Monthly Archives: December 2009

Australian Leaking Shower Solutions

Posted on by Scott
Walter Hamilton

A leaky shower may seem like a fairly innocuous problem, but nothing could be further from the truth. Leaking showers may not be that problematic in and of themselves, but the other problems they can cause are oftentimes catastrophic. Water that leaks into the structure of a home can cause permanent structural damage. Regardless of whether your home is a brick or a wooden structure, water leakage can cause rot and lead to a host of issues that can make your life a living hell.

Areas that are water damaged will usually start to smell and also attract white ants. White ants can compromise the structural integrity of your home and eventually lead to a potentially fatal collapse of a beam or an entire floor. The ironic part of this situation is that it never has to arise. All that is required is a few simple maintenance issues that need to be attended to before anything seriously problematic arises. The use of a high-quality sealant is generally more than enough to completely combat the problem. A sealant can be applied by an appropriate technician without much of a problem and without a major disruption to your daily routine.

Megasealed is an Australian company that has pioneered a wide range of products that can be used to seal leaking areas without having to remove any of the flooring or tiling in the given space. This allows customers to obtain leak-free areas with a minimal amount of effort and disruption. Megasealed offers leak-proofing solutions for showers and balconies, as well as marble and granite flooring. Megasealed also offers anti-slip coating solutions and can be used to create slip resistant surfaces in areas of your house, such as your bathroom. For more information, please visit www.megasealed.com.au

Carlos

Walk in Bathtubs are the Newest Trend in Home Improvement

Posted on by Scott
Jane Worthington

Want to know what the latest trend in bathroom fixtures is to keep up your home? Walk in bathtubs! Walk in tubs are making quite a splash in the home improvement and remodeling world, because the fact of the matter is that we will all need walk in bathtubs someday, and for many people it’s not that far off. If you think about, it’s a pretty clever idea. If you’re going to the trouble and expense of buying and installing a new bathtub, it just makes sense to go with a walk in tub that will last for years and years, so you don’t need to replace it later.

The great thing about walk in tubs is that you can get them in different styles. You can get a bathtub that is built into the wall, or you can go with a freestanding bathtub that doesn’t require all that installation. Either way you go, most walk in tubs come with an easy open door so that you can step in and out of your bathtub with complete ease. With a walk-in tub, you don’t have to lift your leg or hip high to climb in or out of it, as you do with standard bathtubs. Walk in bathtubs are made so that you can just walk in and walk out of them, making them much safer for family members of all ages.

Walk in bathtubs don’t cost much more than traditional acrylic or clawfoot bathtubs either, making them a smart choice for your bathroom remodel. A bathtub isn’t something we replace everyday, in face most of us hold onto them for an average of 20 years and only replace them if they break or we want to upgrade our bathrooms. You can think ahead and save yourself money by making your next tub a walk in model. That way, you won’t need to replace it in eight or ten years, and it will be give you peace of mind. This is one reason walk in bathtubs have become the newest trend in home improvement projects, because they are wonderfully luxurious, safe, and save you money in the long run.

So if you are thinking of tackling your bathroom and replacing that old standard bathtub, consider a walk in bathtub. This is the smartest way to get the most safety, beauty, peace of mind and more money in the long term.

Ruth

Tips for Choosing The Right Bathtub

Posted on by Scott
John Morris

Many people spend a considerable amount of time in the bathroom.

Some people feel that spending time in the tub rejuvenates their energy and revitalizes their spirit.

Whatever the reason for spending some time in the bathroom, one thing is certain, the bathtub is one of the most important aspects of the bathroom.

If you are building a house, or if you are renovating or redesigning your house or bathroom, you shouldn’t just choose any bathtub. Apart from considering the color that will go well with the color of the bathroom, or the latest design, or the manufacturer, there are other things that should be considered.

* Size of the tub

Aside from the obvious point, that this is important in checking how the bathtub will fit the designated space, this also needs to be considered for other reasons. Should you go for a one-person or two-person bathtub? Remember that if you choose a two-person tub, this will consume more water than a one-person tub.

The bathtub size is also interdependent with the capacity of the water heater. A bathtub usually requires 65% hot water. For some bathtubs, the hot water content may require up to 40 gallons. Consider then if after dispensing 40 gallons of hot water, will your water heater still have sufficient hot water for the rest of the household, or will it have enough time to reheat some water for consumption.

