Archive for the ‘Sinks’ Category

Bathroom Remodeling Storage & Space Saving Tips

Friday, August 3rd, 2012

 

Unless you’re fortunate enough to have a large, luxury bathroom remodeled by Metropolitan Bath and Tile, space is usually at a premium in a standard bathroom – especially in an older home when a tub/shower, vanity and toilet, bar of soap and towels were the only things you’d find in a bathroom of the past.

Today, we have more things in the bathroom: electronic grooming/drying/straightening/curling gadgets, luxury toiletries, varieties of hair and makeup brushes, tons of cosmetics and  - well, just more stuff in general! Finding space for all these things in your bathroom is important to avoid clutter which ruins the finished product of a new bathroom remodel. MetroBath will get you started in the right direction with a well-planned design of a gorgeous place to escape to -free of distractions. Here’s a few ways to keep your bathroom better organized and appearing more spacious if your bathroom has a standard, small footprint:

Ditch the tub – if you’re a shower person and there’s another tub in the house opt for a glass-enclosed shower only and you can gain some valuable space and the glass creates the illusion of open space.

Extend the countertop over the toilet – if your toilet sits right next to your vanity, extend your countertop material as a narrow ledge over the toilet –  that little extra space can make a big difference. You can also move your sink off center to have even a wider, usable area instead of slivers on either side of the sink.

Open the space with a non-traditional sink and/or vanity.  Find some attractive floor storage containers or baskets and you can have MetroBath designers incorporate a pedestal or console sink which makes the room look larger by not having “the box” under your sink – always perfect for a powder room. You can also wall mount a vanity or sink and then you can tuck those pretty baskets and containers underneath on open shelves.

Wall mounted faucets – not only do they look contemporary and stylish you just gained an easy-to-clean, usuable area around your sink. Have your MetroBath designer guide you through our showroom displays for convenient and reliable selections.

Install vertical cabinets – Metropolitan Bath and Tile can add floor-to-ceiling cabinets as a linen tower if there’s room and you’ll have a tower of storage. Keep infrequently used items at the top. Great for keeping mounds of fresh towels handy.

Tap into the wall space – There’s a treasure trove of unused space in between your wall studs for installing into rather than on top of. Use those spaces as display nooks or add doors to conceal the jumble. Do the same in your shower before you retile to have sleek out-of-the-way niches for soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Metropolitan Bath and Tile experts can determine if you have space they can adapt.

Accessories like floating display shelves, towel bars and rings that match your faucets (or not), small, freestanding cabinets or decorative stands, hooked coat racks,  artistic containers or stackable baskets and bins keep everything in its right place in an attractive way.

A little pre-planning from a professional can get you more actual and visual space.  Benefit from MetroBath‘s experience (over 30,000 bathrooms installed) – for your unique bathroom space and budget. Visit one of our 4 convenient bathroom showrooms today - in Bowie, Rockville, Towson Maryland or Chantilly Virginia.Metropolitan Bath and Tile will design & remodel a bathroom with gorgeous style just for you and maximize its functionality - it’s up to you to keep it organized after that!

 

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Conserve Water in Your New Bathroom

Monday, May 7th, 2012

WaterSense Bathroom Products from American Standard

Water conservation will become more of a focus for local residents in upcoming years. If you’d like to save water a good idea is to make sure your bathroom remodeling includes some of the new WaterSense products. The good news at Metropolitan Bath and Tile is you don’t have to sacrifice – water saving products and gorgeous designs make fabulous decorating partners.

 

 

 

 

 

What are WATERSENSE PRODUCTS?
WaterSense® is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Similar to the Energy Star program for appliances. WaterSense was designed to give consumers confidence that water-saving products will work properly and efficiently. The WaterSense label is used on toilets and bathroom faucets that are certified by independent laboratory testing to meet rigorous criteria for both performance and efficiency. It assures customers that a product delivers dependable performance while reducing water use by 20 percent or more. Many American Standard® and Kohler® products are WaterSense certified. To ensure you are purchasing dependable products that help you save water Look for the WaterSense label .

