7 Steps to Create a Safe and Stylish Universal and Accessible Shower Design

Showers and bathtubs can be dangerous places for most anyone. Climbing over a bathtub rail, water and soap on the floor, a dark shower area which limits visibility are just a few common problems. How do you solve these challenges and create a relaxing, inviting shower which is safe as well? Read on to learn how:

Step 1 – Begin from the ground up –Shower safety and style begins with the shower base. Add a sleek contemporary European flair and greatly reduce the risk of a fall with a curbless barrier free shower base system (also called a wet room). In this system the shower base is set below the subfloor creating the structure of a universal shower which can be used by everyone.    

Step 2 – Floor it – Use slip resistant flooring in the shower. Consider a matte finish porcelain tile to reduce the slipperiness of the floor. Use urethane grout between the joints to minimize future maintenance.

Step 3 – Back your walls up – Long lasting and safe walls begin with what you don’t see – what’s behind the walls. If you’re using tile shower wall surrounds on the inside use either waterproof (extruded polystyrene) or water resistant (cement board) behind the walls for sound construction. If you’re using acrylic wall surrounds make sure to put solid wood backer boards behind the wall for future safety grab barinstallations.  

Step 4 – Change your plumbing valve to save water and add safety – New shower valves come with anti-scald features that prevent your water from getting too hot and will provide significant water saving benefits as well.  

Step 5 – Let the light shine in – Shower windows, glass shower enclosures, and lighting can add style and dramatically improve shower safety. If you’ve got an opening directly in the shower space consider using either a glass block window or an operable acrylic block window. For the shower stall consider either glass block walls (which are very sturdy) or a thicker frameless glass shower system. While your remodeling the bathroom add plenty of task lighting as well.

Step 6 – Take a seat – Get a more relaxing spa type shower experience (and improve safety) by adding a shower seat. If you’ve got a small amount of room use a fold down seat (there are some extremely cool teak and Brazilian walnut choices here), a moderate amount of room you can use a corner seat, and for large shower spaces a bench seat can work great.

Step 7 – Add cool, multi-purpose decorative grab bars  – The new styles bars don’t scream out Grandma any more. You can now get safety bars that add (not detract) from the looks of the shower and they can even double as towel bars and shower shelves.

Introducing a High End Curved Glass Shower Enclosure for Bathtub to Shower Conversions with a Cost Competitive Price

If you have a small bathtub you’d like to convert to a shower while improving the looks of your space and obtaining a high end look – you need to check out the new Novara curved glass shower enclosure with a “bowfront” style acrylic (or ready for tile) shower base. This unique system combines the low maintenance aspects of an acrylic shower base with the sleek styling of 5/16” thick curved glass with an easy rolling door system that slides smoothly and effortlessly. 

The Novara curved glass system – What makes this system so appealing (in addition to it’s contemporary style and the 5/16” thickness of the tempered glass) is the curvature of the glass increases the space inside the shower by approximately 5” – even though the shower is still confined to the alcove space previously occupied by the tub. This extra space allows for more comfortable showering and eliminates the need for ugly curtains that can get old and moldy. The clear glass provides the opportunity to show off high end tile, wall or decorative interior wall panels. Since this curved glass is mass produced in a standard size it is much more cost effective than custom made curved and bent glass – so you’ll get the style of a custom project without the high price associated with customization!
The Novara shower door hardware options – Sturdy and good looking hardware makes a door operate easily and lasts a long time. The Novara shower door system uses a heavy duty rolling system which is available in chrome, brushed nickel and ultra chrome finishes which can create a high end shower look even in a tiny tub space. These sliding shower doors can be configured to open from either the left or right hand side as well.
A curved acrylic base designed to fit the curved glass shower enclosure – Making a custom base fit a curved shower enclosure can be a coordination challenge for a bathroom remodeling contractor. With the Novara system by Fleurco the construction coordination is eliminated because the system can be supplied with a sturdy fiberglass reinforced acrylic base. This base measures 30 3/16” on each of the sides – but expands to 36” in the center to maximize showering space (a very cool design). It is 60” wide which is equivalent to the width of a standard tub enclosure. Acrylic has the advantages of being warm to step into and is easy to clean.
Premade custom ready for tile bases– If you’re not a fan of acrylic bases there is also a custom ready for tile base available for this curved bathtub to shower enclosure system as well.
What do you think about this curved glass bath to shower enclosure system? Do you have any questions about them? Please comment below.
If you’re looking for more information or an estimate to install this Novara curved glass shower enclosure visit The Bath Doctor of Cleveland (216-531-6085) or Columbus (614-252-7294).For nationwide direct product sales call Innovate Building Solutions (877-668-5888). For complete bathroom remodeling contact Cleveland Design & Remodeling(216-658-1270).

