Renovating an older bathroom with newer fixtures, wall and floor coverings is not a new idea, but what is new is the abundance of products and businesses that allow us to improve features that are somewhat permanent. There are many bathroom renovation ideas that can accommodate anyone who is looking to revamp their bathroom.
Many older homes have bathtubs made of cast-iron, fiberglass or porcelain. These bathtubs are still structurally sound, but have become an eyesore. Some older tubs are chipped, scratched or stained beyond repair while others are an awful color like pink or lilac. Having an unsightly bathtub is like trying to ignore a 2-ton elephant in the room. Even if you try to keep it hidden behind a beautiful shower curtain or a glass door, it's still there and you still see it every time you take a bath or shower. Buying a new bathtub is not that expensive, but keep in mind once you add the price of tearing out the old tub and repair to walls and floor, you will be looking at a chunk of change.
Take heart, because there are two very popular bathroom renovation ideas that avoid the entire hassle of tearing out your old bathtub and renovating it instead. The first very common practice is to purchase and have installed an acrylic shell that lays over your entire tub and up the walls. These shells are custom made for each tub enclosure. They install the unit over your original bathtub and fixtures, usually in a matter of a few hours. The new tub is just as solid and can be easily cleaned. One benefit of using this method is that it also covers up the walls and the old wall tile, as well. Nine times out of ten, if you have an old, chipped bathtub or one that is an unsightly color, you will also have tile that is displeasing as well. The average cost of these liners runs from $1200 to $3000, depending on if you choose to renovate the tub only or both the bathtub and the walls.
The other form of bathroom renovation ideas for older bathtubs that are still structurally sound is to have it re-glazed. This is a task that you can hire someone to do or you may choose to do it yourself. You can purchase everything you need to complete this project in your local home improvement store. This is best for tubs that have lost their luster and tend to be hard to clean. It is also a great choice for those ?Ugly Betty? bathtubs, whose colors are so hideous that no matter how creatively you decorate around it, will never look as though it belongs in this century. The look of re-glazing a bathtub is very good and the new surface holds up surprisingly well. There is no replacing that feeling of inner joy when you see, for the first time, a lovely white or almond colored tub after having stared at that green or yellow monstrosity for years. Choosing to re-glaze your tub can run anywhere from $200 to $500, depending on if you choose to do it yourself or hire someone to do the project.
Remodeli(at)remodelingabathroomguide.com
There are a few topics that generate incredible emotion. Religion, poverty, corporate power, US imperialism, and gays ensure impassioned opinions. But little can match the current eco-fascist rhetoric on societal collapse due to ?climate change? except perhaps the dire predictions of national catastrophe screeched out by free-trade hating Marxists. In the current non-debate over the remarkably insane Kyoto protocol [and global warming] one has to look back to free-trade debates in Europe and North America to witness the same apocalyptic nonsense dominating mainstream views.
In 1988 the US and Canada formed a free trade area which was extended to Mexico in 1994. Since the signing of these agreements all 3 countries have seen growing economies; rising incomes; low stable interest rates and reasonable inflation levels. Employment levels in Canada and the US are at all time highs as is net wealth per household. Mexico is struggling due to corruption, monopolies, and a lack of structurally sound institutions and laws. Yet even Mexico had advanced and is far better off now than in 1990. In general we can say that times seem pretty good. But remember the dire claims of doom and destruction?
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was fought over free trade. The left wing Liberal party cried that it would destroy Canada. Tree hugging groups griped about US firms controlling lumber, water and oil resources. The mainstream media lamented the loss of Canadian identity [whatever that means]. University professors opined against the creation of the 51rst US State. The rhetoric was incendiary, apocalyptic and wrong.
Pundits predicted Canadian social and economic disaster. Of course the exact opposite happened.
