4 Excellent Reasons to Install an Outside Shower

Have you ever considered installing an outside shower at your home? While it may not be a necessity, it can have some excellent benefits. There are occasions when an outdoor shower can be handy – consider these four benefits to an outdoor shower on your back patio.

  1. Dirty kids. Kids like to get dirty – it is one of the things they do best! But getting them clean can cause another mess in the bathroom, especially when they track their dirt and mud all the way through the house. After messy outdoor play, have kids rinse off in the outside shower to keep the dirt out of your home.
  2. Dirty dogs. Dogs need baths, but they can also make a mess inside. Outdoor showers are perfect for giving your furry kids a bath without messing up the bathroom. It is much more comfortable for them than an outdoor hose that only has cold water.
  3. After swimming. If you have a pool with chlorine, you need to rinse off after a swim to protect your skin and hair. Outdoor showers on your pool deck or patio let you rinse without tracking in water through the house.
  4. Have you ever taken a shower under the stars or in the bright morning sun? It can be an enjoyable experience, with nature as your ceiling.

Adding an outdoor shower as part of your bathroom remodeling project can be a wonderful, convenient fixture for your family. Talk to your local plumber about options for creating a shower area on your patio or pool deck. It can be an affordable addition that can make life easier and create less mess in your home.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

Adding An Extra Bathroom To Your Home

Many older homes were not built with today’s needs in mind. While homes these days tend to be designed with two or more bathrooms, many older homes only have one or one-and-a-half. Adding another bathroom to your home can offer convenience for your family, and is also an investment which goes a long way toward increasing the value of your home. Even if you don’t think you have the space, there may be areas which could easily be converted into a second or third bathroom. 

Bathroom Addition Ideas

Take a look around your home. Is there any space which could potentially be better utilized as an extra bathroom? The ideal locations will be near existing plumbing, adjacent to rooms like the kitchen or laundry room. Some ideas for spaces which can be remodeled to serve as extra bathrooms include: 

  • Closets. For a half-bath or guest bathroom, often a closet can be converted. Using the closet space, along with borrowing a little extra square footage from another room, can be plenty to add a small bathroom.
     
  • Pantries. Usually located near the kitchen, pantries can be a great place to add an extra water closet.
     
  • Laundry rooms. If you have a spacious laundry room, part of that room could be transformed into a bathroom.
     
  • Basements. Tired of running upstairs to go to the restroom from your basement living area? Although a bit more tricky, adding a bathroom down in your basement is possible. In many homes, it will require the addition of an ejector pump to propel waste up to your sewer lines. 

Before starting a bathroom addition project, talk to your local plumbing contractor. They can access your home and give you ideas about determining the easiest places to connect to your existing plumbing to add the extra bathroom you have always wanted.

Posted on behalf of Find Local Plumber

Mold In Your Bathroom?

Have you discovered mold in your bathroom? When excess moisture begins to collect, mold can often follow. It’s not only unsightly, but can become a serious health hazard for you and your family and can lead to major repairs down the road if not addressed. While mold can grow as a result of the moisture-rich environment of many bathrooms, it can also occur as evidence of a hidden water line leak.

You may need to contact a mold remediation professional to eradicate mold from your bathroom if it has become particularly severe. Still, cleaning the affected areas is just the first step and provides only a temporary fix. Mold has a tendency to spread quickly and deep below surfaces. If you find mold recurring in your bathroom, it’s time to contact your local plumber to schedule an assessment for possible bathroom plumbing repairs to address any leaks or sources of moisture. When this problem has been addressed, only then will you be able to remove mold permanently.

Your local plumber can re-tile or replace the grout in your infested shower, replace batheroom fixtures that are leaking and inspect your plumbing for hidden moisture sources in order to get your bathroom back “up to code.” Recurring mold can become a very real danger to your health and that of your family, which is why it’s so important to find the root of mold growth. With the assistance of a licensed and reputable plumbing professional in your area, you can find the source of unwanted moisture and eliminate it to prevent future mold growth.

