Haven of peace

No one would argue that perhaps the kitchen in the majority of homes is the area that tends to have the most people traffic. However, in recent times the bathroom has rivaled the kitchen as the most popular room and is now considered to be a retreat as well as a place where we shower or bathe. One of life's pleasures is having a relaxing soak in a warm bath or a nice shower massage to stimulate the aching or tired muscles. There is no doubt that an attractive, well thought out bathrooms can add intrinsic value to your home.

Planning for perfection

Bathroom Warehouse has an excellent range of bathroom fittings to compliment any bathroom style or bathroom design all from leading reputable manufacturers. People like Methven, Greens Tapware, Phoenix plus many more are in our line up, chosen not only because of their stylish quality but also for their reliable service with warranty back-up should anything go wrong. The average home, in more recent times, normally has two bathrooms at least. The larger family bathroom and the ensuite tend to be the norm with a visitor's powder room as well if space permits.

Bathroom layouts begin their life with a good plan normally started with a thumb- nail sketch to juggle the best utilisation of space and accounting for the needs of the household.

A typical family bathroom could include a vanity, bath, shower cubicle, toilet, mirror/shaving cabinet, tapware and spouts plus accessories such as towel rails, toilet roll holder and a hand towel ring.

A recent trend has been to get rid of the old fashioned sliding shower in a renovation to be replaced by the frameless clear glass style. Constructed of 10mm toughened glass to comply with The Australian Standards, these present an uncluttered image and create a feeling of spaciousness. The shower cubicles are square, rectangular or corner to fit into an allocated space in the design. There is quite a range of sizes to choose from and the door way can swing left or to the right. They come complete with chrome fittings and two corner glass shelves which are handy for shampoos but also double as extra supports and have special fitting to the glass and walls.

They fit straight on to the tiles and very little water escapes through the gap between the glass and the tiles. Of course, people experiment and if they find water in excess escapes perhaps due to the use of a hand held shower, a run of clear silicone can be used to seal the water in. Be advised that, if this procedure is necessary, a good quality non-fungus silicone should be used. How to channel the run off water away? The options are to use the conventional chrome floor grate or the lineal stainless grate drainage which is the trendy alternative but also the most effective in draining away the water flow. They come in three width 38mm, 65mm and 100mm. In most domestic showers, the 65mm width is adequate and the Tiler slopes the tiled floor towards the drainage which is normally positioned in the center of the shower area or down one end.

The standard lengths of the lineal drainage are 900mm and 1200mm which can easily be cut down if needed. The Australian manufacturer also offers a custom making service for special lengths. These grates are normally fitted by the Plumber.

Shower power

One of Bathroom Warehouse's major suppliers of rail and fixed showers is a company with it's head office in Melbourne, Methven Australia. As a manufacturer, they have developed Satinjet technology which has a worldwide patent. It is the unique Satinjet technology that sets the Methven range apart from conventional showers. The Conventional shower use a single jet of water that can produce a narrow, needle like spray. Satinjet uses twin jets of water that collide and turn into thousands of tiny droplets that feel soft enough for your face and strong enough for your whole body.

The Methven range are classified as Rail Showers (shower systems on a rail), Hand Showers, Hi-Rise Showers, Wall Showers and Overhead Showers. The overhead shower combines with a separate shower arm that can drop from the ceiling or extend from the wall.

Many of them are complimented with dual or multiple showering functions. One of the most popular patterns is the massage spray with the power to ease tired muscles and release the day's tensions. This pattern also offers health benefits of increased blood-flow and circulation to your tired muscles. People creating a colonial feel to their bathroom tend to gravitate to the overhead chrome bush shower which comes in three sizes in the Methven range. The larger size is 250mm with the smallest option being 140mm. If you are considering a more conventional style shower head, there could be interest in the Exposure 12 Drencher in a "cattle grid" style, or the Exposure Star Drencher with square or round arms.

To regulate your water flow and your water temperature, wall mixers and/or diverters are normally used or conventional or heritage hot and cold wall stops can be utilized for a look of difference. Mixers and wall stops are available from some ranges in a square format but still the round tends to be the most popular choice for the homeowner or Builder.

So, if you are planning to build or renovate your home, elevate your lifestyle and create an environment you really deserve..where all your cares are washed away!!