Top Things to Consider When Buying a Toilet

There are many types of toilets to choose from in today's market. Buying the wrong toilet for your bathroom can be costly, since you can end up with high plumber bills, re-stocking fees and high water bills. The most important factors to consider when selecting the appropriate toilet for your bathroom include: Rough-in Dimension, Bowl Size, Configuration, Flushing System, Height, Color and Design.

Rough-in Dimension:

The first thing to consider is the toilet's rough-in dimension, which measures the distance from the finished wall to the center of the sewer drain for the toilet. Determine whether your toilet is 10", 12", or 14" rough-in. 12" rough-in is the most popular size in United Estates.

Bowl Size:

Next big thing is bowl size. Most people find elongated toilet bowls to be more comfortable, but in a small bathroom, a round bowl can save space. Elongated toilet bowls measure up to 31" from the wall, while round fixtures max out at 28". Comfort also comes into play with toilet seat rim heights. Many manufacturers now offer toilets that measure a few inches taller than standard 15" fixtures.

Configuration -- One Piece, Two Piece or Wall Mounted:

There are several toilet types available. A two-piece toilet, in which the tank bolts on top of the bowl, is typically the least expensive option. A one-piece toilet,with an integral tank and bowl, can cost more, but these units are easier to clean because they have no seam. Wall-mounted toilets add drama to a bathroom, and cleaning under them is a breeze. However, this higher-end fixture can be more expensive to install because it requires a thicker wall to mount the toilet and house the tank, and future maintenance could require reopening the wall.

Flushing System -- Flush Valve Size, Trap-way Size & Water Consumption:

The flush valve is the opening at the bottom of the toilet tank and controls the flow of water to the toilet bowl when the toilet is flushed. Overall, the larger the flush valve the better the flush performance will be (a 3 inch flush valve is considered very efficient). The diameter of the trap-way is another important factor. The trap-way allows waste to easily pass out of the toilet bowl. In general, the larger the trap the better (a good trap-way size is around 2-1/8 inches). Water consumption is also very important. 1.6 gallon-per-flush is the universal rule of thumb when it comes to water usage. However, most companies like TOTO have decreased the water amount to 1.28 GPF. The vast majority of TOTO toilets are environmental friendly and do not compromise flushing abilities. In fact they are ranked at the very top in flushing efficiency with their new technology called Double Cyclone.

Height:

The average height on most toilets is between 14 to 15 inches to the top of the bowl. However, most new toilet models are coming in "comfort" or "ADA" height (16.5 inches and above). The higher seat makes it more comfortable to seat on the toilet and is a must for people that have difficulty standing up or suffer from knee injuries.

Color & Design:

Make sure you get a toilet that matches with the other porcelain fixtures in the bathroom (tub, sink, vanity counter top, tile, etc). this is especially important if the toilet is next to one of these fixtures. Also, check that your new toilet design will pair up well with the overall feel of the finished bathroom (modern, contemporary, transitional or traditional).

For more information, visit: Bathroom Place

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniela_White

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6439242

Read More

Bathroom Cabinets To Improve Your Home

Most modern bathrooms today often showcase a variety of bathroom furniture like cabinets and vanity pieces. Having furniture in the bathroom greatly helps in eliminating clutter and covering up fixings to provide a neat and organized atmosphere. Regardless of the style or size of your bathroom, you are sure to discover a perfect piece of bathroom furniture that will enhance the appearance of your bathroom.

When purchasing furniture for your bathroom, consider useful pieces like bathroom cabinets. Bathroom cabinets can be found in different designs that include mirrors, hidden shelves and shaver sockets. By selecting one of these inclusions you are definitely getting your money's worth. In addition to the different add-ons to pick from, bathroom cabinets are also sold in various styles and finishes like wood and chrome. They also come with a number of doors, either one, two, or three doors depending on what you prefer. It is all up to you to pick a cabinet that you find most suitable for your bathroom.

If price is not an issue, then you can opt for more costly pieces like vanity units. In some cases these are sold together with bathroom suites, however there are also some that can be purchased on its own. Usually these vanity units are integrated into the bathroom with the unit furnishing a stand for a sink and a provision for a WC unit. Just like fittings are installed to the vanity unit, it can be utilized to conceal areas of your bathroom like cisterns, piping, and bottle traps, which gives your bathroom a clean appearance. Aside from keeping the fittings concealed, these vanity units also offer a decent amount of storage space with the built-in cabinet and drawers.

However if you are on a budget and don't find the need for costly bathroom furniture pieces, then you can opt for a basic bathroom mirror or wash stand. A wash stand is a simple piece of bathroom furniture that works as a stand for your sink. These wash stands are usually finished in wood, but there are also some pieces that can be found in chrome. Most of the wash stands for sale are floor standing and often come with a built-in shelf that can be utilized as storage space, but then there are also some wash stands, usually the ones finished with chrome that can be hung on the wall and is equipped with a towel pole for maximum use.