How to Adjust Sliding Shower Doors

A dragging shower or bathtub door can permanently damage both the door and the track if ignored for too long. Learn the steps needed to fix it and get it running smoothly again.1: Remove the guide

Unscrew the guide at the lower edge of the sliding door. Protect the shower or tub from scratches with a drop cloth.

2: Remove the doors

Lift the door out of its track inside the upper rail. Tilt each door in or out to remove it. Wipe both tracks clean.

3: Adjust the rollers

Raise or lower each door by repositioning the roller in its slanted slot. Loosen the screw to move the roller.

4.Close up of rollers

Make sure all your rollers are either round or flat. Don’t mix the two types.

If the sliding doors on your shower or bathtub don’t glide smoothly, repair them soon. A door that drags on the lower track will eventually do permanent damage to both the door and the track. A dragging roller at the top of the door will wear and require replacement.

First, make sure the rollers on both doors are riding on the tracks inside the upper rail. Sometimes, one roller falls out of the track and the bottom edge of the door skids along the lower rail. In that case, you only have to lift the door and guide the roller back onto the track.

If an off-track roller isn’t the problem, you’ll have to remove the doors to adjust and possibly replace the rollers. Many doors have a small plastic guide at the middle of the lower rail. To remove this type of guide, just remove a single screw. Others have a guide rail screwed to the door (Step 1).

With the guide removed, lift the doors out of their tracks (Step 2). Then make sure the rollers turn easily. If not, apply a little silicone spray lubricant. Some lubricants can harm plastic, so check the label. If the lubricant doesn’t do the trick, replace the rollers. Most home centers and some hardware stores carry replacements. Take an old roller with you to find a match. In many cases, you can use a replacement that’s slightly larger or smaller than the original. But be sure the original and replacement edges match—either rounded or flat (see photo of roller types). If you can’t find rollers locally, type “shower door parts” into any online search engine to find a supplier.

Screw the new rollers into place and rehang the doors. You’ll probably have to remove the doors once or twice to adjust the rollers for smooth operation

Top 10 Mistakes in Bathroom Design

If you don't know that "walking the privies" means visiting the old outhouse, don't feel too badly. For most of us, the days when nature's call meant getting up close and personal with the out of doors are a few decades in the past -- at least. When the facilities moved indoors, some conscientious housewives were less than enthusiastic. They were sure that bodily waste belonged out back behind the well, or adjacent to the chicken coop. That mindset didn't last long, though. Since the 1970s, the number of homes with not only one bathroom, but two, three or more, has increased more than 30 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Building a better bathroom might look easy, but there are definitely elements of bathroom design where you can step in it -- well, not literally, but in your planning strategy. Let's look at 10 bathroom unfriendly design considerations that will dethrone your plans for a successful upgrade.

