Choosing Your Bathroom Fixtures

The bathroom has come a long way over the past 100 years. I am frequently thankful that I was born when I was because I have been able to enjoy all the luxuries that my older relations never had. I can select between never ending hot water while having a shower, or a long, delicious bath, and I can use a toilet that works well.

Bathrooms these days have shifted from providing the bare necessities to becoming a especially pleasant room. If you're redesigning your bathroom, the first thing to look at is to make certain they are adequately vented. Even if you have a window in your bathroom, it is recommended to have a fan up above the shower. This means that the moisture of the steam is immediately sucked up out of the bathroom. If you have already a fan, look to see that it is working and check if it needs to be cleaned.

So now it is up to you to select your fittings. It seems like an easy task till you visit your plumbing store or your local hardware store and you see the vast array of possibilities available to you.

It's recommended to start with setting a budget. Figure out what all the fittings will cost you in total. And also consider the ongoing costs. When you select a faucet, you can select various sorts with washers or some versions with cartridges that will have to be replaced over time. Just check with the supplier that you aren't buying something that has a replacement part that will be difficult to find when it should be replaced. It is the same with the shower head. Every shower head will wear down with the constant water pressure, so look to see that it is easy to find replacement parts.

You may wish to color co-ordinate all the different fixtures. This makes it look very appealing, but just take note that it may reduce the type of fixture you can buy, so decide before going to the store whether color has to take preference over materials and functionality.

Toilets can be both very expensive and very inexpensive. The choice is vast. The first thing to do, is to consider the amount of water that you want to consume. You'll find that your older-fashioned toilet may consume between 13 liters and 20 liters per flush. This is a huge amount of water. The new versions don't have to use that much water because they use improved plumbing technology and because people are now aware that water, which most of us used to take for granted, is now becoming a very cherished and increasingly scarce resource. This is the reason why it is important to analyze every room in your home, in addition to outside your premises, to look to see that you're not using or losing through leaks etc., any unnecessary water.

To this end, you might consider buying a dual-flush toilet. Most modern toilets use no more than six liters per flush. Dual-flush toilets improve your possibilities by offering you the selection of using either a 1/2 or a full flush depending as to how much is required.

Then you have to select the type of toilet. It's good to know the size, type and the number of floor bolts of your current toilet. If you're installing it yourself, and you aren't very experienced, you will find it simpler to install a toilet that has the same measurements as your current one. However, this shouldn't reduce you, but do take note of the amount of room you have in your bathroom. An elongated bowl toilet is two to three inches longer than the round bowl and creates an oval-like shape. This is very appealing, and may fulfil the look you're after, but it will be disastrous to finish installation and then find that there's not adequate room to comfortably sit on, given the placement of your bathtub or shower.

You might also be wanting to install a quieter toilet, so you you might like to select a one piece toilet where the tank and the toilet bowl are united, they have a lower profile and a flush mechanism that makes for a softer flushing sound.

You also have to take a look at the height of your toilet bowl, especially if there are people living in your home who have back or leg problems. The lower the toilet bowl, the more problematic you will find they will find it to sit on.

Another thing to consider is the material you select for the various parts of your toilet. Generally you'll find that those using plastic parts are cheaper. This may suit your budget, but do take note that you will find they will usually last not as long as other more expensive possibilities.

It is the same when you select the materials for your faucets and shower heads. You'll find that the plastic possibilities will do a good job, but in a comparatively short period of time, plastic will stain and scratch and not look as appealing as, as an example, the chrome and stainless steel possibilities that can look as good as new a number of years from now if they are well looked after.

You also have to figure out what level of water pressure you require. Faucets and shower heads are made to reduce the water pressure to a certain level. So consult the people at your store and figure out what level you want.

Delimited Author Bio Resource Box

Scott Rodgers has recently retired as a Los Angeles master plumber and is committed to helping you make your household renovations a great success. For more useful plumbing tips and information, visit Scott's website: http://eLocalPlumbers.com
Scott Rodgers has recently retired as a Los Angeles plumber and he loves to share his many years experience of baths and plumbing. For more useful tips and information, visit Scott's website: http://eLocalPlumbers.com