In this case, you may have to choose a smaller bathtub or upgrade your water heater so it will be able to supply enough water for a bigger bathtub. Another option is to install an instant water heater to the water source leading to the bathtub.

Also make sure that, with the bathtub’s size, you get enough support for your head, neck and back.

* Material

Choosing the material for your bathtub depends on several factors: on how often you will use the tub, durability, ease of maintenance and budget.

Fiberglass is a cost-effective material, however, it doesn’t have the durability of acrylic or porcelain bathtubs. Wooden and marble tubs are good-looking but these require much maintenance and may not last long. Cast iron tubs are the most durable, although these cost a little more than other materials.

* Depth

The bathtub’s depth is important if you are considering using the bathtub for therapeutics. Many people enjoy soaking in a warm bath to rejuvenate the lost energy and to ease the pain in tired muscles. Soaking in a tub even reduces the stress levels that most people resort to a warm bath before going to bed.

However, few people know that there are special tubs designed for this purpose. Soaking tubs are designed to allow a person to immerse the whole body with comfort unlike that with a standard tub that is only designed to soak the lower part of the body.

* Functionality

Tubs with jets, such as whirlpool tubs, look very enticing, but will you be using the jets often? Consider the importance of the additional features and how will these features impact your power and water consumption.

* Features for the handicap and the elderly

People with handicap and the elderly rarely use the standard bathtub due to risks for additional injury. Check bathtubs that have features that allow easy entry and exit from the tub. These tubs also have grab rails and grab bars to prevent accidents while soaking in the bathtub. Check for ADA compliance if you want these features for your bathtub.

* Design

Most bathtubs come in cream and white, but are also available in other colors such as brown, maroon, pink, green and blue. Shapes are usually rectangle, oval, and round, but heart-shaped designs and corner styles are also offered.

These are important so the bathtub will match the color and the design of the bathroom. It also makes the bathtub inviting and makes soaking a comfortable experience.

With these tips, you can surely choose the bathtub that fits you.

Carlos

How to Get All the Leaks Out of Your Mobile Home Park Water System

Posted on by Scott
Frank Rolfe

Mobile home park tenants use, on average, about $30 per month of water & sewer. In some parks, however, that amount can run around $100 per occupied lot. Whenever you become suspicious that your water is running too high, here are the steps to find out where the water is going and proactively solve the problem.

Install water meters and read them.

Even if you have no interest in billing back tenants for their actual use, there is no way to track where the water is going without measuring how much tenants use. This will help you identify if your usage problems are tied to just a few tenants who abuse the system. I once had a tenant who was spending $600 per month in water. How? He sneaked into the park a large commercial construction water truck, and filled it up with his hose every night. That one tenant was the entire source of my water problem, and I found him through sub-metering.

Compare the master meter reading to the individual lot aggregate.

Once you have the individual readings, you can now add them up and see if they are the same as your master reading, from the main meter that you get your bill from. The difference between these two readings is the amount of water leaking in your system. Most parks have a small amount of leakage, so don’t demand perfection. If, however, the difference is significant (say many thousands of gallons), you have a real problem.

Look for visual signs of leaks.

Before you put a lot of money into testing, see if you can find the leak yourself by walking the property and looking for signs of saturated land and tall, green grass. While this can also be caused by artesian wells and sewer line leakage, big-time saturation requires the kind of constant water pressure in line with a serious leak. Fix these leaks and see what the impact is to your readings.

If that fails, then hire a leak detection company.

It is amazing what a leak detection company can find. Don’t ask me how they do it, as I do not fully understand the science. But I have been the thankful recipient of their work. The world record was a leak that had no surfaced evidence of any type, but it was huge – maybe 400,000 gallons per month. That would fill 20 commercial hotel swimming pools. In the end, it turned out to be a crime scene – someone who had their house downstream on a creek had tapped into the park’s main line and run a line to the creek so that the babbling brook was running year round.

Once you find the leaks in the system, fix them.

Regardless of the cost, there is no way that you will be money ahead by letting them keep on leaking. The only exception is the natural, tiny leaks of a large system, caused by trace seepage in the connections.

Before you start evicting tenants for water use abuse, find out why it’s occurring.

