When you picture a bathroom suite, do you think of a bidet?

Most people don’t. Whilst bidets used to be quite a common addition to household bathrooms they’re rarely found nowadays. In fact, they’ve even become something of a taboo in modern living. It’s likely the only place you’ve seen a bidet is in the home of an elderly relative. Where they were once used regularly, they’re not something you’d think to include in your own bathroom suite. Now, we tend to think of a bathroom suite as a bath, a toilet and a sink. The bidet is the forgotten fourth component.

To understand the value of a bidet in today’s bathroom we have to look back into the history of these elusive additions. Bidets are used for cleaning the parts of the body we don’t tend to talk about in public. The proper way to use a bidet is to sit facing the taps and wall if you’re cleaning your genitalia, and to face away from the taps if you’re cleaning behind. Bidets really help to improve hygiene and were originally used to prepare oneself for time in the bedroom with a loved one, but in the UK nowadays they’re not a popular feature.

The bidet pictured above is of a traditional style, but there are contemporary bidets that would look at home in a modern bathroom, too. Bidets are still a popular addition to bathrooms in other European countries. In fact, 95% of Italian homes have one, but in true British style they’ve been left out of many new builds. Now, bidets are a conscious addition to certain bathrooms and are particularly useful for those with mobility difficulties and disabilities. A bidet can help to greatly improve hygiene for those who struggle with movement and cleaning in a traditional bath or shower, and some include dedicated drying facilities to make the process as easy as possible.

Bidets have spent years fading out of popularity, but are on their way back in. Whilst some homeowners use them to supplement their hygiene on occasion, many throughout Europe and the rest of the world use bidets as their preferred method and as a complete replacement for toilet tissue. In many countries, it’s common to finish on the toilet and move over to the bidet to clean off thoroughly.

Bidets are thought to be cleaner and more efficient, to be less abrasive and irritating and to reduce the spread of bacteria. For people who are weak and unable to wipe themselves, bidets offer independence and an alternative to requiring care in the bathroom.

Using a bidet simply makes sense. As the rest of the world come around to the idea and make bidets a standard fitting, it’s time to follow suit in the United Kingdom. Buying a bidet can help you maintain high levels of personal hygiene and might even remove the need to buy toilet tissue, being good for the environment in the long run.

Bidets are available at a variety of prices, and will look great in any bathroom with a little additional space.

The bathroom floor maybe the most important design feature of the overall room, as not only does it have to be comfortable under bare feet (unlike the rest of the house where socks and slippers are worn), it also has to be resistant to steam, water and slipping.
This makes the choice all the more difficult, as in the past carpets were considered the optimum choice. Many households still love the feel of the fluffy shag underneath their toes however this is one of the most impractical flooring solutions. Not only will carpet absorb moisture, it will also allow it to penetrate through to the floorboards underneath causing rot.
This isn’t the only negative feature of a bathroom carpet though, because bathrooms facilities are used to clean ourselves, we usually enter quite dirty, just splashing whilst washing our hands after a day’s gardening, or having a potty training toddler, will allow the carpet to absorb not only water but an army of germs that will be impossible to eradicate completely. This also leads to unpleasant odours and damp, then eventually mould.
Laminate flooring may seem like a good solution however on matter how tight the join, moisture will work its way in leading it to buckle and warp. As a bathroom needs cleaning regularly, manufacturer’s instructions advise against the use of water for cleaning laminate and so make this unsuitable too.
Practically Perfect Bathroom Floors
Despite the two mentioned being unsuitable for bathroom floors there is still a wide range of options to choose from, the floor of a bathroom should not be underestimated as with the right selection it can lift a bathroom design to luxury levels.
Stone Flooring
Stone is easy to clean and absorbs heat, making it warm underfoot as long as the bathroom itself is warm. It also has a slight abrasive surface that ensures any slipping is kept to a minimum. You can add washable rugs to the stone flooring, using adhesive to pin them down, and once removed all signs will be easily eradicated.
Rubber Flooring
This can be an affordable alternative and with a range of colours and designs it is a popular choice for those with contemporary bathroom styles. All rubber flooring is non-slip and provides a soft surface is accidents were to happen.
Wood Flooring
Normal floorboards are not suitable for bathrooms; however there are ranges that incorporate a top layer of hardwood. This makes them resistant to warping, allowing them to repel moisture and some may even be possible to use in conjunction with under floor heating.
Porcelain or Ceramic
Many choose these as a more affordable way to gain the stone like effect without the hefty price tag. Very hygienic, they give a less natural look however chosen carefully they look stunning in any bathroom. They can also be used safely with under floor heating making them toasty warm underfoot. Some can be quite slippy though so watch out!
Vinyl
The old trusted vinyl, popular in the seventies this bathroom floor covering is now in line with modern time. Still considered one of the optimum choices for bathroom floors a range of designs and colours are available and some can even be made to your own design!

