well maintained bathroom often signifies a lot about the rest of the household. One way to keep your bathroom looking pristine and in good order is through the use of a bathroom accessories set. This can include soap dishes, tumblers, lotion dispensers and many other accessories to add to the look and style of your bathroom.

Ranging from toilet roll holders to towels, be sure that the bathroom accessories that you choose complement your theme and style.

If you’re concerned with design and style you have many options from which to choose, including modern or contemporary styles, natural styles that bring out a theme of nature, traditional styles right down to simple, intricate, yet delicate styles.

If cost is the major concern, there are many favourable bathroom accessories for those on a budget, which you can find both online or in your local retailers.

If quality is the key, bathroom accessories come in a vast abundance of materials including durable glass; brass, stainless steel and chrome finishes, all designed to last for years in a well used bathroom.

Yet it doesn’t end there with the soap dish or the toilet roll holder. Bathroom accessories can also include the bathroom furniture. A common feature of today’s modern bathroom furniture and bathroom accessories includes the bathroom mirror set. Again with many styles to choose from, whether it is a plain wall mirror, a special cut glass mirror or a mirrored cabinet, the bathroom mirror is a vital aspect of any modern bathroom.

Kitchen and bathroom floors covered in new stone tiles can look absolutely gorgeous, but old, cracked tiles can look like a set of crooked, broken teeth. You don’t need to be latent architects or have sophisticated building skills to get rid of an old tiled floor; your DIY skills will suffice. It’s strangely gratifying, but while painting, decorating and plastering all require a degree of patience, you can just let rip on this one.

Arm yourself with a long-handled tile scraper, lever under a tile and push. If it won’t lift easily and it really is satisfying when it does, you might have to break the tile up with a club hammer, gentle taps will do the job. Generally, though, you’ll be able to slip that strong, broad blade through the grout and push through the adhesive, bang goes another tile.

Sadly, this is rarely the end of the story. You’ll almost certainly be left with clumps and splodges of adhesive residue. The best solution is to melt them into docile mush with a hot air gun and use a stripping knife as you go to scrape the mess away. If this works, all you need to do before laying your new floor covering is seal the area with a coat of diluted PVA. If you’re out of luck and the old adhesive is too stubborn to remove, your best bet is to cover the area with a layer of plywood or hardwood and get on with setting those new tiles. You’ll end up with a DIY job that looks like real property development.

As with most bathroom fittings, bathroom radiators come in a variety of styles and designs. They usually end up being used for drying towels, however splendid they may look and how much they might have cost.

Bathroom radiators are appliances used the world over for making the bathroom experience all the more enjoyable. There’s nothing quite like stepping out of a hot shower or bath knowing that a warm towel is waiting for you.

A bathroom towel radiator is a great way to add a little bit of luxury to your bathroom without too much expense. Bathroom radiators have grown increasingly popular over the years and many designer radiators now exist to suit the tastes of most people. Between the functionality of these appliances and the elegant look that they provide, these units make excellent additions to any bathroom.

Most modern bathrooms tend to have a towel radiator fitted and are without a doubt the most popular application when it comes to choosing a heating unit in the bathroom. Bathroom towel radiators are usually incorporated into the central heating system of the house or are heated by electricity.   The amount of heat emitted by a bathroom towel radiator is sometimes less than other radiators. This is because the purpose of the unit is not to heat the entire room, but merely to keep towels warm and dry.

A further benefit of fitting your bathroom with a towel radiator is the reduction of condensation, they also offer flexibility allowing you to adjust the heat within your bathroom to suit your requirements and your comfort.

The cost of DIY underfloor heating will be less than paying to have it professionally installed, provided that you have an extensive level of DIY knowledge. After all, you do not want to end up paying tradesmen to help you, as you could well end up paying much more for your heating system

However, if you are purchasing an all-electric underfloor heating system, for example, and are happy that apart from actually connecting it to the mains you can install the rest of the system, then you will definitely save money compared with getting the professionals to do the job for you. A water underfloor heating system is always trickier, as you are dealing with plumbing and electrics, so your DIY knowledge needs to really be professional level. Obviously, if you are a plumber or electrician and are installing an underfloor heating system in your home, then by all means consider the DIY route, especially if you can still take advantage of wholesale deals.  

As far as finding the components is concerned, you should always shop around and see who is offering what. Remember, you can often get a better deal by shopping online and may find a real bargain, because some Internet based companies do not have the overheads that result from owning a shop. These companies can therefore afford to sell you the goods at reduced rates. Finally, don’t forget to include delivery costs in your price comparisons.

Choosing a bath is worth taking time and trouble over, so avoid the temptation to be rushed into buying one. Think of how it will look in the bathroom and design around it.

If you have a family with small children and limited space, a two-person bath may well be the best option. However, there are a couple of things you should consider first.

Most important is the size of your water tank. A double bath or corner bath inevitably uses more water than a standard model. Baths are filled with hot water at roughly a ratio of 2:1. Therefore it is important to determine the capacity of the bath and equate it to the size of the water tank. Nobody wants to bathe in a half-filled bath, so work out the economics of investing in a new water tank. Failing that, you could buy a water heater that only serves the bath and leave the existing one to heat water for other domestic uses.

Another option may be a Sok bath, which is very deep. Additionally, it is fitted with a type of chromotherapy that allows you to experience different colours as you soak. 

However, it does take up a lot of space and you would need to check that your bathroom has sufficient electrical capacity to cope with the demands placed upon it. One major plus point for this type of bath is that it ensures the bathing experience is one of total relaxation. 

A further option is the traditional freestanding bath. This is freestanding and very capacious. Sitting in the middle of the bathroom, means it takes up space and if you like your bathroom neat and tidy, the sight of exposed plumbing may be a drawback.

