Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa

Going to the spa is a treat for most people. It is a long-deserved mini-vacation from the working world or just the pressures of family and other responsibilities. The spa experience can help rejuvenate not only the body, but also the mind, however, these trips come at a cost in both the wallet and in time traveled. Instead, you may want to consider modern bathroom designs that incorporate spa features to help give you a place to escape.

Starting with the right shower

Modern bathroom designs for spa settings need to include a proper shower. This shower might include various options, such as:

• Detachable shower head
• Multiple settings on the shower head, massage, mist, etc.
• Lotion, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers
• Added shower spouts that direct water from floor of shower as well
• Waterfall shower action

The sky is really the limit when it comes to bathroom spa features. You can also find a number of modern bathroom designs for whirlpool and Jacuzzi bathtubs that can give you a nice place to soak your worries away. You can also easily install a shower head without spending a lot of money in the process.

Turning to the sink

Vessel bathroom sinks are a luxurious way to add ambience to your spa like bathroom. They make a bathroom look modern and provide the perfect setting for facial treatments and scrubs. With the extended basin edge, you can drape a towel over your head as you fill the basin with hot water to steam your pores before applying various masks or toners. You can also easily rinse your face of scrubs and microdermabrasion kits, as well as your hair if you plan on a shine infusing treatment.

Bathroom vanities hold your tools

Choosing the right bathroom vanities will help you ensure that you are getting the right spa surfaces for your various treatments and plans. Try to find vanities with larger surface areas to spread your lotions and potions out on, but also with a large amount of storage space underneath to hide your products from wandering hands. When you have a neat and organized spot, it will be easier for you to access your spa goodies as well as use them on a regular basis. Think about picking up:

• Deep conditioner for your hair
• Bubble bath or mineral salt bath
• Loofah and exfoliating scrubs
• Various clay and mud facial and body masks
• Lotions for the skin

And other accessories

Modern bathroom designs that are geared to the spa experience can also include things like seating for you to sit in front of your vanity as well as decorative installations like fountains and music players. You can easily install a waterproof mp3 player in your shower to play soothing tropical sounds or just your favorite band. Tailor your spa experience to your mood in this way.

Other options to consider:

• A fluffy robe to lounge around in
• Large bathroom mirrors
• Decorative shower curtains as well as accessories that add to a theme that you enjoy

Modern bathroom designs can create the spa experience without your having to leave the house or leave a tip. With the right bathroom accessories, you can create a relaxing adventure any day of the week.

Dave Robert is a VP at Discount Bathroom Vanities Publishing, and an avid fixer-upper who's been restoring old houses for more than twenty years. Readers can tap into Dave's knowledge about home remodeling, and kitchen and bathroom design, at: http://www.DiscountBathroomVanities.com

Home Purchasing Checklists Provide Protection

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for consumers with useful information for future home repairs or current home repairs that will need to be done before the home is sold. Home inspectors often use checklists like these, while they're inspecting the home.

If more home shoppers used home inspection checklist while shopping for houses, we would probably have more satisfied homebuyers than dissatisfied ones. Recently just purchasing a home, we had our real estate professional, the previous homeowner's real estate professional and a mortgage lender, involved in the purchase of the property.

There was a home inspection report from the current homeowners, available for us to look at. It provided us with the damaged parts of the home that were repaired or replaced. Some of these repairs were from termite damage and it was stated so on the report. This was helpful information for us as we walked around the home inspecting it for damage.

The work that was repaired to look satisfactory and the rest of the home had minor damage. Listening to one of the real estate sales people that were involved in the transaction, you would've thought we would get in the deal of a lifetime and they had nothing but good news to say about the product they were representing. I easily understood that, this person could have influenced some one into believing that the home was in great shape, if they didn't have a home inspection checklist with them.

The home had been re-carpeted, painted and was in generally good shape. The problems with the home, were the old windows that were hard to open, the heating unit leaked gas, the tile flooring that ran through the kitchen and a large room addition looked great, except for one thing, they installed the tile over linoleum.

