How to Fool People into Thinking Your Bathroom is Bigger than it is!

We install bathrooms of all sizes here at Plumb Yorkshire, offering tailored solutions designed and installed to the unique requirements of our customers.  Over the years, we have created countless bathroom solutions that make smaller rooms seem larger than they actually are. If your home has a smaller bathroom, and there’s no scope to extend the room or you simply don’t have the budget to do this right now, there are still things you can do to make the room feel larger than it actually is.

Try these suggestions to make a smaller bathroom feel like a palatial pampering zone!

Take advantage of natural light

Incorporate as much natural light as you can into the bathroom to reduce the impression of it being a dark, cramped and rather confined space. Install a larger bathroom window and this can be a useful way to make the room more inviting. Instead of covering the window with blinds or other window dressings, leave it bare and utilise frosted glazing to retain privacy within the room.

Paint the walls a lighter colour  

Dark colours decrease the feeling of space within a room and can make them feel a little claustrophobic. Think carefully before choosing colour schemes for your bathroom. Paler shades actually make the room look a lot bigger than it is. Bright and light tones such as white, sky blue or creams will give the room a feeling of space. Use tones wisely to deceive the eye.  

Keep clutter to a minimum

Cut back on clutter in your bathroom if you are worried about space. Think about the items you have on display in the bathroom and consider whether you actually need to keep these products in there.  You could keep spare towels in bedroom closets for instance, or store hairdressing products in dressing tables and chests of drawers. Simply take them into the bathroom when you want to use them and remove them again afterward.

Use mirrors to enhance the feeling of space

A large bathroom mirror fitted to a wall inside a smaller bathroom adds a feeling of depth inside the room. Replace smaller mirrors with large feature mirrors that make the room look twice the size. Do this and you create the feeling of a light, bright, flowing space. 

  

Fit glass shower screens

Many smaller bathrooms have showers fitted over the bath to free up room. This is a practical solution, just be careful not to overcrowd the room by fitting a bold shower curtain which can act as a physical barrier. One way to avoid doing this is to install a glass shower screen. Glass screens prevent water from spraying over the floor when you take a shower but leave a clear view of the tub and the tiles behind.  

Regardless of the size of your bathroom, we can install a first-class solution for you here at Plumb that’s practical, stylish, and makes great use of the space available.

Call us today on 0800 999 6056 or 07414 579 381 for more information and don’t forget to ask us for a FREE quote.  

Designing a Bathroom in Four Easy Steps

Turning your bathroom into a haven of peace and tranquillity doesn’t have to be as complicated as you think. This is an exciting project to complete at home, one that can deliver untold rewards, adding style and value to your house.  Starting out is the biggest hurdle when you are considering a new bathroom design. A high-quality bathroom installation will renovate, invigorate and rejuvenate your property, and here’s how you can get started in four very simple steps.  

  

Step one - Pick a bathroom design

Choosing the style and design of your dream bathroom can be tricky so give yourself plenty of options and look for inspiration through as many sources as possible. Home and lifestyle magazines are good places to find inspiration and the internet is a valuable resource when looking for ideas and suggestions.

Specialist bathroom services are can make things so much easier if you want to achieve everything you could possibly desire from your new bathroom project. Ask for a design consultation and you can explore all of the options available to you then select a new bathroom suite that suits your style, your home, and the plans you have in mind.    

Step two - Create a floor plan

Make a floor plan of the room so you have a good idea of the space that is available. This can be a blank canvas used as a basic template onto which you can specific features and fittings. Play around with the design and the layout of the bathroom adding doors, windows and connecting services. You can make a basic paper template or use a digital design tool found online to swap and change specific features.

Having a floor plan gives you greater flexibility. This assists you as you try to maximise the space you have available and helps you understand the scope and scale of the room.  

Step three - Add a few features

This is the fun part when you are contemplating a new bathroom design. At this stage, you can add bathtubs, shower enclosures, toilets and wash hand basins according to your personal preferences.

Using the template you have created, move features around the room until you are totally satisfied. If you have created a paper floor plan, cut out bathroom accessories to suit the scale of the room and physically swap and change their positions to make the room work for you. Or if you are using digital design tools, click, drag and edit the room design until the layout of the bathroom is perfect and you are 100% happy with the design.      