One of the best things you can do when exploring where your water is going, is to hire a plumber to come out to the park at 10 am on a weekday, and take all the clean out covers off and listen for running water. Most lots will have none. But some will have Niagara falls going down the line – even though nobody is home! Why? Because they have all kinds of leaks in their house. Toilet leaks, leaky faucets, you name it. I once had a tenant who left all of his taps running 24/7 because they were broken and he couldn’t turn them off. In these cases, you are better off having the plumber go to these tenants’ houses and spend 30 minutes to fix their leaks, rather than evict them and try to find a new tenant. If you evict a tenant, you will have court costs, loss of income, and probably an outgo of cash as an incentive to bring in a new home. If you can fix the leaks for $100 you are much better off.

Conclusion

Water and sewer is the largest line item expense for most mobile home parks. That means that saving money on it is going to be the biggest savings you can make. Your park usage is not magic, it is just science. If you take these steps you can get a complete handle on where the water is going, and then take steps to reduce the usage. Always remember that, assuming a 10% cap rate, even an $80 per month savings increases the value of your park by nearly $10,000. And you should be able to save much, much more than that.

Taylor

How to Remove Chemicals Found in Tap Water: Filtered Tap Water

Posted on by Scott
Larry L. Taylor

  Chemicals found in tap water threaten the health and well being of our families.  Filtered tap water is what every home should be using.

The media has done story after story on chemicals found in tap water and the health risks that they cause.  There are literally tens of thousands of these chemical contaminants that have leaked into our water supply over the years.  When are people going to finally wake up and take this threat seriously?

Drinking filtered tap water is one of the easiest ways to avoid being exposed to these contaminants, and it’s an inexpensive option.  If you paid $125 with one replacement filter at $48.00, it would cost you $172.99 per 1000 Gal. or one year.  In a liter bottle selling for .79 that 1000 Gal. would cost you $208. 56.

I know to many of you that doesn’t sound like too big a difference, but let’s look at the second year.  You’ll go through two filters so your total per 1000 Gal. would be $96, but your bottled water will still be $208.56.  That filter would produce quite a savings while it still protected you from chemicals found in tap water.

Filtered tap water is the best answer for this problem, but some people still want the convenience of being able to take their water with them.  You can still do that by buying either polycarbonate or glass containers for their water, but you have to be careful when doing this also.

Plastic Dangerous to Water

Glass is the best material for carrying water.This is  because there are no chemicals that can leach out of the sides and become part of the water.  But not so with polycarbonate.  Bisphenol A or BPA is a chemical used in the production of polycarbonates which can leach into the water and cause you all sorts of nasty endocrine system problems.

Filtered Tap Water is Vital

The dangers of chemicals found in tap water require you to purchase a filter that gives you multi-tiered protection.   Activated carbon and multi media blockers for chemical contamination, ion exchange for heavy metals and re-mineralization, and a sub micron filter for parasites and bacteria.

You’ll find that filtered tap water will make you feel more secure about the water that you’re drinking because you’ll be able to guarantee that it’s pure.  You’ll love the money that you save over bottled water also.  Hopefully at this point in the article you are nodding your head in agreement.

We all have got to realize that our health is the greatest asset that we have and we can’t afford to lose it.  We certainly don’t want our children to lose theirs. The threat that we face from chemicals found in tap water are very real.   And that is why we have to do something about it.  Do what I and many others have done -see box below. Get a multi-tiered water filter today.

 

Julian

Tips for a Beautiful Bathroom Renovation

Posted on by Scott
Gabriella Carrera

Renovating Bathrooms

Your bathroom and kitchen are two of the most valuable rooms in your home. Because of this a well designed bathroom, that is also built well, can actually increase the value of your home. That said having a bathroom that will serve your family’s needs without looking or feeling old and outdated is a priceless addition to you household.

Bathroom Designs

The design of your bathroom will strongly depend on the needs of your family. Things like, the need for a shower or spa, storage space and budget are all things that need to be taken into consideration before jumping in to a bathroom redesigning project. The main use for this bathroom also needs to be considered. If it is just going to be a place you go to “get clean and get out” that will be very different from a place meant for relaxation. Contacting a professional when you are at the early stages of planning to help ensure that nothing is left out will actually make every step along the way a whole lot easier and less stressful on you.

Tips for Hiring Bathroom Renovators

When you start looking for a bathroom renovator, experience is key. You will want to make sure that whoever you hire has at least five years of working experience in that particular trade. You will also want to make sure that you do a contractor license & background check. Another way to make sure that you are getting a good renovator is to ask for at least two references and contact them. These will be people who have experienced this particular contractor’s work. You last thing to ask for will be any additional credentials such as additional schooling or certificates. These will prove that the contractor you are choosing will be actively educating him/herself on the current codes and laws. Lastly make sure you ask for a copy of their insurance, it is very important to insure that all workers are covered in case they have an accident on your property.

