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Elementor #150

Embarking on a DIY bathroom project can be a rewarding way to upgrade your space while adding personal touches and functionality. Here are some DIY ideas to consider for your bathroom:

1. Painting

Refresh Walls:

  • Give your bathroom a fresh new look by painting the walls with a high-quality moisture-resistant paint in a colour that complements your decor style.

Accent Wall:

  • Create visual interest and focal point by painting one wall in a bold color or adding a decorative wallpaper pattern.

2. Updating Fixtures

Faucet Replacement:

  • Upgrade outdated faucets with modern, water-efficient fixtures to enhance both style and functionality.

Showerhead Upgrade:

  • Install a new showerhead with adjustable settings or a rain shower feature for a luxurious bathing experience.

3. Storage Solutions

Floating Shelves:

  • Install floating shelves above the toilet or vanity to display decorative items and provide additional storage for toiletries and towels.

Vanity Organization:

  • Maximize space inside the vanity by adding drawer organizers, bins, or baskets to keep toiletries and essentials neatly organized.

4. Lighting

Vanity Lighting:

  • Replace old lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LED vanity lights or sconces to improve brightness and ambiance in the bathroom.

Accent Lighting:

  • Incorporate LED strip lights or recessed lighting under cabinets or along the baseboards to add a soft glow and enhance the overall atmosphere.

5. Tile Work

Backsplash Installation:

  • Add visual interest to the bathroom by installing a decorative tile backsplash behind the vanity or bathtub.

Floor Tile Upgrade:

  • Replace worn-out floor tiles with new ones in a modern design or opt for a DIY-friendly peel-and-stick tile for easy installation.

6. Mirror Makeover

Framed Mirror:

  • Update a plain bathroom mirror by framing it with decorative moulding or trim to add elegance and sophistication.

Medicine Cabinet Refinishing:

  • Give an old medicine cabinet a new lease on life by painting it, replacing the hardware, and adding decorative accents.

7. Accessories and Decor

Towel Hooks:

  • Install stylish hooks or towel bars on the wall or behind the door to keep towels organized and within reach.

Decorative Accents:

  • Add personality to the bathroom with decorative accents such as artwork, plants, scented candles, or decorative jars filled with bath salts or cotton balls.

8. DIY Projects

Custom Vanity:

  • Build a custom vanity using reclaimed wood or repurposed furniture for a unique and personalized touch.

Shelving Unit:

  • Construct a DIY shelving unit using wood crates, pallets, or plumbing pipes to create storage space for towels, toiletries, and decorative items.
With these DIY bathroom ideas, you can transform your space into a stylish and functional retreat without breaking the bank. Remember to plan carefully, gather the necessary tools and materials, and take your time to ensure a successful and satisfying DIY project.
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The Ultimate Guide to Freestanding Bathtubs

The Ultimate Guide to Freestanding Bathtubs

When it comes to creating a luxurious and relaxing bathroom, freestanding bathtubs have become increasingly popular. These bathtubs provide a spa-like experience and can serve as a centre piece in any bathroom design. However, with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right freestanding bathtub for your home. In this ultimate guide to freestanding bathtubs, we’ll cover everything you need to know before making a purchase, including styles, materials, installation, and maintenance.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Benefits of Freestanding Bathtubs
  • Types of Freestanding Bathtubs
    • Soaking Tubs
    • Clawfoot Tubs
    • Pedestal Tubs
    • Slipper Tubs
    • Japanese Style Tubs
    • Modern Tubs
  • Materials of Freestanding Bathtubs
    • Acrylic
    • Cast Iron
    • Stone Resin
    • Copper
  • Size and Shape of Freestanding Bathtubs
  • Installation of Freestanding Bathtubs
    • Plumbing
    • Drainage
    • Waterproofing
  • Maintenance of Freestanding Bathtubs
    • Cleaning
    • Repairs
  • Conclusion
  • FAQs

Benefits of Freestanding Bathtubs

Freestanding bathtubs offer numerous benefits, including the following:

  • They provide a luxurious and relaxing spa-like experience.
  • They serve as a beautiful centre piece in any bathroom design.
  • They come in various styles and materials, allowing homeowners to customise their bathtub to fit their unique preferences.
  • They don’t require a built-in structure, making them ideal for renovations or small spaces.
  • They can be positioned anywhere in the bathroom, creating a versatile and flexible layout.
  • They can increase the value of a home, as they are seen as a high-end and desirable feature.

Types of Freestanding Bathtubs

There are several types of freestanding bathtubs available, each with its own unique design and functionality.