Some water facts:

  • By 2050 40% of the world’s countries will have severe water shortages
  • 36 states anticipate water shortages by 2013 (US Government Accountability Office). Some, like Texas are experiencing them today.
  • 1.6 billion gallons of water are wasted in the US because of inefficient toilets every day

Kohler WaterSense Toilets

Toilets are big water (& money) wasters
½ the toilets in the US today are older inefficient models – the newest innovations improve toilet performance. If your home had its toilets installed more than 10 years ago, you may be flushing your money and conservation down the drain. Replacing an old toilet could automatically and permanently cut your home water consumption by 25% or more. Newer technology not only saves water, but can actually improve performance and work quietly.

WaterSense and its partners across the country helped Americans save 9.3 billion gallons of water and 1 billion kilowatt hours through use of WaterSense labeled products in 2008, the most recent reporting period. That translates to consumers realizing more than $55 million in water and sewer bill savings.

Watersaving Toilets
Look for toilets that flush 1.28 gallons or less, when compared to a 3.5-gallon toilet, can save homeowners up to 16,500 gallons of water per fixture per year.*
* Based on average usage of a household of four. Dual Flush can save even more.

  • How can I conserve with a new faucet?

    Kohler WaterSense Faucets

  • Dripping faucets can waste around 20 gallons of water a day.
  • You won’t save money by hanging on to your old-fashioned faucets when you remodel. A complete remodeling is the smart course to take – get fully updated with the future in mind. If your faucet is dripping at a rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste from 75 to hundreds of gallons of water a week.
  • Replace older rubber-washer faucets. The lifetime, drip-free performance of ceramic disc valving can save you money spent on maintenance and wasted water due to leaks. You also get smooth and easy handle control.
  • Replace faucets without aerated flow restrictors. These restrictors incorporate air into the water stream. The result is a bubbling flow that provides excellent rinsing action while reducing water usage. Removing the flow restrictors from these aerators is not recommended as it may reduce the effectiveness of the aerator, and may make temperature control more difficult.

Watersaving Faucets
Small in size, big on impact, KOHLER faucets with low-flow aerators deliver up to 45% water savings over traditional 2.75 gpm faucets.

 

Are Multi-Spray Showers sustainable?
Multi-spray showers are a fabulous way to relax and give yourself the “spa” treatment. Indulgent, yes, but there are options that can make your new shower experience “green”.

When Metropolitan Bath and Tile installs your new shower we can install diverters to alternate between showerheads. Actually the preferred experience for most users, diverter valves shift the water flow among different showerheads. Use a high-efficiency showerhead as your main showerhead.

Watersaving Showerheads and Handshowers
KOHLER 1.75 gpm water-conserving showerheads and handshowers deliver an impressive 35% water savings over traditional 2.75 gpm showerheads and handshowers.

Remodeling your bathroom with the newest products can save you money (& the planet) in the long run. You’ll love your new bathroom and feel good about doing your part in saving water (& your water bills) at the same time.

 

Talk to your designer at one of our four convenient locations in Rockville, Bowie, or Towson Maryland or Chantilly Virginia - serving the entire Washington and Baltimore Metro areas for the newest in design and functionality for your new bathroom remodel. MetroBath can help you replace that old, inefficient bathroom with the future in mind. Contact us today to get started…

 

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Bathroom Lavatory Sinks-Installation Types.

