A man designed my bathroom
A man designed my bathroom. He didn’t realize that in order to achieve the Victoria’s Secret model bed head sexpot hair it required an arsenal of curling irons, brushes and hair products with names that sound like they belong in a romance novel. This man didn’t realize the amount of creams specified for daytime protection ONLY to fight off the signs of aging from the cleaning up after 3 children, the dog and his muddy boots. These daytime creams will do absolutely NOTHING for the insomnia, and, so, I need the night time creams to ward off the bags and wrinkles. So, I will NOT apologize for the bathroom counter covered in my beauty war zone.
If you choose to enter the battle zone then come prepared.
Remodel my bathroom with Medallion’s Simplicity Storage Solutions. Save me from the counter burns from my curling irons for each perfectly sized curl and buy the salon styling cabinet with the various shaped salon grade metal canisters.
Help me organize the many shades of pink blush designed to adapt to each season and shade of white or tan I may be and get the custom drawer inserts.
I forever promise to cherish you and do my best to keep my girlish glow for you and for my sake, but please for the love of God give me the bathroom to do it and I promise I will not infiltrate your garage for my storage solutions.
Email Jessica and she will take the work out of it. Don’t worry; you can still take credit for it and the thank you for it afterwards.
Safe Living
When you are planning a home entertainment area it is important to not only make it a comfortable place for your family, but also a safe one. It is common to use glass in cabinetry housing a television, game console, and home theatre system. Be aware that unless it is tempered glass, it can cause serious harm if broken.
Base cabinet doors are required to have tempered glass. I recommend that upper glass doors also receive this treatment so you can enjoy a safe happy home.
Plain glass breaks easily and shatters into sharp shards. Tempered breaks into tiny little bits that are much less dangerous (why it’s required in car windows). It is much stronger, but is also vulnerable to sharp taps. The higher price for tempered glass is because it has to be heated to almost melting then cooled after it has been cut to size.
FA Design Build carries 3 lines of kitchen cabinets: JSI, Wellborn Forest and Medallion.
One Bathroom Renovation
How do you renovate your bathroom when you only have one? Renovation in a one bathroom home, a situation that many of us here in the DC area encounter, can be a tricky situation and a major disruption to your usual lifestyle. It’s important to know what to expect prior to your contractor ripping your bathroom apart…instead of realizing after the fact that you don’t have a place to do your “business”.
As someone who has been in this position (renovating my one bedroom / one bathroom condo in Del Ray, Alexandria), I have some tips and tricks to share, many of which I wish I knew about prior to my renovation, but we live and learn so I thought I’d share this valuable info:
1. Plan ahead and talk with your contractor.
Make sure your contractor knows that this is your only bathroom and discuss how long the renovation will take. Not only will you not have a bathroom, but the contractor also will not have a bathroom on site. Remind your contractor of this so he can make other arrangements if necessary – - like a port-a-john or public facilities close by.
2. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about sharing their bathroom.
Many of us have friends, family, or neighbors that would be happy to share their facilities. This situation is ideal, but not always possible – - see below for more tips on how to make do with what you have…….
3. Don’t remove the toilet until you are ready to install the new one (if possible).
If you are doing tile work on the floor, your contractor will have to remove the toilet to install the new tile. Worst case scenario is you will be without a toilet for two days. The toilet is the most difficult convenience to do without, don’t try and get creative on this one, plan ahead and make sure you have somewhere to go.
4. Use the kitchen sink instead of your bathroom sink.
The kitchen sink is great for tooth brushing, face washing, and a general (showerless) clean up. I even used my pull-out kitchen faucet to wash my hair in the sink.
5. Do you belong to a gym or does your office have shower facilities?
Gyms or the office are often a good place to get cleaned up while your bathroom is under renovation. After a workout at the gym in the morning get showered and dressed for work. Or, if you dare, head into the office in your pajama’s and use the office’s shower facilities.
6. Make sure all materials/products needed for the install are onsite prior to demolition starting.
If all material is on site, there is less likely a chance that there will be issues or delays along the way. The quicker the install goes, the quicker you will be back to your normal routine.
Universal Design Showers: Safety and Luxury
Here is a great post by Wendy Jordan of HGTV about how Universal design makes bathrooms work for everyone, regardless of age, size and ability…read on!