Robert

The Truth: is Tap Water Good for You?

Posted on by Scott
Laurel Tevolitz

Every cell in the human body contains water. No cell can live in the absence of water. Every human should drink a generous amount of water each day. So you, the reader have reason to ask there two questions:

1) Are there any particular requirements concerning the nature of that water?

2) Is tap water good for you?

More than ten years ago, a steadily increasing number of consumers began asking that second question. One environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, has shed light on the answer to that question. That Council has issued this statement: “…there is no assurance that bottled water is any safer than tap water.”

The Council took the question “Is tap water good for you?” and reformed that question. Then the Council offered an answer to the re-structured question. The Council asked questions much like there: “Are the benefits of water diminished by drinking tap water? Are they diminished by drinking bottled water?”

The same Council then said that while a human did assume a certain risk by drinking tap water, a human had no reason to feel safer, if he or she chose to drink bottled water instead of tap water. The Council pointed to the uncertainty surrounding the quality of any case of bottled water. At the same time, the Council issued a reminder, a reminder that formation of new cells demands the availability of water.

That water can come from either the tap or a plastic bottle. Both water sources deliver water with the same level of purity. Bottled water is usually no cleaner, and no safer than tap water. Bottled water does not have to meet a long list of new recommendations. Whenever bottled water has not been shipped out-of-state, then that water does not have to satisfy any specific group of federal regulations.

In fact, The Natural Defense Council has implied that the question “Is tap water good for you?” could be replaced with several other questions: “Is water that contains certain forms of bacteria good for you?” “Is water that contains the carcinogen known as phthalate safe to drink?” “Is water that that has been filtered considered good for you?”

A human should not feel comfortable about drinking water that contains bacteria. A human has no reason to reach for a glass of water, if that water contains a known carcinogen. A human need not hesitate to drink water that has passed through a well-made filter. Those three answers put a different perspective on the question “Is tap water good for you?”

The message that this article hopes to get across is this: Bottled water normally meets standards that fall well below the standards that have been met by filtered water. Bottled water can contain trace elements of certain contaminants. Filtered water lacks those same contaminants.

A well-designed filter can create tap water that has the same mineral content as spring water, but that filtered water does not contain any chemicals that might leak into spring water from the ground water. The ideal filter is an activated carbon filter, one that is used in combination with ion exchange filtration and micron filtration.

When a homeowner or a business owner invests in such a filter, then he or she should not loose sleep by worrying about the safety of the water. The chosen filter allows residents, guests and employees to enjoy safe, great-tasting water. Moreover, that water comes from a reasonably-priced filtering device.

Francisco

What Is Bathtub Reglazing?

Posted on by Scott
Celso Orlando

Bathtub reglazing, also known as bathtub refinishing and bathtub resurfacing, is basically the process by which an old, worn out bathtub is restored to a like new condition by applying a new glaze finish over the surface of the tub. Thus, the names reglazing, refinishing and resurfacing.

The bathtub reglazing process was developed in the 1950′s due to the inconvenience and high cost of replacing a bathtub. Replacing a bathtub is not only expensive but it can also be a real hassle. You must deal with the removal of the old bathub, breaking tiles and retiling. You may also have to do some plumbing work  to replace damaged pipes resulting from the removal process, and of course, connect the new bathtub to the existing plumbing. The expenses to do all this this work can add up to at least a couple of thousands of dollars. And even if you know how to do the work yourself and are willing to go through the hassle, a decent bathtub will cost at least $800.00 to replace.

A bathtub can be reglazed  right in your bathroom without disturbing the existing tiles, fixtures, or plumbing. The process takes about three to four hours and is ready to use after 24 hours.

There are several methods and materials used in the process of bathtub reglazing. Many use an acid solution to etch the tub and then spray on an epoxy primer and finally an acrylic topcoat. The problem with this system is that strong acids ( such as hyrofluoric acid ) destroys the surface in such a way that it continues to break down even after the primer is applied. This may in turn cause the material to break down with the constant use of hot water.

Some use a chemical bonding agent (wipe on primer) instead of a spray on epoxy primer. This type of primer is easier and faster to apply, but the bond created is weaker than the spray on epoxy primer and it will probably break  down withing a couple of years with the constant use of hot water. Wipe on primers are recommended for glass only.

