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Hello! I’m so excited to be the newest contributor here on Remodelaholic! My name is Colleen and I’m the DIY and lifestyle blogger behind Lemon Thistle– home to DIY, home decor, parties and babies. Before I share my bathroom renovation, let’s get to know each other, shall we? I’m a mama to 18 month old twins, I love to party, and my awesome hubby and I are working our way through renovations on our new home. Oh, and we’re operating on a budget too. Nice to meet you! Designer bathrooms offer you competitive bathroom prices on luxury products, from bathroom mirrors to heated towel rails and walk in baths. If you want to change the part of your bathroom that made up of plastic, I can suggest a glass replacement company for you.

It’s officially been one year since we bought our home- a completely original 60’s split level that needed a lot of work (you can see all the before photos here). We’ve been renovating since we got the keys and have another couple years to go. Years!? Yep, we’re working on a budget, so we’re doing everything ourselves. We so enjoy seeing what a bit of elbow grease and paint can accomplish- the transformation is already thrilling. Since we’re working on a budget (I’m sure you can relate!), we had to prioritize our renovations. Our kitchen wasn’t useable, we needed to upgrade all the un-fun stuff (plumbing, electrics, windows etc.), we needed an income suite from the basement, and we really wanted to refinish the floors before we moved in (because who want’s to live through that!?). That meant that our ugly but completely functional bathroom would have to wait. We had it on the schedule for NEXT summer.

But the joys of home ownership means that the one room in the house you thought could wait… can’t. Since we moved in and started using our bathtub it’s been leaking, friends. Not just little leaks, but BIG awful leaks. We had plumbers in to fix it- then another leak would start. This went on for months (and about 5 fixes) until we were out of options. It was leaking into our basement suite, our wall was rotting from all the water, the tile surround was cracked and we couldn’t figure out where the leaks were coming from. We had to reconsider our waiting. I should mention that we only have one bathroom in our house (other than our suite), so not using the tub wasn’t an option. Enter renovating in phases.

Do you remember Young House Love? I loved reading their blog, and they were advocates for renovating in phases. I had always been of the mindset- fix it once and don’t waste your money covering the ugly. But we totally couldn’t afford to do the whole bathroom the way we wanted right now. We could have done a ‘meh’ renovation on the whole room… or we could renovate in phases. We chose the latter and I’m SO happy we did! We knew the bathtub had to go. Our flooring was peeling back and we were pretty sure the subfloor had bad water damage too- so that had to go as well, although we couldn’t afford to lay the tile we want in there permanently. There was really nothing wrong with the vanity or toilet- so we decided those would have to wait.

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Here’s what we did for ‘Phase 1’ of our renovation:

• Painted EVERYTHING to get rid of that awful pink
• New shaker door and textured window (along with all the other doors and windows in the house)
• New farmhouse trim and baseboards (along with all in the house)
• New toilet seat (it was broken)
• New Towel Rack (I made this one out of pallet wood! You can check out the DIY here)
• New Tub, surrounding drywall, tile surround, and trim (faucet/ shower)
• New shower curtain (Another DIY I’ll be sharing on my blog tomorrow! It’s extra-tall and wonderful)
• Added a fan for humidity
• Temporary flooring
• Temporary light fixture
• New hardware for the vanity

Whew… it was a lot, right!? The basics- paint, door, window, and all trim were completed for the whole house before we moved in. We also added a bathroom fan and switched out the light fixture before we moved in. The light fixture when we purchased the house was not only broken, but so close to the wall that it had burnt a hole in the drywall! The light fixture we put in is a freebie from my Dad’s bathroom renovation (score!). We plan to get a new one when we finish the remodel (and the one I have my eye on is a beauty!). We also replaced the dated hardware on the vanity with affordable hardware from Target. The chunky plates for the hardware allowed for a quick switch without patching holes in the vanity. These changes were done before our bathtub woes and made a huge difference on their own! The pink being gone was the best part (who paints a ceiling pink!?). I guess this part was technically ‘Phase 1’ but we’ll call it ‘Phase 1A’ and bend the rules.

