Build Bath & Shower

Overview Let’s face it. Showers are the bathing choice of just about everyone. So if your bathroom has become a family bottleneck because you don’t have enough shower stalls or the one you have is leaking, read on. We’ll show you how to replace a leaky base, replace a tub with a shower only or install an additional shower to handle demand. Preformed shower bases have vastly simplified the installation process. They’re virtually leakproof and are vastly easier to install than traditional solid mortar bases . Still, setting a base can be challenging, especially when you’re remodeling older plumbing . In this article, we’ll show you how to rip out an old tub and replace it with a one- piece fiberglass shower base . We’ll walk you through the tricky parts, first how to relocate the drain just right, then the necessary venting. Next, we’ll show how to set a rock-solid base—one that won’t crack or leak down the road. Our step-by- step instructions will take you right up to the point where ...

Q. We clipped your column titled " Silicone caulk doesn 't stand up to polyurethane," knowing that we would need the product you recommended Sikaflex-1a which we couldn't find at Home Depot or any local supply houses . And since our clipping is missing the bottom of the column, we can't make out the other product you recommended. We intend to use it in our shower to caulk where the wall tile meets the shower base. A. The best answer to your question is a reprint of my advice regarding my experience with bathroom caulks: Over the years, I have been asked many times what is the best caulk to use to seal the joint of a bathtub and the wall above it. For years, I had been recommending Sikaflex- 1a polyurethane caulking , which I have been using in construction and home maintenance since the 1950s. A couple of years ago, I experimented with a different caulking, because several readers wrote to tell me that Sikaflex-1a was turning pink or yellow. I tried DAP Kwik ...

Home furnishings vendors old and new continue to make products in the U.S. Bassett Furniture While domestic manufacturing's best days are clearly in the rearview mirror, there is a but detectable resurgence in American- made home furnishings . HFN spoke with some of the best-known companies--along with up-and-comers--that are helping to keep American manufacturing alive . While the business entities are unique in their offerings, philosophies and operations, they share some distinctive beliefs. Whether it's a conversation with Rob Spilman, CEO of Bassett, with a century-old tradition of making products in the U.S., or Trent Mayol, founder of year-old SmartDeco, there's a deep confidence in the quality of American-made goods. " Making products in the U.S. has a unique connotation that you truly care about the quality of your product," Mayol said. "It says that you're not willing to sacrifice quality for the sake of profit making. And Americans should t...