Monument 3680 Sheet Lead Seaming Plier

Now only £31.79 (was £56.97)

Monument 3680 Sheet Lead Seaming Plier

Wherever you are able, try to build a central heating connection into any new bathroom, toilet, shower room or an en-suite addition to a bedroom. It makes the difference between an unwelcoming, cold, potentially mould-generating box – and a warm inviting space. Plan ahead and you can lose all the pipework into walls and floor and avoid unsightly surface plumbing.

Landscape or Portrait Rads?

Convection radiators come in either single or double-panel types, and conventional budget models are offered usually in a choice of heights between 300, 500 or 600mm. These are in a ‘landscape’ shape, wider than it is tall. However, in a bathroom space tends to be at a premium and (at a price) you can opt for swish designer radiators that offer vertically extended shapes for style as well as space-saving practicality. Check out the Aeon, Reina or Sussex stainless steel ranges with round or flattened tube profiles: and don’t forget to specify stainless steel valves to match. Or the Reina Osimo model is unusually finished in black, for a ‘look at me’ look.

Take Control

When you choose your valves, get thermostatically controlled ones to control your radiator locally: because the ideal heat setting for a bathroom (often positioned with one or more outside walls, as well as having cold tiled surfaces) will not in most cases be the same as for the rest of the cosier, carpeted house. Danfoss have a nifty Revolver valve whose water direction can be reversed to resolve water hammer problems without having to drain the system. A Frost Protection valve setting gives gentle heating when the temperature drops, and therefore is a good feature for bathrooms, which tend to be the rooms most prone to freezing and therefore can suffer from burst pipes in unprotected heating systems. If you go away from the house in Winter then this is a must.

Wrap up Warm

For the decorative covering of your conventional radiator, use MDF radiator cabinets that will not warp like conventional wood: but if you buy untreated ones make sure you seal them well with anti-moisture paint. You can buy them pre-coated. They clip easily together and there are models that have adjustable widths for easy installation.

As we have previously reported, towel rails can act as the primary heating source in a small room: a plumbed-in type is merely another form of radiator, albeit in most cases a less efficient one for space heating, for two reasons. It does not have an equivalent surface area for convection, and it inevitably tends to get covered with towels, which limits is effectiveness for room warming purposes. If you have the space and can arrange the plumbing, it is more luxurious to choose a towel rail and a radiator.

Flow Freely

What goes inside is also important. In any central heating system you need an inhibitor to ward off rust because it is a closed system and does not get flushed. Fernox supply the necessary fluid and also offer a leak-sealing liquid and descalers. Always look after your circulation.

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Architeckt Avus/Nuveo Mono Basin Mixer Tap

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Franke Zurich Kitchen Sink Mixer Tap

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Everbuild Forever White Sealant C3

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Armitage Shanks Belfast Sink White S581701

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Washbasin Wall Fixing Kit (E0070)

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Aqualisa Quartz Digital Pumped Thermostatic Exposed Shower

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Wirquin Flexible Pan Connector

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Sienna Straight Curved Shower Screen

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Honeywell VT200 Chrome Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) 15mm

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800mm Quadrant Shower Enclosure Pack with Tray & Waste

Let’s delve into the world of macerators. “Macer…what?” I hear you say. Well, if you decide that you want to build a bathroom, ensuite or cloakroom in an awkward place, which might have a plumber rubbing his chin and saying “that’ll cost you”, then a macerator may be the answer to your bathroom dreams. And it won’t cost you the arm and leg you thought it might.

