How To Choose A Clawfoot Bath Tub

The clawfoot bath tub has come a long way starting 4,000 years ago in the island of Crete. Now it has made a big comeback and is now being sold widely in the market today.

The typical clawfoot bath tub is made of cast iron with porcelain painted over for that glossy touch. Today, though, a variety of designs have been created and there are now clawfoot bath tubs that are made of acrylic and fiberglass for lighter weight and easier installation. During the earlier years of the clawfoot bath tub's comeback, the clawfoot bath tub used to be popular only among collectors. Now it is made so much more affordable for all home owners who wish to have a beautiful antique-style bath tub.

Clawfoot bath tubs come in different styles and designs. There are those with the classic roll rim, where the rims of the tub elegantly slope outwards. Similarly, slipper tubs have that slightly raised end that delicately curves backwards where you are able to rest your back comfortably. Double slipper tubs are those that have two ends that are raised and curved. A tub that is double ended has two sides that are rounded instead of flat. Whether you are looking for that feminine touch, clean modern lines, vintage feel or playful design, the clawfoot bath tub offers you many styles to choose from.

Another thing to consider is the feet. Clawfoot bath tubs usually have iron feet with the shape of a lion's claws. Antique clawfoot bath tubs often have cast iron feet that is coated with porcelain enamel. Some are gilt and bear a resemblance of other animal feet. Clawfoot bath tub feet now come in different colors such as iridescent and two-tone.

Now, let's get more into the technical aspect of buying a new clawfoot bath tub. An important feature to consider is the placement of faucet holes. Wall holes are made so that your faucet and shower is situated from inside the tub. On the other hand, you can have faucet holes on top of the rim if you want more space and water in the bath tub. Another alternative is the absence of faucet holes, where water lines are attached to the bathroom wall instead.

Next step is to select your water supply line, once you've decided on the placement of the faucet holes. Water supply lines come in many designs, too. They can either be silver or have that gold tint. Here are the types of water supply lines you might want to inquire about from your supplier:

- Single offset supply lines. - Double offset supply lines - Pressure balance supply system - Deck mount supply lines - Freestanding water supply - Tub deck mount water supply - Tube wall mount water supply

Choosing a clawfoot bath tub that best suits your taste is all in the matter of getting to know basic styles and designs. You can begin your search with local suppliers or online.

Get the latest additions to clawfoot bath tub. Get more luxury bath guide info for the cheapest deals online!

Remodeling Projects

So, you're thinking of remodeling or adding onto your home. That could be one of the wisest things you could do in today's housing market. But you may be asking yourself what projects are the most cost effective. The answer can be more complicated than you might think.

Some things to consider:

What is the purpose of the impr16AFovements you are contemplating?
How long do you plan to live in the home after the improvements are made?
What will give you the biggest return on your investment?

Let's look at the first two:

The Purpose of the Improvements and Time-frame for Living in the Home. Is your purpose to make the home easier to sell, or have you simply outgrown the space and need more room? Perhaps it is just time to get rid of the Brady Bunch carpet and other groovy designs of the 70's.

If you just want to sell the home and get top dollar for it, some improvements are a great investment; especially in today's housing market. Anything you can do to make your home stand out is a good thing. In some cases it may not bring any extra money to the offer, however, it will shorten the time on the market. Pay close attention to paint condition and color-both inside and out. Bring them into a more neutral color scheme that won't turn off a potential buyer. Clean up the yard and paint the trim of the exterior doors to give a good first impression. These are inexpensive and easy tasks that add curb appeal and make you feel better about living there. Is the carpet worn or out dated? If so replace it.

These improvements are also the first place to start if you just need to bring the home up-to-date so that your friends and neighbors don't have a flash back when they come over for the big game or the kid's birthday party.

