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Spring 2016 Newsletter

5 Ways to Maximize Space When Remodeling a Smaller Bathroom

No matter the size of your bathroom, improving the look and feel of the room makes your morning and nighttime routines go more smoothly. Making improvements to the way you store things, the size of your shower, and the position of your sink can maximize efficiency in your bathroom, but this can seem harder to achieve with a smaller space. We’d like to offer you some tips from our experts on what to do when you’re remodeling a smaller bathroom space.

Take Advantage of Natural Lighting

Having adequate natural light can really open up a room. Sunlight makes the space feel roomier, so take advantage of windows and skylights if the opportunity presents itself. It’s also a lot more flattering than regular overhead florescent lighting when you’re getting ready for your day.

Design Your Bathroom with Built–In Storage

An easy way to maximize space is to have less clutter, and a built–in storage space makes this even easier. Design your bathroom to have built–in floor to ceiling shelving so that you can stay organized and access toiletries with ease. Keeping the shelving open makes things easier to grab, and it can make the space feel larger than a closed–off cabinet does.

Add Glass Shower Doors

When you can see the entire room from one side to the other, you can take in the whole space, which makes the room feel a lot larger. A shower curtain or wall divider makes the room seem smaller, while clear glass doors highlight the tile work inside of the shower and create the illusion of a larger area.

Choose a Simple Sink

If you’ve got a smaller bathroom, you probably don’t need twin sinks or a large cabinet underneath for extra storage space. Open storage is perfectly acceptable in a smaller space, and can be stylish if you choose nice baskets and bins to keep things organized. A simple pedestal sink adds a classic touch, and it won’t take up too much space. This small, shallow sink is perfectly okay for a small bathroom, and you can still find a stylish fixture no matter the size.

Have Fun with the Design

Choosing bold colors for your new bathroom can make people forget that the room is so small. A pop of color makes the space fun, no matter the size. Don’t be afraid to break the rules. You don’t have to use light colors to make the bathroom seem bigger. You don’t have to skip over spa equipment if it’s something you really want. Make the space fun and you and your guests won’t care so much about the limited space.

 

 

Spring Cleaning Isn’t Complete without a Chimney Sweep 

So you’ve got a plan to tackle a few spring–cleaning projects that will make your home a more pleasant place to live in. But have you scheduled your professional spring chimney cleaning yet? This is an often–neglected task that should become a priority each year because it’s not something that improves your home’s look—it’s something that keeps your family members safe.

The Dangers of Creosote

Much of your spring–cleaning is done for aesthetic purposes. You clear out the garage because you’re sick of looking at the pile of clutter that stops you from parking two cars in it. You throw away unwanted items in your bathroom so you can clear off the counters and store the toothpaste neatly in a drawer.

In some cases, spring–cleaning helps to keep you healthier. You might throw out old medicine from the medicine cabinet or relocate cleaning chemicals to a higher shelf that children cannot reach. Spring chimney cleaning is just as important for your family’s health and safety, even though the danger is something you cannot see.

Creosote is a black tarlike substance that collects on the inside of your chimney or chimney liner as a result of the byproducts created when you keep a fire going. Over the course of the winter, enough creosote could have built up in your chimney to become a fire hazard. Creosote is highly combustible, and it could cause the chimney to catch fire when you use your fireplace again in the winter.

Cleaning and Inspection All in One

What better time than during spring–cleaning to call in an expert to inspect your chimney? After all, you’re not using it right now, and a spring chimney inspection and cleaning gives you plenty of time to correct the problems that could mean danger for your home when the weather cools off again.

A qualified chimney sweep can perform a complete inspection and cleaning each year in order to eliminate creosote and other debris and inform you about any problems with the structure of your chimney. You’ll find out now whether structural damages increase the likelihood of a fire or if a damaged chimney crown or chimney flashing could put you at risk for water damage. This gives you several months to schedule repairs before you need your fireplace again in the winter.

Choosing a Quality Chimney Sweep

Most of your spring–cleaning—like clearing cobwebs from the shed and throwing out old items from the pantry—will be done on your own this year. But cleaning a chimney is something we never recommend if you don’t have the proper training. A certified chimney sweep can do the job correctly, ensuring that your home is safer and better prepared for any weather to come.