Low Cost Ways to Spruce Up Your Old Bathroom

If you want to spruce up your old, drab bathroom without breaking the bank, we’ve got some great, inexpensive ideas for you.

Designers recommend buying an extra matching shower curtain and making a simple valance out of it.

If you want something even simpler than a shade or valance, papering your windows is also an inexpensive option. Another product, called Gallery Glass lets you make a window pattern that mimics stained glass with a self-adhesive. It looks similar to a real stained glass window at a fraction of the price.

If you’re on a tight budget, but want something with a cottage feel, what about putting hinges on beautiful picture frames (or building your own frames) and using a staple gun to attach lace or a synthetic fabric to them. Voila, you’ve got shutters.

Rolling, simple white towels in a basket, will help you achieve a spa like feeling. Delicate soaps, arranged in a pretty soap dish can also help you dress up your bathroom. Add a new shower curtain, rugs and fresh paint, and you’ve transformed your old, grungy bathroom!

All of these ideas are easy, inexpensive ways to add some designer touches to your bathroom. Soon, you’ll love the feel of your space, and will never want to leave!

Bath Planet® Enters South Florida Market

Introduces affordable bath remodeling solutions with revolutionary customer experience

After extensive market research demonstrating new housing trends, Bath Planet® of South Florida (a division of Decon Environmental) has recognized a trend of people staying in their homes and renovating them, which has led to its newest decision to become an exclusive authorized dealer of Bath Planet® in South Florida. Bath Planet’s® authorized dealers will showcase the newest bath remodeling products in the industry with exclusive colors and designs, offering stylish, affordable, low-maintenance solutions that satisfy customers by combining high-quality service with superior product offerings.

Tami Muller has been a part of the family owned and operated Decon Environmental for more than 25 years. The company has been a pioneer in environmental contracting, with extensive experience and an unmatched reputation in its market. Looking to diversify service offerings, Muller sees the addition of becoming a Bath Planet dealer as a way to reach new customers and provide existing clients even more options when it comes to home construction.

“Bath Planet® will provide us with a new business opportunity to capture an even wider segment of business in South Florida. The brand has a strong industry reputation of outstanding customer service and superior product design,” said Muller, owner of Bath Planet® South Florida. “We were looking for an industry with strong growth numbers, and after noticing remodeling trends in South Florida, we knew that we could bring a new and exciting business to the market.”

Strategically, Muller wanted to make the right addition to the South Florida area and enhance her existing business by adding a cost-effective bathroom component to complement it. What she recognized is that more homeowners are making conscious decisions to make smaller, more affordable updates to their homes as they are living in them longer. Florida’s senior citizens can also benefit from a bath remodel that provides them comfort and independence.

“We are excited to have Decon Environmental on board as an authorized retailer in South Florida. They can provide the expertise and exceptional service that our company prides itself on,” said Rick Hirschhaut, senior vice president of Bath Planet®. “We have found a great partner in Decon Environmental, as they have consistently been a leader in the construction market, providing superior products and delivering the best customer satisfaction.”

Bath Planet® has earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, which is given only after lengthy and meticulous evaluation. The credential is recognized widely as a symbol of consumer assurance and protection in the marketplace and demonstrates unparalleled level of commitment to the best products and customer service.

Together, the best minds in the industry have been brought together to research all elements of bathroom remodeling, including top tier manufacturing, installation, design and customer service. This foundation led to the development of the world’s best product value in bathroom remodeling.

Advantages of Bathtub Liners

Got an old, moldy bathtub wall? Nothing is more of a turnoff, especially to guests. Years ago, you had to do a complete bathroom demo to get rid of it. Nowadays, you can cover up the ugly, in one day! Hard to believe, but it’s true!

Surrounding the walls of your bathtub with waterproof material is essential when building or remodeling your bathroom. While tile is still an attractive option, it can be expensive and difficult to install. Instead, many homeowners choose bathtub liners or wall surrounds, which adhere to the walls and protect them from moisture, mold and mildew.

One of the greatest advantages of bathtub liners and wall surrounds is cost. Installing a surround over existing walls is a cost-effective way to remodel or update a bathroom. Fast and easy! Wall surrounds are a great way to make your bathroom beautiful again, without breaking the bank! Installing a bathtub liner or surround is easier than installing tile.

Even the most high-quality wall surround, however, can look bad if it is not installed properly. So if you are not confident in your installation skills, hire a professional. This is so important, because saving a little money is so not worth it, if your bathroom looks like an amateur did it. Spend a few extra dollars and hire a company that has years of experience and know how. They will transform your bathroom into the spa like retreat you’ve always wanted!