If you need some extra room because you have out grown your current home, the best place to start, from an out-of-pocket expense perspective, is in the basement. If you have an unfinished basement you can finish it off with a very reasonable investment. However, if you have plans of selling soon, do not expect to get top dollar for your investment. Homeowners love to finish basements to add resale value to their homes. The sad truth of the matter is that the average return on investment for finishing your basement is about 70%. So if you need the space for an extra bedroom or your family room-- go for it, but don't do it thinking you are going to get a huge return if you sell the home shortly after.

If you are looking to get a return out of your improvements you need to consider which improvement will give you the greatest return. There is no cut and dried answer on this, however, there are some guidelines you need to understand.

I love watching TV shows where investors come in and buy a fixer upper and start throwing numbers around like every improvement made to a home will be worth twice the amount they put into the home. Not true! For example, your home may need new siding to keep it from looking like one of those wrecks that investors want to buy to fix up. You should replace the siding to keep from losing value, but you will only get about 80% return on the investment. You also need to consider how much someone would negotiate you down if you did not replace it. You will most often lose more on the sale price by not replacing or fixing items like siding, carpet and paint.

Now back to what improvements get you the best return for your money. The number one place to start is in the kitchen. As a real estate agent, I saw it time and time again. If a kitchen was modern and up-to-date the asking price was much higher than if it was worn out and dated. On average, statistics show that you will get about 90% of your money back on a kitchen remodel. However, there are things that you can do to either increase that return or to decrease it. For example, if you are using tile, you can find tile from a dollar a square foot up to nine dollars a square foot, or even more. Which one you want to use is based upon the home, neighborhood and amount of time you plan to live in the home. Another way to dramatically update a kitchen is by installing custom cabinets, (an investment that has no limits on what you can spend), or you can go with a good quality modular system that can look custom.

The second best place to add value to a home is in the bathrooms. Updating the bathrooms gives great return on investment. Updating the bathroom gives you a return just short of a kitchen remodel. Again, you can go out of control with fixtures, tile and upgrades, or you can be modest in your choices and still transform an outdated bathroom into a room to be proud of.

Always consider the price, size and neighborhood in picking materials. You don't want a million dollar kitchen in a $200,000 home.

The area I have not covered and I will save for my next article is additions. Additions can also be a great return on your investment; however, there are some pit falls you need to avoid.

Mark Weisenburger has been a real estate agent were he sold new construction as well as existing homes. He has also been a mortgage officer. Mark is currently in construction sales helping families' dreams come true by helping them with remodels, additions and/or building their dream home. For more information you can visit his website http://hirethemonsters.com

Great Ways to Remodel Your Kitchen

No matter whereabouts you live everybody's kitchen and bathroom provides the same basic functions. In fact all bathrooms have to have things in common they all have to have a bath, a skink, and a toilet. The pe5B4rsonal touches make all of the differences in your unique and personal place. The bathroom and Kitchen are the best used rooms in the whole house. If you've brought a hole in Cincinnati then it may take a long time to remodel your kitchen due to the age of most of the houses there.

Cincinnati is mainly located along the front of a river, there are many different ideas that you could work into your kitchen which would be unsuitable for many other areas. Of course you don't need to bring the sights of the city into your house you can do something else with your personal space. You could turn your kitchen into a lovely beach scene.

The city has extensive history trading by river, and is also very close to Kentucky. This makes many different themes suitable for use in a kitchen here. All contractors in Cincinnati are experienced with a number of these different remodeling ideas; they may well be able to offer advice.

Make your Kitchen look better

One of the most difficult things involved when remodeling a kitchen is dealing with old houses. Cincinnati has a number of older properties. It can be difficult to tastefully update the kitchen's look without destroying the character of the old property. The kitchen in these homes will be perfectly functional they just need updating for aesthetic purposes. If you have experience and imagination then you may be able to make your Cincinnati bathroom wonderful.

Just as in5AF any other area of the country, by remodeling your kitchen you can add value to your whole home. When someone is buying a home the three rooms that they will scrutinize the most are the kitchen, bathroom and they will also inspect the heating equipment. The better these areas look the more desirable your house will be. With the vast number of houses available on the market today you need to make yours stand out amongst the crowd.

