What you need:

1. tiles (size, shape and color depend on your preferences)
2. measuring tape
3. notched trowel
4. grout
5. grout float
6. grout sealant
7. pencil
8. safety glasses
9. sandpaper
10. soft cloth
11. speed square
12. sponge
13. thin-set mortar or any recommended tile adhesive
14. tile spacers
15. tile saw/cutter

Steps:

1. Plan.Decide on your bathroom theme or color to know what type, color, size and shape of tiles you would need. Carefully take proper space measurements to find out how many tiles would be required to fill the entire project. If you intend to make some bathroom art using your floor tiles, use graphing paper to create a pattern for you to follow. You can pick whatever style or color you like, just make sure to choose tiles that are not too slippery to avoid bathroom accidents. Ask your favorite hardware store which tiles are best suited for bathroom floors.

3. Clear out the space.Remove furniture, bathroom vanity and other removable objects from the space to be tiled. Get rid of unwanted water, dirt and clutter, including old tiles if you are remodeling. Do not install tiles over old ones.

4. Dry fit the tiles.Arrange the tiles on the floor from the center going outwards. This will help you grid out the floor space, find out if you have enough tiles, and check your floor tile pattern if you have one.

5. Mark the center tile’s location.Use a pencil and mark the center tile’s position by tracing around it. Needless to say, this will be your basis for following your dry fit pattern.

6. Cut tiles as needed. Since you have already dry-fitted your tiles, you already know how many tiles have to be cut and by how much. Mark the tiles that need cutting and carefully use tile saw to do the desired trimming. Circular or curving cuts can be done by making a number of straight notches and allowing them to break out. Smooth out edges using sandpaper. These procedures are usually for tiles at the edges (along the foot of walls) and around already installed lavatory furniture such as sinks, toilets, tubs and bathroom vanities.

7. Prepare the adhesive. Following label and manufacturer instructions, mix the thin-set mortar to its required consistency (usually as thick as peanut butter). You can also use any adhesive as recommended by the tile manufacturer.

9. Set the tiles one by one. Start with the center tile, giving it a little twist or wiggle to make sure that the tile sticks well enough. Make sure to leave a couple of millimeter spaces between tiles for the grout. For starters, it is best to use tile spacers.

10. Let the tile settle. Allow the tiles and adhesive to dry and harden overnight.

11. Apply the grout and sealer. Once the tiling has been completely dried and toughened, remove the tile spacers and apply the grout. Let it dry and apply the recommended grout sealer.

12. Clean up. Do not use abrasive cloth or objects to avoid damaging your newly installed bathroom tiles.

About the Author: Adie Sotelo is a contracted writer for Premiere Vanities. A specialty store dedicated to proving our customers with a great selection, competitive pricing and unparalleled customer service.

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Whirlpool baths were once an elitist purchase. Over priced and often seen solely as a status symbol within the bathroom. Thankfully this is no longer entirely the case. Whirlpool baths are still an addition to the bathroom that adds the feel of luxury, but they now come with a much more reasonable price tag- especially at Bathroom City.

The benefits of a whirlpool bath are widely known- water and/or air jets that soothe tired muscles and can even help ease the pain of physical ailments such as arthritis. Designed to unwind the body and massage the muscles through a series of jets (often bespoke designed for your individual needs) the whirlpool bath market is now bustling with variety and whirlpools to suit almost any budget.

Potentially the best purchase you could ever make for your bathroom, a whirlpool bath can transform the room into a haven of relaxation and calm, giving in most cases a spa-like feel. Now requiring minimal cleaning, these baths are durable, practical and a much welcomed addition to both family homes and young professional apartments.

Contrary to the myth, installing a whirlpool bath is much like a regular bath and, providing you have a good qualified plumber, should not upset your bathroom as it stands.

Whirlpool baths come in various shapes and sizes depending on the style you are looking to achieve. They also range dramatically in price but luckily, at Bathroom City, we have a whirlpool that can make any wallet breathe a sigh of relief. Remember- the level of luxury is entirely up to you!

