Shower and Bathtub Conversions: Creating Your Ideal Wet Space
Dreaming of a spa-like sanctuary in your own home? Tired of that cramped, outdated bathtub you never use? A shower and bathtub conversion might be just the ticket to transforming your bathroom into the relaxing oasis you deserve. Whether youre looking for a sleek, modern shower, a luxurious soaking tub, or a fully integrated wet room, the possibilities are endless.
One of the most popular conversions is swapping a traditional tub for a spacious walk-in shower. This is a particularly attractive option for those with mobility issues, as it eliminates the need to step over a high tub edge. Plus, a well-designed shower can be just as relaxing as a bath, with features like rainfall showerheads, body jets, and built-in seating. Think of the convenience too – quicker showers mean more time in your day.
On the other hand, if long soaks are your idea of bliss, converting a small shower stall into a deep, comfortable bathtub can be a game-changer. Imagine sinking into a tub filled with bubbles after a long day, surrounded by the soft glow of candles. Modern tubs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from classic clawfoot tubs to sleek, minimalist designs, so you can find the perfect fit for your bathrooms aesthetic.
For the ultimate in bathroom luxury, consider creating a wet room. This involves waterproofing an entire area of the bathroom, allowing for a seamless transition between the shower and the rest of the space. Wet rooms are incredibly stylish and offer a sense of openness, but they require careful planning and execution to ensure proper drainage and waterproofing.
No matter what your vision, a shower and bathtub conversion is a significant investment. Its crucial to work with experienced professionals who can guide you through the process, from selecting the right fixtures and finishes to ensuring proper installation. They can help you navigate the complexities of plumbing and waterproofing, ensuring that your new wet space is not only beautiful but also functional and safe. So, take the plunge and transform your bathroom into the relaxing retreat youve always wanted.
Wet room design and installation is definitely having a moment. Its a modern bathroom trend thats gaining popularity, and for good reason. Imagine stepping into a spacious, spa-like shower where the entire room is the shower. No awkward stepping over a lip or dealing with a leaky shower door. Thats the beauty of a wet room.
Essentially, a wet room is a fully waterproofed bathroom where the shower area seamlessly blends with the rest of the space. This is achieved through tanking, a process that involves waterproofing the walls and floor, usually with a membrane or sealant, and creating a gentle slope towards a drain. This seamless design not only looks sleek and modern but also offers practical advantages, especially for smaller bathrooms. By eliminating the need for a shower enclosure, a wet room can create the illusion of more space and make the room feel airier and less cluttered.
But its not just about aesthetics. Wet rooms are incredibly practical, particularly for those with mobility issues. The level access eliminates tripping hazards, making them a safe and accessible option for everyone. Cleaning is also a breeze – simply spray down the entire room and squeegee the water towards the drain. No more scrubbing grout or battling mildew in hard-to-reach corners.
However, before you jump on the wet room bandwagon, there are a few things to consider. Proper installation is crucial. Its a more complex project than installing a standard shower, and requires the expertise of a qualified professional. Getting it wrong can lead to costly leaks and water damage down the line. Ventilation is also key to preventing mold and mildew growth, so ensure your bathroom has adequate ventilation or consider installing an extractor fan.
Ultimately, a wet room can be a stunning and functional addition to any home. Its sleek design, accessibility, and ease of maintenance make it a compelling choice for those looking to create a modern and luxurious bathroom experience. Just remember to do your research and hire a reputable installer to ensure you enjoy all the benefits of a well-designed wet room for years to come.
Stepping into a soothing shower or sinking into a warm bath should be a relaxing and enjoyable experience for everyone. But for people with mobility challenges, disabilities, or simply as we age, these everyday rituals can become difficult and even dangerous without the right accessibility considerations. Designing a truly inclusive bathroom means thinking beyond aesthetics and focusing on functionality and safety in the shower and bathtub area.
