Category Archives: Home Improvment

Bathroom Renovation Ideas to Transform a Small Bathroom Into a Personal Spa

The most ignored part of your home can become the most beautiful part of your home is about to be replace with door glass replacement team.

Do you ignore the bathroom space? Are the bathroom walls dull and lifeless? Do you think of it as a simple space for washing and bathing? Homeowners ignore the bathroom space and do not give much thought to how much more they can get out of it. If you do not think of the bathroom, you will end up with a simple room that satisfies your basic needs only. But, if you want to increase the importance of the bathroom in your home, you have to pay attention to it and convert it into a personal spa. There’s a reason why bathroom renovations Northern Beaches shows often deliver the most wow factor – a good renovation can transform a damp, dated box into something beautiful and functional.

Size does matter!

One problem that homeowners often face while renovating a bathroom is its size. Do not despair if you feel that the bathroom is too small to give you a good spa-like experience. By making a few changes, you will be able to add more value to the bathroom.

Ideas than can make a Small Bathroom Comfortable

It is all in the Mirrors

One trick that works wonders for any small room is the use of mirrors. Using large mirrors in the bathroom will help you to create the feeling of a larger room. It will enable you to make your personal spa look less cramped. Alternatively, you can opt for glass partitions for the shower area. It will ensure that the room appears bigger than usual.

Do something about the Lighting

With the help of lighting, you will able to give the bathroom a brighter look. Also, lighting is the key factor for creating a spa-like ambience in your home. Opt for lighting fixtures that you can dim or adjust to desired levels. It will create a relaxing atmosphere. If the bathroom has access to natural light, make maximum use of it. And, if you do not have access to natural light, use artificial lighting to make the room appear bright. Do not shy away from looking for subtle crystal lighting fixtures because they will add more light and character to the bathroom.

Choose the Right Color

A single change in the color scheme can not only make the room spacious but also create a relaxing atmosphere. Light or neutral colors such as beige, light green or gray can be effective for a successful bathroom renovation project. You can use the same shade of tiles to create an impression of increased space.

In addition, you can choose tiles that add a natural touch to the room. Use textured pebble-tiles that are soothing to the feet. You can opt for faux wood tiles that are not made from natural wood but still give the same feeling of warmth and peace. Heated flooring will also keep you warm during cold days.

Accessorize and Choose Appropriate Fittings

Accessories have a way of enhancing the design of the room. Finding the right accessories for the bathroom can help you to transform it into a personal spa. You can use simple accessories such as candles to fill the bathroom with a relaxing fragrance. You can also add towel holders and other accessories that will give an organized and clean look to the area. Even the towels that you choose for the room should evoke the feeling of being in a spa. Choose fittings that make the room appear big and comfortable. You can opt for a suspended or floating vanity that will allow the floor tiles to extend all the way to the wall. It will create an illusion of space. Alternatively, an open vanity can also add more space to the bathroom.

The idea of transforming a small washing space into a relaxing retreat is a great way of making optimum use of the bathroom. It is important to list your ideas because a well-planned renovation project can ensure a successful transformation. Once you are ready with a clear vision, prepare a budget. Make sure that you use quality products and fittings that guarantee minimum maintenance.

Hire a Professional Bathroom Renovation Contractor

Do not think that renovating a small area doesn’t require the services of a professional. Hiring an experienced bathroom renovation contractor will transform your ideas into a beautiful reality. So, ask your friends and family members to recommend professional contractors who can handle the task of transforming a dingy bathroom into a comfortable personal spa.

Affinity Renovations offers professional assistance for small as well as big renovation projects. The bathroom renovation contractor of Greater Toronto Area is the perfect choice for transforming dark, shabby bathrooms into magnificent masterpieces. Get in touch for all types of home renovation services such as basement renovation, kitchen remodeling, home painting, etc. You need to learn more of the basic materials that needs in your bathroom renovation.

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Bathroom Renovation: Get the Bathroom of Your Dreams

When it comes to our homes, we want to ensure that they are comfortable, homely and above all, to our personal taste. As any homeowner is only too aware, with time we can become bored of our décor, causing the need for redecoration or in some cases, even a complete renovation. One of the hardest and most time consuming rooms in which we can choose to renovate is our bathroom as we need to take into consideration the color scheme, decorating methods and furnishings. If we are unsure as to how to renovate our bathroom, it can sometimes take even longer to complete than necessary as we become unsure as to whether our choices will look effective once the room is finished. Before you take a hammer or Sawzall to you bathroom, make sure everything you’re going to need— including the vanity, plumbing fixtures, any new lighting, the tub, and tile—is on hand. That’s what we do first for window replacement near me.