Basic styles offered aside from the standard rectangular bath include whirlpool shower baths, whirlpool corner baths, freestanding whirlpools and Jacuzzi whirlpools.

• Shower whirlpool baths allow you to enjoy the relaxation of a whirlpool but offer the practicality of having shower access too.
• Corner whirlpool baths save space and ensure you have plenty of space to enjoy your jets in.
• Freestanding whirlpool baths are perfect for more than one bather.
• Jacuzzi whirlpools are often designer and can even be fitted into the floor- pure spa luxury.

For those who just simply want to upgrade to a whirlpool bath, there are even whirlpool systems on offer (ranging from 6-18 jet) which can be fitted to a standard bath. The choice of where they sit is yours.

Prices of whirlpool baths range dramatically, but Bathroom City’s range starts at just £209 for a whirlpool upgrade or £308 for a rectangular whirlpool, leading up to the top of the range designer whirlpool tubs which can be anything up to £10,000+.

More details on the HUGE range of whirlpool baths available to you can be found at www.bathroomcity.co.uk or by emailing info@bathbiz.net

There are several designs of walk in showers, some more easy to clean than others. However, just about all walk in showers offer more room to move around than a bathtub, which in and of itself can make cleaning easier. Also, most walk in showers are fitted with a hand held shower head which can go a long way toward making the walls easier to clean.

A walk in shower that includes at least one wall with tile will still have the possibility for mold and mildew in the grout. However, by making the other walls of glass, you have eliminated tile surfaces, minimizing the amount of cleaning. When you have a full glass walk in shower, then you don’t have any tiled walls to contend with.

photo credit: Plage Vinilos y Decoración

In general, glass is very easy to clean. Simple glass cleaner can be used to clean most of the surfaces of the shower, without the need for harsher chemicals. A simple rubber squeegee could replace a scrub brush. [1.]

Walk in showers are either designed with a door, or an open doorway. Both styles eliminate the need for a shower curtain, which is a major source of mildew. Also, many shower curtains, especially shower curtain liners, are made with harsh chemicals. That trademark “plastic” smell of shower curtain liners is actually very bad to breathe and contributes to indoor air pollution. [2.] A walk in shower doesn’t need one, and therefore eliminates one source of problems.

When a walk in shower is installed, your contractor should also look at the capacity of your bathroom fan. Many walk in showers can be used as a steam room, which increases the amount of moisture that needs to be removed from the bathroom. While not unique to a walk in shower, a bathroom renovation is an easy time to also upgrade your bathroom fan.

Whether you are adding a new fan because of a renovation, or just sticking with the one you have, it is important to run the fan for about 10 minutes after the end of your shower to remove all the moisture from the bathroom. [3.]

No matter if you have a bathtub with a shower, or a walk in shower, you are still going to need to clean the bathroom and the shower area. While not a super easy job, a walk in shower does have benefits that make it easier to clean than a bathtub with tile surround. Ease of cleaning is probably not the first reason you would install a walk in shower, but it is a clear benefit you can add to the list. [4.]

References:

1. Tips on Cleaning Glass Shower Doors
2. LA Times
3. 5 Ways to Prevent Shower Mold from doityourself.com
4. Columbus Glass Block

The easiest way to update a space is with a fresh coat of paint. Neutrals like white, beige or even chocolate brown are best for the modern look. Keep in mind that the lighter colors will make the space look larger, while using an allover color like dark brown or gray could make your bathroom look smaller. If you’re feeling bold, try painting with slate gray. It’s quickly becoming one of the most glamorous paint colors, and it makes any color you use in the room stand out! Repainting is just the start you need do to modernize your bathroom. Painting is inexpensive and because bathrooms are small, you don’t need as much.

photo credit: Robert S. Donovan

Walls aren’t the only thing that can benefit from paint. If the cabinets are looking shabby, consider giving them a makeover with a new color. You can also give cabinetry an update without spending a fortune by installing new pulls and hardware. Sleek hardware, think clean lines and chrome are very modern and help convey the tone you want to set in the room. It’s much cheaper to spruce up your existing cabinets than having new ones put in! If you have the extra budget, don’t just stop at the cabinet pulls, spend a few extra dollars for a matching metal towel rack or toilet paper holder.