When our bathtub came out, so did all the plumbing within reach. Our plumber couldn’t even pin point one specific leak because everything was leaking a bit. We bought a builder grade tub from the plumbing supply store and chose to tile the surround. We used the same flooring as in our kitchen renovation to tile the majority of the shower (San Marco Viva Linen). We’d originally bought enough to tile the bathroom floor and our entryway and were storing it in our basement. Using this up means we’ll need to figure out something else for the floors when we get there, but saves some coin in the mean time. The marble hexagon accent tile is the same tile we used for backsplash in our kitchen (from Home Depot), so we were able to use cut pieces and extra from that to help cut cost as well. I tiled the shower myself, I learned on our basement suite shower a couple months ago and am so thrilled with how it turned out! (Grout colour is Delorian Grey) I feel like I can tile anything now. The faucets are Moen (Eva and Iso-we love their lifetime warranty!). Click here to meet our bathroom renovators.

Deciding on the right paving system for your property or home is an important step as far as long-term investment in your property is concerned. Pattern imprinted concrete provides a really innovative method of designing the surface of a freshly poured already mixed concrete in order to give a beautiful concrete design that is reminiscent of stone, brick, tiles or cobbles. Concrete price calculator Perth is really accurate.

When it comes to the driveways, this paving method offers much more than just access to your home. As the amounts of technology-driven enhancements being done to the method as well as the features of imprinted concrete increases, so does the number of homes looking to add texture, design and a wow factor to the exterior part of their homes.

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider using this paving method. But, remember, to get the most out of this project, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of the types of patterns that can be designed for you. This is to ensure you get exactly what you desire. The reasons include:

It provides great visual aesthetics: The pattern imprints can create virtually any design you want whether you would like to match it with your walls in terms of colour and pattern, or communicate something. Things such as stones, tiles, bricks and cobbles do come in designs and shapes that are ordinary. You can get custom-made pattern imprinted concrete driveways specially for you to complement the exterior decor of your home, even if you want unique features like circles, borders, cracks control joints as well as other looked-for features.

It improves the face value of your property: There is absolutely no doubt that such driveways add instant curb appeal to your home. The artistic patterns and designs not only add aesthetic value to your home, it also creates a sense of unique personality to your home exterior that differentiate it from the rest of the homes in the neighbourhood. Majority of home buyers look for particular level of uniqueness, and tailored imprinted concrete designs on your driveway will add that magnetic pull, thereby increasing your Return on Investment without spending too much.

It’s very affordable: Compared to other pavement methods, pattern imprinted concrete is quite affordable. This is as a result of the fact that concrete itself is cheaper compared to other materials used for such purposes, for instance, tiles. Furthermore, once laid, this pavement material does not require regular maintenance and are much more durable. This will save you the cost of having to hire maintenance services often.

It’s fast and easy to install: This pavement material is quite easy to install and takes just a very short time. Laying stones, tiles, bricks or cobble can be extremely involving, needing too much attention to detail. Pattern imprinted concrete, on the other hand, is very easy to install since it only involves imprinting the specific designs on the freshly-poured concrete.

It requires very low maintenance: Driveways are normally exposed to dust from the atmosphere, dried leaves and other debris, oil, grease, as well as other automobile stains. This can take so much time and resources to clean up particularly with other pavement methods. The same can’t be said about pattern imprinted concrete driveways since they don’t get stained easily. However, in case it gets stained, the stains can be easily removed. You won’t require those costly commercial detergents or even hire cleaning professionals or equipment to carry out the task. Weeds, too, can’t grow on these pavements and therefore there is no frequent weeding. Weeds are one among the common causative factors of driveway degrading as a result of the chemicals produced by the roots and the dried leaves.

It provides unique installations: Every home is unique and different people have different needs. Pattern imprinted concrete complement the structures they lead to. Such driveways come is a range of patterns so large that you can have a design that’s specific to you to select from. In fact, you can have your own custom design that’s unique to your personality. They also come in a range of colours, and you’ll get whatever colours you may want to have in your driveway.

It’s highly durable: This paving method will provide you with driveways that have high durability and permanence levels. You don’t want to renovate your driveways every couple of years, hence the need for highly durable pavement method. Concrete is resistant to a number of environmental conditions including the adverse ones. They can endure very high temperatures as well as low temperatures. This will save you the cash you’d have used for regular restorations or remodeling of your driveways. In case you use pattern imprinted concrete for your driveways, odds are that it will end up living longer than you, and still remain in the same conditions as before if maintained well. Even if you have to renovate your driveways, it will be after several years.

It helps avoid slipping risks: Wherever you are, the rain and snow will always make your driveway slippery. Slippery driveways can be very dangerous to the homes with kids and elderly people. With imprinted concrete driveways, you can guarantee freedom from slipping and falling which can be very dangerous. Majority of professional pavers use anti-slip protector as standard on their paving projects to keep you and your family safe regardless of the weather conditions.

