Why Does My Fan Wobble And How Do I Fix It?

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Have you been listening to the wobble of your ceiling fan for far too long and are considering replacing it with a unique wrought iron chandelier? While that’s not a bad idea, if you need the fan to keep circulation in your house, here are a few tips. Generally there are two reasons why a fan will wobble when mounted on your ceiling. The first of which is that the mounting bracket that it’s attached to the ceiling to has come loose or needs to be tightened. This is usually the case and always the easier fix. The other reason for a wobble is that one of the fan blades is a little lighter or heavier than the rest of the blades on the fan. You can purchase a balancing kit at any home improvement store and use trial and error to find the blade that has a different weight. Once you have found the blade that weighs differently, move it up and down the blade until you find the place it balances out the fan.

Keep it in balance!

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Top Bathroom Decorating Ideas and Tips

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

While it is always important to keep resale value in mind when designing and decorating each room, don’t make yourself a stranger within your own home for the sake of maintaining a good resale value. Use the following ideas to inject a dose of style, class and personality into your bathroom décor.

Rustic Bathroom Design

There’s no need to wait until your next vacation to enjoy the warm, rustic interiors of a log cabin. Make your bathroom a nature-inspired, rustic escape by recreating elements found in the wilderness. Flank your mirror with deer antlers or faux deer antlers if hunting isn’t an activity you enjoy or support. Or for a unique twist, try a decorative antler chandelier. For an added touch of rustic whimsy, use a tree stump as a decorative look to display towels, magazines and designer toiletries. Finally, paint the walls a warm mocha and consider applying slate tile from the base molding up to chair rail height for a rustic, outdoorsy effect.

Modern Bathroom Décor

While often a pricey option, creating a modern bathroom is a trendy choice amongst homeowners. In order to create the desired look without the traditional price tag, opt for mimicking basic design elements of the style, rather than seeking modern ready-made merchandise. Use clean lines and sharp edges to your advantage. For example, rather than using a traditional vanity, try a sleek modern bath vanity. Place a low-sitting, rectangular sink on the dresser with the faucet mounted on the wall. This provides you with a high-end look without spending thousands of dollars on just one area of your modern bathroom. Other modern decorating tips are to use a stone bathmat and to adhere a vinyl tree decal to the wall. Cool tones work especially well in modern atmospheres.

Use Tile as a Prime Design Element

Tile is arguably the most important design element in any bathroom. Use tile to accentuate certain areas of the room such as the vanity or shower area. Adding decorative tile is also an effective way to add a high-end touch to a currently drab bathroom, or you can even choose to express your personality. Fun-loving individuals can find expressive bathroom tiles that change colors due to their temperature-sensitivity. The tiles are a solid color, typically black, when left at room temperature and then change to varying colors according to the temperature change.

Adhering tile to the walls of a glass shower enclosure can add a decorative touch. The most common choices for this type of tile work are subway and glass mosaic tiles. However using marble, granite or slate tile is ideal for those seeking a spa-worthy look.

Conclusion:

Every member of the family uses bathrooms regularly. Why not make time spent in the bathroom a bit more enjoyable by creating a spa-like oasis? Personalize the space by injecting your own personal style, while still maintaining the structural integrity of each room for resale value. After all, a bathroom can be neutralized of just about any style with just a coat of paint and a simple switch of accessories.

Author Byline:

Jon Engle is currently editor of CaliforniaApartmentsBlog.com providing tips on home loans, real estate reviews, apartment living and new home reviews such as this Florida new home builder and these Sacramento new homes.

2 Light Coues Deer Antler Ceiling Mount

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How To Fix Cracks In The Grout of Bathroom Tiles?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

If just a small spot of your bathroom grout is cracked in your tube or around your 72 inch bathroom vanity, you can find grout caulk at any local home improvement store. This is definitely the easiest solution. The caulk stays flexible so that the area won’t crack again. However, if you’ve got a bigger area that needs fixing, you’ll want to invest in a small chisel. You’ll need to get out all the grout surrounding your tile or you will have a repeating problem. After you’ve removed all the grout, you can refill with the same color grout you have already, purchased again at any local home improvement store. If in doing this, you crack a tile—fear not! You’ll need to use a hammer and chisel—CAREFULLY—to remove the remainder of the tile. Next make sure all the grout is removed from the area as well. You’ll need to reapply tile adhesive (and a new tile, of course) and then re-grout the area around it.

Fix The Cracks!

Text to appear underneath image: Need to find a double vanity no top to match the countertop and tile you’ve already purchased? Call the experts at UnqiueVanities.com for help!

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Easy Bathroom Organization

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

We’re constantly scouring the web for fantastic ideas of ways to improve the organization levels in your home. One of the great tips we found on the blog DelightfulOrder today, offered a solution for those who don’t have that much storage in their bathroom vanity itself. DelightfulOrder’s solution? Organize your bathroom closet! The author used colorful bins to separate each of her various products that many people would store in their bath vanity. For example, she had separate bins for hair supplies, facial products, body lotions, etc. She used simple tags she made herself to label each bin in a cute and creative way. Now the closet is organized, the vanity drawers aren’t chaotic, and you’ve just given your closet a mini-upgrade!