Changing up the bathroom accessories is another cheap way to freshen up your bathroom. It’s as easy as changing the shower curtain and hand towels. Look for a clean style with a geometric or asymmetrical print. Stay away from small prints or anything floral as this can look more country and less modern. New hand towels and wash cloths are sure to make your bathroom feel like new. You can purchase a set of 4 for around 10 dollars at most big box stores.

As a finishing touch, find a work of art to hang in the bathroom. Modern art is often bold and colorful. This is the opportunity to incorporate your favorite hues into the décor. You can find art prints for next to nothing online. Go with something bold and abstract. Or even think about painting a simple color field or a geometric composition to give your bathroom a personalized touch.

While these decorating tips will give your bathroom a chic, modern look, it’s important to maintain the look by keeping things neat. The best way to do this is to keep things organized and off the countertop. Invest in a set of containers or bins to keep makeup, shampoo, soap, etc. in so it stays hidden, but within easy access. Once your countertops are clear, keep only a soap dispenser or a few decorative items out. It will make the whole bathroom look very put together.

This article was written by Erie Construction. For more tips on home improvement, follow Erie Construction on Twitter!

I guess if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it right? Following up on my post from last week: Crazy Expensive Toilet Paper Holder – Does The World REALLY Need This?, I offer another beautiful-but-the-price-is-out-of-this-world-expensive post.

I was surfing around, looking for towel holders. I came across Dough Heat, a company that sells heated towel racks. Well, so far, so good. The intro to the site is one of those pictures of the beautiful people. Soft focus, black and white. Wait, no, it’s not a picture, its a flash introduction.

You see the navigation bar at the top, and go to products. They have 3 lines of products: Aroma, Icon, and Slice. Is your eyebrow raised yet? Here’s the intro to their site:

Dough-heat has been focused on a single goal: combining the finest materials with the highest skilled British craftsmanship. Each towel rail design is fresh and inspirational, our technologies smart and revolutionary, and our build quality always of the highest standard.

Dough-heat creates objects of style and beauty which are timeless and contemporary, pure, functional and technically innovative.

Welcome to dough-heat luxury towel rails

I looked around for prices, but they want you to call them. They are out of the UK, and I’m sure that they will try to talk you into their products. It’s probably along the lines of the $997 toilet paper holder, except a lot more because these babies heat your towels.

Don’t get me wrong, their website is beautiful, and tasteful. Their products look pretty cool, if you are into the modern look (which I must say I do like). But, they are luxury, and you can tell.

Below is a preview of their products. Go on over and check them out, it’s window shopping from home.

Aroma Line:

Icon Line:

Slice Line:

Shower curtains are actually very versatile because they are available in almost all department stores, they come in different colors and designs so you have a vast assortment of choices, they are very affordable and easy to replace.

Shower curtains can even be custom made according to your taste. They come in vinyl, cloth and hemp. If you want to hide your bathtub, you can always close up your shower curtain, expand it and let its beautiful design liven up your bathroom. However, if you want to show off your attractive porcelain bathtub, you can also open it up and neatly affix it to the side. If your bathroom features a corner shower stall, you can easily achieve a more spacious look.

The downside to shower curtains however is that they need to be constantly cleaned because the easily get infested with molds and mildew. Moreover, when they are left to hang outside the bathtub after bathing, shower curtains can leave of puddle of water on the floor, thus making your bathroom look messy. Another recent discovery is that some vinyl shower curtains can cause health and environmental problems. New vinyl curtains release volatile organic compounds and organics into the air. These toxins are suspected to be carcinogenic and can cause headaches, nausea, respiratory problems, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system.

A frameless shower door versus a shower curtain shouldn’t be a difficult decision for you. Look at the overall theme of your bathroom and picture out a shower curtain and shower door. Then, decide what would best suit it.

Walk in showers have become very popular recently. A walk in shower is a great way to enhance a bathroom and it can also provide a great way to relax. If you are renovating your bathroom and installing a walk in shower is a great addition.