Adding extra style to your bathroom without taking up all the space can be achieved with bathroom mirrors. These mirrors are simply installed on the wall with the only limitation being your wall size. Mirrors for the bathroom are sold with different features such as backlit, demistable, heated, and LED mirrors. Together with these different kinds of mirrors, there are also optional add-ons that include shelves, LED clocks, and magnifying mirrors giving you a wide range of choices. Top of the line LED mirrors are most sought after as it offers clear mirror and LED surround with most providing a 3D feel. As you can see there are so many different options when it comes to bathroom furniture. It is all up to you to decide on the pieces that will suit your bathroom best.

Liberty Bathrooms is an online bathroom retailer, specialising in bathroom suites and bathroom furniture, including fitted bathroom furniture.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Frederick_Harrison

Read More

How to Remove Old Finish From Furniture

General Rules for Removing Old Finish

1. Do nothing that will harm the original surface unless the piece is to be painted.

2. If you plan to replace the old finish with a clear type, all old finish must be removed so the new will hold properly.

3. When removing old paint it is not only permissible but acceptable to most collectors that the marks of wear through the years, as well as traces of color from the old paint be allowed to remain so that they will show through the new finish. Traces of old paint add interest to the piece by their variations of color, and are evidence of age. Old paint however, should not be left on in thick patches or blotches.

4. For final cleaning, after using a remover, use a cabinet scraper or knife blade on joints, corners, and angles on flat surfaces. Use steel wool to clean out carvings, turnings, moldings etc.

5. If the old finish is shellac, you don't need a paint and varnish remover. It can be taken off with denatured alcohol and steel wool.

Selecting Your Paint Remover

Commercial removers are solvents rather than corrosives. They act more slowly on older paints than on new, but they are the only materials that can be used safely. They attack the material such as linseed oils used in paint, or the resins in shellac, varnish, and lacquer. It won't injure a surface by burning it or leaving marks and won't be harmful to glue or raise the grain of the wood. They contain no water and may be used on veneered surfaces without causing the veneer to loosen. When used properly and washed off, solvent-type paint removers leave the surface clean. Dislodging layers of old paint or varnish isn't difficult, but patience, time, and-following the directions on the container are required.

How to Remove Old Finishes

Dislodging layers of old paint or varnish isn't difficult, but it takes patience, time, ans perseverance. Here are some basic directions for using paint remover.

1. Place the piece to be worked on over layers of old newspaper in good strong light, and if possible, with the top surface in a horizontal position. Avoid working in cold temperatures below 68 degrees F--cold slows down the action of removers.

2. Shake the remover thoroughly, pour a small amount into a small can and apply thickly with a full brush in one direction. Do not re-brush.

3. Let the remover stand for a period of from 10 to 20 minutes, or until the paint or varnish lifts.This is indicated by a crinkling of the surface. Do not let the remover dry. If it begins to dry, apply an additional coat and wait for it to act.

4. When the surface covering has lifted, remove it with a dull putty knife that has the corners rounded off. Remove the accumulation of remover and finish and wipe the knife on a piece of old newspaper.

5. Wipe off as much of the remaining finish as possible using burlap squares.

6. Scrub the surface with a small brush dipped in denatured alcohol.

7. Wipe off with several clean cloths.

8. Rub the surface with steel wool dipped in denatured alcohol.

9. Wipe with cloths dipped in alcohol. This not only cleans the traces of remover from the surface but neutralizes its further action. Follow by wiping with clean cloths dipped in turpentine or paint thinner.Then wipe with dry rags. This will remove any remaining wax or silicone polish that may have been used on the finish in the past.

10. Allow to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours.

Removing Deeply Buried Paints

A deeply buried paint can be removed entirely or partially by a simple procedure. This is paint usually left after you have removed the previous cotes with remover or light scraping. Because it's so simple it's worth trying.

1. Apply a liberal coat of shellac with a brush and let it dry for at least 24 hours.
2. Use the remover as previously directed. All or part of the buried paint will come off with the shellac. Be sure all traces of the remover is gone and the surface is completely dry before applying a new finish.