One misconception many make when opting to renovate their bathroom is that they must renovate the whole room in order to get great results and a fresh, new look. In fact, you can opt to simply have surface alterations completed in your bathroom, assuming that the room possesses a strong framework allowing for a surface level covering or coating. This is not only an easy and simple form of bathroom renovation, but will also have an effective impact on the overall appearance of your bathroom once complete. You could also choose to alter the layout of the bathroom slightly, in addition to the surface alterations. This is a great way in which to gain a completely new way of alignment within the room. If you discover that the base framework and building is weaker than it should be, then you could then consider a complete tear down and remodel of the bathroom for a room which is new and sturdier-thus safer. In order to complete your bathroom renovation safely, you must ensure that there are no rusting joists or window panes that are able to easily gather moisture which may cause incidents within the room at a later date. Should these problems be identified, you will require extensive repairs or a complete remodeling of your bathroom.

Bathroom renovations can typically involve a wide variety of work from plumbing to carpentry. Depending on what work your bathroom renovation will entail, you may need to hire the help of professionals to ensure that these are complemented to the highest standard possible. In some cases, some of the work will fall under typical DIY jobs but some will be so intricate that they cannot be safely completed unless done so by a professional. The costs of renovating your bathroom can be high, but these costs can be lowered by only opting to have the vital necessities renovated in the room. Choosing to use a contractor to complete a number of jobs within your bathroom may also save you money if they provide you with a discount for hiring a bulk of work to be completed.

When renovating your bathroom, it is also vital to ensure that the new, improved room will be safe and energy efficient. This can be ensured by using moisture resistant and non corrosive materials for all the wall and plumbing materials and analyze the current state of your windows and sealants. Rusting and problematic showers and tubs should also be removed during renovation, not just for a safety purpose, but also to help the aesthetics of the room once complete. For many, the finishing touch to any bathroom is the flooring which they choose. It is often possible to install flooring ourselves which can cut down our costs, especially when our bathroom is quite small in scale. However, when it comes to installing new flooring in the entire bathroom it can be best to leave this to an expert-especially if you are not experienced in flooring installation. Smooth, durable tiles such as ceramic tiles are favored by many homeowners as they provide a stylish and clean look and are incredibly easy to clean and maintain compared to laminate flooring, although are higher in cost. Laminate flooring can also be very slippery when wet so for safety, tiling can be a safer option.

Renovating your entire bathroom can be incredibly easy once you are aware of the changes you need to make and how the work will be carried out i.e: will you use a contractor or will you complete some areas yourself? If in doubt in terms of the design you are looking for, research into new trends, visit the homes of friends or take on the service of an interior designer. Although renovating your bathroom can be costly, making rash choices during your renovation could not only make it more costly should you change the design at a future date, but may not provide you with the bathroom of your dreams.

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Paint Protection Film vs. Coatings Vs. Wax

XPEL, 3M, Opti-Coat, CQuartz, SunTek, Waxes, Paint Correction, Sealants and so much more! This is one of the most common question asked from me and it’s time to break it down to create a sticky blog article. Ceramic Pro Car Paint Protection is a clear liquid nano ceramic quartz coating.

Disclaimer: Before we get into this article, please note that there are several products out there and we recommend researching those companies or products that suit your needs best! This is just a general overview which will help you get started to seeking what you want for your vehicle. Good luck!

1. Waxes & Sealants
First of all, it’s important to differentiate the two. Traditional waxes are made from brazilian carnauba which has been classically used to protect various finishes beyond the automotive industry. It leaves a warm glow to the vehicle. On darker vehicles, this tends to leave a wet look while on metallic colors, it numbs down the flakes a bit and leaves a subtle ‘midnight’ tone to it. Waxes normally last for 1-3 months on average. Sealants are typically made from synthetic polymers that layer upon the surface of the vehicle and function similar to waxes but usually have extended durability. Most over the counter ‘waxes’ are actually sealants but termed ‘waxes.’ Sealants can last all the way from 1 month to a year.

Waxes and sealants come in various forms. Some of them are paste waxes which can be applied and then immediately removed. Some need to be left on for a bit of time before being buffed off. The newest ones are simple spray based sealants such as Opti-Seal and CarPro Reload that are simple ‘leave-on’ products that require minimal to no buffing off making them excellent consumer products and layer-able on top of coatings and clear films.

2. Coatings:
Coatings are relatively new compared to waxes and sealants. They are usually made from ceramics that can take more wear and tear while some of them giving high-end waxes a run for their money! CQuartz, Opti-Gloss Coat and various other coatings in the market are made from Silicon Dioxide while coatings such as Opti-Coat Pro is made from Silicon Carbide. Semi-permanent paint coatings such as CQuartz and Opti-Gloss Coat last for 2+ years on most automotive surfaces. Opti-Coat Pro and various permanent paint coatings can last for 5+ years on most automotive surfaces. Coatings are resilient to all environmental contaminants and reduce scratches caused by driving and washing. They also tend to perform well against bird bombs and chemical deterioration. Water-spotting can still be an issue on coatings but certain coatings such as Opti-Coat Pro Plus and CQuartz UK are resistant to water spotting. Just in case, we recommend washing your vehicle with deionized water. Several coatings also come with a warranty that is directly registered with the manufacturers of the coating. Normally, coatings are thicker and leave a candy-coated look to the vehicle. Pricing on coatings can vary from several hundreds to a few thousand dollars depending on your installer, the choice of coating and prep work required.