Soaking Tubs

Soaking tubs are designed for deep immersion, allowing bathers to fully submerge their bodies. These bathtubs typically have a simple, minimalist design, making them ideal for modern and contemporary bathrooms.

Clawfoot Tubs

Clawfoot tubs are a classic and timeless style, featuring feet that elevate the bathtub off the floor. These bathtubs are often made of cast iron and have a vintage and elegant look, making them ideal for traditional and antique-style bathrooms.

Pedestal Tubs

Pedestal tubs have a sleek and streamlined design, with a pedestal base that supports the bathtub. These bathtubs are often made of acrylic or stone resin, making them lightweight and easy to move. They are ideal for modern and minimalist bathrooms.

Slipper Tubs

Slipper tubs have a high backrest on one end, allowing bathers to comfortably recline and relax. These bathtubs are often made of cast iron and have a vintage and elegant look, making them ideal for traditional and antique-style bathrooms.

Japanese Style Tubs

Japanese style tubs are designed for soaking and relaxation, featuring a deep and narrow design that allows for full immersion. These bathtubs are often made of wood or stone and have a rustic and natural look, making them ideal for Zen-inspired bathrooms.

Modern Tubs

Modern tubs have a contemporary and sleek design, often featuring clean lines and minimalist shapes. These bathtubs are often made of acrylic or stone resin and come in a variety of colours and finishes, making them ideal for modern and minimalist bathrooms.

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Which Bathtub suits you best?

The pros and cons of 9 bathtub materials…

Some bathtubs keep your water hot for longer others cool the water pretty quick, but quality comes at a price.

Something that gets overlooked are all the different material choices you have, and homeowners need to ask themselves several questions when looking to change out their bathtub, all having a similar dilemma…. “I’m not sure what material it should be constructed of.”

Let’s look at some of the different options and try to clear up a bit of the confusion.

To begin with, you might be surprised to find that you have more options than you would have thought. Which one you ultimately choose is going to come down to a combination of looks, comfort, ease of maintenance, and, of course, cost. Let’s start with some of the more common options:

Fiberglass bathtubs

Also known as FRP, or fiberglass-reinforced plastic, this is typically going to be the least expensive bathtub material. A fiberglass bathtub is made by forming layers of fiberglass into the desired shape, then coating it with Gelcoat resin.

The advantages are they are low cost, light weight, ease of installation, and a finish that can be repaired. On the negative side, fiberglass tubs are thin; they flex and don’t have a stable feel; they’re not very durable; and the finish is prone to fading, scratching and cracking. Personally, it’s one of my least favorite materials.

Porcelain on steel bathtubs

Also sometimes called enameled steel, this is another inexpensive and very common bathtub material. The tub is stamped from a thin sheet of steel, then finished with a layer of porcelain enamel. These tubs are durable and easy to clean. The finish is resistant to most common chemicals, and retains its gloss for a long time. They’re also especially useful when replacing fiberglass or acrylic tub/shower units, as they fit in the same 5-foot opening and can be finished off nicely with a ceramic tile surround.

On the downside, they’re heavier than fiberglass or acrylic, the surface can rust and chip under impact; and you’re very limited in the number of shapes and sizes available.

Acrylic bathtubs

Acrylic tubs use fiberglass sheets for reinforcement underneath vacuum-formed sheets of coloured acrylic. The advantages are pretty much the same as for fiberglass, although acrylic tubs are more expensive.

Disadvantages are that the finish can scratch or discolour over time, although the better grades of tub finishes have now reduced that problem to a minimum. You also have a lot of choices with regards shapes, sizes and colours.

Acrylic is a good all-around choice, although it may lack a certain high-end appeal for some people.

 

Cast iron bathtubs

If you’re looking for a material that will last, this would be it. Cast iron tubs are made by pouring molten iron into a mould of the desired shape, then smoothing it and coating it with a thick layer of enamel.

It’s probably the most durable tub around, and the finish is resistant to chipping, scratching and denting, as well as most types of chemicals. There are a number of different colours available, and there’s a richness to cast iron that’s hard to match. The heavy material also tends to retain the water’s heat.

On the downside, these tubs are extremely heavy and require extra labour — and often extra floor reinforcement — to install. They’re also typically going to be among the most expensive tubs on the market.

And now for some less common material options:

Solid-surface materials

Solid-surface materials are relative newcomers to the bathtub market. They’re durable, they retain heat well, there are a variety of subtle, natural-looking colours available and the finish can be repaired if needed. They can also be made in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your bathroom.

On the downside, they’re somewhat heavy and relatively expensive, and may require a long lead time to get.