No matter how big your kitchen is most kitchens will require additional storage space. Most kitchens would also benefit from some extra seating areas. You could install a bench along the side of one wall which allows some extra seating and storage space.

The author Clinton Maxwell is really interested in news about home decor. Sharing his passion in works, the reviewer demonstrated his know-how on issues associated with kitchen corner cabinet solutions.

Put Some Beauty To Your Open Spaces With Awning

Awnings could be a good addition to any terrace, balcony, patio, doorways, decks, windows, poolside, driveway, Jacuzzi and other open spaces that should require decreasing warm weather temperatures and protection. Aside from providing additional shelter from the elements, it can enhance the exterior beauty of your home. Awnings are also good energy savers.

Depending on the direction that your house faces, an awning can save you considerable cuts on air-conditioning costs. There are different kinds of awnings that can be used for residential and commercial purposes.

The Retractable Awning

The retractable type is the most versatile of all awnings. It can provide direct protection from the sun and can be tilted up to 45 degrees. It is a good option if you need an awning that can be adjusted from time to time according to the requirements of shading that you will need. Retractable awnings come in different shade, color, design and retain the brightness of the space where it is placed. Retractable awnings are easily installed and can be removed just as easily. Provided the awning is not supplied with an electric motor, which is one of its options, you would not need help from a licensed electrician.

This awning has retractable arms that are spring loaded providing the tension to the fabric when it is rolling down its tube. Using this awning is like creating and additional space to your structure without the need for contractors. It is also the least expensive as it does not require construction.

When sufficient slopes are made, retractable awnings can keep your terraces, balconies, patios etc. clean and protected from rain. It however should be guarded during inclement weather, never during snow and must be rolled up when there is hail.

With retractable awnings, light and shade can be controlled. It can provide protection to your furnitures, carpets and fixtures from fading.

Most retractable awnings have options for an electric motor. These are recommended for outdoor plug ins and will need indoor switches. When you choose to install a retractable awning with motor, have a licensed electrician install it for you.

Stationary Awnings are good protection for the structure and can save you money for utility costs.

Canvas Awnings can provide additional protection to your deck window, patio and balcony aside from beautifying them. The shade it provide can help you enjoy more outdoor activities while protecting your drapes, carpets and furnitures from premature fading.

Canvas awnings come in different shade colors, patterns and designs, Styles could either be the double bar standard, dome shaped, open sides, the traditional closed sides, waterfall, quarter barrel and semi-circular. Canvass awnings are durable. It can last up to ten years and replacements are not expensive. There are also a wide variety of frames that you can choose from. Selection of frames can be aluminum or steel, anodized and powder-coated.

Metal Awnings or Aluminum awnings have three main categories the louvered awnings, the stationary awnings and the door hoods/canopies. These types of awnings are designed for durability. However like all awnings, the Aluminum awnings can bend when heavy load is placed on it like the accumulation of snow or hail.

Awnings support and paneling are constructed from tough double-gauged aluminum panels that are designed for all-weather durability. Its sides provide extra ventilation allowing hot air not to accumulate on the shaded areas. Metal awnings are available in designs that will fit and add beauty to window doors and pathways.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides awning resources on http://www.your-awning.info

The Challenges of Remodeling a Small Bathroom

We would all like to have a spacious bathroom, but that is not always possible, so what are the options?

1. Extend into other existing space such as a closet or utilize space from another room that we feel we can sacrifice.

2. Rearrange the space that we have to make it more functional and feel more spacious.

3. Stick with what we have, and rethink how we use the existing space.

In my case, I utilized the first two of these options. I bought a vintage house with two bathrooms, both small, because I thought it had "possibilities". One bath was tiny, and served only as a powder room. The other was small and narrow, and became one of my worst nightmares.

The solution was to both expand and rearrange. Fortunately I had some space behind this bath that was an extension of the kitchen that did little more than serve as an unsightly catchall.