Visit Kenneth J Ellis, the author at:  http://www.kewoodworking.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_J_Ellis

Read More

Woodworking From Home

Woodworking can be an enjoyable pastime, and maybe that is why you're reading this article. Maybe you're a seasoned woodworker or maybe you are just looking for a hobby to start and working with wood popped into your mind. Whatever the reason you are here, I hope that you find this to be a informative guide.
I love working with wood. It makes me feel good that I can build an item that is quality and that will be here long after I'm gone. I think that that is what life is all about, leaving something behind that you will be remembered for. This includes anything, not just working with wood, but family, your career, or whatever you may be passionate about.
There really isn't a strategy about woodworking or how you should start, other than the desire to create something. Although you have to have the basic tools to work with and some lumber, that is about all you need. Woodworking from home in your spare time as a hobby or wanting to make a little extra income with woodworking is all dependent on your desires and where you want to go with them.
As with anything you do, there are some basic tools that you will need and I think that the following list about covers them. Also a lot of these are power tools - not saying that you can't produce great items with manual labor tools, it is just for the scope of this article that they are power tools.
And they are as follows:

• (Most Important) Tape Measure
• Skill Saw
• Drill
• Drill Bits
• Nails/Screws
• Plenty of Pencils
• Hammer
• Screwdrivers
• (Another Important item not really a tool per say) IMAGINATION

These are pretty much all the things you need to create that masterpiece or whatever you are planning to build. This list is by no means exhaustive, but gives you the idea and a starting place. There have been great things built - structures and such - with only these items and the desire to create.
So if you're planning to do wood working from home, have fun and enjoy, leave a lasting impression with the things that you build and always follow the most important rule of all: Safety First. Woodworking can be an enjoyable pastime. So whether you have been woodworking for years or just thinking of getting started, let me just say, Happy Building to you all!

My name is Joe Crousore and I have been woodworking for 15 plus years. I enjoy it and like helping others in their endeavors. You can learn more about me and see more at: http://www.ourgifts4life.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_A_Crousore

Read More

Cheerful Flowers Chase Away Winter Doldrums

Winter days can be short and dark, and it's really beneficial to find some new and interesting strategies to add more cheerfulness and color to your home. Nothing quite comes even close to the loveliness of flowers and live plants in relation to chasing away the winter doldrums. When you really need your house to be freshened and brightened, here are some ways in which you can do so with flowers.

Attractive Cut Flower Bouquets

Even when your backyard flower garden is deep in its winter sleep, you are still capable to decorate your home with gorgeous vases of flowers. Florists, gift shops and even your local supermarket sell beautiful cut floral bouquets year-round, which makes it an easy task to add a touch of color to your house. You can include an opulent look to your bathroom using a container of beautiful flowers. Inside the living room, a floral arrangement will add a classic decorator's touch to the mantel. Or you can add some style as well as beauty to your kitchen counter or dining room table with a vase of fresh cut flowers.

The Beauty of Floral Wall Art

If you don't have any flowers to display, add beauty and color by choosing floral wall art. Displayed in picture frames, art prints and paintings depicting floral scenes can be a fantastic way to cheer up your home's decor. You may even decorate one of the walls by having an oversized floral print or canvas, creating a striking focal point in the room. Reprints and enlargements created from your own floral-themed photographs can also bring a lovely and decorative touch to the walls. In fact, when spring finally comes, you might take some photographs of your own flower garden and use them as wall art. You can create your own beautiful wall decorations using the photographs of your personal garden for only the price of some picture frames.

Living Flowers and Plants

Nothing can beat live flowers and plants for their ability to include a touch of spring in your winter decorating theme. Lots of houseplants have low light requirements, which makes them perfect for growing indoors during those short winter days. If the plants that you'd like to cultivate require more light, just make sure that they are placed near your indoor lights. With a little bit of planning, you may even trick spring-blooming flower bulbs such as daffodils and tulips into blooming in the cold winter months. These kinds of bulbs need to be chilled throughout their regular winter dormancy period, so you're able to imitate this process with your refrigerator. When you plant a pot of springtime bulbs and put them inside your refrigerator for three or four months, you are able to enjoy some beautiful springtime blooms inside while there is still snow outside. Some excellent choices are paper whites or amaryllis, that are designed to bloom indoors. In the late winter months you may add some fragrance and beautiful color to your house with branches which you force to bloom indoors, that are cut from such flowering trees and shrubs as forsythia bushes and apple trees.

So help your house be more lovely and brighter with some sorts of flowers. You will be very happy you did!

Autumn Lockwood writes for Your Picture Frames. When you need a way to display your most treasured photos, you can find a wide assortment of classic 5x7 picture frames when you visit our website. Check out our selection of beautiful photo frames now or call us at 800-780-0699.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Autumn_Lockwood

Read More

Planning Your Kitchen Makeover

Having a whole new kitchen fitted is very exciting but don't rush into it. It can save you a lot of time, money and mistakes if you plan it really carefully.

