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Recommended Books |
Recommended Books
Complete Bathroom Design: 30 Floor Plans, Plus Fixtures, Surfaces,
and Storage Ideas from the Experts
by Holly Harrison, Sarah Lynch
This book showcases a wide-range of bathroom designs, from exacting floor plans down to the little details such as built storage and digitally controlled thermal shower jets. Useful for both the do-it-yourselfer and the homeowner who wants to paint a clear picture for an architect or a builder, this practical and visual guide will cover everything from antique fixtures, to modern luxuries, to high-tech touches.
This book will provide a full range of styles and options, detailed resource listings, and sidebars to help consumers with their decision-making.
20th Century Bathroom Design by Kohler
by Tina Skinner
Description: Take a chronological tour of bath and powder rooms
and watch as they evolved from converted closets to luxury centers for
leisure and relaxation. 20th Century Bathroom Design by Kohler is an invaluable
reference to the best in bathroom design during the twentieth century.
More than 400 images are presented here, drawn from advertising and designer
rooms created for the nation's leading plumbing manufacturer, Kohler Co.
of Kohler, Wisconsin. Included are the unforgettable images from the groundbreaking
advertising campaign, "The Bold Look of Kohler," as well as the wonderful
artwork resulting from a century of arts patronage. That art has extended
to Kohler's products as well, samplings of which are shown here, including
painted designs for toilets and sinks, matching tiles, and master- crafted
wooden bathroom vanities. Hundreds of the early products are pictured
and identified to help homeowners and collectors identify their antique
plumbing. Photos and artwork also provide a tour of bathroom design through
time, portraying state-of-the-art rooms that pre-date World War II, and
picturing post-war styles that scream '50s, '60s, and '70s. Plus, there's
an entire gallery of contemporary bathroom design with nearly 150 photos.
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Tips and Hints:
Clogged Showers
Though it may difficult to unclog a shower drain with a plunger, it's
worth a try. If that doesn't work, maneuver a snake down the drain opening
into the trap. As a last resort, you can use a garden hose.
* Attach the hose to an outdoor faucet or to an indoor faucet with a
threaded adapter.
* Push the hose deep into the drain and pack rags into the opening.
* Turning the water on in short, hard bursts should open the drain.
CAUTION: Never leave a hose in any drain. A sudden drop in water pressure
could siphon sewage back into the fresh water supply.
Top of Page Toilets
How your toilet works
Two assemblies are concealed under the lid of a toilet tank; a ball cock
assembly, which regulates the filling of he tank, and a flush valve assembly,
which controls the flow of water from the tank to the bowl. When someone
presses the flush handle, the trip lever raises the lift wires (or chain)
connected to the tank stopper. As the stopper goes up, water rushes through
the valve seat into the bowl via the flush passages. The water in the
bowl yields to gravity and is siphoned out the trap.
Once the tank empties, the stopper drops into the flush valve seat. The
float ball trips the ball cock assembly to let a new supply of water into
the tank through the tank fill tube. As the tank water level rises, the
float ball rises until it gets high enough to shut off the flow of water.
If the water fails to shut off, the overflow tube carries water down into
the bowl to prevent an overflow.
Noisy Toilet
Check for:
- Restricted water flow.
- Defective ball cock assembly.
Remedy:
- Adjust the shutoff valve first.
- Oil the trip lever or replace the ball cock washers.
- Replace the entire ball cock assembly.
- CAUTION: First turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valve. Then
flush the toilet to empty the tank and sponge out any remaining water.
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Running
Toilet
Check for:
- Float arm not rising high enough.
- Water-filled float ball.
- Tank stopper not seating properly.
- Corroded flush valve seal.
- Cracked overflow tube.
- Ball cock valve doesn't shut off.
Remedy:
- Bend float arm down or away from tank wall.
- Replace ball.
- Adjust stopper guide rod and lift wires or chain. Replace defective
stopper.
- Scour valve seat or replace.
- Replace tube or install new flush valve assembly.
- Oil trip lever, replace faulty washers, or install new ball cock assembly.
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Clogged
Toilet
Check for:
Remedy:
- Remove blockage with plunger or closet auger.
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Inadequate
flush
Check for:
- Faulty linkage between handle and trip lever.
- Tank stopper closes before tank empties.
- Leak between tank and bowl.
- Clogged flush passages.
Remedy:
- Tighten setscrew on handle linkage or replace handle.
- Adjust stopper guide rod and lift wires or chain.
- Tighten tank bolts or couplings or replace gasket.
- Clear obstructions from passages with wire.
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Leaking
Toilet
- To stop a leak between the tank and bowl of a bowl-mounted toilet
tank, tighten the bolts in the tank, or remove them and replace their
gaskets.
- To seal the connections on a wall-mounted tank, tighten the couplings
on the pipe connecting the tank and bowl, or unscrew the couplings,
remove the pipe, and replace the washers.
- If the bowl leaks around its base, you'll have to lift the bowl up
and reseal it along the base.
- If you don 't want to do this job yourself, call in a professional
plumber.
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Sweating
tank
This problem occurs most often in the summer when cold water in the tank
cools the porcelain, and warm, moist air encourages mildew, loosens floor
tiles, and rots sub-flooring. An easy solution is to insulate the inside
of the tank by draining it and then gluing a liner made of foam rubber
pads to the inside walls. A more costly remedy, and one that's usually
a job for a professional, is to install a tempering valve that mixes hot
water with the cold water entering the tank.
Check for:
Remedy:
- Install tank insulation or a tempering valve.
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Professional
Tips
- When loosening connections, avoid slipping with a wrench and cracking
the fixture by dousing stubborn connections with penetrating oil.
- When trying to detect a tank leak, add food coloring to the tank water
if you can't tell whether your toilet is leaking around the tank bolts
or just sweating. Wait an hour; then touch the bolt tips and nuts under
the tank with white tissue. If the tissue shows coloring, you have a
leak; otherwise, it's condensation.
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Shower Heads
* If your shower head leaks where it meets the arm, you probably need
to replace the washer. To reach it, loosen the collar, using tape-wrapped
rib-joint pliers. Unscrew the head from the adjusting ring.
* Erratic or weak pressure usually indicates mineral buildup. To restore
proper flow, clean outlet holes with a pin or unscrew a perforated face
plate and soak it overnight in vinegar, then scrub it clean.
* If the shower head pivots stiffly, check he washer for wear and coat
the swivel ball with petroleum jelly before reassembling.
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Source: our affiliate partner: Acme Hardware
About Us
We are dedicated to providing you with quality designer products for
the bath and home. Whether you are looking to just spruce up your bath
with a new towel rack or faucet, or are planning a complete renovation,
we are the place to visit for your bath products needs.
In our online catalog you will find many unique products from select
manufacturers not normally available from local retail outlets. New items
are added regularly based on market trends, changing styles, and, of course,
your feedback. Visit often as we feature new products regularly.
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