This eventually will have to be replaced as the tile starts to separate from the linoleum. While I'm writing this article, there's about 40 square feet of tile that needs to be replaced, because it's popping up and cracking.

A home purchasing checklist does not guarantee that you will find everything but can't eliminate some of the things that homeowners have the biggest problems with. If you could just eliminate one of these problems, the small price of purchasing, one of these checklists would be worth it.

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for the shopper and I would recommend, never shopping for a home without one.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

By Greg Vandenberge

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Do-It-Yourself Concrete Room Addition Foundation

This information can also be very important to do-it-yourselfers that will be building other projects, for future home improvements. How can a do-it-yourselfer learn to build a concrete room addition foundation? Let's get started.

The first thing that you're going to need is a set of plans or building blueprints and they should have been approved by your local building department and planning department. There should be specific architectural details, that you will need to examine carefully, to build your new concrete room addition foundation correctly.

Let's get started with the digging. You're building plans, should give you the width and depth and the exact location, of the building footings that will need to be dug. Grab your shovels and get started. Make sure that all of the dirt is removed properly, before you start to form the room addition foundation footings.

Next you will need to form the foundation. This can be done using 2 x 10 or 2 x 12 form boards. You can easily apply these form boards, in the exact location, that the building plans are suggesting. You can use 1 x 3 wood or metal stakes that can be purchased at any home improvement or lumber yard, to hold up your form boards in the correct position.

The sole purpose of the form boards, will be to hold the concrete in, once it is poured. Next you will need to install all of the rebar and building hardware, that will also be required on your building blueprints. Make sure that you examine these building plans to find the exact location, for all of your anchor bolts, hold down bolts and all of your structural rebar.

Once this is done, you're ready to pour your concrete, but don't pour your concrete, until you have contacted your local building inspector to examine your new room addition building foundation.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Escondido Remodeling and Home Repairs

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Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors.

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Do You Crave a Luxurious Bathroom? Ten Guidelines to Get One

Starting the day in the bathroom with a stimulating shower or ending the day in a relaxing bathtub are essential supports to our lifestyle.When the important elements of our life are in harmony we feel confident, rested and relaxed.If you have endlessly studied magazines or watched countless episodes of HGTV, it is time to consider some fundamental elements that lead to a luxurious bathroom. A luxurious bathroom capitalizes on the space available and pays heed to the particulars.The result is a perfect environment for daily bathroom activities. It includes creature comforts suited to our individual tastes.
Color Scheme - Soft, pale colors offer a calm sensation while brighter tones invigorate and energize.
De-Clutter - Organize the vanity cabinet and use wall cabinets or newly styled medicine cabinets to keep the counter free.Towels, hand soap, and a candle are essential items for the counter but avoid piling on too many accessories.
Simplify Daily Tasks - Many men shave in the shower so consider a fogless mirror. Use an attractive shower organizer for shampoo, conditioner, razor, loofah and other personal grooming products.
Enhance the Ambiance - Scents like lavender are soothing and relaxing and when used in combination with reed diffusers, the scent lingers for months. If music either gets you going or calms you, a radio suited for a wet environment is an option.
Invest in Quality Plumbing Fixtures - Make sure your water heater supplies enough hot water for your shower or bath. A jetted tub or multiple shower heads are additional enhancements for a luxury bathing experience.
Avoid the Ordinary - Examine every purchase and consider how it adds to the visual, sensory impact of the bath. Whether a tissue holder, bath scale or waste container, all item need to contribute to the design.
Additional Luxury - Bathrooms are about warmth not cold.Heated towel warmers elevate our sensory experience as does a heated floor.
Luxury Hotel Lessons - Observe the bathrooms of hotels and note the thick, organic towels, linen shower curtains, and unique containers for holding bath fragrances and hand towels.
Accents - A piece of art with additional color will add sophistication and unify the color scheme.Hand painted tiles grouped on the wall are an option for personalization.
Safety - Consider who uses the bathroom. Perhaps a family member or frequent visitor requires a grab bar. Today there are stylish alternatives that can be placed to promote safety.