The telephone booth-size shower is going the way of the telephone booth. And why not? With so many great shower features out there, people want big, beautiful showers where they can soak in comfort and style. Of course, once they pour creative thinking — and dollars — into a dream shower, they want it to serve them well for a long time. Universal design, an ingenious approach that makes sure designs work for everyone, regardless of age, size, ability and changing needs, helps ensure that the shower will do just that.
When it comes to showers, universal design and luxury have a lot in common. Some of the hottest design trends — large, walk-in showers with no doors; boutique tiles; versatile shower sprays — fit right in with designs that make showers safe, accessible and enjoyable to use.
As for size, your shower should be at least three feet square and have a wide entry, so there’s ample room to get in and move around. Designer Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD and a universal design specialist in Brookfield, Conn., says 42 by 60 inches is even better, particularly for showers that have no door or curtain. The larger space helps keep the water from straying out and allows someone in a wheelchair or walker to maneuver with ease.
Curved or angled shower walls have both design panache and universal design advantages, helping keep water inside and offering privacy even if the shower has no door. If you do have a shower door, make sure it swings out of the traffic pattern.
No room for a big shower stall? You can turn the bathroom itself into a “wet room,” another hot trend these days. In a wet room, the shower and bathroom share one big, open space that has an extra floor drain and slightly sloped floors for drainage.
Still trying to figure out how to fit a bigger shower into your small bathroom? Universal design expert Cynthia Leibrock of Easy Access to Health, Livermore, Colo., has a solution: Remove your bathtub and install a shower where the tub was. Most people prefer showers anyway, and they are generally safer and easier to use. The tub space will work fine for an accessible shower. Your contractor will have to make the shower entry barrier-free and level with the bathroom floor. Instead of a solid rim at the threshold to contain the shower water, Leibrock recommends a compressible plastic strip; it holds in the water but is easy to roll over and won’t be a tripping hazard.
A Universal Shower
Okay, you’ve carved out the space for a universal design shower. Here’s a checklist of features to make the shower work well for the whole family.
Seating. Some people want or need to sit in the shower, and some don’t. If you recess a bench into the shower wall or install a fold-down seat, everyone will be happy.
Sprays and controls. An adjustable handheld shower spray is the way to go for maximum flexibility. It slides on a wall-mounted rod, and can be locked into place or pulled out on a retractable hose. In other words, it’s where it needs to be, whether the person in the shower is tall or short, standing or seated.
Put the controls where they can be reached from the shower seat and from outside the shower. Leibrock advises choosing a lever or other style that’s easy to grasp and turn. You’ll need valves to keep the water temperature safe; as Peterson points out, controls for these belong out of reach of children.
It’s a good idea, adds Peterson, to install a second shower spray overhead. That lets the kids take a shower even if Dad or Mom left the adjustable spray too high for a child to reach.
Wall niches. You’ll want at least two wall niches for soap and shampoo: one by the seat for kids and seated bathers, and another up higher for standing adults.
Flooring and walls. For a non-slip floor, go with tumbled stone or non-glossy ceramic tiles, preferably mosaics or other small pieces that are embedded in a dense network of grout. Grout lines are good because they add texture, but they should be thin to keep the surface smooth.
Leibrock recommends tiling all the way up the shower walls and even across the ceiling. After all, a handheld spray can shoot water everywhere. But those swaths of tile don’t have to be monotonous. Add decorative accents that look great and help orient people who may need a few visual cues as to what’s where.
Lighting. You’ll want good lighting in the shower and at the entry — no surprise here. But the best place for overhead lighting in the shower may not be dead center. Peterson suggests getting into the proposed shower area to figure out where to locate the light so it won’t be blocked by a bather.
Grab bars. Grab bars have a bad reputation. People think they are ugly and belong only in hospitals. But grab bars now come in wonderful colors, chic shapes and elegant finishes, often coordinating with other bathroom accessories.
It’s best to put grab bars at the shower entry as well as in the shower at various heights to provide welcome handholds and prevent falls. If you don’t want grab bars now, at least add blocking for them while the walls are open for construction of your shower. That way, when you decide to put in a few grab bars, the job will be inexpensive and easy.
Wendy A. Jordan writes about residential design and remodeling. Her book on universal design was published in 2008.
Dispelling myths behind granite……
We love granite countertops!