The organizations in Canada that were a part of that debate and which are still actively against free trade include left wing and Marxist groups from government; religion; industry; education and laborers. A small list gives the depth of the organized animus to free trade that exists in one of the world's main trading countries ? a nation that relies on trade for its economic survival:
The Canadian Labour Congress, the Council of Canadians, the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Churches' Coalition on Economic Justice or GATT-Fly, the National Farmers' Union, the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists, the National Anti-Poverty Organization, the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Federation of Nurses' Unions, the Canadian Peace Pledge Campaign, the One Voice-Canadian Seniors Network, the Canadian Teachers' Federation, Academics Against Free Trade, the Canadian Council of the Arts, and the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Most of the above organizations are subsidized of course. Teacher's unions, government unions, resource sector groups, native Indian lobby firms, feminist sink-holes, all these and more exist thanks to money generated by the private sector. Much of the subsidized largesse is based on trade. Rather ironic. How trite and ignorant the anti-free traders must be.
In the US a similar list can be put up. About 35% of the US economy is based on trade [versus 60% in Canada]. I would argue that the US has not enough international trade dependency and is prone to atavistic acts of protectionism [steel, lumber, sugar cane, etc.]. The US needs more open markets not less. But that view is hardly dominant across US media, education or the chattering union elite.
The US protectionist impulse is politically motivated and it does little to enhance social welfare. Luckily for the Americans they are less enthusiastic supporters of the mommy-state, which means that less firms and unions are subsidized with other people's money to rant and rail against trade. But certainly enough US organisations from Christian groups to steel union lobby groups resent more trade and globalized competition.
The US economy has produced 2 million or more jobs [based on household surveys] in each of the past 6 years. It is hard to reconcile a full employment rate, increased incomes, and massive job creation, with economic disaster and the oft-cited claims that US business is offshoring all jobs [less than 1 % are overseas vs. 15% which are insourced]; or that America is being hollowed out thanks to US firms exporting back to the US from China or Mexico. Reality does not support such conclusions.
Countless studies show that free trade agreements in general have a slightly positive impact on net jobs. Trade realigns an economy; forces it up the value-added business process chain and creates higher paying skilled work in dynamic sectors. Some sectors will decline due to trade, but many more industries and new markets are created allowing for a net gain in jobs. The trick is take people from declining sectors and reposition them in accelerating industries.
The misinformation and hatred of free trade is of course being played out in the eco-cult's war against modernity. For the eco-fascist, trade, capitalism, individualism is synonymous with greed, moral depravity, resource destruction and the annihilation of the earth goddess Gaia. The soaring and searing hyperbole used to demonize trade is now focused on industry, energy intensive operations and capital markets who are supposedly raping the earth goddess to death.
In fact the eco-cult's portents of destruction arising from man-made global heating is pathological. Only a deranged psychopathic would endlessly reiterate with little proof, that man is responsible for something as complex as climate patterns. There is no science that proves their thesis and there is no reason to destroy our modern world to appease their cult.
These groups were wrong on trade, why are they right on the environment?
The catastrophic scenarios trotted out against trade in 1988, 1994, and in Europe in 1992 and 2000 never occurred. Millions did not die from social services being cut; millions were not roaming the streets hungry and out of work; unemployment did not skyrocket and industry was not gutted. All these claims and more were made by opponents of free trade. Yet none of them happened, and yet we are supposed to take the latest round of doom forecasting regarding the environment seriously?
The environmental movement, which wants to erase the modern world, is more interested in enhancing the power of its constituent groups, than in the improvement of our planet. Sadly anti-trade Marxism has now taken complete control of the environmental movement. But as with free trade they will lose the debate. In the meantime there is no reason to implement dumb ideas like ?Kyoto? to appease a cult and eradicate civilization. Modernity works just fine and for the record the environment is the cleanest it has ever been ? a fact that cannot be refuted but only conveniently ignored.
Both Wilhelm Williams & John Berger are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Wilhelm Williams has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, Home Security and Fitness. Selecting a try visiting. Wilhelm Williams's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
John Berger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wine and Spirits, Keyboard Synthesizer and Pearls. After working for a few large IT firms Read born in 1966, is currently an entrepreneur and Venture Capital Advisor and Managing Consultant for Wireless and Mobile technologies [including the internet] and in particular, in software applications for the Wi. John Berger's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.