10. Small Budget for a Big Project
When you plan your bathroom project, expect to be over budget. Some people feed in a fudge factor of 15 to 20 percent for unseen circumstances, while others cross their fingers and hope for the best. The second approach has some serious potential consequences, including having to use the bathroom down the road at the gas station until you resolve billing disputes with your contractor.
Unforeseen issues with mold, dry rot, electrical service, antiquated plumbing and insufficient water pressure can blast a hole in your budget and leave you with a gaping void where your new shower was supposed to be. If you're scraping pennies together to afford that imported tile you want, you might consider waiting until you have a few 
9. Improper Installation
Without putting too fine a point on it, even without installation screw ups, the bathroom can be a dangerous place to hang out. When you put electricity, water, slippery surfaces, breakables and hurried people together in a small room, it's no wonder that 70 percent of home accidents happen in the bathroom.
An improperly installed electrical outlet, poorly mounted shower door or mirror, or about a thousand other things can pose risks to your safety and possibly even your life. From structurally weakening your home to making your family vulnerable to electrical shocks and toxic mold, improperly installed bathroom upgrades can cost you. If you aren't an accomplished DIYer, get professional assistance from an experienced contractor who can help you build your dream bathroom safely.
8. Uncomfortable Spacing
If you've ever tried to fit into a pair of jeans that are a size too small, you can appreciate the discomfort and inconvenience of using a tiny bathroom day after day. Yes, building codes do mandate some minimal spacing guidelines, but the minimum legal requirements don't take into account your love affair with cheesecake or the fact that your favorite chenille bathrobe takes up as much room as a bedspread. When it comes to the bathroom, more is definitely more -- spacewise, anyway. If you're converting a closet into a bathroom, you'll have to make some compromises, but if you're starting from scratch, consider space a luxury item and indulge yourself.
7. Lack of Storage
Remember back when the airlines served petite and adorable little meals that were still, somehow, really dissatisfying ? Living with a bathroom that has limited storage can be like that. It may look good and appear charming to visitors, but having to schlep your hairdryer back and forth from the bedroom every day gets annoying.
If you're opting for a delightful pedestal sink at the expense of a built-in cabinet with extra storage potential, don't say we didn't warn you. For a guest bath, fine, let your relatives balance their toiletries on the sink rim. If this is your everyday bath -- the one that sees all the real action -- add cabinets, put in shelves, make good use of the walls (for towel racks) and don’t forget to add solid doors complete with sturdy hanging hooks. You can never have too much storage.
6. Thinking Short Term
Anticipating your future needs and keeping your bathroom's appeal universal can save you money in the long run and pay dividends when you go to sell your home. Not everyone will appreciate that antique claw-footed tub or imported marble vessel sink, but a double vanity could go a long way toward making your bathroom more functional and family friendly.
When you traded in your sporty two-door for the family van or crossover vehicle, you adapted your driving habits to suit your changing lifestyle. (We can stop here to mourn with you for a moment or two). Trading in a vehicle is a lot easier than overhauling your bathroom every few years. Do yourself a favor and incorporate quality workmanship and classic styling into your bathroom design.
5. Going Too Trendy
An illuminated faucet and waterfall showerhead may seem like the latest thing in personal indulgence, but what's very in today will probably be very out within five years, maybe less. This goes for fixtures, materials and especially for your design palette (the color scheme you use). Embrace this expert advice: Stick with neutral colors, classic styles and quality, natural materials. If you want to go a little wild, do it with accessory items -- anything you can remove without a wrench, screwdriver or sledgehammer.
4. Choosing the Wrong Materials
Your average bathroom is an environmental nightmare. It can get hot, steamy and cold, all in the course of a few hours. That's hard on materials like wood, textiles, paper and even porous stone. Choose products that are designed specifically for the bath. It's the safest way to ensure that your wallpaper can take the humidity and your hardwood cabinets will retain their smooth gleam until after you've paid off the remodeling loan.
3. Ignoring the Environment
Water conservation is becoming more and more of an issue in the United States. Flushing, showering, bathing, and hand and hair washing all use precious water resources. Low-flow showerheads, auto-shutoff faucets and high-efficiency toilets save water, and they save money, too. Pre-1980 toilets can use more than five gallons of water per flush. If you're changing out one of these dinosaurs, your local water district might offer to foot part of the bill via a rebate. Not only that, a new toilet will pay for itself in water savings over time.
While you're exploring the design options for your new bathroom, consider a gray water system, too. These mini water reclamation stations reuse water from other areas of your home in places like your toilet where fresh, sparkling clean water isn't essential. It's another ingenious way to be environmentally conscious.
2. Inadequate Lighting
That blemish on your face is actually a toast crumb. The reason you're confused is that the lighting in your bathroom is so terrible you can't tell the difference between a chocolate dribble and a freckle. If you think muted lighting will make your yellowing teeth or receding hairline less noticeable (to you anyway), get a grip on yourself.
Poor lighting conditions in a bathroom can be dangerous. Don't take an unexpected tumble because you prefer candlelight to the harsh light of a fluorescent fixture. Install bathroom-rated lights over your sink and near your tub or shower. It'll save your guests the inconvenience of having to carry a flashlight around with them.
1. Improper Ventilation
The ceiling fan you usually forget to turn on is an important piece of bathroom equipment. Good air flow has a number of advantages -- one of which could save you from relying on a stash of air freshening matches. The air in your bathroom doesn't only get stinky, it gets very humid, too. Humidity trapped in a small space like a bathroom will eventually begin to rust metal, like the hinges on your doors and cabinets, unless you have a consistent method for venting excess moisture. It can also cause mold and mildew problems.
There are lots of ventilation options available, from multiple units at stations around the room to the central overhead fixture arrangement you're probably familiar with. Provide your retailer, contractor or building inspector with the dimensions of your bathroom for guidance on sizing. If the location allows, you should also consider adding a window. Windows offer good ventilation as well natural light. They can make a small bathroom look larger, too.

