A steam shower cubicle can be simply defined as a self-contained cubicle or enclosure that has the ability to create and trap steam within the enclosed area while also providing a showering facility to wash or rinse down ones body. However, a modern steam shower cubicle aims to make home-bathing enjoyable, relaxing and therapeutic. Thus, many new features can be found within the modern steam shower cubicle. While not conclusive this article provides a summary of the typical features that may be found in a steam shower cubicle of today.

Digital control panel
Most modern steam shower cubicles are fitted with an easy to use control panel in the shower providing quick access to all the steam shower features. Some steam shower cubicles may also provide a remote control, which allows the user to select features from outside the cubicle such as pre-filling the cubicle with steam before entering.

Foot massage
A foot massage is often an added feature that combines foot rollers and hydromassage water jets to conveniently massage your feet whilst sitting within the cubicle. Instead of rollers, a steam shower cubicle may have a special area on the floor where hydromassage jets spray water onto the soles of the feet.

Hand held shower
Typically, a steam shower cubicle will provide a standard shower head fixed to a slide-rail. This shower head can easily detach from the slide rail to enable handheld showering, which may be in addition to an overhead rainfall shower.

Over head shower rose
Also known as a rain forest shower, the shower head is typically larger than a hand held shower and may measure as much as 6 inches in diameter. The overhead shower rose gives the sensation of standing out in a rain fall.

Body jets
Body jets can be located above the users head, along the length of the users back or perhaps on the lower legs. Depending on the number of jets and the users water pressure these hydro massage jets may be sprayed in unison or sequentially.

Music & Phone Connection
A modern steam shower cubicle may have a built-in audio input allowing the steam shower to be connected to a users iPod, MP3 player, CD player or any other external audio device. Some units even allow a user to run a telephone line to the steam shower and make or receive phone calls from the
cubicle.

Radio and speaker
Many steam cubicles that have audio capability will also have a radio tuner allowing the user to relax whilst listening to Classic FM or Radio 1! The user can tune in from the control panel to their favourite radio stations and listen to them from an in built shower speaker.

Steam Generator
The steam generator is integral to any steam shower cubicle and comes in many designs and styles but all with the same purpose – generating steam. The digital control panel may give the user the option of setting a time limit or temperature limit for automatic shut off of the steam generator.

Aromatherapy
An additional feature found in some steam cubicles allows the user to squeeze a few drops of aromatherapy oil (often plant or tree extracts) onto the steam generator or into a specially designed inlet. The user can then enjoy the aromatherapy scents and physical benefits it can offer.

Thermostatic controller
The thermostatic controller is used to select a specific water temperature and should maintain control of the water at the chosen temperature. Some units may provide built in temperature safety for younger users.

Chromotherapy Lighting
Chromotherapy has been shown to alter ones emotional state. This is the use of coloured lighting to create a mood or emotional state whilst the user is enjoying a steam shower.

Extractor fan
An extractor fan provides ventilation and air circulation as well as enabling the user to clear steam out of the cubicle without opening the doors.

Fluorescent overhead lighting
An overhead fluorescent light is often included to illuminate the steam shower cubicle. The light may surround the overhead rainfall shower rose.

Dr Gareth Daniel conveys his experience of steam rooms in his writing for Di Vapor Steam Showers. To Find out more about steam shower cubicles or sauna steam rooms then please visit Di Vapor Steam Showers who is a steam shower specialist.

Manual Mixer Showers:

Mixer showers are essentially valves which mix hot water and cold water to obtain a suitable mixed temperature. This mixed temperature is achieved using a manual control of some form. Mixer showers have a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet. They do not heat the water directly. Depending upon the temperature decided by the user (using a lever or knob), the mixer valve will blend the necessary amounts of hot and cold water to achieve the desired mixed temperature.

Advantage

Manual mixer showers are available as part of wall mounted units, meaning the physical height of the temperature adjustment is convenient for everyday use, and the spray may be mounted in a shower cubicle or over a bath.

Disadvantage

This type of shower is more expensive than some of the other solutions and requires hot and cold water feeds. This may prove expensive if the shower is to be installed in part of the bathroom which does not already have water supplies.

Push-on Mixer Shower:

The push on mixer shower is essentially a hose complete with a spray head. It could be likened to a large and clumsy stethoscope. The hose has rubber or threaded feet and can be connected to taps as and when required. The water temperature is manually altered using the taps, which may belong to a sink or bath. This approach is cheap, but the hose is not normally very long and hence cannot be wall mounted. This means one hand is used to hold the spray above the head and the other is used to wash. This can prove inconvenient, but a cheap and satisfactory temporary solution nonetheless.

