Weighing your contractor options can give you the best deal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Solicit at least three bids
If you wanted to buy an item you have never purchased before, like a didgeridoo, how would you know whether you are being overcharged or if you are paying less for an inferior product? Shopping around is a smart idea, whether you are looking for an indigenous Australian wind instrument or a home remodeling project. Higher bids typically mean that the contractor is using better materials (something you can verify during the contract). Look out for too good to be true bids that are significantly lower. Sometimes these contractors can raise the price during the job, pulling the classic bait-and-switch.

2. Verify Licensing, Insurance, and Bonding

Licensing if one of the first indicators of reliability and responsibility. Not everyone who is licensed is trustworthy, but anyone who is not licensed should definitely be avoided. Insurance protects the homeowner from being liable in the case of damage or injury during the job. If your contractor makes a mistake which needs additional work to repair (and therefore, additional money), then a bond will cover it. These three things protect you, and any worthwhile contractor will have them. Make sure to do this during the bid process, so you can fairly judge each candidate.

Making a small trip could save you from a remodeling nightmare.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Check References and Past Work
Would you hire someone without a resume? Of course not! If you can talk to previous clients, that is one step in the right direction. An even better move is actually visit a contractor’s past work. This should be done during the bid process, so you can see which bid will give you the best value or the best results.

A Home Remodeling Contract will protect both parties. (Photo credit: NobMouse)

4. Detailed contract
Once you have done your homework and settled on a contractor, it is time to create a detailed contract. Many people do not want to do this because it makes it seem like they are suspicious or paranoid. This is a pretty naïve state of mind. Remodeling is an expensive process in which things can go wrong, either on accident or through carelessness. All a contract does is ensure that you and your contractor are on the same page (yes, that pun JUST happened). When your expectations are agreed upon by both parties, then there is less chance of heartbreak. Your contractor might even be relieved. It sets up clear specifications for the job, which types of materials should be used, and how long it should take.

The following items should be covered in your contract:

• A detailed description of the job
• A clear statement of contractor and homeowner responsibilities
• Dates for the start and completion of the job
• Itemized materials list with warranty and price information (if you would like to rely on the contractor’s choice for certain items, it should be stated)
• Complete outline of costs with a total (depending on your state, you may be required to pay a certain percentage up front. Always withhold 10% until completion)
• Terms that define how payment is related to job progression. (use a credit card for more fraud protection)
• Penalties for missed deadlines
• Procedures for any changes in the contract
• Proof of licensing, insurance, and bonding
• Information on the use of subcontractors, and who will supervise them
• If using subcontractors, a lien waiver protects the homeowner financially in the event that the contractor does not pay them
• Grounds for termination by which either party can leave the job without penalty (Laws regarding this may vary from state to state.)

Here are some additional resources on home improvement contracts for California residents.

One last announcement: We have recently set up a profile on Blog Dash. Check us out!

Part 2

Thomas Crapper: The Legend

With a name like “Crapper,” how could he not have invented the toilet? It’s perfect.

Too perfect.

The universe may have a sense of humor, but sadly, in this instance, the joke is on us. “Sir John Crapper” never really existed. But Thomas Crapper, the plumber, did. And unfortunately, while he was a marketing genius and a brilliant plumber, even going so far as to become the official Royal Sanitary Engineer to British Royalty in the last decades of the 19^th Century, he did not invent the modern flush toilet. He didn’t even patent the flushing device he is most often credited with, though he did have an impressive 9 patents to his name. For all of that juicy real-life backstory, you will have to check out our last article installment “Thomas Crapper: The Man.”

Thomas Crapper Toilet at the Victor Horta Museum, Brussels (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today’s installment is not about the truth; it’s not about who Thomas Crapper was. It’s about who Thomas Crapper became, years after his death. It’s about how this man, due to a combination of his own clever marketing and commitment to excellence (as well as a bit of sheer luck), became synonymous with the modern toilet, and was immortalized in myth as the man who invented the syphonic flushing W.C.