Germs in your bathroom

Germs on Faucet Handles 

Bathroom faucet handles are germ-catchers. According to a survey by the Hygiene Council, faucet handles carried more than 6,000 bacteria per square inch.

Fix it:  "Regularly clean your faucet handles with a disinfectant cleaner spray at least once per week," suggests Charles Gerba, PhD, professor of soil, water and environmental science at the University of Arizona, who has researched microbes extensively. 

Germs in Toilet Bowl

Would it surprise you to learn that the toilet is the winner for the most germs? Probably not. The Hygiene Council survey finds the toilet bowl (but not the seat) with 3.2 million bacteria per square inch. But would you believe they found that a kitchen cutting board has 200 times more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat?

Fix it: Toilet bowl germs develop a biofilm, which is a slimy layer that when bacteria attach to a surface such as the bowl. Clean  that film with your chlorine bleach and water solution.

Germs in Your Bathtub:

Around the drain of the bathtub is nearly 120,000 bacteria per square inch, according to calculations made in the Hygiene Council Survey.

Fix it: Give your bathtub a cleaning with a store bought bath cleaner or a chlorine-water cleaning solution made up at home.

Germs in Your Shower Curtain

The germs in the soap scum that collects on your shower curtain is  Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium bacteria,says Norman Pace, PhD, professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, University of Colorado.

They found an abundance of Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium bacteria on shower curtains that were older than 6 months old, these germs pose a problem for people who are immune-compromised, such as those who are HIV positive, or who have other diseases that make them prone to infections.

Fix it: Regular cleaning or replacement of the curtains is advised.

Why You Should Hire Rocky Mountain Bathrooms To Remodel Your Bathrooms?11 Reasons

Why working with us on your project will be unlike anything you may have experienced with another remodeling company.