Monday, March 14th, 2011

top: American Standard® Reminiscence Countertop, Undercounter, American Standard® Dorian Glass Vesselbottom: American Standard® Town Square Pedestal Sink, Kohler® Tableau® wall-mount lavatory, Solid Surface Sink

Bathroom sinks can set the tone in any bathroom remodeling. What you choose will probably depend on how much you need to store in your bathroom. They can receive hard use in the main bath or just sit and shine in a power room but are functional pieces just the same. Bathroom sinks are also known as lavatory sinks or “lav” sinks. Here is a breakdown of installation methods to help you find one with your MetroBath Designer that’s right for your bathroom remodeling:
  1. Countertop: Also called “drop-ins” because they are self-rimming and are designed to go on and into a vanity countertop.
  2. Under-counter: Similar to a drop-in, these sinks are attached completely “under” the countertop where only the inside of the bowl is visible. When paired with a vanity can offer generous storage underneath. Easy to clean because the rim is not on top of the counter. They can be selected to match or contrast with the countertop.
  3. Vessel sink: Technically a top-mount sink– these high-end lavs expose the entire bowl above the countertop like the washbasins of years gone by. An exceptionally contemporary and stylish look when made from spun glass, but come in a variety of materials.
  4. Pedestal sink: Freestanding pedestal style sinks can be classic or contemporary depending on their lines. These are decorative lav sinks anchored to the wall, and sit atop matching pedestal bases or console tables that don’t occupy much floor space. They have limited countertop space but can be all that is needed in a powder room that doesn’t require a lot of storage space.Usually come in 32″-36″ heights for standing adults.
  5. Wall-mounted lavs: Often called wall-hung sinks. Wall-mounting a bathroom sink can be the best choice for accessible needs as they can be hung at different heights. Sinks hung at 30″ can be a better height for children or people in a seated position. 36″ is a better height for a standing adult.
  6. Solid surface sinks: All-in-one countertop/sinks made from manmade materials like cultured marble, Corian® or Silestone® are durable and are easy care. The seamless properties translate into a sleek appearance and their one-piece construction eliminates leaks.
 

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Vessel Sinks: Designer’s Choice for the Bathroom

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Focal Point of the Bathroom

Are vessel-style sinks here to stay? Their popularity here at MetroBath tells us “yes”. A sink style from ancient times has emerged as one of the most sought after designer bathroom trends of the 21st Century. Whether your bathroom design is traditional or exotic – there’s a vessel sink for you.

What is a vessel sink? A vessel sink is a basin that sits on the countertop or piece of furniture. These basins are in all sort of sizes, depths and materials – from glass, china, ceramic to metals. There’s so many styles and materials to choose from now – ask your  Metropolitan Bath and Tile designer to show you.

You don’t have to coordinate everything with a vessel sink – it can be the jewel-in-the-crown, so to speak. If you have a simple tub and toilet – the sky’s the limit to what type of vessel sink you can choose. Vessel sinks are a focal point like a piece of art.

It’s a good idea to decide whether you want a vessel sink before you start planning the plumbing in your new or remodeled bathroom. The type of sink you install will impact the placement of your pipes and this should be done in the initial phase.

Vessel sinks also require a different counter height than most traditional bathroom sinks. Conventional recessed-bowl sinks sit at counter height, usually 32 to 36 inches above the floor, which is a comfortable height for most adults for brushing teeth and washing hands.Since the sink is higher, the counter height needs to be lower. Consider whether you want to lower all of the countertops in your bathroom or have counters of varying heights. You can also mount your vessel sink right on the wall with a bracket or install it on a piece of furniture designed especially for a vessel sink.

You can use almost any type of countertop material you like, so be creative:  wood planks, on concrete, on tile, including mosaic, granite, marble, glass, tile, engineered stone – whatever expresses your style.

Vessel sinks need special consideration when it comes to choosing their faucets because the water from the faucet should flow down into the bottom of the sink – not the sides – so as not to cause splashing. There should be enough room between the faucet and the sink for users to wash their hands or brush their teeth.

Vessel sinks require a counter-based faucet with a long neck that can reach up over the side of the basin and also allow adequate clearance in the basin OR a wall-mount faucet which probably is the most popular. In either case, reaching the center of the sink is the goal.

Vessel sinks are perfect in the powder room or guest room because they are so showy and elegant - they are an experience to use. Ask one of our Metropolitan Bath and Tile designers to show you what’s available in shape, materials, style – you’ll be amazed – and will most likely want to fit at least one of them into your bathroom design plans!
 

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