What is a macerator?

A macerator is designed to work alongside your bathroom waste system to literally grind up and pump the waste making it possible to send the “material” through a narrow sized pipe and flush it into your soil pipe. This means you can place a toilet, sink or bath in any part of the house, even if gravity and pipework are working against you.

Without the use of a macerator, your plumber may need to feed pipes across your house to meet the soil pipe. In many cases this is simply impossible and too costly. A soil pipe is usually 100mm in diameter and will run down just one side of your home. For simplicity, most homes are built with all the bathrooms, kitchens and toilets on that one side for easy access to the soil pipe.

Getting your waste from one side of the house to the other while allowing the correct gravity angle is sometimes not feasible. In a basement, it will be impossible.

However, the simple installation of a macerator will allow you to have your new bathroom anywhere in the house you like. Usually it will sit just behind the toilet and it designed to fit in with the overall look of your white bathroom suite.

The macerator reduces the waste into smaller pieces allowing a smaller diameter pipe to carry it away. This pipe might be as small as 22mm or as much as 40mm.

The smaller pipe size makes it much easier to run the pipework through your home as it will fit under floorboards or in walls.

In addition to grinding up the material, the macerator also pumps it through the pipework. This means that gravity is no longer a big issue when it comes to how the pipes are arranged. Each macerator will have a different vertical and horizontal pump distance, so this will need to be considered when making a purchase. A basement, as an example, will require a stronger pump to reach the soil pipe.

Installing a macerator

In most cases a macerator should be installed by a plumber or someone with similar experience. The calculations required to work out at what angle your pipes should be run can be a bit tricky. It is recommended that if a vertical rise is required, this should be at a point closest to the macerator. For example you could run the pipe into the loft or ceiling space above the bathroom and then run it horizontally at an angle (if possible) towards to outside of the house and the external soil pipe. The final part of the connection should be a vertical drop to ensure that the pipe empties completely.

The cost of a macerator

A macerator is not a cheap piece of equipment to have installed, but it is certainly cheaper than the plumbing problems you might have without one. Generally the larger the outflow pipe the cheaper the unit will be. This is because it will need less pumping power and less grinding. Larger pipe macerators start at around £120. For small 22mm pipe macerators, you will need to put aside more than £300 out of your budget. If you want a macerator which can handle the waste from your toilet and your shower you will also expect to pay a little more.

So, if your dream is to have an ensuite in your loft or a shower room in your basement, a macerator will allow you to make your dreams a reality.

Have you ever taken time to look at your bathroom extractor fan, or lack of one? Probably not. We rush in, we shower and we rush out, never stopping to think about the moisture and steam we subject our bathrooms to every day. In fact, we usually only notice the steam when it’s time to brush our teeth or do our make-up and we’re left wiping condensation from the soaked bathroom mirror.

Of course, if you don’t treat things quickly you’re left with even more problems. Over time, without the right aeration, you’ll find your bathroom covered in thick, black mould that stains and is hard to shift. It’ll start on the grout on any tiles, and if you’ve got painted walls it’ll quickly spread until the whole room needs a complete makeover. This black mould is scientifically known as Stachybotrys Chartarum, and it thrives wherever it finds moisture and a lack of air movement. It can be expensive, it looks terrible and it can even affect breathing, cause allergies and have a dangerous impact on the very young, the elderly and the asthmatic.

You can’t be expected to keep the windows open at all times to keep your bathroom fresh. Who wants to shower in the cold, night air in the middle of winter? Fortunately, the right bathroom extractor fan can help your bathroom remain pristine, and keep the family lungs in great condition.

There are so many choices for people who want an effective extractor fan. Your own memories might be of rickety plastic grates that shook in the wind, turned yellow with age and were placed noticeably high on a wall or on the ceiling so that they drew your eyes towards them whenever you entered the room. Fortunately, they’ve moved on since then and the picture above shows some designer extractor fans that are great for a stylish and creative bathroom. You can get glass extractor fans, ones with lights and extractor fans decorated with pebbles, shells and beautiful, bright and attractive colours. Nowadays, your extractor fan doesn’t have to be an embarrassment when it’s noticed!