Myths Dispelled:
Cleanability
Granite ranked #1 in cleanability when compared to six other countertop surfaces including stainless steel (based on a 1999 study by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management).
Marble and granite have the same level of cleanability as engineered (based on a 2006 study by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management).
Price
Natural stone is competitively priced with quartz surface products and often priced lower.
Maintenance
Natural stone is low maintenance often only requiring warm water, mild dishwashing liquid and a soft cloth to maintain its beauty. Many varieties of natural stone do not need to be sealed, although many are for customer peace of mind.
Radon
Granite does not emit dangerous levels of radon (based on technical paper by Dr. Donald Langmiur, PhD, Colorado School for Mines in 1995, confirming that consumers do not have to worry about radon exposure stemming from natural stone in their home).
Individuality
Stone is a product of nature and has its own unique qualities that distinguish it from quartz surface materials. The wonderful character that is offered by vein patterns, color variations, and other design characteristics of stone should be taken into consideration when selecting the perfect stone for your project.
Are you thinking of new granite countertops this year?
Jessica Cannon
FA Design Build Partners with Non-profit Organizations
FA Design Build is taking strides in building relationships with non-profit organizations like ReBuild, Habitat for Humanity and Community Forklift who accept quality, used building materials and sell them back to the public, raising awareness in their communities.
FA Design Build will make efforts to donate usable building materials and provide the homeowner with a suggested donation amount that can be written off on their taxes. We will provide homeowners with an official donation form provided by the non-profit organization. As part of the standard process, FA Design Build will also coordinate the pick-up of the materials during the donation/de-construction phase of the project at no additional cost to the homeowner. Typical donation amounts can vary greatly, but a full kitchen, of quality materials in working order, can provide homeowners approximately $500.00 to $1,000.00 or more as a tax deduction.
Contact FA Design Build at 703-934-8447 for more details.
Bathroom Lighting
Before you can determine how you would like your bathroom lights installed, you need to focus on the various tasks that occur in the bathroom. For example, lighting in the vanity area is very important because the task in this area is grooming and it requires the highest level of lighting in the bath. We have found that providing light at the sides of the mirror because it creates no shadow on the face and the light will shine from a horizontal direction. These lights are typically wall-mounted and can either be incandescent or fluorescent. We also recommend the use of a dimmer in this area as well.
Fixtures Above the Mirror
In order to create successful lighting on the side of the mirror, we recommend that you chose a fixture that is appropriate to the size of the mirror. For example, 100 watts of incandescent lighting for every 18” of horizontal width of the mirror. As long as the fixtures provide adequate light, placement of the fixtures above the mirror is equal to placement on the side of the mirror. Dimming In general, the amount of lighting used for a vanity fixture is appropriate for grooming tasks, but is too much for general bathroom lighting so the use of a dimmer is highly recommended. In addition to the extremity of the lighting in the grooming area, a dimmer also can provide comfort to your bathroom. Lighting for the shower and tub Use of lighting in layers is essential for other tasks in the bathroom. We suggest that the lighting be placed directly above the shower and tub, but there are standards that the National Electric Code states, meaning that the fixtures must be labeled as meeting requirements for wet conditions. These fixtures can be recessed or surface mounted, but we have found that recessed fixtures are the most popular option.
Lighting for the Water Closet
You will find that in smaller bathrooms, depending on the lighting that you have chosen for your vanity area, the lighting in the water closet area is usually sufficient. If the water closet is not in the same vicinity as the vanity, a separate lighting source will need to be installed. Wall-mounted, decorative fixtures are typically the most popular in this area.
General Ambient Lighting
We have found that more and more decorative light fixtures are available for consumers to choose from and placement of a decorative light fixture in the center of the bathroom is also a great solution…no matter the size of your bathroom. Don’t forget that dimmers add a sense of elegance and comfort to any bathroom.
203K
The 203K program enables HUD (Department of Housing and Community Development) to promote and facilitate the restoration of our existing housing. It is HUD’s primary program for the rehabilitation and repair of single family homes. HUD’s main goal is the revitalization and expansion of homeownership throughout our communities.
203K operates through FHA’s (Federal Housing Administration) approved lending institutions that submit applications to have the property appraised and to get the buyer’s credit approved. The 203K program allows that buyer to just have one mortgage loan, at a long-term adjustable rate to finance the purchase and rehabilitation of the property. The mortgage is based on the projected value of the property once the work is completed. Once the mortgage is disbursed and an escrow account for the rehabilitation is established, the lender will have a fully-insured mortgage loan.