Bath Mixer Shower:

With this type of shower, the hose and spray parts have an integrated mixer with tap(s). The tap(s) and shower flex are all one unit and whether the shower is used or the taps are used can be decided manually using a lever. The spray head may be screwed on and off the flex.

Advantage

A bath mixer tap is a good choice because it is cheap, more presentable than a temporary rubber hose, generally more robust and attractive than it’s temporary counterpart, and no extra plumbing is involved.

Disadvantage

Temperature control is very basic and this can prove inconvenient. Turning the tap a “micro turn” can dramatically increase or decrease the temperature, as can flushing a toilet sharing the same cold water feed. Trying to mount the shower head at high level will provide a very poor flow rate in most cases.

Thermostatic Mixer:

The hose and spray of the shower are parts of a wall unit and the hot and cold water supplies are connected to a single valve. It is complete with a built in stabilizer to automatically adjust the water temperature, thus preventing it from becoming too hot. They are effectively a manual mixer shower with an in-built thermostatic mixing valve, suitable for all installations. They are most often installed in hospitals, schools and other facilities open to the public or individuals who would otherwise be at high risk of scalding.

If a thermostatic mixer shower is being installed, then hot and cold water supplies can be taken from the same supplies as other appliances/outlets. Although reductions in pressure may occur when water is drawn off elsewhere, the in-built thermostatic mixing valve controls the temperature.

Advantage

The controlled temperature makes them extremely convenient. The automatic adjustment means that the flow temperature is not affected by the use of water elsewhere on the premises.

Disadvantage

The disadvantage is cost. They are the most expensive of the mixer showers, but as already discussed, in some cases safety is paramount.

Power Showers:

Power showers are single units that contain an electric pump. They are capable of altering both water pressure and water temperature. This type of shower can be fitted provided a supply from a cold water tank and a static hot water source (e.g. A cylinder) are available.

Advantage

They are convenient to use, because they are capable of altering both pressure and temperature, and for those who prefer to feel the water lashing down with force, the in-built pump will make this type of shower a pleasure to use.

Disadvantage

This type of shower is not suitable for installations where it is intended for the water to be heated directly by the shower itself, or where water may only be supplied under above-normal pressures. Pressurized supplies include most pumped sources such as the mains or a combination boiler.

Due to the pressure the flow rate will increase. The drainage system may need to be re-considered. The higher flow rate means the shower tray or bath will fill up quicker and if there is no means of removing the waste water at the same rate at which it is supplied, then this type of shower will prove impractical.

For more articles and information like this please visit http://www.click4bathrooms.com

A clean house is more than just a luxury – it is a necessity. That’s right, a necessity. We need a clean house (office or desk) because of all it offers us: efficiency and relaxation. Efficiency, because a clean house means you can find what you need when you need it. It also means that you will spend less time worrying and frustrated over the mess in your house.

A clean house offers relaxation, because clean houses look better, smell better, and feel better – and that’s what makes you relax. A mess everywhere makes us tense. Even hidden messes worry us. What does it take to have a truly clean house? In a word, discipline. No one likes to hear that word anymore, but it’s true.

A clean house takes work, plain and simple. Ironically, the less a house is cleaned, the more work it takes. Yep, it’s true. If you don’t stay on top of your house, the house will be on top of you — with papers piling up and junk everywhere — not to mention dirt and grime.

Look around. Is your outer experience mirroring the inner experience? What is your house saying about you and your life? Now, how does your luck improve with a clean house? Think about all the “old” and “unsuccessful” energy that you have in your home.

If you’ve got dust bunnies the size of Great Danes, it’s time to get to work. Dirt and dust equal stagnant and stuck. Remember, a rut is just a grave that’s open at both ends. How to get out of your dirty rut? Good old fashioned elbow grease. Here’s a quick guide to cleaning your space to get you out of your dirty rut.

1. Go to the bathroom.

Why? Bathrooms that are dirty are germfests waiting to make you sick. Clean it up and you might just feel better or get through cold and flu season unscathed!

2. Take on the kitchen.

This is where you eat so it should be clean. Nothing attracts bugs faster than a filthy kitchen. Make it a goal to give your kitchen a two-hour once over. Spend two hours in there and really clean — the coils on the fridge, the oven, the floors, ceilings, windows – everything.

3. Head into the bedroom.

When you sleep, you are breathing in everything that’s in the room, i.e., pet dander, dust, mites from the bed, you name it. Make it a point to clean under the bed, vacuum the blinds and wash the curtains and bedspreads and blankets. Then vacuum, yes, vacuum, the mattress and flip. Ahhh….clean. It feels so nice.