This bath was not only small, but narrow. The vanity and shower were placed opposite of one another on the longer walls, leaving just enough space to walk between them. My solution after bumping out the wall at the end of the kitchen was to move the shower to the short wall at the end, so that when the vanity was in use there was more than just a narrow walk through. This small addition and different arrangement made all the difference.

Sometimes, moving fixtures even in the same space can bring a much more workable arrangement, just as moving furniture in your living room can make a more pleasing and functional situation. If you have a small bathroom space, and no hope of enlarging it, draw out a floor plan, and try different arrangements to see if you can gain a more functional and pleasing situation by rearranging the fixtures.

If this doesn't work there is plan #3 which is rework what you have.

1. Use light colors and tone on tone to make your bath seem more spacious.

2. Determine what are must haves in your bathroom on a daily basis. Store items that are less frequently used in other space such as a linen closet. Use containers and arrange these items so they can be neatly stored and easily accessed when they are needed.

3. A tub/shower combination can do double duty when space is at a premium.

4. Install sliding glass doors instead of using a shower curtain. This will spread more light and give a more spacious feel. Showers with hinged doors take too much space in a small bath. If you just have to have some added warmth, use a valance above the top of the door. This will be high and draw the eyes up rather than have them dwell on the lack of floor space.

5. Use only a valance over any windows, or something simple like a bamboo shade that requires less visual space.

6. Light colored cabinetry will help just as other light surfaces. Cabinetry, walls, and floors in lighter tones will add visual space.

7. Try to avoid open storage. Shelves and cabinetry that are covered present a more unified space and will help the eye to glide over the room.

8. Avoid small displays of decorative items. A small bath is not the place for that prized collection of fancy little perfume bottles. If you have open shelving, store larger like items on them. For example: Stack rolled same color towels on an open shelf. The eyes will just travel across them and see them as one thing.

9. Use towel rings for hanging towels rather than large towel bars.

10. Expose as few items as possible on your countertop, to give a less cluttered feel in a small bath. Some medicine cabinets are deep enough to house curling irons, blow dryers etc.

And last but not least. Don't hang towels o4A4r robes on the back of the bathroom door. Bulky items that protrude can eat up a lot of visual space.

Here you'll find many more good bathroom remodeling ideas as well as a bathroom remodeling checklist.

Seven Tips for a Well-Organized Bathroom

It's hard for a bathroom to be a relaxing haven if it's always a mess. And the average bathroom gets cluttered quickly. When you keep all your medications, makeup, grooming materials, shower materials, towels and toilet paper, and first aid items in one small room, you've got to be extra-vigilant to keep things neat and organized.

Keeping your bathroom organized may take a little extra work, but the effort is worth it. Here are a few tips for staying on top of the clutter in your bathroom.

Throw out what you don't use. Before starting to organize your bathroom, go through everything you keep there. Be prepared to throw a lot of things away. Any makeup, soap, shampoo, or medicine that's over a ye5B4ar old should go in the bin. Same with chronically mildewed toys, ripped or threadbare towels, rusty nail clippers, and anything else that isn't necessary and you don't use on a regular basis. Throw out what you don't need first, and you'll have less to organize later.

Have a towel rack for each person. If lots of people use a bathroom in the rush to get out the door in the morning, towels and washcloths can accumulate quickly-especially if there are kids involved. Make it easy for people to hang up towels: install a rack for each person who uses the bathroom. If you have kids, install hooks instead of racks; they're more likely to use them.

Use drawer dividers. Sick of opening your makeup drawer to a jumble of lipsticks, eyeshadows, and other cosmetics? It can be a hassle to rifle through your drawers every morning looking for your favorite shade of lip gloss. Organize your makeup drawer with dividers or even a cutlery organizer from the kitchen. These work great for any drawer full of small grooming implements.

Buy a shower caddy. Showers don't often have a lot of space for shampoos and soaps-but leaving your shampoo along the edge of the tub can make your bathroom look cluttered and messy. Hang a shower caddy from your showerhead with enough room to store everyone's shampoos, bath gels and soaps. This will allow everyone in your household to keep their favorite bath products on hand, without cluttering u5B4p your tub or shower.