First of all: Thomas Crapper did NOT invent the flushing toilet. The flushing toilet is the byproduct of thousands of years of evolution, dating back to a simple flushing model found in the Indus Valley Civilization dating back to the 26^th Century BCE [1]. But the modern toilet in its earliest form was most likely the one developed and patented by the London watchmaker Alexander Cummings in 1775 [2]. This is the first flush toilet patent we have on record. Cummings also developed the S-shaped water trap we still see today on many flush toilets, which is designed to trap odors [3].

Another major influencer of the modern toilet was Sir John Harington, 16^th Century author and godson of the Queen. He concocted his idea for a simple flushing water closet in 1596, which he called the “Ajax,” and then implemented his design in Richmond Palace – home of the Queen herself. This early “flush” toilet deposited waste into a receptacle underneath the toilet and the flush valve. This receptacle needed to be manually emptied out every day [1].

A diagram of the Harington flush toilet

OK, so Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet. But he developed the syphon-flush system that we all know today, right? If you read our last post on Crapper, you know that isn’t true either. The patent for the “water-waste-preventing cistern syphon” was actually held by Albert Giblin, who was likely an employee of Crapper’s [5].

But what about this one? Thomas Crapper eventually became the Royal Sanitary Engineer for members of England’s elite, and became “Sir” Thomas Crapper before his retirement in 1904. This myth is only partially true. While indeed Thomas Crapper did become the Royal Sanitary Engineer, he was never knighted, and therefore he was never officially “Sir” Thomas Crapper [5]. Of course, the idea of a fearless, cavalier plumber with a cape and a valiant steed doing the heroic deeds necessary of a sensationalized knight in the service of royalty is a very fun one, and it is very deeply rooted in our culture and our sense of humor. Also, our video games:

Not pictured: Thomas Crapper.

Another prominent myth surrounding Thomas Crapper is the idea that our word “crap,” as a euphemism for feces, comes directly from his name – that he became so closely associated with toilets, our culture decided to bestow upon him the dubious honor of naming our most prominent toilet duty after him. This is simply not the case.

First of all, in all likelihood, Crapper’s last name was simply the Yorkshire way of saying “cropper,” a vocational last name, as is common among many European cultures [4]. But more importantly, the word “crap” had existed long before Thomas’ famous business. It dates back as far as the Latin terms “crappinum” meaning “chaff”, which then evolved to mean “waste products.” The word was also adopted to refer to waste (often agricultural) in Dutch (“krappe”), Low German (“krape” – meaning a vile and inedible fish), and Middle English (“crappe”) [5]. The earliest recorded instance of “crap” used as a verb literally meaning “to defecate” is pinned around 1846, after Thomas Crapper’s birth but certainly prior to his adulthood and career [9].

One myth that doesn’t seem to have been debunked – and therefore might very well be true – is that the distinctly American euphemism “crapper” (meaning “toilet bowl” or, more generally, the “restroom”) came from World War 1. American soldiers stationed in England supposedly noticed the name “Crapper” emblazoned on many of the local toilets and adopted the last name as a euphemism once they returned home. This does not seem especially farfetched as one of Thomas Crapper’s great marketing ideas was indeed to emblazon his name, without much subtlety, onto all of his products. One might easily imagine a U.S. doughboy informing his friends that he “needs to use the Crapper.” Indeed, the word “crapper” in reference to the restroom or toilet has its earliest sightings in print dating back to the 1930s, and it is a uniquely American slang term [2].

Private jokes become Major legends. These rank puns are poor quality in General.

There are obviously a great many myths surrounding this man, and much of it is just toilet humor. Why do we love these urban legends, then? Why do we believe in “Sir John Crapper” even though such a man never existed? Why do we forget who Thomas Crapper really was, in favor of this mythic idea?