One of the most important features is a barrier-free entry. This can mean a roll-in shower with no lip or threshold to step over, making it easy for wheelchair users or those with limited mobility to enter and exit. For bathtubs, a walk-in tub with a watertight door eliminates the need to climb over the side, significantly reducing the risk of falls. Even a simple grab bar strategically placed can make a world of difference in providing stability and support.
Inside the shower or tub, seating is crucial. A built-in bench or a sturdy, slip-resistant shower chair allows users to sit comfortably while bathing, conserving energy and reducing strain. Handheld showerheads with adjustable heights and lengths offer greater flexibility and control over the water stream, catering to individual needs and preferences. Thermostatic mixing valves prevent scalding by maintaining a consistent water temperature, an essential safety feature for those with sensory impairments or slower reaction times.
Beyond the fixtures themselves, the surrounding environment also plays a role. Adequate lighting, non-slip flooring, and reachable controls for water temperature and pressure are all vital components of an accessible bathroom. Lever-style handles are easier to operate than knobs for those with limited hand strength or dexterity.
Ultimately, designing accessible showers and bathtubs is about creating a space that promotes independence, dignity, and safety for everyone. By incorporating these considerations, we can ensure that the simple pleasure of bathing remains accessible and enjoyable for people of all abilities and ages.
Keeping your shower, bathtub, or wet room sparkling clean and in tip-top shape isnt just about aesthetics; its about hygiene and longevity too. Nobody wants to step into a grimy shower or relax in a tub with questionable stains. Plus, regular maintenance can prevent costly repairs down the line. So, where do you start?
Firstly, regular cleaning is key. After each use, a quick rinse with warm water can wash away soap scum and hair, preventing build-up. Once a week, a more thorough clean is recommended. Use a gentle bathroom cleaner, avoiding harsh abrasives that can scratch surfaces. For stubborn grime, a paste of baking soda and water can work wonders. Dont forget to clean the grout between tiles – a toothbrush can be a handy tool for this. And remember to ventilate the room well to prevent mildew.
For glass shower doors, a squeegee after each shower can significantly reduce water spots and mineral deposits. A vinegar and water solution can also help to keep them sparkling. If you have a showerhead with reduced water flow, it might be clogged with mineral deposits. Soaking it in vinegar overnight can often restore the flow.
Bathtubs, especially those made of acrylic, require a bit more care. Avoid using abrasive cleaners, as they can dull the surface. A mild detergent and a soft sponge should be sufficient. For tougher stains, try a baking soda paste or a specialized bathtub cleaner.
Wet rooms, with their seamless design, can be easier to clean than traditional showers. However, they still require regular attention. Ensure the floor slopes correctly towards the drain to prevent water pooling, which can lead to mold and mildew. Wipe down surfaces after each use and clean the drain regularly to prevent clogs.
Beyond cleaning, inspecting your shower or bathtub regularly can help you catch minor issues before they become major problems. Check for leaky faucets, cracked tiles, or signs of mold. Addressing these promptly can save you money and hassle in the long run.
Finally, remember that prevention is always better than cure. Using a shower mat can prevent slips and falls, and placing a hair catcher in the drain can prevent clogs. By implementing these simple maintenance tips, you can keep your shower, bathtub, or wet room clean, hygienic, and looking its best for years to come.
Building design, also called architectural design, refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complicated projects often do not require a licensed professional, and the design of such projects is often undertaken by building designers, draftspersons, interior designers (for interior fit-outs or renovations), or contractors. Larger, more complex building projects require the services of many professionals trained in specialist disciplines, usually coordinated by an architect.
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and supervision of the construction of buildings. Professionally, an architect's decisions affect public safety, and thus an architect must undergo specialized training consisting of advanced education and a practicum (or internship) for practical experience to earn a license to practice architecture. In most of the world's jurisdictions, the professional and commercial use of the term "architect" is legally protected.
Building engineering typically includes the services of electrical, mechanical and structural engineers.
