Home Improvement

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Showers and shower enclosures come in different shapes and sizes to suit even the most awkwardly shaped bathroom. The most well loved shapes are square or rectangular with the quadrant shaped shower unit being the one that fits comfortably into most corners of a reasonably large bathroom. Suites can be modernised to complement the design of a shower unit, or it may be that a bath is in excellent order and only requires sprucing up with new bathroom taps.

Most homeowners have a bathroom that is unique to them. Depending on how large your bathroom is there are many styles of bath shower enclosures with the latest shower doors in the best materials. A corner shower unit will require enough space for easy installation, while ensuring there is enough room for a new bathroom suite, basin and relevant bathroom accessories.

Most showers units have slider doors, bi folding doors, pivot doors or hinged doors that can open to the left or right.
Bathroom suites in a modern design can have luxury and innovative bathroom accessories such as wall plates or a modern shaver socket. Choose quality items made from the best materials such as matching chrome bathroom taps and accessories that will showcase your own personality and style.Both traditional styled or modern bathroom accessories can be fitted without any drilling.

The products that can add a finishing touch to a bathrooms or wet room are towel holders, soap dishes, toilet roll holders and glass shelves. The range is innovatively designed with a powerful suction grip. Using non drilling bathroom accessories in this way allows a person to swap and change their accessories whenever they feel like. At Bathroom2U we have the latest products available including shower valves, bathroom taps and other modern and contemporary accessories including the ‘Never Drill Again’ range.

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Judith Gibbons from Bristan clarifies why a well designed, thermostatic shower should be a vital part of any inclusive design installation.

The bathroom can be a potentially hazardous place for the less able so it’s vital that careful consideration is given when specifying products for a customer with disabilities.

Thankfully, there are now plenty of products that will help people maintain their independence when in the bathroom and, thanks to a huge effort by manufacturers in recent years to introduce products that are both functional and stylish, there’s every opportunity for people with disabilities to achieve a bathroom they can be proud of.  After all, no one wants their bathroom to look like it belongs in an institution.

A well designed shower is one such product and, if selected carefully, can help provide your customer with the independence they need for washing.  Advances in inclusive design mean that there are many stylish showers now available on the market with a host of ‘easy to use’ benefits that wouldn’t look out of place within a contemporary bathroom.

The main concern with showers is making sure that the water temperature is maintained at a safe level which is why a thermostatic shower is a must for this application; it takes just seconds for hot water to scald the skin so it’s vital to protect those who may have limited manoeuvrability or ability to react to changing situations.

For your peace of mind, there are a number of accreditations relating to thermostatic showers.  For electric showers look out for the British Electro Technical Board (BEAB) CARE accreditation is only awarded to products that not only comply to existing safety standards, but that meet additional requirements relating to the safety needs of people in care situations such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

For mixer showers, it’s worth looking out for models which carry TMV2 accreditation.  The certification of TMVs is regulated by BuildCert which rigorously tests and certifies valves to ensure they deliver safe water temperatures.  The TMV2 Scheme addresses the problem of hot water scalding in domestic properties.

Both the BEAB CARE and TMV2 accreditations require rigorous independent testing and are only given to products that are capable of maintaining a flow of water at a steady temperature at all times, regardless of fluctuations in water pressure, or in the event of hot or cold water failure.

From here, the choice of shower model will largely depend on your customer’s individual needs so it’s worth spending some time with them, or talking to their occupational therapist, to determine exactly what their symptoms are.  A customer suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, for example, might be better to have a self-closing shower valve that will automatically turn off; someone with Arthritis will need a shower with levers or buttons that are easy to operate.  It’s also worth remembering that people don’t wear their glasses in the shower, so someone with impaired vision will need a shower that has very clear and coloured hot and cold indicators.

For people with limited mobility, you might want to recommend taking out an existing bath and shower combination and replacing it with a walk in shower or wetroom.  Combining an aspirational design with the benefits of easy access, a walk in or wetroom are ideal because they allow plenty of space for movement and – as they can be installed without a shower tray – are perfect for wheelchair users.

Once you’ve selected the shower, there are just a couple of additional things to consider during installation.  Making sure that the shower itself is positioned so that the controls can easily be reached is the first thing; you should also consider how the customer will get into the shower itself.  Are they mobile enough to get into a shower bath, or would it be better to install an enclosure with a level entry tray?   And for the finishing touches, you might want to recommend a shower seat or grab rails as appropriate.

Bristan offers a choice of showers that are ideal for people who are less able through our iD range of easy to use products.  Our Thermostatic Electric shower, for example, carries the BEAB CARE mark and has a number of design features including accurate thermostatic control, easy to use push buttons and audible feedback that signals when the on/off button has been pushed.  We also offer a choice of TMV2 approved bath shower mixers as well as thermostatic mixer showers, like our Cardinal Thermostatic Surface Mounted Shower, that has easy to use lever handles.

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Do you know something…of late more and more people are eyeing on a shower stall rather than a tub in their bathroom. In fact, most people opt for this approach because they don’t have much time at their hand to relax and delight in a bath, hence they look for simpler options like shower stalls.