Urban Legends, like those surrounding Thomas Crapper, the cliff-diving antics of suicidal lemmings, and Bigfoot, are stories designed to entertain, to frighten, to fill gaps in knowledge, and to connect ideas in a memorable way. Once these stories are constructed, they are disseminated throughout a culture by many means – usually by word of mouth at first, then by mass distribution in print or other media as the legend picks up notoriety.

Of course, unlike Bigfoot, the Thomas Crapper legend is much “stickier” in the sense that far more people believe it. It is sometimes cited as fact by even the most skeptical among us. Of course, the legend surrounding Thomas Crapper is fictional while remaining within the realm of plausibility, and grounded in an extremely feasible reality (“clever inventor with fitting name creates universal modern luxury that everyone takes for granted and has his name immortalized as a euphemism for poop,” as opposed to “hairy 8 foot tall humanoid with monstrously proportioned feet prowls around the Canadian wilderness and is almost never seen”). Crapper’s story is innately more believable simply because it requires less suspension of disbelief. And indeed, the man did verifiably exist… but there are many holes in his true story that curious people and enthusiastic tale-tellers felt a need to fill.

Since Thomas Crapper has so much mystery and so many “gaps” in his early life, biographically speaking, it is easy for people to talk about him – this famous businessman – as if they knew him, “before he got big” so to speak.

And the reason it’s said that he “invented the toilet” is likely in part a result of our very limited knowledge about toilet evolution. For something so mundane as a toilet, there is a lot of complicated history in it! To simplify such a long and intricate story, it is easier for us to attach the whole concept to one man.

Ancient Roman toilets. image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

In this case, “toilet” was attached to “Thomas Crapper,” for several highly plausible reasons: for one, Crapper was an astute businessman and a brilliant marketer, who was known for promoting and evangelizing his flush toilets in innovative ways that captured the public eye. Secondly, his name is delightfully coincidental – “crap” meant waste even before his birth, and literally meant defecation by the time he was a young boy, if not earlier. Urban legends are often used as mnemonics to help us remember things, and Thomas Crapper’s surname is instantly memorable. Thus, Crapper became synonymous with toilet in a figurative sense… and then indeed in a literal sense, when his last name was used by American soldiers to refer to toilets years after his death!

Over time, the man and the myth fused together into a legend that lies somewhere between truth and fiction, as all of the best urban legends do. Thomas Crapper was real, and he did wonderful things for the evolution and adoption of modern toilets. But he didn’t invent the toilet, he wasn’t knighted, and our euphemism for feces isn’t derived from his name, no matter how funny and culturally significant those myths all may be.

But this is one of the wonderful things about urban legends: how they can raise a man beyond his typical status, to exemplify his strengths, and transform him into a symbol of something extraordinary and entertaining. We might be surprised to hear that Thomas Crapper did not live up to his modern reputation, perhaps, but we are likely more than happy that such a fun urban legend exists. And when you are using one of today’s incredibly sophisticated toilets, please think about Thomas Crapper and the things he has done for us – for his innovations and his enthusiastic promotion of a product that has become so integral to our lives.

Sources:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flush_toilet

[2] http://www.snopes.com/business/names/crapper.asp

[3] http://news.discovery.com/tech/who-invented-the-toilet.html

[4] http://www.exnet.com/1995/11/01/science/science.html

[5] http://www.theplumber.com/crapper.html

[6] http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/factoid1/p/thomas_crapper.htm

[7] http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-thomas-crapper.htm

[8] http://www.thomas-crapper.com/did-you-know.asp

[9] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=crap&searchmode=none

Related articles

• Thomas Crapper: A Peculiar History (Part 1)(tradewindsimports.com)

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The Man, the Myth, the Legend. And the Truth.

Many of us know about Sir Thomas Crapper, the aptly-christened pseudo-eponymous inventor who created the modern flush toilet.

Only we don’t. And he didn’t.

