In many ways, bathrooms are perhaps the most difficult part of a home to maintain. Yet at the same time, they’re the part of the home we want to maintain the most. Bathrooms are parts of the home that will be seen by guests, giving an impression of how you keep your entire household. They’re also parts of the home that will be intensely scrutinized by any potential buyers, should you someday wish to se your house. But due to the fact that things like tubs, tile floors, and sinks are in near-constant contact with water, it can be easy for them to be damaged. It’s all to easy, too, for a cracked tile to be neglected, to gradually change over time into a missing tile. This is why it’s important to be proactive when maintaining your bathroom. Rather than putting off repairing that cracked tile, you should have it replaced as soon as possible; this could potentially save you both time and money. Of course, as we’ll discuss below, there are also plenty of ways you can keep your tub pristine, and ensure that it lasts for as long as possible. Another thing to consider is putting your own spin and personality on how you decorate your bathroom. A small change in style can have more of an impact than you’d think!
Tile: Keeping It As Fresh As Possible
Tile is one of the most attractive, universal surface types in the world. Its durability, appearance, and cleanliness is what makes it so appealing to those looking to design a bathroom. In a bathroom in particular, tile isn’t necessarily only for floors. It can also be used on various counter surfaces. However, as nice as tile is, it isn’t invulnerable to damage. Tile tends to take a beating, and water damage in particular can do it some damage in bathrooms. This doesn’t mean that you have to go without tile entirely — merely that you need to understand what is involved in the care and keeping of tile surfaces. A cracked tile, for example, doesn’t have to be the end of the world. In fact, you can deal with the issue of a cracked tile fairly easily — simply order an identical tile, have the cracked tile removed, and have the new tile laid down. Ideally, this should be done by a professional. Obviously, the process becomes a bit more involved when multiple tiles are cracked or broken, but it should never be too difficult of an issue to fix. With that being said, grout can actually be a bigger problem. All bathroom surfaces can, over time, become cracked, chipped, scratched, worn, stained, or discolored due to the harsh cleaners often used in bathrooms. You can prevent this by using more natural cleaners, but the time will come that your floors in particular will need to be re-grouted or replaced. A tile flooring installation, like the replacement of tile in general, doesn’t have to be a major chore. When done by professionals, it can be finished quickly and efficiently, with little time lost. Of course, tile isn’t the only thing you should remember to maintain.
Bathtubs: Keeping Them Looking And Feeling Good
Due to their prolonged use, it can be all too easy for bathtubs to grow textured and gritty, losing their smooth surface. This is due in part, in many cases, to a loss of enamel. Of course, there’s more to an old bathtub than a poor look and texture. Old or damaged bathtubs hold a lot of germs and bacteria, which nobody wants to deal with. Luckily, bathtubs can be refinished through a process of re-enameling or “reglazing”. There are plenty of reasons why a tub refinishing might be in your future. For one thing, reglazing your bathroom is actually cheaper than buying and installing a new tub. They’re also easier to clean than older tubs. A refinished tub will look and feel just like new, and a new coating and color can do a lot to update an old look.
