Showers and Ceramic Tiling: Choosing a Shower but Keeping Things Dry

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Choosing a new shower is an important decision when you build a new home. Making sure the shower is installed correctly is even more important. Ceramic tiling in a shower and on a floor is vital to put in correctly to prevent future water related problems.

New Trends in Showers

The new trend is showers are the large Roman showers. Many people are getting away from the traditional fiberglass showers that were so popular for many years. A number of people are also choosing to forgo the large whirlpool tub and invest that money in a nicer shower.

You can choose a variety of options when it comes to a shower, including size and number of shower heads. In fact, you can make your shower almost like a car wash when you walk in, if you want!

Shower Ceramic Tiling

It is very important that your ceramic tiling is water tight in a shower. To do this properly, you will need to install a mudpan. This is a fine concrete that is sealed tight around the drain on the shower floor.

Once the mudpan is installed, you will then lay a thick rubber product, similar to a waterbed mattress liner, above the mudpan. This means if there is even the least amount of seepage through the tile, it will pool and go immediately down the drain. This leaves no worry of water damage down the road.

Ceramic Tile Floor

When you install a ceramic tile floor, make sure you have a good concrete base. You can both glue and screw down concrete boards to make sure they are secure. Once the concrete is on firmly, you can lay the ceramic tiles.

If the floor is not completely flat, the floor will be “spongy” and the tiles will break. Or, if water gets on the floor, it will seep into any cracks that might be present in the tile that most certainly will exist due to the poorly placed tile. This can cause many problems down the road.

Choosing a shower is important. You also need to make sure that you or whoever is installing your shower and ceramic tiling that will surround it is skilled in this area. It is a delicate balance to keep wet places wet and dry places dry.

Carpentry in Your New Home: The Foundation of a Well-Built Home

There are so many components that go into a well-built home. One that should not be overlooked is solid carpentry. If your builder shies away from this important part of your new home, it may be time to look elsewhere because this can make all the difference in a well-constructed home.

The Beautiful Bannister 

One of the great skills a carpenter can offer to a new home is the stairwell banister. Many people don’t understand all the hard work that must go into the construction and installation of a well-crafted banister.

Each handrail must be sliced up into thin slices, similar to a loaf of bread, then delicately glued and clamped together, and finally sanded down to give it the unique style and sophistication that often “wows” those who enter a new home.

The look of the banister is actually only a small portion of what goes into putting it into a home. In fact, the installation is just as important, if not more so, than the visual appeal. The base of the pole must be cut into the tread of the bottom stair and bolted directly into the floor joist. This gives the banister a stability that can’t be matched by any other method.

Once it is securely fixed into that bottom step, it is important to firmly glue the rail into the step and then wrap the carpet or wood around for a banister that is as aesthetically pleasing, as it is secure.

Doors – More Than Just a Barrier

Properly installing a door is more than just about affixing a door to a doorframe. Center the door, take shims that will fit together and then nail it together. This needs to be done at all of the hinges for the securest fit. In addition, you should do it on the right hand side at the door’s opening at the top, bottom, and the door lock. This will allow for a door that shuts solidly, doesn’t rattle, or come open at inopportune times.

Cabinets – Storage Solutions with Many Options

There are 2 types of cabinets you can purchase:

Factory-Made Cabinets: These can be purchased as “boxes,” that is without the doors already installed. The “boxes” can be somewhat customized for the dimensions of your kitchen.

Custom-Built Cabinets: Some builders will actually build your cabinets on site and make them to your exact specifications. You will be allowed to design your entire cabinet storage solution and the builder will create the kitchen around the cabinets you design.

The internal details of the cabinets matter, too. Many are built with skinny veneer backings that are bolted to the wall. Over time, heavy contents in a cabinet can weigh it down and the cabinets themselves can actually fall. That’s why it’s important to use high quality wood throughout your cabinets.

Cabinet drawers are also something that shouldn’t be taken lightly either. It’s easy, over time, for these doors to get slammed and damaged. By installing the soft close type drawers, they are protected from the harmful effects of hard shuts and the possibility of the fronts of the cabinets eventually falling off.

Cabinet Lighting –Where Should it Be?

There are 2 considerations about lighting when it comes to new cabinets:

• Where do you want your light switches: on the wall or under the cabinets? The answer needs to be determined sooner rather than later.
• Where do you want your lighting? Under counter light or above counter lighting? Both offer visually stunning affect in many kitchen settings.

There are a number of considerations when it comes to cabinetry in a new home. Careful consideration should be given to the build you select and each detail where woodworking is involved should be done to the highest quality.