Bathrooms are one of the most costly rooms to remodel--generally second only to kitchens. These costs are often incurred in labor charges on items that go beyond the typical do-it-yourselfer's skills. If you find yourself in the position of needing a bathroom update, but without the funds for a full remodel, here's some quick, budget-friendly updates that will give your bathroom a brand new look.
Paint your walls. Painting is absolutely the cheapest way to transform any room. For around $25, you can have a brand new look. And because they're smaller than
other rooms, bathrooms are often agreat place to experiment withinteresting new wall treatments. Doyou like stripes? Try them in yourbathroom! Replace your outdated lighting. I'mnot sure why this is, but I find that mostpeople overlook the importance oflighting in almost every room of theirhome. If you're still living with an outdated bath bar (often called Hollywood lighting), then you can have a fresh, new update for as little as $30. Paint your cabinets. Again, paint is the cheapest way to update. Are your wood cabinets looking tired from years and years of use? Give them a fresh coat of paint, and they'll look new! I recommend a good cleaning, followed by a light sanding, then priming. Top with a coat or two of an oil-based paint, and you've got a brand new look. And the cost? About $70.
Replace outdated cabinet hardware. Hardware is the "jewelry" of your cabinets. Not having hardware on your cabinets is like putting on a great outfit, but forgetting to accessorize. Hardware is also a great place to be creative and unique. You can expect to pay anywhere from $3 to $15 (or more) for each knob or pull. But it's well worth it!
Replace worn-out towels. Sometimes a new,fresh look is as easy as replacing your worn-out,faded towels with some soft, fluffy new towels. And as popular as spa-inspired interiors are thesedays, it's difficult to go wrong with white! Whitealso gives your space a fresh, clean look. Youcan expect to pay from $5 to $30 per towel,depending on the quality.Replace your rug. When most of us think of purchasing a rug for our bathroom, we generally head to the bathroom department of the local home store. But why not try something with a little more style? Instead of a regular bath mat, try introducing a small area rug into your bathroom. Instant color and style! And because the rug is generally smaller than one you'd need for a living room, it's possible to find one for $50 to $100.
Remove that toilet seat cover!!! Banish this! I'm really surprised at how many people still use toilet seat covers in their bathrooms. Toilet seat covers are not only outdated, but they're incredibly unsanitary. Remove it and reveal your sparkly clean toilet. And the cost? Free! Simply remove.....AND TOSS!
Remove that toilet-hugging rug!!! Banish this also! These are just as bad as the toilet seat covers. Actually, they're worse, considering that these catch more....ummmm...stuff, since it's on the floor. Eewwww! Again, just lift, and TOSS! And again....it's FREE!!
Frame your plain builder's mirror. If you have a plain, plate-glass, builder's basic mirror, give it a frame! Simply purchase some moulding from your local home improvement store, cut to fit, paint, and adhere it to your mirror. Fill in the corners with a bit of wood filler, sand, and touch-up the paint. If you don't want to go to the trouble of making a frame yourself, you can always remove the mirror completely, and replace it with a purchased, framed mirror. Either way, the impact will be tremendous. This can easily be achieved for $50 to $100.
Replace your shower curtain. If you have a bathroom that requires a shower curtain, this is NOT the place to make a simply utilitarian choice. Visually, shower curtains consume a large area of the bathroom, and this is the perfect place to add color and style to your bathroom. So now's the time to get rid of your plain, plastic shower curtain, and find one that defines your style!!
Source: Kristi Linauer, addicted2decorating.com
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LIGHT BULBS: Is there a significant difference between CFL Bulbs and LED bulbs?
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John Watkins, Owner
Nashville Home Inspection
(615) 573-4468
IN THE NEWS
July 2010
Kenneth Bargers, REALTOR®
Prudential Woodmont Realty
(615) 512-9836, cellular
(615) 661-7800, office
Prudential Woodmont Realty
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Lighting accounts for approximately 20% of the average household's energy bill. Many homeowners have turned to compact fluorescent lights (CFL) to save money and energy. In the not-too-distant future, however, light emitting diodes (LED) are expected to provide an even more energy-efficient choice for consumers.
Incandescent bulbs, CFLs and LEDs all provide
illumination in different ways. In an incandescent
bulb, electric current runs through a wire filament
and heats it until it starts to glow. In a CFL, an
electric current is driven through a tube
containing argon and a small amount of
mercury vapor. This generates invisible
ultraviolet light that excites a fluorescent
coating in the inside of the tube, which results in visible light. LED lighting products use light emitting diodes to produce light efficiently. The movement of electrons through a semiconductor material illuminates multiple tiny sources and generates very little heat. LEDs are generally cool to the touch.
CFLs require a little more energy when they are first turned on, but once the electricity starts moving, they use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. The bulbs are typically more expensive than incandescent bulbs, ranging from two to fifteen dollars (for specialty bulbs). But each bulb can help save as much as $30 in energy savings over their lifetime.
To get the most our of a CFL, it isrecommended that a bulb be screwedin by holding the ballast, or whiteplastic part, rather than holding theglass tubing. CFL bulbs should alsobe placed in lights left on for more thanfifteen minutes at a time. Thisincreases energy savings and thebulb's longevity.Many CFLs are sensitive to excessively hot or cold temperatures. As a result, they should be used in open fixtures indoors. If they are used in enclosed fixtures indoors, they may generate heat, reducing their efficiency. If they are used outdoors, the bulbs should be protected from the elements and placed into enclosed fixtures. For colder climates, the package labeling will indicate the bulb's best operating temperatures.
While the amount of mercury contained within any CFL is small, the bulbs are still considered hazardous waste. When it's time to replace a bulb, it should be recycled in appropriate recycling centers or taken to outlets that will accept the bulbs, such as Home Depot.
As LED light bulbs become less expensive and more readily available, they may become the light bulb of first choice for consumers for a number of reasons.
LED lighting is more efficient, durable, versatile and longer lasting than incandescent and fluorescent lighting. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, while incandescent or fluorescent bulbs emit light, and heat, in all directions. LED lighting uses both light and energy more efficiently.
For example, an incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb inside a recessed can will waste about half of the light that it produces. A recessed light with LEDs will only produce light where it is needed - directly below the bulb. To meet federal Energy Star requirements, an individual LED bulb must last 25,000 hours or 22 years, based on use of three hours per day. The bulbs must be as energy efficient as fluorescent lighting. And the light must come on instantly and without flicker when the switch is turned on.
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