Step four - Turn that dream into a reality

You know the design of the bathroom you like, have created a floor plan and know the features are in the right place, what happens next? Get in touch with experts that specialise in bathroom installations.

You can make life easier if you contact one-stop bathroom design, planning and installation services, like our solutions here at Plumb Yorkshire, the bathroom specialists.

You can call us today for a FREE design quote and together we can turn your bathroom dream into reality. Pick up the phone and dial 0800 999 6056 right now.   

Cold Showers Have All Of These Benefits

Are you a fan of cold showers? To some people the thought of taking a freezing shower first thing in the morning would fill them with dread. There is a flip side, however. Evidence would suggest that cold showers are actually good for you and by taking one on a regular basis there are significant health benefits.

We wouldn’t be brilliant bathroom specialists if we didn’t have a passion for showers at Plumb Yorkshire, so let our team reveal to you why taking a chilly shower isn’t as crazy as it seems.

What are the advantages of cold showers?

They make you more alert

Have a shower early in the morning and this is the ideal way to awaken the senses and get you ready for the day ahead.  Turn the temperature down a little in the shower and you really will notice your senses come alive. Icy cold water shocks the system. It makes you breathe deeper, increasing your oxygen intake and speeding up your heart rate. Your mind and body are fully awakened by this reaction and you step out of the shower feeling totally clean, fully refreshed, and ready to take on anything that life throws at you today.

Your circulation is improved

Having a cold shower is good for circulation which can help to make you healthier. As the cold water hits your skin your body works harder sending blood to vital organs in a bid to keep them warm. There is a direct increase in circulation around the body, endorphins are released, and this is great news for your heart as it improves cardiovascular performance. Tough it out and that daily shower could be just what your circulation needs.   

Cold showers lighten your mood     

Hydrotherapy has been known to relieve the symptoms of depression. The cold jets of water act as a stimulant for the brain, triggering the primary source of Norepinephrine. This is a hormone naturally produced by the body with the primary function to heighten arousal. If you have low Norepinephrine you feel tired with little interest in life. Nikolai A. Shevchuk stakes a claim for the benefits of a cold shower as a potential treatment for depression in his thesis.  He argues they are good for stimulating the brain.    

They also aid muscle recovery      

Athletes and sporting professionals take ice baths after intensive training sessions so take a daily ice cold shower if you want to recover in less time.  Not only will it improve your circulation, it could also remove some lactic acid, and your muscles will reap the rewards.  Recovering from workouts could be easier in the future if you can brave a cold shower.

There you go - just a few benefits of cold showers. Now all you have to do is have a power shower fitted and this is where we can help at Plumb Yorkshire, the experts in bathroom fitting in Barnsley. Why not call us today on 0800 999 6056.    

Start a Shower Installation This Way

Have a bathroom update and this provides you with the perfect opportunity to install a new shower.  It makes sense to replace the shower as part of your bathroom makeover, and you can have a little fun playing around with the design and the new layout of the room. 

As one of the experts in bathroom installations, we understand the intricacies involved when you consider a new bathroom design here at Plumb Yorkshire and know all about the thought process that goes behind it.

Should you be considering installing a new bathroom this year, and need a little inspiration when it comes to shower suggestions, you might want to consider some of the following base elements.

Bathroom Size

The space you have inside your bathroom will be important when you are planning a new design. The less room you have to play with the more creative you have to be so you can squeeze all the features you want inside.

If space is an issue, consider fitting a shower over the bath. Or if you have the room to install a shower cubicle but worry about it taking up too much room in the bathroom, a folding shower door can be a sensible compromise that’s less intrusive.

There are different types of shower options available to suit all homeowner requirements. Only you will know which one works best for your home, these are the main options to consider:

·         Standard shower enclosure

·         Shower over the bath

·         Walk in shower or bath

·         Wet Room

Typically, if the shower is going to be installed inside a family bathroom you should have more room to play with. For en suite bathrooms, space might be restricted. In this instance, do away with the bath and just have a shower cubicle, washbasin and WC instead.

Shower Base

Unless you are installing a wet room, the chances are you will be considering a base to go with your shower cubicle to help prevent leaks and contain water before it drains away. Make sure you check the size of the shower tray if you buy this separately from the cubicle.