While walk in showers can take up more room than a traditional bath tub and shower combo, if you have the room it’s well worth it. There are many benefits, in addition to the beauty and relaxation mentioned above. You can make them upscale and provide a spa like experience, you can add accessibility if needed, you have room to add a shower bench, and you can even designed it to be a steam room.

Their many styles of walk in shower, below are a few of the most common.

Plate Glass

Many, many walk in showers have plate glass walls. Most are built into a corner so that two walls are tile and the others are glass. Alternatively, some only have one wall that is style and the rest glass. This style can either be square, or sometimes what is called neo-angle, which is like a square with one corner cut off.

Sometimes the walls can be curved although this is very difficult to achieve with a sheet of glass. Therefore, if you want a curved wall, glass blocks would be more appropriate.

A great advantage of plate glass walk in showers is that you can easily see through the glass. First, with minimal hardware, the walls seem to disappear. This makes your bathroom look much bigger. Second, it allows you to see the tile on the walls. Sense many tile designs are quite intricate, they deserve to be seen.

Glass Block

Glass block provides a very different look from plate glass, although it can be quite pretty. Glass block offers many advantages that plate glass doesn’t have. First, you can create curved walls. This means it’s quite simple to have D shaped showers, or even an S shaped shower. Second, glass block also gives you the option of creating a stair stepped effect on the edge. Third, glass block comes in several colors. Fourth, some manufacturers are even creating glass blocks that would put together form a mural.

Glass blocks are also ideal when you don’t want to be able to see into the shower. Because of their pattern, they let light through, but obscure what is on the other side. So, in addition to using them for the walls of the shower itself, they also were great in place of a traditional window.

Finally, glass blocks can be used to create half walls. Since they are a couple of inches thick, and the edges are smooth, they are great choice for these half walls.

Tile

Another style of walk in shower is where most of the walls are tile. Although they are part of the bathroom, they often form a small room of their own. Many don’t have doors. I’ve even seen ones where the entrance is built like an arch. Glass tile looks quite beautiful in these type of walk in showers. This is also a good place to highlight large tiles. Since the focus is on the tile in these type of showers, they’re great place to try different tile designs.

Door Less

Usually not a style all by itself, a door less walk in shower is almost like a finishing touch on other styles. Glass block and tile walk in showers are most often the ones done without a door. Although if constructed properly, a plate glass walk in showers  can also be constructed without a door.

Showers without a door do need little bit more care in construction. Because there isn’t a continuous seal around the entire shower, a door less design is usually longer than a style with a door. This gives extra room for water to splash and run into the drain without getting the rest of the bathroom floor wet.

photo credit: Don Nunn

Other Styles

The styles above refer to the overall design and construction of the walk in shower. Once you have the basic design chosen, you can then customize it with your fixtures and other hardware. Depending on the style and material of your fixtures, you can make your shower, and the rest of your bathroom, have a spa or zen feel. Copper fixtures and other hardware, can add a rustic touch to a bathroom.

No matter which style you choose, when you add a walk in shower to your bathroom you will have added class, relaxation, and beauty.

Is it really the perfect answer to all of your interior design projects though? Well, as far as looks alone go then maybe it will be justifiably high on the list of choices for a contemporary and classy look. The crisp, clear lines of machine-cut travertine looks spectacular in modern bathrooms or luxury wet rooms, and travertine tiles with a tumbled appearance are just the job for a traditional look, and are a perfect match for classic oak or walnut cabinets or other furniture. Things are not so clear-cut when it comes to installing travertine tiles for the average DIY enthusiast, and installation is best carried out by a professional to minimize the risk of problems at a later date.

As you can see there are pros and cons with installing travertine flooring which need to be weighed up before installation, the main plus being the undeniable beauty of the tiles, and the downside is that you will need to incur extra expense in employing a professional to fit the tiles, unless you are a competent DIYer.