Extractor fans with lights might not generate enough of their own light to completely replace the need for others, but they can certainly be used to create the right mood when you’re soaking in the bath. They offer a warm glow, just enough to allow you to see what you’re doing, and as you sink into the hot water as the steam rises over you, it’ll be removed effectively for fresh air and a mirror you can see through afterwards.

Of course, those plastic extractor fans have their place if you keep them clean and well-maintained. The fan seen above features motion sensor technology so it’ll only work when you’re around, whilst trusted brands continue to make simple and inconspicuous extractor fans for every home bathroom.

Of course, you can help to prevent black mould in any bathroom by wiping surfaces with a dry towel after you’ve bathed or showered, though with the right bathroom extractor fan you’ll have the upper hand keeping Stachybotrys Chartarum out of your home.

Anyone who is looking to update their home, be that refurbishing their bathroom or someone who is perhaps building an additional one will probably have spent time watching interior design programs, flicking through magazines and poring over images on the internet. Having done this I’m sure there will be no doubt in their mind that there really are some absolutely revolting bathrooms out there!
There are, luckily, some fantastic contemporary bathroom designs at the moment and one theme seems to run through many of them, and that is glass. Glass has an understated beauty, with its clean lines and the way it can use light to alter the mood in any room. We explore several ways in which you can use glass in your bathroom to create the look that you have been dreaming of.
Glass tiles
Glass tiles can come in any shape, size or colour. With a smooth and stylish finish glass tiles can add real life to a bathroom. You can choose bold jewel-like colours which will add drama and flair to your bathroom or you can opt for a more subtle glass tile or mirror tile that reflects light and adds class.
Glass tiles are commonly used in mosaic designs as well as more uniform tiles and can create an entirely different affect altogether. Glass tiles are anything but mundane.
Glass basins
Believe it or not, despite its reputation for being a weaker material, glass can be hardier than you think. Tempered glass is tough and can withstand the wear and tear than any sink takes on.
A popular choice for basins is the frosted tempered glass basin which is available in a variety of sizes, shapes and of course colours. Coupled with sleek taps and clever piping these glass basins really do provide an opulent touch in the modern bathroom.
Stained glass
A large stained glass window which pours restful or invigorating light into a bathroom or a bathroom partition that does the same. Stained glass is timeless and is at home in centuries old churches and modern bathrooms.
Mirrors
Some people love mirrors, some avoid them at all costs; however no-one can deny how important the mirrors are in a bathroom. The ideal mirror is both functional and stunningly beautiful. Mirrors should be carefully arranged to make the most of the natural light that a bathroom gets. Even the smallest of bathrooms can benefit.
Mirrors can come in any shape, size and design. Mirrors can be easily cut to size and can be hung or attached to the wall with or without a frame, depending on choice.
It is easy to see why glass has become such a popular choice for bathroom designers be it for fixtures and fittings, multiple mirrors or accessories.
Design aside there is an important consideration for anyone choosing glass when building a new bathroom and that is how easy it is to clean. Glass for class and convenience it would seem! What are you waiting for?
 

Vitrex Wood Underfloor Heating 5 Square Metre

Now only £135.41 (was £184.99)

Vitrex Wood Underfloor Heating 5 Square Metre

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DuraTherm Avus Chrome Towel Rail Valves Straight (Pair)

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Franke Zurich Kitchen Sink Mixer Tap

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Tuscany 2-Jet Retractable Professional Large Kitchen Sink Mixer Tap - Chrome

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Architeckt Oval Mono Basin Mixer 25mm Cartridge

5

Wirquin Flexible Pan Connector

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Scratch and Chip Repair Kit Alpine White

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Park Lane Ceramic Handle Cistern Lever

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800mm Quadrant Shower Enclosure Pack with Tray & Waste

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Honeywell VT15 15mm Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV)

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Sienna Straight Curved Shower Screen