Thomas Crapper “The Man” was real. But the story of his world-changing invention is just that: a story. Thomas Crapper “The Myth” took over.
This is what really happened. This is a look at the real Thomas Crapper (Not really prefixed by “Sir,” by the way) and the slow evolution of the flush toilet many of us take for granted today. It is an examination of how one man’s salesmanship and personality can beget a legend that overshadows the man himself and makes him something more.

If you will, this is an article that sets out to separate the Truth… from the Crap.

Part1

Thomas Crapper, The Man

Thomas Crapper, the "toilet inventor"

Thomas Crapper was born in Thorne, a market town in South Yorkshire, England, sometime in 1836. The exact date of his birth is unknown. What is known is that he was baptized in September 1836 and came from a family of modest means. His father was a sailor (probably a steamboat captain [7]) in the small town, which featured a fairly bustling port on the Don River [2]. His brothers were likely dockers, working alongside their father, though it has often been speculated that his elder brother, George, was a Master Plumber in Chelsea [6]. At the age of 14 he became a Master Plumber’s apprentice in Chelsea, London [1]… though some speculate he became an apprentice as early as 11 [2]… and others believe he was actually apprenticed to his brother, George, at the more-adult age of 17 [6].

With so much information about this man’s life missing, or debated, it’s easy to see how the Myth seeps in.

At any rate, Thomas Crapper’s apprenticeship must have been a resounding success. At the age of 25, the now-Journeyman plumber opened up his very own plumbing business, establishing himself as a professional in his own right. This business was known as Thomas Crapper & Co, and was so-called up until its closing in 1963.

(Ed. note: Factual errors. Thomas Crapper and Co. was sold to Boldings in 1963 and continued to trade until Boldings went bust, at which point the company stopped trading. In 1999, Thomas Crapper and Co was re-acquired, and it is now a bustling business on its own again! Visit their site by clicking the image below.)

Within five years Thomas Crapper set himself up as a Sanitary Engineer with his own brass foundry [6], and he developed a second location (and workshop) called “Marlborough Works,” named after the road on which it was built, within close proximity to his original store [1].

Marlboro' Works. Image courtesy of thomas-crapper.com

Marlborough Works was a much larger venue than the original plumbing shop on Robert Street, and as such, it served as a sort of “proving ground” for one of Crapper’s brilliant marketing ideas: a tenacious promoter, Thomas Crapper invented the “bathroom showroom” where he displayed and featured many of his wares, including the “water-waste-preventing cistern syphon” mechanism which he himself championed. British polite society may not have been entirely prepared for such a showroom, however, as the sight of porcelain toilet bowls and plumbing fixtures is said to have made many “proper” ladies become faint. Such wares had heretofore been consigned to utter privacy; they were rarely mentioned, let alone seen in public, and here was Crapper, promoting them openly and in broad daylight [1]. In another stroke of effective marketing, he imprinted his very memorable last name on all of his products, ensuring that his business would be lodged firmly in his clients’ minds [7]. Remember, “crap” was a euphemism for feces long before our hero arrived on the scene.

Crapper held 9 patents, 3 of which directly, if only slightly, modified toilets. The “water-waste-preventing cistern syphon” (referred to, from here on out, as “WWPCS”) was arguably the most important contribution he made to the flush toilet itself – even though he wasn’t even the actual patent holder on the device.

A Thomas Crapper toilet featuring the WWPCS system

The WWPCS was the first of the system with which we are all familiar today: the cistern was mounted above the bowl to allow the water to pick up great speed upon flushing, and was funneled into a syphon on the way down that increased pressure. This created a much more effective flush. When a user pulled the chain, it allowed the entire volume of water within the cistern out and into the bowl at great speed. When this was finished, the flush simply stopped; no more water flowed into the basin until the cistern was allowed to re-fill.