1.Getting it right the first timeWe don’t take short-cuts, and aren’t afraid to take a little extra time to get it right the first time. This avoids the hassles to you of us having to come back over and over again to fix and tweak things. 2.Bathroom remodeling is all that we do

The dedication of all of our resources to doing only one thing allows us to deliver impeccable attention to detail and high-quality craftsmanship, while creating  beautiful bathrooms, that are completed in one-third the normal time. 3.We have high standardsWe believe in aiming high and always trying to exceed your expectations. When you contact some of our references you will hear in their words how great we are to work with. 4.We show up on time It is this simple : We do what we say we will do, when we say we will do it. Isn’t it about time you worked with a company that respects your time? No games, no excuses, we are on time, we don’t keep you  waiting.   5.We work jobs from start to finish: Once we start your project we will be using a construction schedule that minimizes non-construction days as best as possible. You don't ever have to worry about us leaving your project for weeks and weeks at a time without anything being done.  Not only  will you see real progress, but this helps minimizes the time you are forced to live in a dusty construction site. 6.A strong warranty: When you are doing excellent work you can provide an excellent warranty. Our two year free from defects in materials and workmanship warranty is twice as long as the rest of the industries. 7.No middleman or salesmen: You have the advantage of dealing directly with the owner of the company instead of a salesman on commission whom you would probably never see again once the job starts.  Since I am on your job everyday when you have questions you simply talk directly to me, nothing will get lost in translation. 8.We are highly organized We spend a lot of time pre-planning your project before it ever starts, we know that 1 hour of planning will save 4 hours on the construction site. Making sure everything is in place before we begin ensures your project run smoothly, on time and on budget.  9.We are good communicators Communication is essential for success. Putting everything in writing  eliminates confusion, that’s why we spell everything out in our estimates, often including pictures and brochures of the actual products that we will install. In addition, we keep you informed of the all the details so you always know what is going on during your project.  10.Permits and inspections The permit process puts an expert, independent, third party in the homeowner’s corner to inspect the project and make sure it at the very least meets minimum standards of safety. The permit process can protect you from sloppy or unscrupulous contractors who take short-cuts in materials and building techniques, potentially saving you thousands of dollars not having to correct something not built to code if you ever sell you house.     11.Building with quality in mind Many things  in your project are built over the code requirements because I want any project with my name on it  to be built to last, using the best materials for the job and the best techniques to ensure a finished project we can both be proud of.

How to Clean Fiberglass Surfaces in Bathroom

Fiberglass is often used in new bathroom installations, like bathtubs and shower stalls. It is lighter than porcelain and easier to install because it does not require caulking or grout. Unfortunately, it is also more fragile and easy to scratch. If you find that your fiberglass shower stall or bathtub has accumulated soap scum and mildew, you need to remove it without the use of common abrasive cleaners or sponges. Read on to find out how to clean fiberglass bathroom surfaces.

Steps

1.Open all the windows in your bathroom to create a well-ventilated cleaning area.

2.Remove tough or dark stains with nail polish remover or paint thinner. This is useful for oil-based stains, adhesives, iodine and tar.

• Wear rubber gloves while working with turpentine or nail polish remover.
• Soak a soft, white cloth in the nail polish remover. Gently rub the stains until they are removed.
• Remove the excess nail polish remover or turpentine with a wet cloth that you can dispose of in the garbage. It should not be rinsed down the drain.

3.Mix a solution of baking soda and warm water. Add enough water to make a paste.

• You can also use mild detergents or bathroom cleaners, if you do not have baking soda. These include: hand dish washing soap, liquid laundry detergents and all purpose cleaners.

4.Wet the surfaces of the tub or stall, if they are not wet already.

5.Rub the paste all over the surfaces of the stall or tub with a soft sponge. Use a nylon brush to get into crevices or seams.

• If you use a brush, make sure it is made with nylon, polyester or polyethylene. Also, make sure it is characterized as a non-abrasive brush on the packaging.

6.Scrub the surfaces thoroughly.

7.Rinse well, making sure that no residue from a cleaning agent remains.

8.Dry the area with soft cloths.