Want to use this cool idea in your kids bathroom? You can! While children don’t have use for the multitude of products that many adults find use for, you many find that they still cram a lot of junk into their vanity drawers. Use this bin idea to clear out the junk in the vanity and organize the closet! Make labels to separate bath toys, bubble bath, extra shampoo/conditioner, soap, and even clean towels or washcloths! You can even mix of the colors of the bins for an extra aesthetic bonus!

With handles or without! The choice is up to you!

 

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Still Storing Your Meds In Your Bathroom Vanity?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

A recent article from ivillage.com elaborated on why storing your medications in your bathroom vanities or medicine cabinets might not be the best idea anymore. Arrica Elin Sansone cited a quote from a Professor from the Pharmaceutical College at the University of Cincinnati, stating that the moisture and humidity that occurs in bathrooms can cause the drugs to break down and be less effective. Additionally, Sansone pointed out that many of the medications we keep are actually expired! (Yet we have to rummage through all of them before we find what we are actually looking for!) Her suggestion was to do a twice yearly inventory and toss out all the expired meds. Then stock up on basic necessities like headache, cold and flu, and indigestion medicines–or all the things that you have, in the past, been rummaging to find! Her checklist of good items to keep in your bathroom vanity includes:

  • Pain relievers
  • Antacids
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Anti-itch cream
  • Antihistamine
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • Vasoline
  • Various sized bandages
  • Thermometer

Be safe with your scripts!

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Is It Cheaper To Install A Vanity Yourself?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

One of the questions that we get asked all the time is should a homeowner install a purchased bathroom vanity themselves or should they hire a plumber to do the job. Our recommendation has always been: If you’ve got the know-how, do it! We caught an interesting article today in the Chicago Tribune website though, that spoke about just that. Gene and Katie Hamilton posed the question “Do It Yourself Or Not?” The math is definitely in our favor. When you purchase and install a bathroom vanity yourself, you are saving 21% versus if you were to hire a plumber to do the job for you. If you’d like to do a more thorough bathroom remodel then that 21% could be your new hardware or some other item you have yet to buy for the room!

Still, as always, we must advise that if you are not handy at “all things home,” it might be better to let a professional handle the job. While it isn’t the most difficult thing in the world to do, the cabinet and countertop often times need to be mounted securely to the wall and of course the plumbing needs to be hooked up. If you don’t have the proper tools or the know how to do these things, then you could botch the job and end up paying twice as much to get it fixed and installed correctly!

60 Inch Furniture Style Double Sink Vanity With Travertine Top

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My Home Improvement Nightmare

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

My housemate and I have always been spontaneous, creative people. She has a love of colour and art, and I love the nostalgia of buying antiques. We both thought that merging our personalities to create a beautiful bathroom would be easy – after all, how difficult can DIY be? We decided to be impulsive and just go for it – and that is when everything went wrong.

The main problem that we had was we just kind of went in and did. We did not plan, or measure, or test anything. This was a massive mistake. While we thought that it would be easy to remodel our 72 bathroom vanity, the truth is that we just made a huge mess. Firstly, taking out our existing bathroom fixtures proved to be a mess. I didn’t have the right tools, and going with the “I’ll make it work” attitude was the worst thing that I could do. I ended up damaging the water pipes in my anger as I eventually tried to rip them out of the wall, and apart from the inconvenience of having to delay our plans, we ended up with a flooded floor and quite serious damage.

The next issue was the colour scheme.  I trust my friend, but when I walked into a piece of abstract art instead of something stylish and tranquil, I lost it. So much for letting our creative instincts take control – it was a serious mess that caused tension, cost us money, and had to be re-done.

DIY is fun, but only if you do things properly. Firstly, discuss what your goals for the space are so that you are both happy with the end result. Then, create a plan and don’t just go in swinging. And lastly, don’t hesitate to call a professional!

This guest post was written by freelance writer Victoria. She is currently learning about different energy companies in Canada and the electronics directory Canada.

72 Inch Double Sink Bathroom vanity With Dark Brown Finish and 4 Doors

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Anode rod: crucial for keeping hot water

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

A beautiful modern bathroom vanity is the center piece of any bathroom. But the joys bestowed are limited without hot water. A hot water heater is an essential element of any home.

Listed number three on the UniqueVanities.com post, “Things to Check Or Inspect Before Buying a Home,” home buyers should be “sure [the heater] is in good, working order and not 100 years old.”

But what exactly is there to check? Electric models have a 10 to 15 year lifespan. Where as gas units run 8 to 12 years. Inspect for rust, corrosion, or leaks. Leaks which come from the tank itself are clearly indicative of needing a total replacement.