This patent was not Crapper’s, though he is often credited with its invention. The patent in fact belongs to Albert Giblin, who is believed to have worked for Crapper [3]. One theory suggests that Giblin patented the device, and then allowed Crapper to use the product. Other theories claim that Crapper himself bought the patent directly from Giblin, and thus attached his name to it. What is known for certain is that Thomas Crapper marketed and promoted this innovative toilet technology very, very effectively.

(Ed. note: clarification. Giblin did not hold the patent for the syphon system itself; he held a patent for a MODIFICATION of the syphon system that had existed for quite some time prior.)

The Venerable Crapper: clever marketing for a great product. image credit: Markhillary

After revitalizing his industry with brilliant advertising, and single-handedly installing the “Royal Flush” for many of England’s elite, Thomas Crapper retired in 1904 [3]. He died in 1910, and the company continued under the leadership of his old partner Robert Wharam as well as his own nephew, George Crapper (who, incidentally, did eventually hold a patent for a modification to the WWPCS that Giblin had developed) [1].

Thomas Crapper may not have invented the modern flush toilet, or really invented anything major that related to toilets at all, but as Plumbing and Mechanical Magazine suggests, he surely “should best be remembered as a merchant of plumbing products, a terrific salesman, and an advertising genius.” [4]

Sources:

[1] http://www.thomas-crapper.com/history02.asp

[2] http://www.exnet.com/1995/11/01/science/science.html

[3] http://www.theplumber.com/crapper.html

[4] http://www.snopes.com/business/names/crapper.asp

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flush_toilet

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Crapper

[7] http://news.discovery.com/tech/who-invented-the-toilet.html

[8] http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/factoid1/p/thomas_crapper.htm

Today is World Water Day - a day to reflect on our conservation efforts, and how water impacts our daily lives

There are many causes of world hunger, some of which are obvious, some very complex – some are natural, others are man-made. But one often-overlooked cause of hunger worldwide is tied to an even larger problem of finite natural resources. What is this factor that causes hungry people?

Thirsty plants.

At first glance the link between the two may not be entirely obvious. But the lack of ample clean, sustainable water for irrigation is a very real concern in our world, and one that we here in the west tend not to think of very often.

Consider this:

According to the The World Food Programme, drought is now the single most common cause of food shortages. Drought is exacerbated by natural factors like global warming and natural disasters, but it is also often caused by poor agricultural infrastructure: unreliable water supplies, poorly-designed irrigation, and a lack of clean water storage and conservation programs all make water a precious and unnecessarily rare commodity in many of the poorer and less-developed regions of the world. Source

Without plenty of water, the agricultural food supplies of the world dwindle. Bad management, water waste, and misuse of existing resources all contribute to this problem. Many regions of the world have already been pushed beyond their peak water capability; despite our Earth being covered in water, very little of it is currently usable in agriculture, and have no doubts about it, we are steadily depleting our aquifers and reserves.

Ultimately, almost 1 in 6 people in the world are hungry.

But it’s not just lives in third world countries that are at stake: included among the world’s hungry are almost 14.5% of American households. Over 17 million U.S. households are considered “food insecure” and almost 7 million of those show “very low” food security (2010 statistics).

One way to alleviate the pressures of hunger in our country and others is to improve the management and implementation of our water conservation efforts. The goal is ultimately to ensure healthy watershed ecosystems, first at home, and then abroad.

At Trade Winds Imports, we advocate the adoption of water-saving practices as well as further research into sustainable water practices. In our home state of California, this may mean advocating local crops that are not so water-reliant; low-value crops that consume lots of water accounted for over 60% of California’s agricultural water use in 2005. These include alfalfa, rice, and cotton, which only generated 14% of statewide crop revenues. Source

But you can help, too! We ask you to please be mindful of your water consumption. How long do you stand in the shower every day? How much water do you spill down the drain while brushing your teeth, cleaning your hands, or washing your dishes? What is the environmental cost of your beautifully maintained lawn, and do you really need so much grass in your front yard?

