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Thank you for visiting our remodeling contractors website.

   Our remodeling contractors estimate general contractor website is designed exclusively for the homeowner and/or renter to get their job done efficiently and in a timely manner.

  We are dedicated to giving you an easy estimate request form for your remodeling project and following up with prompt and courteous service. We believe that between the customers request and our contractors skill your home improvement project will be a wonderful and delightful experience.

  Fill out the easy form and give us an idea of the project you wish to complete and you will receive an estimate from a qualified and licensed contractor. The benefit of a licensed contractor gives you assurance that your project is in capable hands and the job will be done right from start to finish.



Bathroom Trivia

A bathroom is a room that may have different functions depending on the cultural context it is used in.

In its literal sense it means 'a room with a bath', but as bathtubs have partly made way for showers and steam showers, the more general sense of 'a room where one bathes' makes more sense. There can be just a shower or just a bathtub or both, sometimes combined and sometimes separate (in which case the bathtub may have a second shower). Usually, it also contains a handbasin or sink and often also a toilet. In the USA, 'bathroom' commonly means 'a room containing a toilet' (in other countries this is usually called 'toilet' or alternatively 'water closet' (or 'WC'), or 'lavatory'). For this interpretation of the word see bathroom (American). If a bathroom facility is attached to a bedroom it is often known as an en-suite or if it's attached to a master bedroom it's known as a master bathroom.

A half (1/2) bath contains a toilet and a handbasin (lavatory). A 3/4 bath contains a toilet, a handbasin (lavatory) and a shower. A full bath contains a toilet, a handbasin (lavatory) and a bathtub.

  For information and articles about contractor laws and licensing we have included a link for your convenience. To find out more, simply click on the corresponding state you wish to obtain information from. - Home improvement contractor info

Additional information and resources:

Read Home Decorating Articles - We have included a great resource link for you to get ideas about designing to compliment any home improvement project. The link will open in a new window so you may keep our estimate form open for easy access.

Find Decorating Pictures - Finally...a source for interior decorating and gardening pictures! A giant selection of home and garden, and interior decorating from a great website that will give you many ideas about updating your home with an array of well thought ideas. Link opens in new window so you may return for an estimate.




Design considerations

The design of a bathroom must account for the use of both hot and cold water, in significant quantities, for cleaning the human body. Disposal of the water usually leads to a sewer or septic tank. Water may be splashed on the walls and floor and hot humid air may cause condensation on cold surfaces. From a decorating point of view the bathroom presents a challenge. Ceiling, wall and floor materials and coverings should be impervious to water and readily and easily cleaned. The use of ceramic or glass, as well as smooth plastic materials, is common in bathrooms for their ease of cleaning. However, such surfaces are often cold to the touch and so water-resistant bath mats or even bathroom carpets may be used on the floor to make the room more comfortable. Alternatively, the floor may be heated, possibly by startegically placing heater conduits close to the surface.

Electrical appliances, such as lights, heaters and heated towel rails generally need to be installed as fixtures, with permanent connections rather than plugs and sockets. This minimises the risk of electric shock. Ground-fault circuit interruptor electrical sockets can reduce the risk of electric shock, and are required for bathroom socket installation by electrical and building codes in the United States and Canada. In some countries, such as the UK, only special sockets suitable for electric shavers are permitted in bathrooms, and are labelled as such.

Bathrooms can also be a source of decorative inspiration. One can easily decorate the bathroom by choosing shower curtains or cubicles to match a theme.




Home Improvement Information

Rising Damp


It doesn't sound like a particularly interesting topic, however a quick search on the worlds favourite internet search engine will show that in some circles rising damp is a very hot topic indeed. The trouble is that it appears that it could indeed be some type of religion or god; does it exist, or doesn't it? The truth of the matter is that rising damp does indeed exist in one form or another, but it is often misdiagnosed, or you can often pay for expensive treatment that really isn't necessary.

Rising damp in buildings may be defined as the vertical flow of water up through a permeable wall structure, the water being derived from ground water. The water rises through the pores (capillaries) in the masonary by a process loosely termed "capillarity." In other words the masonry acts like a wick The common causes are deterioration due to age and bridging of a damp course with internal concrete floors, renders or external paths and earth levels (a damp course is specifically designed to avoid the possibility of rising damp- it is built of a matter of course in all new buildings).

If your house does have a problem (something we will discuss later) then it can cause the following symptons:

For inside walls

  • Paint does not adhere to the wall.

  • Wall paper lifts and stains appear on the walls.

  • Plaster flakes away, feels soft and spongy, bubbles and white powder or crystals appear.

  • Skirting boards and floor boards rot.

For outside walls

  • Mortar frets and falls out between bricks and stonework.

  • Stains or white powder appear on walls.

These problems are mainly aesthetic problems only, however it is conceivable that structural damage could result from extensive rising damp, and of course a damp mouldy environment could pose a health risk to people.

Obviously if you have any of the above symptoms then it is possible that your home is suffering from rising damp, and it would be advisable to get an 'expert' in to look at your home. However this is where you will face a major problem; who is an expert , and who is just a 'cowboy' out to diagnose you with the "worst case of rising damp that he has ever seen, which can only be solved with the most expensive treatment on the market"? Unfortunately there are a lot of companies out there who have targets to meet and profits to make, and the way they do this is by over zealous diagnosing, and charge you hefty fees for carrying out work that may, or may not, fix the problem.

The major problem is that any damp-proofing salesman that you employ to look at your home will use a 'rising damp meter'. These meters are supposed to measure the moisture in materials, however what they actually do is measure the electrical conductance. The idea being that the better the conductance (the ease at which electricity flows) the higher the water content. However these meters can only be calibrated for one material, and that is usually timber. So they will give reasonable results for wood and possibly some plasters, but for bricks, wallpaper and concrete they will give readings that are way too high. Thus they can be used (by unscrupulous salespeople) to indicate that you have rising damp "because the meters says so" when in fact you have a perfectly normal wall.

In summary if you can visibly see a problem with your wall, with obvious signs of damage due to water or salty tide marks then you may have a problem with rising damp, and you will need to try to find a reliable expert to come in and look at your problem. However be very, very wary of any 'expert' who has been employed to do a general survey of your house, or indeed comes around offering a free check up of your building. If they pull out one of these moisture meters, jab it into the wall a few times and declare that you have a major problem, then it is entirely possible that they are a commission based salesperson trying to extract money from you.

Generally, if the wall looks okay, it is okay. If it looks like it is damp, mouldy or has tide marks on it, then you have a problem with moisture, condensation, or rising damp in your home, and you need to investigate things further.

About The Author

Alastair Taylor runs a DIY website that tries to give the consumer the truth about home improvement jobs. Visit http://www.whatprice.co.uk to saves yourself time and money


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