Another benefit is that bathtub liners and surrounds are generally simple to care for, especially compared to tiled walls. Installing a bathtub surround or liner is an inexpensive and simple way to update a bathroom, especially when staging a home for sale. If you spend the extra money to install a tile surround for a shower or bath, along with other bathroom updates, you can expect to recoup about 75 to 80 percent of the cost when you sell the home, according to the National Association of Realtors. If a complete remodel is not in the budget, though, adding a new tub surround can still improve a bathroom that is in rough shape, and you can expect to get most of your investment back. You’ll not only love your new bathroom, you’ll feel good that you made a wise home investment!

Why You Should Have a Nice Bathroom

Bathrooms can definitely make or break a deal. If your trying to sell your home in this market, you need to have a nice bathroom. If not, potential home buyers will move on to the next house. It’s that simple.

This is the one room where you get to totally relax and pamper yourself. The bathroom you choose can have a major effect on just how enjoyable the time you spend in it truly is. It is very rare that we get time to ourselves anymore, totally free of distractions, and the indulgence one can allow themselves at such times is what makes having a great bathroom so important.

If you’re thinking about remodeling or just simply improving your existing bathroom, lighting is key. Do you have sufficient lighting designed for your bathroom? Natural light is an important thing in bathrooms. A window, a wall or roof skylight will bring in natural light, a view or a dramatic skyscape.

Another important element to consider is ventilation. If you live in different types of weather conditions like mild to harsh, you should install an exhaust fan in bathroom. Bathrooms produce humidity and moisture that can break in ceilings, floors and countertops. Ventilate odors and humidity from your bathroom by installing a powerful ventilator or exhaust fan large enough to do the job perfectly.

Experts say, you may not need to completely gut your existing bathroom. Just determine what needs to be improved on, and do it. The rest can usually be fixed with some paint and accessories.

Bath Planet featured in Johnson City Press

Bath Planet was recently featured in an article called “Soaking in sales: Bathroom remodeling company seeing plenty of business," that ran on Monday, April 9, 2012 in The Johnson City Press. The article focuses on Scott Brooks’ new Bath Planet location opening in Johnson City, Tennessee at 3107 W. Market St. and highlights Scott’s journey to becoming a Bath Planet dealer. Also, the article discusses Scott’s Bath Planet development plans for Johnson City and his planned expansion into Knoxville, Chattanooga and Asheville. View the full article here or begin reading below.

Soaking in sales: Bathroom remodeling company seeing plenty of business 
by Madison Mathews

Scott and Julie Brooks are busier than ever before. When they opened the doors of their new bathroom remodeling business last month, they were caught off guard by the amount of customers looking to remodel their home.

Like many in the construction business, when the housing market collapsed in 2007, Scott, who worked as a licensed contractor for more than 20 years, wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

(Read More)

A Bathroom Remodel Is The #1 Home Improvement Project You Can Do

Did you know that a bathroom remodel is the #1 rated home improvement project you can do for overall return on investment according to the Wall Street Journal? So everyone wonders, “Is it worth the money to remodel my bathroom?” Local realtors say, yes. However if you really don’t want to spend that kind of time or money, you need to fake it. Realtors say, nowadays, you can get rid of that yucky, moldy old tub with a new, beautiful walk in tub, or a wall surround. Just basically change whatever is ugly.

Paint a pretty color and get new accessories, and your bathroom can look transformed. All in about a day, for a fraction of the cost. On the other hand if you are committed to a total renovation it’s good to know that economists say remodeling a kitchen or a bathroom is always a smart investment. They even go as far as saying that all renovations should be done “where the water is.” Meaning kitchens and bathrooms.

So what kind of return will you get on your investment? You should not expect to fully recover the amount of the remodeling investment right away. Typically, you can expect between 80% and 90% back on your home improvement investment dollar, sometimes more, within the first year or two. With the proper remodel, you can increase and even make money on the improvement the longer you stay in the home. By being in the home a longer period of time, you give the real estate market time to increase and you leverage the remodeling investment as property values grow.

Investing in home improvement makes sense in most cases and under most economic climates. The homeowner should do their homework; use the resources available to them to help plan a budget and determine what type of changes they want to make.

Keep in mind the most important reason to renovate your bathroom is if the structural integrity of your home is being affected or damaged by excessive water, mold or moisture. The long term loss or depletion in the value of your home could be serious in this case. So if you have an old, moldy bathroom, remodeling or replacing the ugly, is always a good idea!

Bath Planet featured on WGN-TV

Bath Planet was featured in a segment on WGN-TV on February 28, 2012. The segment focused on bath safety and had great visuals with an actual bathtub demo from Bath Planet set up in-studio. Rick Hirschhaut discussed the kinds of bathtub accidents that can occur for people of all ages, and the many different types of safety features available for the bathtub and shower at Bath Planet. Click here to view this great segment!