There are thousands of ways you can help curb our growing water crisis both at home and abroad. For a great starting point, WaterUseItWisely.com lists 100 ways to conserve water.

Please join us today, World Water Day, and every other day in doing our part to mind our natural resources and help fight drought and hunger across the globe. With awareness, research, and action, we can truly change the world!

BONUS! Check out this awesome video from Surfrider.Org, with more information about our water troubles and possible solutions!

The Prize

The winner of our Facebook-only contest will claim one of our best-selling and well-reviewed Lune single-sink vanities!

Woo-hoo!

This stunning bathroom cabinet features high quality espresso-finished all-wood construction made with real reclaimed oak, rich frosted glass countertop and vessel sink basin, brushed steel handles, and our soft-close hinge technology that guarantees a gentle shut every time you close the cabinet door. This great piece of bathroom furniture is designed to last a lifetime and will certainly look amazing for as long as it remains in your bathroom.

This is an $897 value and it can be all yours for FREE!

How to Enter

The contest will run from March 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012.

To enter, you will first need a Facebook account. Already have one? Then most of the work has already been done! Sign in to your account, and then follow these steps:
1.) Visit our Trade Winds Imports Facebook page, and click the “Like” button. You do “Like” us, don’t you?

First, Like us on Facebook

Enter the Sweepstakes!

Fill out the Form!

All Done!

Spread the Word!

You can share this page on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, or any other social platform including bookmarks to get the word out. Just link to this page or our Facebook profile page! Help us make this sweepstakes an exciting and wonderful event with lots of participants!

Best of luck to all of you! We eagerly look forward to announcing a winner at the end of March!

Do you have any questions or comments? Do you want an insider look into our future contests or clearance sales? Please give us a call or e-mail us any time! Our phone number is (888) 900-0477 and you can reach us by email at Info@TradeWindsImports.com.

Silestone Slab Vase

The beauty of these elegant vases mostly lies in their unique customization possibilities. The very nature of these works of recycled art begs to be played with and altered almost every day. Who wouldn’t want a gorgeous, personalized vase in their entryway that changes its shape constantly, reflecting your own moods or ideas? It’s brilliant, and it gets our emphatic seal of approval.

Of course, at Trade Winds Imports, what we love most about it is how well it finds a practical use for old, worn out countertops. We’ve had customers in the past ask about ways to recycle their old tops once those tops have served their purpose, and we typically don’t have a creative answer. We normally just recommend recycling. But now, we know exactly what we recommend: try out a DIY bathroom countertop vase! Beautiful, environmentally friendly, inspiring, fun, and easy on the wallet – everything that great interior decoration should be!

Just add your favorite flower and the rest is history! Or you don’t have to put anything in them at all, they look pretty cool all by themselves.

Check out the variety of vase shapes!

Internet user RileyReplicas shows off his creative side with the design of a Spider-man themed bathroom. As far as bathroom designs go, this is one piece that is sure to knock every comic book fan off of their feet. Movie goers will also be able to recognize some famous villains of the series: The Sandman, The Lizard, Doc Ock, and The Green Goblin.

Look out Spider-man!

RileyReplicas also showcases a couple of rare comics that showcase Spider-man’s black costume, along with a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15. If you’re looking for interesting bathroom ideas, this is one creative path to wander down!

Set your phasers to stun- err, wrong universe. However, if this wall doesn’t get your “spidey sense” tingling, you don’t know how much danger you’re in. Between the Lizard’s gaze, Sandman’s porous fist bursting through the wall, Doc Ock’s two tentacles blindly tapping their way around to find a weak spot, and the jack-o’-lantern bomb from the Green Goblin in mid flight – if you really were Spider-man, you’d be in trouble!

Both Venom and Spider-man action figures pose for a quick snap.