Do you fall into the same category and want to redecorate your bathroom by installing stalls? If that’s the case they you need to go through this article at least once. Let us proceed…

To start with there are different brands like Lowes, Aqua Glass, Lasco, Home Depot from where you can choose a shower stall. But, whichever brand you choose make sure that is an attractive one and helps you delight in your bath. You may also use free standing curtains to give a new look to your bathroom. You may go in for curtains with unique themes and colors. This approach helps you get a soothing feeling as well as take a refreshing bath. Shower stalls can be clearly defined an enclosure that in constructed inside your bathroom particularly to prevent the leakage of water when an individual takes a bath. They come in a variety of designs and may be also made up of acrylic. They give your bathroom a new look or rather add a touch of elegance to it. If you’re having a door less shower stall, then prefer purchasing elongated shower curtains as it prevents the seepage of water. In fact, in recent times nearly all shower stall curtains are water repellent so make sure to go for one that best suits your requirement. Excellent shower stalls prevent your bathroom from getting messy and wet.

So, if you are plotting to buy one then you may either pay a visit to the nearest shopping mall or carry out a search online. Here you will find a wide collection of shower stalls showed right in front of your computer screen. To be more specific, you’ll find shower stalls of different brands under one roof from where you can make the necessary selection. go for one now!

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The steam shower has evolved to be one of the most well loved assets within the home. Alongside the advanced technical aspects such as radio, television, hands free telephone and much more you are introduced to a mass of health features. The health giving attributes are made to provide you with the very best techniques in relaxation and includes chromo therapy lighting, body and foot massage and steam generator.

The steam generator is a small system located within the base of the enclosure where water vapour or steam is produced which gets dispersed on the whole body. This then turns the self enclosed shower unit in to a relaxing and therapeutic steam room.

To preclude the water vapour from getting away into the balance of the room, Steam showers are surrounded in self-contained room, thus averting harm to wall, paint and other electric gadgets. The enclosures also add fantastic value to your home. Increasingly homeowners are opting to make the spa like experience at home by turning their common bath showers in to warm and vaporous Steam Showers. You need not wait for the swirling bathtub to fill or sauna to boil up, once steaming is done just open on the shower for a excellent wash.

The steam showers come with many other fantastic features like foot massagers, ceiling showers, television set, music input, aromatherapy etc. Solar energy where applicable can be utilised for a steam shower for warming the water, reducing the power bill. Steam showers can be extremely beneficial for steam therapy which is highly helpful for conditions like asthma, sinus, bronchitis and allergic reactions. Steam showers or Steam baths can also help in cleansing body toxins and waste, helps blood circulation which regenerates your body through high perspiration, makes your skin shiny and increases flexibility.

Do not run into the steam shower directly after the exercise regime, let the body unwind and come to normality, in the same way if you have any open injuries do not steam shower as it might trigger infection. Don’t forget to come out of the bath well-within 20 minutes. Drinking lots of water before and after the Steam Shower avoids dehydration. Improper installations may take to to major problems. If the steam shower is not installed properly, moisture gets collected on the roof and will drop on you while you are taking a steam shower.

Small facilities like grab rails and support rails would be extremely comforting and ensures guidance when the impaired use the bathroom. This will support the impaired in a huge way and any type of risk or peril is decimated. The installation of any handicapped bathroom equipments should be done only by a professional person with specific guidelines and instructions. Bathroom floors can get very slithering especially when wet. Use anti-slip or non-slip floor and bathing surfaces. Lever control shower taps can be added up as a precautionary measure. A person should be able to go into the shower without any aid.

The days of having to retreat to your local gym or spa centre to experience the delights of steam and spa’s are over. The vast availability of the steam shower has now enabled all home owners the chance to experience these revolutionary cubicles at affordable prices within the confines of their own homes

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Taking a shower has a number of advan¬tages over bathing it is quicker and uses less water. But, depending on the existing plumbing system, some types of shower can be impossible to install without rad¬ical alterations. So check what is and is not possible before buying.

Some showers have simple hot and cold valves, like those on an ordinary mixer tap; others use one valve to control the amount of water (the flow), and another to control the temperature. The flow and temperature may also be con¬trolled by a single tap: or in some cases, only the temperature may be variable. The controls may be thermostatic, which keeps the temperature of the spray more stable. Thermostatic controls are simpler and safer to use than non-thermoslatic.

Whatever which type of shower, the valve part can be connected to the outlet (the rose) by a rigid pipe or flexible hose. A rigid pipe may look neater but a flexible hose allows the rose to be positioned at different heights to suit different members of the family and to be used for hair washing if it is over the bath.

All types of shower can be mounted over the bath. Some can be mounted over separate shower trays: these are probably simpler to use, but can require much more installation work.

Push-on hose
Ends push over existing bath taps. Cheap and no installation required, but water authorities frown on their use.

Bath/shower mixer
Easy to install re¬places existing bath taps; relatively inex¬pensive. Can be used only when hot and cold water come from a storage cistern or with certain multipoint gas water heaters.  

Shower mixer – non-thermostatic
Usually mounted over a separate shower tray may need a lot of plumbing and waste installation. Some types have hot and cold valves; others may have temperature and flow controls.

Shower mixer – thermostatic
Usually mounted over a separate shower tray may need a lot of plumbing and waste installation. Usually has temperature and flow controls.

Electric shower heater
Can be mounted over a bath or a separate shower tray. Takes its water from the mains cold water supply. Water is heated instan¬taneously as it passes through the heater – the spray may not be as forceful as with a conventional shower. Special electric wiring needed, but an electric shower can be used where a conventional type is impracticable.

Power shower
Both supplies to the mixer valve are pumped to give a choice of sprays. Needs separate cubicle and care¬ful plumbing. Uses more water.