Posted on behalf of Shawn Bynum, Bynum Plumbing

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Upgrade Your Bathroom With New Plumbing Fixtures

Have you been thinking that your bathroom is starting to look “dated?” Have you been dreaming about remodeling your bathroom but now is not the time for such an expense? Simply replacing and upgrading your old plumbing fixtures can go a long way toward giving your bathroom a different look and feel.

Regardless of your future plans to remodel your entire bathroom, changing your fixtures will be a step in the right direction, and one which you’d likely do anyway. Picture the overall desired look to your bathroom when selecting fixtures. Begin with the toilet; choose something more modern and environmentally friendly.

When selecting your style and finish requirements with matching, or complimentary, sink and shower fixtures, don’t just look at the faucets but also consider upgrading the style of sink and/or cabinets. Think about what kind of bath you’d really like to have, such as a bath with massaging water jets, and indulge yourself by upgrading that as well. Select a custom showerhead, with all the settings of spray that you’d enjoy, with matching faucets for the bathroom sink.

Depending on your choices, like with the toilet, there may exist some building code requirements. It is always best to first, before purchasing, consult with your local plumbing professional about your ideas to make sure that your plans are feasible, that you have enough space, correct location of water lines, and adequate placement of plumbing lines. Limited only by your budget, upgrading and replacing your old plumbing fixtures with new sleek designs will give your bathroom a remodeled look, without the cost and mess of an entire remodel.

Why Bathroom Remodels Are a Good Investment

Whether you are considering selling or remaining in your home for years to come, investing in home improvement just makes sense.  How can you go wrong by improving something that you own, regardless of the current economic climate?  If for no other reason, your home remodel project will make your home more comfortable and enjoyable for your personal use. Most people do remodel purposely with the intent of getting a good return on their investment; however, this cannot be expected right away.  It typically will take at least an additional year or two to realize a return of 80% to 90%. Of course, the longer that you remain in your home, the more money you can make on the initial investment in your improvements, as you allow the real estate market time to increase your property values.

For an overall return on investment, the Wall Street Journal rates bathroom remodeling as one of the top home remodel improvements to do. Is it worth the money to remodel your bathroom?  Remember that the bathroom is one of the busiest, most used, space in your home; as such, the constant use (combined with moisture) contributes to the development of structural concerns, like water damage, over time. The potential cost in loss of value to your home, should needed repairs go unaddressed, would, of course, be counterproductive to any discussion of return on your investment.

Do some research, set a realistic budget, and look through books and magazines to get some ideas. Also, check with a professional. Your local plumbing contractor can help with wading through all of the options available to you, and with helping you define exactly what you would like to accomplish.

New Toilet Installation

Whether you are replacing your toilet because the old toilet was broken or worn out, for as part of a bathroom remodeling project, to update your bathroom’s appearance, or to replace an old water wasting toilet with an efficient new low flow toilet, this is a job that should probably be left to a professional plumber.  Many handy homeowners are capable of removing and installing a toilet, but toilets get a lot of hard use during their lifespan and the last thing you want is a leaky toilet.

Not only is a leaky toilet unsanitary, but a small leak can go unnoticed and eventually cause wood rot in the subfloor under the toilet.  Replacing the bathroom floor is an expensive proposition that can be avoided by having your new toilet installed by an experienced plumber.  It’s well worth the modest cost of a professional installation to have a top quality toilet installation that will provide great service for years.

If you are set on doing it yourself, first turn off the water supply to the old toilet and empty the tank.  Unhook the water supply line, unbolt the toilet from the floor and lift it clear of the closet flange and attachment bolts.

Install a new wax ring on the closet flange and line the new toilet up over the wax ring and attachment bolts.  Lower it evenly into place and install the nuts on the attachment bolts and tighten carefully. Do not over-tighten the nuts or the base will crack. Hook up the water supply line, turn on the water and check for leaks.

If you have any problems with the toilet installation, call your local plumber for assistance.