A draftsperson or documenter has attained a certificate or diploma in architectural drafting (or equivalent training), and provides services relating to preparing construction documents rather than building design. Some draftspersons are employed by architectural design firms and building contractors, while others are self-employed.[1]
In many places, building codes and legislation of professions allow persons to design single family residential buildings and, in some cases, light commercial buildings without an architectural license. As such, "Building designer" is a common designation in the United States, Canada, Australia and elsewhere for someone who offers building design services but is not a licensed architect or engineer.
Anyone may use the title of "building designer" in the broadest sense. In many places, a building designer may achieve certification demonstrating a higher level of training. In the U.S., the National Council of Building Designer Certification (NCBDC),[2] an offshoot of the American Institute of Building Design,[3] administers a program leading to the title of Certified Professional Building Designer (CPBD). Usually, building designers are trained as architectural technologists or draftspersons; they may also be architecture school graduates that have not completed licensing requirements.[4]
Many building designers are known as "residential" or "home designers", since they focus mainly on residential design and remodeling.[5] In the U.S. state of Nevada, "Residential Designer" is a regulated term for those who are registered as such under Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Residential Design, and one may not legally represent oneself in a professional capacity without being currently registered.
In Australia where use of the term architect and some derivatives is highly restricted but the architectural design of buildings has very few restrictions in place, the term building designer is used extensively by people or design practices who are not registered by the relevant State Board of Architects. In Queensland the term building design is used in legislation which licenses practitioners as part of a broader building industry licensing system. In Victoria there is a registration process for building designers and in other States there is currently no regulation of the profession. A Building Designers Association operates in each state to represent the interests of building designers.
Building surveyors are technically minded general practitioners in the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere, trained much like architectural technologists. In the UK, the knowledge and expertise of the building surveyor is applied to various tasks in the property and construction markets, including building design for smaller residential and light commercial projects. This aspect of the practice is similar to other European occupations, most notably the geometra in Italy, but also the géomètre in France, Belgium and Switzerland. the building surveyors are also capable on establishment of bills of quantities for the new works and renovation or maintenance or rehabilitation works.[6]
The profession of Building Surveyor does not exist in the US. The title Surveyor refers almost exclusively to Land surveyors. Architects, Building Designers, Residential Designers, Construction Managers, and Home Inspectors perform some or all of the work of the U.K. Building Surveyor.
A contractor[1][2] (North American English) or builder (British English),[3][4] is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of a building project.[5]
In the United States, a contractor may be a sole proprietor managing a project and performing labor or carpentry work, have a small staff, or may be a very large company managing billion dollar projects. Some builders build new homes, some are remodelers, some are developers.[6]
A general contractor is a construction manager employed by a client, usually upon the advice of the project's architect or engineer.[7] General Contractors are mainly responsible for the overall coordination of a project and may also act as building designer and construction foreman (a tradesman in charge of a crew).
A general contractor must first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as a bid, proposal, or tender documents). In the case of renovations, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. Depending on the project delivery method, the general contractor will submit a fixed price proposal or bid, cost-plus price or an estimate. The general contractor considers the cost of home office overhead, general conditions, materials, and equipment, as well as the cost of labor, to provide the owner with a price for the project.
Contract documents may include drawings, project manuals (including general, supplementary, or special conditions and specifications), and addendum or modifications issued prior to proposal/bidding and prepared by a design professional, such as an architect.The general contractor may also assume the role of construction manager, responsible for overseeing the project while assuming financial and legal risks.There are several types of risks can occur include cost overruns, delays, and liabilities related to safety or contract breaches.
Prior to formal appointment, the selected general contractor to whom a client proposes to award a contract is often referred to as a "preferred contractor".[8]
A general contractor is responsible for providing all of the material, labor, equipment (such as heavy equipment and tools) and services necessary for the construction of the project. A general contractor often hires specialized subcontractors to perform all or portions of the construction work. When using subcontractors, the general contractor is responsible for overseeing the quality of all work performed by any and all of the workers and subcontractors.