The brilliant brick wall isn’t the only art piece on show in this bathroom. Most of the bathroom furniture is also decked out as well! There are a couple of trapezoidal shelves that show off a couple figurines of Venom and a boxed version of Spider-man. The white webbing that accents these shelves has a sort of “comic book” authenticity to it that fits perfectly in this bathroom. Even the mirror has some of this webbing accenting the corners of the mirror.

The designer of this bathroom shows off two particularly rare comic books off in a haphazard alignment inside two black picture frames. These frames also feature the webbing used on most of the other bathroom.

Finally, if you look at the toilet, the toilet seat cover is a bright, vibrant red that matches the trash bin close by, and one of the hand towels sitting on top of the toilet reservoir.

Two particularily rare framed Spider-man comic books.

Matching Spider-man’s signature colors, the floor mat and the other hand towel sitting next to the red towel are both colored a powder blue.

Even the toilet is properly themed!

This wraps up a brilliantly designed bathroom that’s sure to WOW the next comic book fan expecting to walk into a “normal” bathroom. Even if you’re not into comics, it’s impossible to not admire the amount of thought, work, and craftsmanship that went into this remodel. Check out this link to RileyReplicas and view more images showing off this bathroom!

Most bathrooms are designed to allow for ample ventilation (to prevent mold), so they naturally don’t retain heat and insulate as effectively as other rooms. To say nothing of that early morning chill you get from sitting down on the toilet seat… BRRRR!

So, here’s a crazy idea; or maybe, a not so crazy idea: why not outfit your bathroom with an electric fireplace or a space heater?

A lovely fireplace in a bathroom - luxurious excess, or brilliant idea?

This concept is actually part of a growing trend among the interior design community to “re-define” the bathroom’s role in the house. More than just a quick-and-clinical hygiene station, more and more modern bathrooms are styled as true “rest” rooms, with comfy chairs and beautiful wall decor complementing the elegance of bathroom vanities and stainless steel, designer-made bath tubs. A fireplace may not be such a crazy leap beyond that. And in fact, more and more homes are having fireplaces pop up in their bathroom designs.

Bathroom fireplaces are essentially categorized into two branches: traditional fireplaces (including gas and wood burning models) and electric fireplace heaters (including electric space heaters and gel-warming fireplaces). There are several upsides and downsides to each.

Electric fireplaces are the more accessible option, requiring very little “work” to fit one into your bathroom remodeling project. In fact, you don’t even need to necessarily remodel your bathroom at all: many electric fireplaces are compact and portable, so all you need to do is set them somewhere away from a water source and plug them in. Boom! Instant bathroom comfort, and if you pick a luxury electric fireplace model, instant bathroom style points!

This electric fireplace also has storage for towels, soaps, and more!

Of course, while the style of the fire-box itself is usually topnotch, electrical space heaters tend to balk a bit in the “flame” department. As good as the current technology is, electric fireplaces still don’t perfectly represent the appearance of a real, flickering fire. There’s a depth to fire that simply isn’t captured on a screen. This may be a deal breaker for some.

Traditional fireplaces, of course, have the “real flame experience” in spades. That’s pretty much the main draw. The sight and smell of a real fireplace, while perhaps slightly less effective at directing heat into a bathroom (real fireplaces send heat upward and outward, while electric fireplaces direct heat outward and upward – more effective for comfort in the first moments after turning the heat source on), is a really emotional thing.

Of course, while that “genuine” characteristic is incredibly romantic and desirable, the realities of a traditional wood burning fireplace or stove in your bathroom is sort of a pain in the neck. First of all, bathrooms are often quite humid, and this makes for damp kindling. Damp kindling takes longer to get going, if it burns at all. And the logistics of a full fireplace hearth are difficult, as well: you will need to either install the new fireplace into an existing chimney, or build an entirely new chimney.