The best system to reglaze a bathtub is to clean the surface thoroughly with a good industrial cleaner; prime the the tub with a waterproof epoxy primer that does not require etching; and finally apply an aliphatic acrylic urethane that was specially designed for the bathtub reglazing industry.

If the process is done properly, and the bathtub is properly maintained, bathtub reglazing can be an excellent cost effective alternative to replacing an old worn out bathtub.

For bathtub reglazing services go to http://tubreglaze.com

Eric

How to Repair a Leaking Tap

Posted on by Scott
Olivia Reynolds

A leaking tap is one of the most common problems that we encounter in our households. Though most house problems call for a repairman’s help, there are some repairs that you could actually do on your own. In the case of a leaking tap, you don’t have to immediately call a plumber to fix this problem. Simply follow these steps on how to repair a leaking tap.

1. Turn off the water supply.

Before working on the leaking tap, you have to turn off the water supply first. Be careful when turning the valve off so that it won’t break apart.

2. Cover the sink hole.

To avoid your screws, washers and other small materials from falling down the drain, don’t forget to cover the sink hole prior to working.

3. Remove the top of the tap.

Using a screwdriver, unscrew the cover of the tap to expose the retaining screw. Remove this screw and put it in a safe place. After that, you may now remove the head of the tap.

4. Remove the headgear nut to expose the washer.

Remove the larger headgear nut with the use of a spanner. You have to make sure that you do this step gently or else you might damage the pipe work attached to it. If you damage the pipe work it could cause a major leak and you would have to call a plumber to fix it. If the headgear nut is still difficult to turn, you could apply some oil around the joint and wait for about 5-10 minutes for it to soak in the oil before trying to remove it again. You could also try to apply some heat to it by using an electric paint stripper or a blow torch but always remember to be careful when using such equipments.

5. Remove the washer.

Remove the washer using a screwdriver. If you’re having difficulty removing the washer, you could try to use oil again to lubricate it.

6. Fit and replace the new washer.

After fitting the new washer, grease the base of the tap before putting everything back into place.

7. Reassemble the tap.

Put everything back into place using a screwdriver and a spanner. Turn on the water supply and check if the problem was solved.

If you still see any problems with your tap which the tips above can’t fix, then don’t try to experiment fixing it as it might cause another problem. Don’t risk it and call a plumber immediately. You could visit the Top Tradespeople website to search for professional plumbers who would be much more than willing to do the job for you.

Roy

4 Shocking Tap Water Facts Everybody Ought To Know About

Posted on by Scott
Aaron Reese

Now that we are fully aware of how our sources of drinking water are being endangered by the many industrial waste sources such as big factories and small-scale businesses, we must all take steps to preserve the pure water we have for drinking in any way we can.

But before we can proceed with how to conserve water, Here are a few tap water facts we must take into consideration.

Fact 1 : A single family in the USA consumes around 70 to 100 gallons of water every two days for cooking, drinking and washing.

Fact 2 : Approximately 10 gallons of water a day is lost due to leaks and poor plumbing.

Fact 3 : Tap water when purified can be bottled and sold. This is the reason why people are questioning the economic implications of patronizing bottled waters. If we can boil or purify our own water at home, there would be no need to buy drinking water in plastic bottles that we will need to recycle in the future.

Fact 4 : There are many sources of contaminants in publicly treated water supplies, such as bacteria that grows in water pipes, sediments that accumulate in dams, and surface run-offs from agricultural sites.

What do these tap water facts tell us? These things alert us to the waste that could eventually prevent us from drinking pure water in the future.

This also means that the more we conserve water in our small ways (fixing our plumbing, storing water we don’t use and refraining from buying bottled water), the more we can help wastage of clean drinking water.

Also, we must question our preference for bottled water. Why make a bottling company richer when you could be buying readily available tap water purified and packaged neatly in bottles, and marketed as ‘fresh from the mountains’?

With the above tap water facts in mind, the obvious course of action is to use special water filters that are high grade and durable. Granted, the industrial-grade ones are expensive, but there are kitchen filters that can be bought online and used as soon as delivered. These don’t cost much if you consider the cash you spend on gallons of bottled water daily.

Visit my website below to discover the benefits of using kitchen filtration systems, including some of the health and financial benefits they will provide you and your family.

Lara