It is a best practice for general contractors to prioritize safety on the job site, and they are generally responsible for ensuring that work takes place following safe practices.
A general contractor's responsibilities may include applying for building permits, advising the person they are hired by, securing the property, providing temporary utilities on site, managing personnel on site, providing site surveying and engineering, disposing or recycling of construction waste, monitoring schedules and cash flows, and maintaining accurate records.[9]
The general contractor may be responsible for some part of the design, referred to as the "contractor's design portion" (JCT terminology).[10]
In the United Kingdom, Australia and some British Commonwealth countries, the term 'general contractor' was gradually superseded by builders during the early twentieth century.[citation needed] This was the term used by major professional, trade, and consumer organizations when issuing contracts for construction work, and thus the term 'general contractor' fell out of use except in large organizations where the main contractor is the top manager and a general contractor shares responsibilities with professional contractors.
General contractors who conduct work for government agencies are often referred to as "builders". This term is also used in contexts where the customer's immediate general contractor is permitted to sub-contract or circumstances are likely to involve sub-contracting to specialist operators e.g. in various public services.
In the United States and Asia, the terms general contractor (or simply "contractor"), prime contractor and main contractor are often interchangeable when referring to small local companies that perform residential work. These companies are represented by trade organizations such as the NAHB.[11]
Licensing requirements to work legally on construction projects vary from locale to locale. In the United States, there are no federal licensing requirements to become a general contractor, but most US states require general contractors to obtain a local license to operate. It is the states' responsibility to define these requirements: for example, in the state of California, the requirements are stated as follows:
With a few exceptions, all businesses or individuals who work on any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation, or other structure in California must be licensed by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) if the total cost of one or more contracts on the project is $500 or more.
In every state that requires a license, a surety bond is required as part of the licensing process, with the exception of Louisiana, where bonding requirements may vary in different parishes. Not all states require General Contractor licenses - these include Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, among others.
Some general contractors obtain bachelor's degrees in construction science, building science, surveying, construction safety, or other disciplines.
General Contractors often learn about different aspects of construction, including masonry, carpentry, framing, and plumbing. Aspiring general contractors communicate with subcontractors and may learn the management skills they need to run their own company.
Experience in the construction industry as well as references from customers, business partners, or former employers are demanded. Some jurisdictions require candidates to provide proof of financing to own their own general contracting firm.
General Contractors often run their own business. They hire subcontractors to complete specialized construction work and may manage a team of plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, carpenters, iron workers, technicians, handymans, architects and roofers. General Contractors build their business by networking with potential clients, buying basic construction tools, and ensuring that their subcontractors complete high-quality work. General Contractors do not usually complete much construction work themselves, but they need to be familiar with construction techniques so they can manage workers effectively. Other reasons include access to specialist skills, flexible hiring and firing, and lower costs.
A property owner or real estate developer develops a program of their needs and selects a site (often with an architect). The architect assembles a design team of consulting engineers and other experts to design the building and specify the building systems. Today contractors frequently participate on the design team by providing pre-design services such as providing estimations of the budget and scheduling requirements to improve the economy of the project. In other cases, the general contractor is hired at the close of the design phase. The owner, architect, and general contractor work closely together to meet deadlines and budget. The general contractor works with subcontractors to ensure quality standards; subcontractors specialise in areas such as electrical wiring, plumbing, masonry, etc.