In the end, the decision comes down to one between sentimentality and practicality. Electric fireplaces can be very well-made with style and appearance in mind, and they can do wonders for your bathroom design, but it’s unlikely that they will ever get past that “cheap and ingenuine” stigma until the technology improves to the point where fire is simulated with smell and sound and depth, as well as simple appearance. A traditional fireplace is seen as more elaborate and therefore more luxurious, but requires a lot more work to install and maintain, and can post many more hazards than electric fireplaces.

Either way, a fireplace in the bathroom is a crazy idea – but it’s crazy enough to work, and a totally awesome bathroom addition! Never spend another morning in a freezing-cold bathroom. Get a traditional or an electric fireplace!

We’ve all been there, stomping slowly down the hall like a zombie (perhaps even less gracefully), stepping across the bathroom threshold, flicking on the lights and getting completely blinded in the process. Perhaps inevitably, you stub your toe and emit a few choice words into your echoing bath chamber.

Sometimes, this is what it feels like to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Once your business is done, you march to the lightswitch (don’t forget to wash your hands!) and flip off the vanity lights, and are blinded once again as your eyes are forced to re-adjust to total darkness. By the time you return to bed, you’re still seeing stars and halos, your toe is still hurting, and it takes you another fifteen minutes for your eyes to settle and the slight buzzing headache to go away so you can fall back asleep.

But what if we could enjoy our late night trip to the bathroom without having to blind ourselves in the process (and still see our surroundings well enough to “aim” properly)? What if we didn’t even have to raise a finger to turn on a light switch?

Here’s our crazy idea, if you’re feeling a little “MacGyver” today:

Try some motion-activated bathroom vanity underglow for an easy, subtle, ambient lighting solution.

Ta-Da!

With a few feet of LED rope lighting or EL wire, you can illuminate the ground beneath your feet and create a soft, lounge-y lighting atmosphere. It’s attractive, it’s effective, it keeps your toes from stubbing and it prevents your poor eyes from burning. The folks over at DIY Network give a little more insight into the concept.

But here’s an idea to make your bath cabinet rope lights even more luxurious: Pair the lights up with a PIR motion sensor so they turn on automatically whenever a person enters the room.

Now if you’re like me, you probably don’t know much (here, “much” is defined as “anything”) about programming a PIR motion sensor. I wouldn’t know how to begin syncing it up with my rope lights. But there is a forum over on 43oh.com discussing this very topic. This intrepid inventor, dubbed “Fred,” has a great idea and shares his steps for implementing it.

SCIENCE!

With the right know-how, it is easy and inexpensive to outfit your bathroom vanity with perfect undermount lighting to lend just the right amount of ambient glow to your bathroom, to make those midnight pit-stops bearable and put an end to blind eyes and stubbed toes for good!

About a month ago some of us in the office were wondering about hand washing. Why do we wash our hands after using the restroom? Why do we not wash our hands prior to “doing our business”? And is it really necessary to wash every single time?

So we did our research, and we can say that the short answer to that last question is a resounding yes. Want to know why? Read our infographic and find out!

One of the things that impressed me most was the fact that using antibacterial soap is not objectively less effective than using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, so long as you use the soap correctly. Presumably, the same goes for hand sanitizers.

Does all this information give you a sudden desire to go wash your hands? It certainly does for me! So why not get clean with one of our high quality chrome vanity faucets?

Did you like this infographic? Copy the embed code below to post it on your blog!

<a href="http://www.tradewindsimports.com/blog/news/the-joy-of-healthy-hands-infographic/"><img src="http://www.tradewindsimports.com/images/twi-handwashing.jpg" alt="The importance of hand washing from Trade Winds Imports" /></a><br /> For happy and healthy hands, <a href="http://www.tradewindsimports.com">Trade Winds Imports</a> recommends investing in luxury <a href="http://www.tradewindsimports.com/bathroom-faucets.html">bathroom faucets</a>!

Stay hygienic, stay healthy, and stay happy, everyone! Cheers.