The overall condition of a water heater, both gas and electric, can be determined based upon the condition of the anode rod. Also known as a sacrificial rod, the anode works as a mineral magnet. Silt, sediment, and other mineral particles are drawn to the rod. As denoted by the sacrificial title, the rod is meant to eventually corrode away to reveal the core or break from its fastenings.

The more rust on the rod, the more roughly used unit. Although the anode rod is an indicator of heavy use, it’s developed to corrode and can be replaced to extend the life of the heater. Anode rods and other  Whirlpool parts (and other major brands) can be found online. A bad anode tube can produce water with a foul, sulfuric, odor, or discoloration.

A bad anode rod could be the culprit behind issues of low water pressure or smelly water.

To test the anode rod:

  • Remove power
  • Close cold water in-take valve
  • Open hot faucets to drain the remaining water in the tank
  • Remove anode located at the top of the tank. Sometimes, the dip tube (which transfers cold water to the tank bottom) is also the anode. If this is the case, disconnect plumbing fitting around the cold water inlet.
  • Check corrosion levels. Replace if nearly six inches or more of the core is exposed.
  • Install a new anode. Clean unit and properly seal (or dope) plumbing connections using Teflon tape or a similar material.

BIO

Katei Cranford is a freelance writer who requires a hot shower and strong coffee to start the day.

A good thing to maintain properly!

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Inexpensive Upgrades That Add Value

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

A recent read from auburnpub.com highlighted a few interesting reasons we thought we’d share about why NOW is the time to do indoor remodels to your home.

In Ed Fenzl’s article, he mentions that the because of the low demand that suppliers had in previous years, their inventories have gotten smaller. True to the old supply and demand model, this is bound to make prices on materials increase this summer. Additionally, it is cheaper to get work done during the winter months as many construction companies have less work during this time of year.

They focused on adding easy upgrades to improve the value of your home. Sure, we’d all love to do an all-out remodel, but unfortunately, with the current financial woes that many homeowners face, this is not always possible. A few of the things they mentioned that will add value but not break the bank were:

  • Kitchen cabinets: Instead of replacing the entire cabinetry you have, try either refinishing or repainting the doors and replacing the hardware with new fixtures. This minor repair serves as a major facelift for a kitchen.
  • Bathrooms: Fenzl recommends the obvious shower curtain, hardware, etc. Our idea? Instead of replacing the tile, the tub, the shower, etc., focus instead on the bathroom vanity alone. This item is the centerpiece of the bathroom anyway. You upgrade this and the rest of your room will look marvelous.
  • Lighting: Switch to LED lighting. Not only is is cost effective, but LED lights last a lot longer than regular bulbs!
  • Flooring: Hate to replace your wood floors? Don’t. Re-sand and re-finish for an as-new look!
  • Paint: Too many people overlook the power of a new paint job. Don’t be one of those people!

55 Inch Small Furniture Style Double Sink Vanity With Baltic Brown GraniteA minor upgrade a for major impact!

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Nail on Your Home Insurance before Attempting DIY

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Unique Bathroom Vanity

Home development is a proven method of adding value to your property and can be really enjoyable.  Still, before hammering that first nail into the wall, it is well worth consulting your home insurer to certify whether or not you are covered for potential damages.

The beauty of DIY is trial and error.  We have all cracked a kitchen tile, forgotten about the wiring after the job is ‘finished’ or something similarly amateurish – but that is the beauty of it.  For the more severe damages, calling in the experts for repairs can create a huge leak in your bank account.  Fortunately, some home insurance providers do cover you for these exact situations.

Avoid the temptations of TV

A good home improvement TV show can be a bit misleading – there are always experts at hand in case of emergency and the shows are insured for big mistakes.  Cover your back with a decent insurer and enjoy the freedom to customize your house to look exactly how you want it to.

Enjoy what you already have

Some homeowners are struggling to sell their homes in today’s economic climate so improving the property through DIY might just be a way of levering a deal – in the meantime, you get to live in a much nicer house!  Just make sure you are covered before risking your investment and living space.

Stay transparent with your provider

Any alterations, regardless of size, need to be communicated to your insurer in order to protect yourself when making a claim.  Providers can be very cooperative and after a quick discussion you can come away with one of three resolutions:

-          Begin work because you are covered.

-          Add an accidental damages feature to your policy.

-          Your project is too risky.  Call in the experts.

Plumbing can be more complicated than carpentry

Before bursting a pipe and paddling about in your kitchen or next to your double vanity no top, make sure you have all the tools and skills required to take on any plumbing job.  It is so easy for a small plumbing task to go wrong and escalate into a massive problem.  Finally, get yourself a safety net in the form of quality house insurance – it is better to be safe than sorry.

DIY should be a fun and satisfying experience but you will never enjoy it if you are worried about the financial consequences of a mistake.  Talk your plans through with your insurer and gain an understanding of your limits, leave the bigger jobs to the experts and develop your skills over time.  If your provider is not willing to insure your DIY projects, search for a different company who will.

Cover your wallet!

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