The concept of home improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating, making improvements or making additions to one's home.[1] Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), exterior (masonry, concrete, siding, roofing) or other improvements to the property (i.e. garden work or garage maintenance/additions). Home improvement projects can be carried out for a number of different reasons; personal preference and comfort, maintenance or repair work, making a home bigger by adding rooms/spaces, as a means of saving energy, or to improve safety.[2]
While "home improvement" often refers to building projects that alter the structure of an existing home, it can also include improvements to lawns, gardens, and outdoor structures, such as gazebos and garages. It also encompasses maintenance, repair, and general servicing tasks. Home improvement projects generally have one or more of the following goals:[citation needed]
Maintenance projects can include:
Additional living space may be added by:
Homeowners may reduce utility costs with:
The need to be safer or for better privacy or emergency management can be fulfilled with diversified measures which can be improved, maintained or added. Secret compartments and passages can also be conceived for privacy and security.
Home or residential renovation is an almost $300 billion industry in the United States,[5] and a $48 billion industry in Canada.[6][full citation needed] The average cost per project is $3,000 in the United States and $11,000–15,000 in Canada.
Professional home improvement is ancient and goes back to the beginning of recorded civilization. One example is Sergius Orata, who in the 1st century B.C. is said by the writer Vitruvius (in his famous book De architectura) to have invented the hypocaust. The hypocaust is an underfloor heating system that was used throughout the Roman Empire in villas of the wealthy. He is said to have become wealthy himself by buying villas at a low price, adding spas and his newly invented hypocaust, and reselling them at higher prices.[7]
Perhaps the most important or visible professionals in the renovation industry are renovation contractors or skilled trades. These are the builders that have specialized credentials, licensing and experience to perform renovation services in specific municipalities.
While there is a fairly large "grey market" of unlicensed companies, there are those that have membership in a reputable association and/or are accredited by a professional organization. Homeowners are recommended to perform checks such as verifying license and insurance and checking business references prior to hiring a contractor to work on their house.
Because interior renovation will touch the change of the internal structure of the house, ceiling construction, circuit configuration and partition walls, etc., such work related to the structure of the house, of course, also includes renovation of wallpaper posting, furniture settings, lighting, etc.
Aggregators are companies that bundle home improvement service offers and act as intermediary agency between service providers and customers.
Home improvement was popularized on television in 1979 with the premiere of This Old House starring Bob Vila on PBS. American cable channel HGTV features many do-it-yourself shows, as does sister channel DIY Network.[8] Danny Lipford hosts and produces the nationally syndicated Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford. Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete co-host the nationally syndicated The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show.
Movies that poked fun at the difficulties involved include: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy; George Washington Slept Here (1942), featuring Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan; and The Money Pit (1986), with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. The sitcom Home Improvement used the home improvement theme for comedic purposes.
I truly cannot say enough good things about Tamari and TNT Design and Build. We had a pipe leak in our kitchen that caused extensive damage. We ended up needing to do an entire kitchen renovation on a tight timeline. Because it was unexpected we weren’t prepared with many ideas. Luckily, with guidance from Tamari’s team and his extensive showroom we were able to choose quality products that we were really happy with. TNT does top quality work everywhere—from replacing pipes, putting up new drywall, flooring, custom cabinet installation, countertop installation, custom tiling, painting and more. The team is professional and punctual. The small hiccups we encountered along the way were dealt with quickly—the team is very solution oriented. The work exceeded our expectations and was completed ahead of our agreed upon timeline! We highly recommend TNT Design and Build and will definitely use them for any future house projects
I have worked with TNT Design & Build on over 15 remodels and flips of my personal properties, and I can confidently say that they are the best in the business. From start to finish, every project has been handled with professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail. Tamari, the owner, is truly outstanding. His leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence ensure that every project is completed on time and with impeccable quality. He takes the time to understand my goals and always goes above and beyond to bring them to life. His team of workers is just as impressive—skilled, hardworking, and dedicated to delivering top-notch craftsmanship. What sets TNT Design & Build apart is their reliability and consistency. No matter the size or complexity of the project, they have always delivered results that exceed my expectations. Their work is not only high-quality but also beautifully designed and built to last. If you’re looking for a trustworthy, efficient, and talented team for your next remodel or construction project, I highly recommend TNT Design & Build. They have been my go-to company for years, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my projects!
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