Recycle

We all know that you can recycle paper and plastics but what about recycling your old fixtures and furnishings? If you are planning a major remodel, you may be tempted to rent a dumpster to throw away all of your unwanted goods. Instead of spending the money on renting a dumpster, call your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other area thrift stores. Many of these stores will pick up items directly from your home. By donating your unwanted items, you are saving them from going into a landfill and may be helping someone else complete their home remodeling project using your unwanted items. You may also get a tax break if you have donated enough items throughout the year.

Reuse

Not only should you donate unwanted items to local thrift stores, but you should shop them also. Thrift stores receive many donations each year, although you may have to dig a little to find what you are looking for they may have it at a fraction of the cost. Donating and shopping at your local thrift store will save you money, keep items from the landfill, and since most thrift stores are run by a non-profit organization, your money will be helping your community.

Be Energy Efficient

There are numerous ways to make your house more energy efficient. You can make your home more energy efficient by simply replacing all of your light bulbs, using either compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED). Switching to either of these options may seem expensive, but these bulbs will use less energy and last up to eight times longer than the traditional incandescent light bulbs. Another great option for saving energy inside your home is to check your large and small appliances for the Energy Star label. Using products with this label can save you up to thirty percent on your electrical bill in one year, which will also reduce pollutants in the air and gas emissions.

Use Environmentally Friendly Materials

Ten years ago, it was very expensive to use environmentally friendly materials when building or remodeling your house, but as the popularity of using these items grows the prices seem to be getting lower. One eco-friendly product that is making a comeback is linoleum. This product was very popular sixty years ago and is regaining that popularity again due to it being made from organic materials and its ability to last for a very long time. If you are replacing carpet, you may want to consider using wool carpet. Wool carpet is biodegradable and chemical free. If you are thinking of using wood for your floors, you have many choices. Using reclaimed wood, bamboo, or cork floors are all eco-friendly choices, and will fit into any budget.

Use Local Materials

By purchasing products that are local to your area, you are not only helping keep your money local but you are using items that are easily sustainable for your area. Making choices like this can be very beneficial to our earth, our pocketbooks, and our health.

Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes for the Area Rug Store.

Historically, bathroom remodeling has had one of the highest Return on Investments (ROI). As recently as 2003, the ROI of a bathroom addition was close to %100. Over the last decade, the ROI has decreased dramatically to under %60. Because of this decrease in ROI, it is increasingly important to have a firm grasp on market trends in order to achieve the highest value for your bathroom addition. Let’s take a closer look at what makes a successful bathroom addition in 2012.

A “Goldilocks” size for a bathroom addition is 6′x8′ – not too large, not too small. This allows the right amount of space for the essentials; a vanity, toilet, linen closet, and tub/shower.

photo credit: vincentq

A popular look homeowners are looking for in bathrooms include a cultured-marble vanity with a molded sink. Molded sinks have become increasingly popular because of their low maintenance and minimal appearance. However, this is an area where you can have some artistic liberty, especially with the faucets.

Tub/shower combinations will still work, but it’s important to stay away from the “stock” look and dress it up with tile work. You can usually match it with the tile floor and add a decorative tile band for interest. Storage is always an important area for any home remodeling project. If your design permits, it’s advised to add a built in linen closet. Depending on the style of the bathroom, you could also use cabinetry instead. Another way to increase storage in the bathroom is the use of a medicine cabinet.

Lighting is often overlooked in the bathroom, but should be taken into consideration during a bathroom remodel. Using only one source of lighting can be unflattering. Adding recessed lights for ambiance in the shower or above the toilet will not go unnoticed by potential home buyers. The best source of lighting remains natural light. If you are doing a bathroom addition to the exterior you almost have to add a window. But don’t forget to use tempered glass if it faces a major street.

Perhaps most important is adding a bathroom that fits the style of your home. If your home is a traditional ranch home built in the 50s or 60s, it might not be appealing to choose modern fixtures and finishes. Try to stick with a theme that matches the rest of your home, the best bathroom additions don’t look like additions at all.

This is a guest post from author Rob Pankow, owner of Pankow Construction, a leading bathroom remodeling contractor in Phoenix, AZ.

You can read more on the 2011 Cost vs Value Report at Remodeling Magazine’s website -http://www.remodeling.hw.net/2010/costvsvalue/national.aspx