4. Create a paper trail.

To the recycling center that is. Haven’t read that magazine? Then you’re not going to, so get rid of it. Conduct your own “paperectomy” and get rid of all that paper that’s just taking up space.

5. Concentrate in the corners.

This is where everything drifts to… the corner of the bedroom, the corners of the ceilings. Corners are a magnet for stacks of papers. On the ceiling, corners attract spider webs. Clear out every corner you have, including closet corners.

6. Go outside.

Rent a pressure washer and wash the house, sidewalks, patios, and driveways. Pressure washers are a house’s best friend. Think of it as an exfoliating scrub for your home. You will love your sparkling house.

7. Head to the top.

Clean off the tops of everything. This includes dressers, tables, counters, refrigerators — anything with a top. It also means dusting the tops of windows,door trim, and tops of baseboards. Dust just loves to hide on the tops of things.

8. Get steamed.

Once a year get your carpets and upholstery STEAM cleaned. Why steam? It’s hot and it’s water so it will clean REALLY well without hurting anything or leaving behind any kind of soapy residue. That’s right, soapy residue.

Many people get their carpets cleaned or use grocery-store carpet cleaner products only to find they need to do it again and again and again because the carpets get dirtier faster and faster and faster.

Hmmmm…. a conspiracy? No. Just soap that stays behind. And soap is sticky, right? Well, then, that’s where all the dirt is coming from: it’s getting stuck in all that soap that is left behind from those cleaners. And while you’re at it, throw away all your soap-based carpet cleaners.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to http://www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity.”

If you are considering a metal faucet, sink or countertop for your kitchen or bath you may have heard the term “living finish” or perhaps “organic finish”. Any metal besides stainless steel that is not coated with a sealer or a metal finish such as chrome will acquire a “patina” over time. This means the finish will change and evolve through exposure to the environment. Some call this “oxidation” (exposure to oxygen) but this patina process is also caused by other environmental factors that the metal surface might come into contact with as well as wear resulting from regular use.

When applied to plumbing fixtures, the question comes up most often regarding copper sinks. Faucet and drain hardware manufacturers generally address this issue with certain coatings that protect the metal surface from the environment, thus preventing patina or changes in the finish. However, these types of coatings (PVD or other types of clear protective finishes) are more difficult to apply to a larger surface area such as that of a sink and require a more “production” like manufacturing process. Thus many of the artisan crafted copper and bronze sinks are not sealed and will have a true living finish.

Metal products with a chrome finish or stainless steel products are often referred to as “non-living”. This is only partially true. The surfaces of these products can, in fact, dull over time depending on the environment and how well they are cared for. We have also heard nickel referred to as “non-living finish” but the fact is that nickel will patina or “tarnish” as well. However, this process is significantly slower than unprotected copper or bronze.

With unprotected brass, bronze or copper, the patina process occurs more quickly. What happens to the metal finish over time? The answer to this question depends on whether or not a patina was applied artificially when the sink was made, the environmental factors present when in use, how much the product is used (wear) and the type of maintenance or care employed.

If you are purchasing a copper sink that has a finish (i.e. it isn’t a “shiny copper”), heat and/or chemicals have been applied to accelerate the aging process. You will see such terms as “oil rubbed bronze” or “weathered copper”. To create these finishes, the metal has been exposed to a chemical bath and possibly heat as well, that reacts with the metal and changes the color. The darker the finish, the less the metal will patina or age after it’s installed. In a way you are “shortcutting’ the patina process. Regardless, you still have a living finish that will evolve, but generally speaking, the darker the patina is to start with, the slower the change over time.

Environmental factors specific to your home and chemicals that may be exposed to the surface of your sink are the great unknown. Every application and environment is different. Humidity, airborne salinity, pollutants and oxygen work together with time to coat the metal surfaces with a signature patina. If you have a kitchen copper sink and expose the metal surface to certain acids such as those found in a lemon, you will actually dissolve some of the patina. The constant changes due to these myriad factors are treasured by some and not welcomed by others. Personally I like the rich hues and earthy browns that occur over time. I see this as “character” and appreciate the uniqueness in color and tone between two identical products in different environments.

If you appreciate a living finish, the care and maintenance of your sink will be fairly straightforward. If you wish to prevent it, this is possible to a certain extent. There are several different ways you can slow down the patina process. Applying a brass or furniture wax that does not contain polish or cleaners can slow the change in patina much the same way an automotive wax protects the finish of your car. If desired, patina on a sink can be removed with a metal polish or mild acid such as lemon juice or vinegar. Waxing the surface will preserve the shine, or the sink can be left untreated to develop a new patina.