Sometimes, paint correction is recommended prior to coating the vehicle by your installer. Most of the time, when a car is finished at the factory or at the dealership lot, it goes through wear and tear or for some reason or another undergoes damage to the exterior.Additionally, the assembly process of the car doesn’t have time to clear out minor defects on the vehicle’s surface. Your installer may inspect your vehicle and recommend correcting specific areas prior to coating installation. Since coatings, unlike waxes, bond with the surface rather than just layer on top of it, it is recommended to remove any surface defects prior to locking the whole paint under the coating. For more, you may want to contact your local coating installer. There may be an extra charge on top of the coating installation for the additional paint correction and prep work required to remove defects on the vehicle.

3. Clear Films
Clear films were initially used in the military to protect vehicles and high-traffic components of military units. However, with time, they made it to the consumer market to be used in high-end performance cars. Now, they are commonly used to protect automotive surfaces against scrapes, rock chips and airborne contaminants. With the advent of technology, they also have self-healing properties which can allow some light scratches to be ‘healed’ with time or heat exposure. 3M, Xpel and SunTek some of the major distributors and manufacturers of clear films prominent among enthusiast and performance lovers. Akin to the coatings, it is recommended to remove all surface defects prior to the installation of the clear film. Films have the properties of reducing maintenance, resisting stain and fading and the best durability to offer in the detailing industry. Please note that your installer may recommend defect removal or paint correction prior to installing the clear film as well, depending on the film you want them to apply.

3M currently has 3M VentureShield, Scotchgard and Scotchgard Pro series. For more details, please click here. VentureShield and Scotchgard comes with a 5 year warranty while the Scotchgard Pro series comes with a 7 year warranty and is currently the flagship of 3M paint protection films.

SunTek also offers film protection for vehicles in the form of Top-coated film and the Matte film and as the name states, they are both clear and matte finishes respectively. They both come with a 5 year warranty.

XPEL currently offers 5 types of films: Xpel Ultimate, XPEL Stealth, XPEL Tracwrap, XPEL Xtreme and XPEL Armor. Ultimate offers self-healing properties along with stain resistance and optical clarity and is the choice for most vehicles. Stealth creates a satin finish on vehicles and is made from the same polyurethane as Ultimate. Tracwrap is a consumer friendly film that provides temporary protection that provides road abrasion coverage and takes less than 45 minutes to install and 5 minutes to remove. Xtreme is a film that offers the highest clarity and is the choice for vehicles that want protection without minimal film visibility. Armor is a 13 mils thick film that is built for off-road, commercial and industrial vehicles and aimed to take high punishment. XPEL Ultimate comes with a 10 year warranty. For more information, please click here.

4. Product Synergy
​Wrapping the entire vehicle can be expensive with full wraps costing a few thousand dollars. However, this is by far the best protection out there against all environmental contaminants. Certain companies such as XPEL have sealants that can be layered on top of the clear film to protect it against tree sap, water spots and various chemical corrosion. If price is an issue, then sometimes customers tend to wrap high traffic areas(eg. front fenders, hood, inside of door handles, side skirts etc.) while either waxing or coating the remainder of the vehicle. This gives the best of both worlds. It is to be noted that certain coatings can be layered on top of clear films and in our case, XPEL and Opti-Coat Pro/Plus work very well with each other. A combination of both the film and coating on a surface gives the best of both worlds ie. rock chip protection with enhanced environmental protection and ease of washing.

For customers on a budget, it is recommended to get the film on the high traffic areas while continuously reapplying a sealant on the remaining surfaces OR to simply just get the coating on the entire vehicle only. If the commute is on the freeway and outside of the city, ‘clear film and sealant’ is recommended to reduce rock chip damage. If the commute is within the city or rock chips aren’t much of an issue, then the ‘coating only’ solution may work. Of course, all of it can be mixed and matched. A good idea of the damage your vehicle takes is to look at the last vehicle you have been driving for 5 years. Does it have rock chips and on what areas? Do you park under the trees(tree sap and bird bombs!) or directly in the sun(UV damage inside and outside)? All of these factors will help you decide what to prioritize.

5. Conclusion:
Your car’s cosmetics are 30% of its value along with the fact that a nice car creates a positive image on the road. Clear films, sealants and coatings work mostly in synergy with each other. They each have benefits and drawbacks. Ultimately it’s up to you to decide what choice works best for you. Even more importantly, it’s critical to be wary of your installer for the coating and/or film because if you are buying something for the long haul, you need to be able to have a long term relationship with your installer.