Visit http://faithsheridan.com/portfolio.html and learn more about Seattle based Faith Sheridan Interior Design.

For advice on all things design related for home decorating and remodeling read my blog, http://www.faithsheridan.com/mydesignblog

Please send your comments and questions. You can also subscribe on the website or blog to receive my twice monthly newsletter for helpful tips and resources.

Avoiding Mistakes For Do-It-Yourselfers - Drain Clearing

The other day I was in a popular home improvement center picking up some irrigation parts for our house, when I was ease dropping on a conversation between an older man and one of the stores representatives. The man explained to the so-called in house plumbing expert that he had a clogged drain and was looking for a product that could be poured into the drain and solve his problems.

They were both standing in front of the liquid plumber selection of fine products(that was a joke). What product do you recommend the older man asked. The do-it-yourselfer plumbing expert answered by pointing to a product that he recommended, this seems to do a pretty good job at clearing drains. The older man, having been around the block before, a little more educated than he was a few years ago, from his previous purchases of a product that claimed to perform a task, but didn't.

If this was a young man or woman, I would have waited until the home improvement specialist left the area and then, I would've explained who I was, and my experience with a few of these products. However, I felt that this man, who looked like he was in his late 60s or early 70s, should've known better. I chose the let him help the economy with his purchase. I guess in a sense, I was doing my good deed for the day.

Their conversation soon ended as the in-house plumbing expert left to advise another customer, hopefully on something that he actually knew something about. The older gentleman selected a different product and quickly scaned the area to make sure that the person who had assisted him wasn't around as he scampered off in a hurry.

Here's a quick tip on how to avoid mistakes as a do-it-yourselfer. Don't assume that liquid drain cleaning products will solve your problem. Try not to get caught up in your home improvement advisers solution to your problem. I have watched them sell products to unsuspecting customers and even had them try to sell me something that didn't work.

I personally, have never had any luck unclogging any drain pipes with any liquid drain cleaner. I don't know if my message is loud and clear here and hope that anyone who has gotten this far, reading the article will not believe everything that they read, because the book or product says professional plumbing expert or listen to someone because they're wearing a shirt that says ask me, I'm a home improvement expert.

If you choose to ignore my advice, know this, you will be forever doomed to repeat the mistakes that others have made before you.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more information on plumbing check out our house plumbing books

Buying Bathroom Vanities Online - What You Need to Know

Well, there are several things you need to consider first before purchasing your bathroom vanity. First and foremost, you must know the dimensions of your bathroom in order to pick a vanity that will fit. You can get the measurements of your bath by simply using measuring tape, or you can hire a contractor to get the measurements for you. Either way, you need to know the exact measurements of the space available to you in order to pick the right bathroom vanity. Once you have this information, you will need to determine your budget and how much you are willing to pay for a bath vanity. You can get a high-quality bath vanity for anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000 dollars, so it's essential to know what you are willing to spend before you begin shopping.

Once you have the measurements and budget sorted out, you can begin to look at vanities online. If the rest of your bathroom is complete, you might want to consider picking a vanity that matches the rest of your bath. If not, you can select any vanity you want, and then match the rest of your bathroom with that vanity. Generally, there are many finishes available for vanities, including wenge, teak, white, black, grey oak, walnut, and so forth. There are also many different types of vanities, including traditional style vanities, modern European style vanities, Victorian style vanities, and more.

How do you go about finding the vanity you want online. Well, for starters you need to find a website that allows you to search on these criteria. For instance, if you want a white vanity for under $1,500 that is only 22 inches in depth, it would be hard to find that vanity by doing a general "Bathroom Vanity" search on Google. You need to be able to specify the exact vanity you want and do a search on those specifications.

One such place to do a search is TotalBath You can go to the bathroom vanities page and filter the results as you wish by setting the price, color, and dimensions of the vanity you want.