In conclusion, these are just some of the reasons to have your driveways installed with pattern imprinted concrete. Besides the driveways, you can also use this paving method for your walkways, porches, patios, and pool or garden footpaths. In case you’ve just built a new home, purchased a home with a decrepit driveway or just want to renovate your current driveway, you should consider trying out this paving method.

The key is to find a reliable paving service provider that uses extremely specialised concrete mixes, provides large varieties of colours, designs and patterns, and houses dependable pavers and bricklayers to carefully deliver topnotch imprinted concrete driveways. This will give your driveway a complete facelift and enable you to save money, too. Obviously, a written insurance is a must so as to guarantee quality, durability and peace of mind.

If you’re in the UK, take a look at this reliable supplier of pattern imprinted concrete driveways and patios and find out how you can affordable improve the look and feel of your home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jamie_Strebes/812661

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Home improvement that will definitely hit the roof of the value of your home begins with the correct decisions and choices. You must consider certain areas in the home that are often used and mainly significant in function like the bathroom. Bathroom renovations Eastern Suburbs gives inspiration and ideas as well as step by step plan from start to finish. If you want to restore your old house cathedral glass is the best option.

There are many choices for bathroom renovations available for you as a homeowner who is frequently planning on adding value to your house. One of the main things to consider in upgrading your bathroom is whether to install a bathtub or a shower. Before you decide, it is necessary to have a better comprehension of the difference between these two.

A shower is part of your home project that is more economical and practical compared to using a bathtub. Those who are always on the go and have a hectic schedule can always appreciate the benefit of using showers instead of a luxurious bathtub. There are also relaxation advantages from a shower depending on the type you choose to install in your bathroom. The soothing effect of the water helps relieve daily stress. Showers are also great especially if you have limited bathroom space. Showers ensure a quick drainage system. A simple shower system is definitely cost-effective, practical and easy to install.

For those who prefer a distinct level of ease and comfort when taking a bath find bathtubs to be perfect for their bathroom renovation. A tub offers you more time to enjoy bathing relaxation and comforts like a warm babble bath at the end of a hectic day. Elderly persons can benefit from the therapeutic effect of water salts and other spa items for their bath. The effect of this option is surely on the finances that you spend. Since tubs are bigger, you need to make necessary expansion to accommodate it in your bathroom. The flooring should have a durable and sturdy tile to support its weight especially when filled with water and you must have additional budget to install bigger pipes to fill your bathtubs faster.

Types of Showers:

1. Push-on mixer – the spray parts and hose of this type can be connected to the bath tap. This is very affordable and easy to install. Nevertheless, you may have difficulty in adjusting the temperature, as it is dependent on the tap.
2. Shower/Bath Mixer – this has the features as the push-on mixer and is suitable for use with bathtubs.
3. Manual mixer – the hose and spray unit is attached to the wall. Hot and cold water supplies are connected in single valve. This costs more than the previous mixers.
4. Thermostatic mixer – is like the manual kind but has a built-in stabilizer to be able to self-adjust the water temperature. This is the most expensive because of the easily controlled temperature feature.
5. Power Shower – this unit has an electric pump that can change water temperature and pressure. While the unit is inexpensive, you may have to install new pipes and must be fitted with cold-water cistern and hot water cylinder.
6. Electric shower – this wall unit is electrically heated through temperature and pressure control knobs. You have to wire this to an electric power supply.

Types of Bathtubs:

1. The Basic 5-ft wall to wall built in model bathtub, freestanding, claw-foot tubs, soaking, and walk-in and whirlpool tubs.
2. You may choose the materials such as steel, acrylic, porcelain, composite, fibreglass/gelcoat, cultured marble and cast iron.

Both showers and tubs come in kinds especially made for people with different needs. You have the choice to install either of the two for your bathroom upgrade as long as the result will enhance the market value of your home, then your investment is worth every single penny spent, or if you can afford it, you can choose to install both.

Take into consideration the kind of family or individual who may purchase your house later should you choose to sell it. Families with infants and little children may opt for a bathtub, while older people may prefer the accessibility of showers.

Two major important things to consider are your budget and the appearance of your new bathroom. Make sure that the expense should include all details you would like to have in your new bathroom. You may request for a free quote through online sites of builders and contractors. Make a layout of how your bathroom should look and the placement of a shower or bathtub. Once your plan is in paper, you can then proceed to buy the materials. Visit us for layout designs of your bathroom.

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