Getting out of bed on a cold winter’s morning is certainly not one of life’s great pleasures. It is made infinitely worse when undressing in a freezing bathroom while waiting for the shower to heat up.

Fortunately there is a wide range of electrical heaters available on the market to fit into every size of bathroom. A quick checklist of safety considerations should make certain that no unfortunate accidents occur.

Most electric heaters are plugged into the nearest existing external socket. This makes them safe to set on timers, so the bathroom is warm as soon as you enter in the morning. Be careful to avoid placing the heater in front of bathroom accessories such as towels or shower curtains.

Ensure that the heater has a safety switch, which automatically shuts it down in the event of it toppling over. A quick look at the manufacturer’s guidelines should satisfy you of this.

In general, there are two types of heater, ‘radiant’ and ‘forced air’.
A radiant heater works by heating coils, which are situated behind a protective grill. The beauty of this system is that it allows heat to pass into the bathroom continuously, at an even temperature. They are also more energy efficient, as they do not use a fan system.

Conversely, forced air heaters operate by means of a fan emitting warm air through a metal grill. Although they heat the bathroom more rapidly, the inbuilt thermostat does not allow for very high temperatures. As previously noted, they are also more expensive.

When buying a bath it is of the utmost importance to decide exactly what you are looking for. After all, they are not cheap and probably represent a significant investment.

The first things to consider are the space you have at your disposal and exactly how much you can afford. A good rule of thumb is to consider that any freestanding bath will be both more space-consuming and expensive than a built-in fixture.

If space is a little cramped, then consider combining a bath and a shower unit. In particular, a P-shaped bath, with a curved shower screen and a large anti-slip area, will drastically free up precious room.

If you do have an existing separate shower, then it may be the case that you do not find it necessary to bathe every day. This enables you to concentrate on the type of bath that specifically suits your need.

Do you have children? Then perhaps a double-ended bath would be more suitable. Or if you are child-free, a smaller but deeper model may be a better option.

A metre-deep Japanese bath with straight sides will offer a completely different experience than a low-slung contemporary bath where you are lying almost horizontal.

Never be afraid to test the bath out before buying. After all, you wouldn’t buy a car or a bed without seeing if it was first right for you. So get in, see how it feels.

Giving your bathroom a thorough refurbishment need not cost the earth. In fact, for around £75, you can freshen up even the most jaded bathroom – and all it takes is a little paint and some inexpensive DIY supplies.

Firstly, take a look around the bathroom. Flooring and plumbing tend to be costly to replace, so try to live with them until you have a little more money in your wallet.

Apart from the bath, wall colour is perhaps the first thing people notice in a bathroom. Try to contrast both. For a soft, romantic atmosphere use pastels such as pale yellow or fuchsia, or strong bold colours like cobalt blue. Or maybe a monochrome look, with bamboo or rattan to soften the harshness.

Whichever colour you choose, make sure to use an eggshell finish. It repels moisture and is easy to clean.

 Have a look at your accessories. Markets are a great place to pick up interesting glassware or ceramic items. These make a huge difference and easily double up as toothbrush holders or soap dishes.

Have a look around your own home. The chances are that somewhere in the back of a cupboard is an interesting vase or glass canister. And any basket or box can be used to store towels and toilet rolls. Or how about an old bedside table? Perfect for an impromptu vanity unit. Just make sure it is eye-catching. Why not paint it to make a standout feature?

And have a look for tiles being sold off cheaply at your local hardware shop. These could provide an inexpensive and chic way of cladding the bath, and allow you to create your own stunning patterns and design.

Choosing the right basin taps is a large part of what will define the style of your bathroom. As well as other bathroom furniture and accessories, such as towel rails, clothes hooks and toilet roll holders, stylish basin and bath taps will provide the finishing touch.

For modern bathrooms, there is a wide variety of choice when it comes to basin taps. Easily the most popular and practical option is a single-bloc mixer (where one tap is used for both hot and cold water), but it is important to make sure that you can fit this type of tap on to your bathroom sink. If the original taps were individual hot and cold units you will have to replace the basin with one with a single hole for the tap.  Fortunately, for anyone who has a small basin and is stuck for space, there are plenty of mono-bloc taps available that will still leave room for other items such as soap and toothbrush holders.

Another important factor when deciding on the right basin taps for your bathroom suite is that they will match the bath taps that are installed. With so many manufacturers providing similar styles it may seem easy to find taps that will suit, but there will always be slight differences between designs.

Chrome is easily the most common finish for bath taps, but if you are just starting to build on your bathroom suite design, there will be plenty of brass-finish taps that should not be overlooked, which will also give your bathroom a more unique style.

If you are building a new traditional bathroom or looking to add to an already-existing design, there will be a wealth of options when it comes to basins, and you will also find that prices can fluctuate greatly.

The most important thing to remember when choosing your traditional bathroom sink is that it matches the design of the rest of your bathroom furniture and accessories. Basins will be styled on different time periods and mixing two styles together will never give your bathroom suite a finished look.

Victorian basins are usually the oldest style that is available and often come in rectangular-shaped designs, which sometimes sit on a wrought-iron frame with shelves underneath. These are particularly convenient for access to items below and can also give a sense of extra space in your bathroom, compared to floor-standing and bulky recessed basin units. Another thing that makes them more attractive is that they are far easier to install, allowing easy access to the pipe work. Also to be considered is the range of Edwardian bathroom sinks, which are normally floor-standing sinks.

When it comes to any components for traditional bathrooms, including toilets, mirrors, small bathroom accessories as well as sinks, a lot of options available will carry an expensive price tag, so it is well worth shopping around and even searching for second-hand items, which may also add extra character. But no matter what type of sink you are planning to fit it is vital that you know how to install it correctly.