The first thing to do before you go ripping everything in the kitchen out is to consider what you are going to change and what is going to stay the same. If you are making any structural changes to the room such as removing a wall or moving doors and windows then you're likely to need to replace everything in the kitchen, but if not then have a good think about it. If your kitchen cabinets are in decent condition you could consider simply replacing the doors rather than the whole cabinets. Even if you want to change the layout of the kitchen this may still be possible if you carefully remove the cabinets first. Then consider your flooring. If you have a good but tired floor, consider how it would clean up before changing it for another. Old terracotta floor tiles for example can be restored and look really beautiful.

Next you need to put some thought into your budget. If you have a strict budget then this is going to restrict what you can do, so keeping anything from the old kitchen that you can, will be important to free up cash to spend elsewhere in the room. If you're not replacing the kitchen floor tiles then you can spend more on some really stunning kitchen wall tiles for example.

Consider the layout of your new kitchen. You are most likely going to have to live with it and use it daily for many years, so it's important to have it just how you want it. A lot of kitchen showrooms will now be able to take the measurements of your room and show you various layouts on a computer in 3D, which is incredibly helpful, but only you know your actual needs so you need to work out what they are. If you entertain a lot then you might need a large table and a lot of chairs. If you do a lot of cooking in bulk you might want a chest freezer in your kitchen. Every family is different, so determine your specific kitchen requirements and make sure they are taken into account at the design stage. You can also buy software for your home PC that will enable you to design rooms, this can be a great help if you have some time to spare.

The most fun part of choosing a new kitchen is picking out the kitchen itself, along with the kitchen wall tiles and other accessories. Again do put plenty of thought into it. You need something that isn't going to date too quickly and that you're not going to get fed up of in a few months! If you know you won't be replacing the kitchen again for several years then try and pick a classic design that will last rather than the latest trend that may tend to look old fashioned more quickly.

Replace your Kitchen Tiles without blowing the bank! Visit http://www.tiles4all.co.uk/Kitchen-Tiles.html today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsey_Watson

Read More

Moroccan Decor for Coziness, Tranquility and Laid Back Ambience

To turn a home into an exotic oasis of coziness and tranquility is easy when Moroccan decor is the theme selected for a more luxury ambience and true profusion of patterns, colors and hues. The sumptuousness of colors and Oriental patterns typical of the African country of Morocco lends a new charm to a home ambience and brings the Mediterranean atmosphere of warmth, peace and quiet, with Moroccan furniture and Moroccan bedding conveying sensuality and spirituality of a culture that has existed for centuries, perfecting craftsmanship to create true masterpieces, items of furniture and bedding that are gems in themselves.

In fact, the Moroccan style atmosphere can be created with a number of details, and walls are areas where the Oriental spirit can be expressed; not only colors and hues, but decoration and selection of patterns complement an Oriental ambience by means of landscapes abounding in palm trees, majestic mountains, or views of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic Ocean. Such views create crisp images and evoke memories of vacations spent in Mediterranean resorts, in places soaked in sun and smelling of sea water.

Moroccan furniture and Moroccan bedding are the most preferred items for home decoration, when people choose to refresh their home ambience with Moroccan decor. The Moroccan spirit decor is especially appropriate for bedrooms where Oriental elements create the perfect atmosphere for rest and relaxation. Furniture made by hand, especially beds, armoires, mosaic tables, creates a truly unique atmosphere conforming to Moroccan traditions which have been shaped for centuries. Furniture items evoke images of Arabian princes and princesses and the sumptuousness of their palaces where such furniture is a must and a perennial backdrop. Oriental style bedding takes the best traditions of Moroccan craftsmanship, with exotic throws, pillows and bedspreads as if coming out of some Arabian Nights tale, inviting for a rest with a difference, with starry night patterns, paisley elements, tassel decorated pillows, beadwork, hand made to achieve perfection.

Vibrant colors are typical of the Moroccan Oriental decoration style. Crisp colors of wall decorations or courtyards tiled with Moroccan ornamented tiles are the most typical places in the home where vibrancy is preferred to lend liveliness and uniqueness to modern homes and freshen stern and more conventional modern elements of decoration. People who add water features in the Moroccan style such as murmuring fountains or inviting ponds recreate other staples of Moroccan decor, and Oriental water features are worth adding to any home for the tranquility it inspires as crystal water murmurs or splashes to invite for a laid back weekend.

It is now a common preference to decorate homes in Moroccan style. People are tired of the hectic pace of contemporary life; they are longing for a transfer of Moroccan home style where a laid back atmosphere pervades homes painstakingly furnished with hand crafted items, Moroccan furniture, exquisite tables and chairs, cedar beds decorated with Moroccan bedding. Such homes really provide unsurpassed comfort and relaxation for all people who take fond care of their homes.

Hisham Ben Arbi is the author of this article on Moroccan Decor. Find more information on Moroccan Furniture here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hisham_Ben_Arbi

Read More