Cultured marble

These tubs are made from crushed limestone mixed with resin, then finished with Gelcoat. You have a lot of options for colour, size and style, and the Gelcoat finish used with cultured marble is more durable than that used with fiberglass. The cost typically falls somewhere between acrylic and cast iron.

Ceramic tile

Ceramic tile tubs can be made on site to whatever size and shape you desire. You have more design options with this material than any other. However, you’ll have to deal with the maintenance of all that grout, and the irregular interior surface may not be the most comfortable to relax on with your bare skin.

Stone and wood

You can custom order a bathtub from a variety of natural stone materials, including granite, marble, onyx, travertine, basalt, sandstone and other materials. These tubs are extremely heavy, and require special structural framing to support their weight.

You can also custom order a bathtub made from teak and certain other woods. As you’d imagine, with any of these true one-of-a-kind pieces you get an unbeatable “wow factor,” but it comes with a pretty high price tag.

And, in the case of wood and some of the stones, it’s going to require a lot of maintenance in order to retain the tub’s original beauty.

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What Is The Best Type Of Tile To Use In A Bathroom?

Is it better to have porcelain or ceramic tiles?

At the end of the day, the bathroom is a place that is bound to get wet sometimes very wet and therefore, non-waterproof flooring, like carpet and real wooden floors, are often disregarded (and with complete sense!) when choosing a bathroom surface.

Now we’ve established that tiles work best in a bathroom in comparison to other types of floors, let’s answer all the question of which type of tile is the best for use in a bathroom?

When choosing the type of tile to install in your bathroom, you should consider a few different options.

Important! Consider the following when choosing your bathroom tiles:

  • Quality of tiles…
  • What is the tile’s vitreosity?

This is less about the price and quality of the tile material, however, more about the fact that you should be using tiles that WILL NOT absorb water in wet areas.

Vitreous tiles do not absorb water and are ideal for outdoor areas and for use in bathrooms. Ultimately, if the tiles are not vitreous you’d be best to install them in dryer areas of the household where water won’t puddle.

If you don’t understand vitreosity, we’re about to tell you more. 

What does vitreous mean?

Vitreous essentially means that the bathroom tile has been glazed so that it has an absorption rate of equal to, or less than 7 percent. This means that in most cases, the tiles are frost-proof (completely ample for a bathroom then, of course!).

When looking at ‘Vitreosity’ in detail, you can separate it into the following categories:

  • Non-vitreous tiles: Non-vitreous tiles offer a low density and have a water absorption of more than 7%
  • Semi-vitreous tiles: Semi-vitreous tiles have a water absorption of over 3% and less than 7%.
  • Vitreous tiles: Vitreous tiles offer a higher density and have a water absorption of over 0.5% but less than 3%.
  • Impervious tiles: Impervious tiles are extremely dense, with a water absorption of 0.5% or less. This is where good porcelain tiles for bathroom use are generally categorized.

Bet you’re now wondering what types of tiles are vitreous and therefore, suitable for a bathroom.  

The following types of tile can be used in a bathroom:

Glazed ceramic or porcelain tiles


Porcelain tiles are generally impervious when they have been glazed and are, therefore, ideal for use in bathrooms.

Glass Tiles

Glass tiles have a clean, hygienic look and feel. They are easy to wipe over after use and popular in modern homes. They are best used on the walls or low-traffic areas of the floor. Tiles make a great option for a feature wall.

Quarry Tiles

Quarry tiles can be semi-vitreous or vitreous, so make sure you investigate the type of tile you are buying. The more vitreous the tile for a bathroom, the better.

Natural Stone Tiles

Natural stone tiles have a rustic and modern aesthetic. While they generally withstand water well when used in a bathroom, they will need a waterproof membrane applied beneath them as they are not completely waterproof

Types of Natural Stone:

Marble: Marble originates from limestone and can be treated for use in bathrooms. Marble is favoured for its interesting colours and patterns when used in a bathroom.

Granite: Granite is harder than other tiles and is often used in areas of high-traffic on the floor.

Slate: The great thing about slate is the fact that it is slip-resistant and, therefore, a popular tile for use on the floors.

Limestone: Limestone tiling is suitable for use on the floors of a bathroom. When light in appearance, limestone makes great floor tiles for small toilet rooms, making the room light, airy and spacious.

Next you’ll also want to consider the bathroom wall tile sizes

If you have a large bathroom, you could opt for larger tiles across the whole of your wall and floor space. Smaller tiles, such as mosaic tiles, tend to work best on feature walls or in smaller bathrooms.