Eligible properties are one-to four-family dwelling units that have been completed for at least one year. The units must meet the local zoning requirements. The program is also eligible for condominiums that have been approved by the FHA.
Only certain lenders and subcontractors are approved by the FHA to participate in this program. Flooring America/FA Design Build is an approved 203K subcontractor and we have completed several properties through this program.
Please visit www.203kplus.com for more details. Stay tuned for our next blog which will discuss the 203k Streamlined(k) program.
Preparation for your Hardwood Installation
Avoid any bumps in the road to your home design project. Use our installation guide for great tips on the transition of your old floors to the new.
Installation Matters
Today’s hardwood flooring is extremely versatile. There are more ways than ever to install your hardwood flooring: nailing, stapling, gluing, floating or the new “click” (glue-less) fit, where the plank edges snap together like the pieces of a puzzle.
At Flooring America, we have a “Points of Difference Guarantee”, meaning we stand behind our products and services. Our guarantees protect you and your investment to ensure you a confident, worry-free and enjoyable shopping experience. We believe that how your floor is installed will impact its performance and life. We provide a warranted installation by a trained, professional craftsperson who will finish the job to perfection-GUARANTEED!
Things to Do Before Installation
We want you to have a clear understanding of the services we provide as well as to be aware of items you will need to handle prior to the installer arriving at your home. After your purchase, items crucial to the smooth installation of your new flooring will be detailed by your sales professional in a pre-installation check list and may include some of the following:
- Verification of the installation date.
- Ensuring the removal of all “breakables” from the room.
- Determining who will remove furniture, appliances and the sub-floor, if needed.
- Arranging for the disconnection of gas appliances and icemakers.
- Determining if any change to the height of the floor require adjustments to doors in order for them to close properly.
- Ensuring the removal of items in storage areas and closets where the floor is to be resurfaced.
- Make certain drapes, wall hangings and pictures are removed from walls.
- Verify that your in-home temperature is appropriate for the installation.
Installation
Your local Flooring America store offers expert installation for all of the flooring products that we carry. You can trust our installers to create a great-looking floor for your home. Whether it’s a solid-color carpet or a detailed, custom tile design, our licensed and insured professionals will get the job done accurately and beautifully.
We are so confident that you will be more than satisfied with our professional installation that we will be happy to correct any installation-related problems for free during the intended life of your floor.
Get started today and bring your colors, swatches, photos and ideas into one of our stores…Fairfax, Woodbridge or White Plains.
What Type of Hardwood Works for You?
There are two different types of Hardwood Floors, Solid and Engineered. Today we are going to discuss Solid Hardwood Floors.
Solid Hardwood is exactly what it says…100% solid wood. There are three different types of Solid Hardwood and all three can either come unfinished or pre-finished. Below are the three types of hardwood:
- Strip Hardwood Flooring
Although strip hardwood is always going to be the same width (1 ½ inches, 2 inches and 2 ¼ inches), the thickness of the wood can vary. It starts at 5/16 of an inch.
- Plank Flooring
There are two thicknesses for plank flooring (1/2 inch or 3/4 inch), but the widths vary from 3 inches to 8 inches.
- Parquet Floors
Parquet floors do not look like your typical hardwood flooring. They are patterns in individual wood slats.
Solid hardwood is more susceptible to shrinking and expanding from excessive moisture and extreme temperature changes. Please be aware that in the winter months, moisture may cause gaps between the planks…once the summer months come around, and the humidity is higher, the planks then expand back to fill in those gaps. We recommend that you keep your homes relative humidity between 40-55%. Because it is sensitive to moisture, we do not recommend that you install solid hardwood below ground level.
Solid hardwood should not be installed directly over concrete and should be nailed or stapled to the subfloor. We suggest that you have the wood acclimated prior to installation.
The most popular types of Solid hardwood species are Red Oak, White Oak and Maple, but these are just the most popular…there are several different species of solid hardwood.
Do you want Prefinished or Unfinished hardwood flooring?
Prefinished hardwood is quicker to install because it does not have to be sanded or refinished. It does not need to dry, so your house can get back to normal as soon as it is installed.
Unfinished hardwood takes a little longer to install and has to dry.
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