Remodeling Trends

One of today's most popular bathroom trends is a walk-in shower. Why? Most people prefer a shower to a bath and walk-in showers are generally safer than shower-tub combinations. With a walk-in shower you won't have to step over a tub side, which is typically 16 inches high.

 

Homeowners also like walk-in showers because they're easier to clean and can be customized with accessories such as bench seating, grab bars, wall jet sprays, rainfall showerheads, niches and much more.

 

Depending on your preference, walk-in showers can be designed with or without doors. They can also be configured to fit your bathroom, including corner installations or almost any space that's at least 36-by-36 inches.

 

 

If you're thinking about remodeling your bathroom, and considering a walk-in shower, you probably have many questions about everything from costs to space and plumbing considerations.   

 

We suggest that you begin your project by identifying what you like and dislike about your current shower. Is it too small? Would you like a more invigorating spray? Do you need a place to sit down? Is it hard to clean? Do you worry about slipping or tripping? Your answers to these and other questions are important. They will help determine the type of shower that will meet your needs. Your answers will also help your bathroom design professional recommend the right walk-in shower for you.

 

Types of Walk-In Showers  

There are three types of walk-in showers: custom, prefabricated shower bases with a separate surround, and prefabricated stalls. Custom walk-in showers offer the most design options.

    

 

Low or No Thresholds

Many homeowners prefer the look and style of a walk-in shower with no threshold or a low threshold. It's also a design feature recommended for individuals who use a wheelchair or have impaired mobility. To eliminate the threshold, a sloped floor is required in the shower.

 

Multiple Showerheads and Body Sprays 

If you're looking to create a spa-like experience in your walk-in shower, consider multiple showerheads and wall mount body sprays. Showers with multiple showerheads use more water than a standard shower and may require changes to your water supply lines, water heater and/or drains.

 

 

 

Accessories  

One of the most requested accessories for walk-in showers is a seat or bench. We prefer built-ins because they can be scaled to the available space and placed along a wall or in a corner. Other accessories include aesthetic tile designs, niches or built-in shelves, and grab bars for safety.

  

 

Ventilation and Lighting

 

  

Proper ventilation and lighting are essential in every bathroom design. Walk-in showers do not require any special bathroom ventilation. In fact, new bathroom ventilation fans feature better blade design and high performance motors that are efficient and quiet. New products include decorative flush mount fan/light units with attractive glass globes and a variety of finishes.

 

The idea that we should do our best to preserve our limited natural resources has really take hold in the U.S. Homeowners are now motivated to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. Still they are often unaware of several of the approaches they can take. For example, consider one of the areas where the typical American family generates the most trash: the kitchen.

 

On a regular basis, after you are finished cooking, you may be faced with numerous empty metal cans, glass jars, cardboard boxes, styrofoam containers, and plastic bottles. You may also have a mound of left over fruit and vegetable trimmings, egg shells and coffee grounds. Perhaps you have been wondering what is the most convenient and responsible way to dispose of all these items.

 

Actually, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is how you can reduce the amount of trash your cooking generates. You may need to revise your buying habits. By purchasing fresh food items and growing your own fruits and vegetables whenever possible, you can avoid accumulating so many packaging containers. In addition, fresh food can provide a healthier, more nutritious meal than pre-packaged food. Include a window garden in your next kitchen remodeling project, so you can conveniently harvest delicious herbs year around. Grow a vegetable garden outside during the warmer months, and plant some edible landscaping that can serve both culinary and decorative purposes. Reserve convenience foods for those days when you simply run out of time and have to cut corners.

 

Secondly, think about composting the left over scraps after you have peeled the potatoes or cracked the eggs. It is better for the environment if you let this organic material decay and return to the soil, rather than throw it in the disposal or the trash bin. A convenient stainless steel compost container with a tight-fitting lid may be installed in your kitchen countertop, next to the sink. The container stores the food scraps until you are ready to take them outside to compost. The compost, then, provides free fertilizer that can assist you in growing a bumper crop of vegetables and fruit.

 

Finally, find out which packaging materials may be recycled in your location. It is possible that very little of your kitchen waste needs to go into your trash container. In your kitchen base cabinets, install a recycling unit with several removable recycling bins. A recycling unit will help you separate and store recyclables until they are ready to be picked up at the curb or transported to your local recycling center. Color coded bins facilitate the proper separation of all the items.

 

By following these approaches to meal preparation in your kitchen--purchasing and growing fresh food, composting, and recycling--you will find yourself taking out the trash less often and putting less trash in the landfill. In other words, you will be practicing a more sustainable lifestyle.