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Welcome to Fixtures Tips
Hi, I'm Lisa Lambson, one of the hundreds of writers here at LifeTips.com. Enjoy these 98 Fixtures Tips! If you’re a business, why not hire the expert writers at LifeTips? And if you’re a writer, apply for freelance writing gigs.
Hanging towel bars
Hanging a towel bar may seem a rather mundane matter, and, well, it is, really. Still, there are a few things you need to know to make sure your towels are always well hung. The standard hanging height for your towel bar seems to be 48 inches above the floor. This will leave leave enough space below the bars for towels to hang freely. If, however, you hang the towel bar in a children's bath, place the bar at a height of 36 inches. To add a stylish element to the bath, a double towel bar is an ideal accessory. If you want to add some elan to your family bath, and hang more towels per square foot, put up double towel bars. One other thing: Don't hang towel bars over electrical switches or outlets. (Duh.)
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Fixtures start to finish
When selecting the plumbing fixtures for your home, you'll have a lot of choices to make regarding finish. The finish you choose depends on your taste and need for easy maintenance. Fixture manufacturers like American Standard offers a wide assortment of finishes such as brass, chrome, nickel, copper, pewter, and oil-rubbed bronze. Here is a list of popular finishes widely available from American Standard:
Unprotected Brass
Protected Brass
Antique Brass
Chrome
Polished Nickel
Brushed Nickel
Oil Rubbed Bronze
Copper
Antique Pewter
Stainless Steel
Bronze Patina
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Finding the right spa faucet
After you get yourself a hot Jacuzzi or whirlpool tub, you've got to figure out what kind of faucet, or filler, you are going to put in. Any old filler won't do. You need to make sure that the ensemble you get matches your overall décor. (As usual). Make sure the finishes match up with the rest of your fixtures, whatever they may be. You don't want to be mixing polished brass with chrome or brushed nickel.
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Cleaning an aerator
Replacing an aerator is one of the easiest things you'll ever do. No need to call a plumber or handyperson or your uncle Bob. You don't even need to turn off the water supply. Just follow these easy steps.
Close the drain so you don't lose any parts.
Locate the aerator. That's the is the screw-in thingamabob at the end of the faucet spout.
Make sure both the spout and your hands are dry before trying to remove it with your fingers.
Unscrew the aerator in a clockwise direction. If it doesn't want to cooperate, then you will need to use adjustable pliers. Before you do that, wrap masking tape or a rubber band around the aerator so you don't leave teeth marks on your nice finish.
Once you get the aerator off, you will see it has a few small parts inside. These are the guts of your aerator. As you disassemble the aerator, note the order and orientation of the parts.
Rinse the pieces with water and brush off the debris. If you still have stubborn deposits sticking around, soak the parts in white vinegar for a few minutes and scrub with a toothbrush. Replace any cracked and broken parts, or hardened washers.
After de-gunking, reassemble the aerator. Using your fingers, screw it back onto the faucet. Test your work by turning on the water. If you get leaking around the threads, give the aerator a slight turn with the pliers, then remove the masking tape.
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Bathroom sink materials
If you are not into glass sinks, no problem. There are a lot of other materials to choose from. Brass, stainless steel, chrome, copper and stone to name but a few. The design choices are out of this world, too. You can get a sink that looks like fabric draped over a black iron base. Another sink is made from copper encased between two layers of glass. And this is just scratching the surface, design-wise.
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Accessorizing a bathroom
The one sure way to show-off your hospitality is with a guest bathroom that will make your guests feel right at home. Here are a few bathroom accessories tips on how to make your guest bathroom into a john away from home.
Make sure your guests can see what they are doing. Put in a brighter, full-watted, light bulb (60 watts or higher).
If your guests have teeth that they brush regularly, (let's hope that is a hardy Yes!) have extra toothbrushes in case they leave theirs at home. Let them know that brushes are available.
Lay in an extra supply of toilet requisites from deodorant to mouthwash to facial tissues. Whatever you think you'd need if you were visiting.
If you really want to go all out, you might want to supply a couple of wrap-style type robes, some terry-cloth slippers or house socks.
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Chrome finish 101
As you will remember from newsreels, chrome plating for fixtures (and cars) became popular in the 1930s, and it is possibly the people's choice for fixture finishes to this day. And why not? Chrome is shiny, silvery, and tarnish-resistant. Of course, fixtures are not made of chrome but of solid brass electroplated with chrome. Like brass, however, you have to clean chrome regularly to keep it shiny.
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Faucets for pedestals
When you pick out your pedestal, you should also pick out a bathroom faucet that is compatible with the faucet holes in the sink top. This is not a big challenge. You have two choices: A 4" centerset or 8" wide centerspread, meaning the distance center to center between the outside holes.
Here's a handy installation tip: Hook up the faucet, drain assembly, and drain plug lift rod to the sink before you mount the pedestal. Then attach the sink to the wall with the bolts provided. Be careful not to over-tighten, or you could crack the porcelain. Now attach the water supply lines and the drain assembly. Turn the water on and check for leaks.
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Brass fixtures 101
Brass has been a popular finish since the nineteenth century. Maybe because the polished variety looks like gold, but who really knows? The thing about brass is that it looks great but you have to do a lot of polishing to keep it at its brightest best. You can polish your brass until your elbow falls off, but in time your unprotected brass will tarnish (develop brown spots). This is not a big deal for a lot of brass aficionados. They dig brown spots. Since brass is supposed to tarnish, some renovators prefer their brass unprotected.
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Bathroom mirrors
You don't have to be a wicked queen to know that there is a bathroom mirror for every style and taste. A large wall hung mirror or mirrored medicine cabinet can create the illusion of greater spaciousness in your bathroom. A medicine cabinet also adds more storage space, the advantage of which cannot be overestimated. Of course, the daily mirror, (the kind you look into, not the one you read) offers a interesting variety of styles and types designed to enhance your self-viewing pleasure: There are fogless mirrors, vanity mirrors, magnifying mirrors, swivel mirrors, compact mirrors and...well, you get the idea.