The good thing about shower bases is they now come in a choice of sizes and styles, with different types of materials available. Take a look at some of the trendier porcelain and acyclic trays that are currently available. You will find them in all sorts of shapes including:

·         Rectangles

·         Squares

·         Quadrants

·         Pentagons

·         Freestanding and offset styles     

Features and Functions

Complete shower systems should be equipped with everything you need to step in, lather up and feel the cares of the world melt away. This is fine, as long as you understand how to operate the features and the functions of the shower, and know which setting does what and when.

Explore different types of taps and mixer heads, along with the functionality of the system controls to ensure you enjoy a carefree shower the first time you use your new bathroom suite.   

When choosing shower heads, look for these features:

·         Power and performance

·         Settings and spray pattern

·         Flow rate

·         Finish

·         Mounting - handheld, fixed, pivot mounted etc 

Type of Flooring

Shower and bathroom flooring is a key aspect to any home makeover. It’s unlikely you are going to consider carpeting your bathroom for practical purposes. Most homeowners choose tiles in bathrooms and wetrooms which prove to be popular for their looks, performance and ease of maintenance.

Key factors to consider when you are looking for bathroom flooring are:

·         Looks

·         Size

·         Durability

·         Water resistance 

·         Cost

Making over a bathroom is an exciting process, as long as you consider the main points when you are installing a new shower you’ll create the bathroom of your dreams with ease.

For help, advice and to receive a FREE quote for bathroom designs and installations, don’t hesitate to contact us at Plumb Yorkshire by calling 0800 999 6056.   

Prepare Your Bathroom for a New Flooring Installation

Installing a new bathroom, and floor, is a feat that requires adequate preparation if you’re going to be successful. Taking extra time to ensure you have everything properly planned and prepared will save you so much time, money and resources for when your bathroom is being installed. There are a few essential things you’ll need to factor into the preparation for your new bathroom flooring to maximise the chances of success.

Remove your bathroom toilet

Before you start installing your new bathroom flooring, you’ll need to make sure that your toilet is safely out of the way. Some people will attempt to install the new flooring around the toilet but this leads to problems later on for the vast majority of people. It’s a far better idea to just remove your toilet and reinstall it back on top of the new flooring when you’re done.

Remember to turn off the water before you unhook the toilet’s supply line. At this point, put something under your toilet and remove it from your bathroom. Until you’re ready to replace your toilet, remember to use something to cover the drain whilst you work.

Remove your current bathroom flooring

Before being able to proceed with installing your new bathroom, you’ll need to remove your old bathroom flooring. Pre-existing tile or vinyl on a concrete floor will need to be pulled up, and tile can be difficult at times.

Tile bathroom flooring is installed with an adhesive that sets like concrete, so you’ll need to chip it up with a hammer and chisel.

If your old bathroom floor is vinyl on a concrete subfloor, a sharp scraper blade can be used to scrape it up from the floor.

By making the floor slightly wet, you can loosen the adhesive, making your job easier. Before and after you take up your old flooring, ensure that the floor is clean.

HardieBacker boards 

HardieBacker boards are specially designed water-resistant cement backerboard to install over your timber floorboards. To ensure that your new bathroom floor installation is the best it can be, using a high quality backerboard will vastly improve the quality of your floor. HardieBacker board is so popular with professional plumbers because:

• ·         HardieBacker boards are made from cement, meaning it can allow the proper bonding of the tile and board. Even in the wettest conditions, it doesn’t swell, rot or delaminate like plywood.
• ·         HardieBacker comes in measurements specially designed to minimise the transitions between floors.
• ·         Natural stone, ceramic and vinyl tiles can all be used with HardieBacker easily.
• ·        HardieBacker is incredibly lightweight. It can be cut incredibly easily with just a single score and snap.
• ·         Under floor heating can be used in conjunction with HardieBacker boards.

Design your floor layout

Ideally you should’ve spent some time designing the layout for your new bathroom floor, especially if you’re using tiles. A diagram of how you plan to arrange your new bathroom floor will help you when you’re laying down the new floor. Another way to prepare your new bathroom is to lay down your new tiles without actually attaching them. This will give you the best chance to see how your new bathroom floor will look before it’s completed.

For more information about high quality bathroom installation and how we can help you to improve your home, contact us now, or call 0800 999 6056.