Maximize your shelf space. Most people need every inch of storage space they can get in the bathroom-it's a small room with a lot of items to store. If you have a small bathroom or one without a lot of built-in storage space, you'll need to get creative. Install shelves in unused walls. Buy a cabinet designed to go over the toilet, or buy corner shelves that can be installed in the corner by the bathroom vanity. This will allow you extra space to keep linens, makeup, jewelry, and other necessities.

Use small containers or baskets. One of the most aggravating things about the bathroom is the amount of shampoos, soaps, hair gels, and shower gels you need to find a home for. You also have first aid materials such as band-aids and antibiotic ointment, which you need to be able to access quickly. In order to keep your bathroom necessities organized, buy containers or baskets and label them for each type of item. Keep first-aid items in one container, hair products in another, nail-care items in a third, and so on. Make sure to label each container clearly.

Color coordinate. If you have a large family sharing a bathroom, you may experience some conflict with sharing this small place. Teens and tweens can be territorial, especially about grooming products. Help them keep their things separate by giving each kid a color-coded container for makeup, hair gel, and other important products. In a5AFddition, color-code toothbrushes, towels, washcloths, and even shampoos. This way, you can monitor who makes the biggest messes without blaming all the kids for a cluttered bathroom. This may mean less conflict over messes in the long run.

It's easy for a bathroom to get messy, but it doesn't have to be difficult to keep things organized. Spend a few hours setting up a system, buy some organization products such as drawer dividers and containers, and throw out items you don't use-and you should be able to keep your bathroom clean and clutter-free.

R Dobson is managing director of Wilson Dobson Bathrooms http://www.wdbathrooms.co.uk based in Sheffield UK. For a wide range of shower products, demo videos and special offers visit http://www.wdbathrooms.co.uk/acatalog/New_Special_Offers.html

Average Sunroom Prices

According to NARI. (The National Association of the Remodeling Industry). sunrooms can repay more than 70% of their investment cost. Not bad when you consider that sunroom prices can range anywhere from from $12.000 - $70.000 (including the cost of materials and labor).

Averaging the Cost of a Sunroom

Broken down. it is estimated that the average sunroom runs at about $10.400 in materials. with $1500 in materials to construct a deck or foundation and $270 to construct the stairs. Add in the flooring and roofing systems and youre looking at a price tag of somewhere in the neighborhood of $13.500- $14.000 dollars.

The second most important factor- thats almost as important as the first- is the cost of labor. Just the labor charge itself for preparing the sunroom will be around $10.000. Then there will be approximately $1650 in labor for the deck and $200- $250 for the stairs. Once. again factoring in labor costs for flooring and roofing. the number lands in the area of $12.000.

Putting the two numbers for materials and labor together puts the total cost at a conservative $25.000. This number will of course travel up and down the scale depending on the materials used. Obviously. the better the materials used in building your sunroom. the higher the price will be when all is said and done. Trying to save money by using less expensive materials. however. does not always make good sense. As they say: You get what you pay for.

Features that Add Value to Your Sunroom

Your sunroom can be constructed of aluminum materials with energy efficient exterior and interior and thermally broken panels or for a more classic touch. you can construct it of wooden panels and beams.

There are a number of additions that will give your sunroom the look and feel that match your homes interior and exterior. Vinyl clad sunrooms will convey a Georgian or Victorian type conservatory look. Options such as sliding glass doors and windows with double locks and childproof handles provide a measure of safety to your sunroom.

Investing In Your Sunroom

Style will also determine the cost of your sunroom. Various roof designs such as cathedral. solarium. conservatory or California all have different price ranges due to the amount of materials involved in their construction471. Each style also has a number of optional upgrades in its window systems that can be of benefit or just a way to make your space just that much more unique.

Andrew Caxton is a reliable journalist who has published more articles on this issue for http://www.allsunrooms.com If you would like more information on this topic please checkout his website at sunroom prices