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 ...

Adjust a dragging shower door Photo 1: Remove the guide Unscrew the guide at the lower edge of the sliding door. Protect the shower or tub from scratches with a drop cloth. Photo 2: Remove the doors Lift the door out of its track inside the upper rail. Tilt each door in or out to remove it. Wipe both tracks clean. Photo 3: Adjust the rollers Raise or lower each door by repositioning the roller in its slanted slot. Loosen the screw to move the roller. Close up of rollers Make sure all your rollers are either round or flat. Don’t mix the two types. If the sliding doors on your shower or bathtub don’t glide smoothly, repair them soon. A door that drags on the lower track will eventually do permanent damage to both the door and the track. A dragging roller at the top of the door will wear and require replacement. First, make sure the rollers on both doors are riding on the tracks inside the upper rail. Sometimes, one roller falls out of the track and the bottom edge of the door skids alon...

The Party There's no sweeter celebration of friendship than a baby shower. Whether the guest of honor is expecting her first, second, or even third child, a shower is a wonderful way for friends to express their joy before the baby is born. Recently, the women of Big Production, a New York City- based publicity firm , gathered for a luncheon in honor of their company's expectant co-founder, Cindy Krupp. The goal of Cindy's colleagues and friends: to create an atmosphere both casual and festive. Cindy's sister Debra, the mother of 4-year-old twins, offered a simple bit of advice over lunch: "Get plenty of sleep while you still can!" As a keepsake for the baby, each guest brought a copy of her favorite children's book, and the group jointly presented a crib quilt with messages written on top. "I can't decide whether to use it or frame it," said a delighted Cindy, who later noted, "This is such a special afternoon. I feel blessed to hav...

Take Your Shoes Off Minka , or traditional Japanese houses , are characterized by tatami mat flooring , sliding doors, and wooden engawa verandas. Another aspect that persists even in Western-style homes in Japan is the genkan , an entrance hall where people remove footwear . The flooring for the house proper is raised a little off the ground to prevent dampness from entering and to keep the living area from flooding in the case of heavy rain. The lower level is known as the tataki , and was traditionally made of packed earth, although concrete is common today. After removal, shoes are put in the getabako —a cabinet that derives its name from geta, or wooden clogs, that Japanese people once commonly wore. A genkan entrance hall with a getabako (left) for shoes and a tataki (foreground). Heavy rain can damage roofs, so outside the entrance, amadoi gutters carry rainfall off the eaves and down the decorative kusaridoi , or “rain chain.” Rainwater travels along the gutter and down ...