Oftentimes we sense that our customers are fearful of a living finish. …or that this type of finish will require more maintenance. Our answer is always the same – if you don’t like the patina that you eventually end up with, you can always start over! Any copper or brass cleaner will revert the patina back to a shiny surface if you like. If left unprotected, the aging process starts over again and within a few weeks you will begin seeing the metal surface darken. In addition, you can always buy a sink with a darker finish and keep the surface waxed. This will ensure the least amount of change over time. As for maintenance, occasional cleaning with soap and water is really all you need to do. If you opt to wax your sink, this is generally something you will need to do only every 3 – 6 months depending on the amount of use. You can read more about the care & maintenance of copper sinks at Copper Sinks Online.

A product with a living finish isnf’t for everyone. If you are still concerned about purchasing something that might change over time, there are many alternatives. Sinks made of glass, stainless steel, ceramic, stone or even certain types of sealed wood will not change in appearance over time. If you have any further questions, please call Sinks Gallery – 1-877-320-0800. Or visit the website at Sinks Gallery

Jack Healy is a principle of Functional Art Gallery, LLC – Functional Art Gallery – a growing family of online resources for the designer, architect, builder and discerning homeowner. The company focuses on handcrafted functional & architectural works of art for both residential and commercial projects. The Functional Art Gallery family includes Glass Artists Gallery, Sinks Gallery, Copper Sinks Online and Art Lighting Gallery. Together these resources provide the largest collection of artisan and designer products available in North Americ

The kitchen is one of the most important places in the house.
This is where your creative juices at your work creating your new dishes or pastries.

Here are my thoughts of planning the ideal kitchen. Here are my kitchen design tips I have learnt through experience over the last 20 years.
Ideally there should be easy access between the kitchen and the doorstep or main entrance of the house.
This means easy delivery of your groceries and also easy disposal of garbage and waste.
Ideally the stove should be located as near as possible to the wide open air space or outdoors and yet within the confines of shelter from wind, rain and the sun.
This serves two purposes. Firstly when you fry oily food this allows the oil and grease vapour to escape into the open air instead of settling onto the walls of the kitchen cabinets . You have to spend much time cleaning these areas. Secondly, this will be a safety measure. In case of leaking gas from gas pipe or cylinders the cooking gas will be emitted to the outdoors rather than filling the whole home with gas and potentially killing everyone due to gas poisoning .
Consider placing the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator upon a concrete platform or base. This means that it will be easier to wash, mop or clean the kitchen floor without wetting and corroding the kitchen cabinets. It will also prevent the electrical appliances from being damage by water seeping in.
Next , there should not be spaces or gaps between the cabinet ,stove and sink and the floor. By removing the space this prevents cockroaches and other pest from residing in the dark corners.
Your kitchen should be water proof and use heavy duty and high grade materials so that it will not rot or break. This is especially so in the area surrounding the sink. Things can get easily corroded and spoil due to the water splashes and spilling from the sink. Do not used wood for your cabinets below the sink. If possible construct the area around the sink and stove using concrete or stone for the base and granite tiles for the surface for maximum durability.
I prefer a built in oven placed at work top level height so there is no need to bend over to look at the state of the cooking . It is also easier to place the meat in the oven and to take it out the cooked food.
Most importantly, there should always sufficient worktop space between the sink and the hob so that space can be used for food preparation.
You must plan the kitchen design carefully. Review and check everything before proceeding . If you intend to cover water pipes and sewage pipes during renovation, please inspect and check for leaking pipes and repair before proceeding to renovate . Otherwise water from the faulty pipes will spoil the kitchen cabinets.
Also consult your kitchen designer on the location of your electrical outlets . These should be located where the appliances will be positioned. For example appliances such as your kettle , microwave oven, dish water , oven, hob and hood, refrigerator and rice cooker. Before renovation , also take note of existing electrical sockets which needs to be re located.
Revamping your kitchen costs money. With a little luck, you could get your kitchen perfect without any cash worries with these kitchen renovation resources.

You can find all your needs for your kitchen at http://www.allkitchen.info

Stone fire pits can be a great alternative to any major fire element in your garden or backyard, learn about Fire Pit at the firepits site http://firepitshelper.com

Ken Krysinski

The above article was written by Ken Krysinski, owner of online contractor referral service http://www.quotecity.com QuoteCity matches home and business owners who have home improvement and maintenance projects, to qualified and available contractors

About the Author:
Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more information about Home Improvement and Home Additions, and Home Remodeling and Repair visit homeadditionplus.com and homeaddition.blogspot.com

About The Author:
Emerson Lockwood write on topics related to remodeling, Home Improvement and Home Financing. You can see more of his home remodeling articles at the Super Home Ideas website: http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com