Home Improvement

Archive for April, 2011

Steam showers have become very popular in North American homes over the last 20 years. When most people think of a steam shower they think of a custom tile or stone room similar to a small scale Roman bath. This isn’t the case however. Modular steam cabins are becoming very prominent in New Construction and recently remodeled homes. Modular steam rooms have been all the rage in Europe for years are starting to make their way to the North American market. For the price of a regular tile shower or acrylic unit you can have a luxury steam shower with features you never knew you could afford such as chromo therapy lighting, FM radio and sound system, hands free telephone and the list goes on. With all new products on the market there is some buyer skepticism and with good reason. There are many unscrupulous importers out there who run sub-par operations selling products that are not certified and are made with cheap materials.

Here are some tips to help you on your way to making a well informed decision when purchasing a modular steam shower:

Our recommendation is DO NOT BUY STEAM SHOWERS OFF EBAY. I cannot stress this enough, over the last several years we have had countless customers call trying to buy parts for steam generator rooms they purchased off EBAY. If you are going to purchase a steam shower off EBAY at a discounted price buy two or three. Hopefully one will arrive undamaged and then you will have extra showers to pull parts off of. The problem with EBAY is there are so many unscrupulous dealers. You may get great customer service when buying the product but afterwords you are on your own.

c ETL us Certification is a must. ETL is an electronic safety certification that is well known throughout the United States and Canada. The vast majority of building inspectors will not allow a non certified unit to be installed. There are countless horror stories of customers installing a non certified steam generator and then having to remove it after it fails the building expectation.

Glass thickness is also plays a big part in the quality of a modular shower. Cheaper steam rooms will have between 4 and 5 millimeters. Good shower systems have a thickness of 8-10mm. You can easy tell the thickness of the glass by knocking on a solid wall (not a door) if you hear a metallic sound its probably 5mm glass if it has a lower tone its 8-10mm.

Acrylic VS Fiberglass – Fiberglass is the cheaper of the two materials. A fiberglass shower doesn’t have the luster or finish of acrylic. Fiberglass doesn’t last as long and will become brittle over time. Acrylic steam saunas are your best bet. Many of them will have a fiberglass backing; this is for added strength and durability.

One of the best ways to tell a good steam shower and a reputable company is the warranty. Most steam shower dealers offer a 1-2 year warranty. The best steam shower warranty is on the Oasis line of steam showers which is a 15 year warranty on the steam generator.

So you may ask, what is the best brand of steam showers? In our Opinion the Oasis line of steam cabins from American Steam Showers is by far the best. After being in the bathroom remodeling business for over 5 years and having dealt with virtually every company around we are proud to say Oasis is the only line of steam showers we give personal recommendations on. They have been completely re-engineered for the North American market and are fully ETL certified and come with a 15 year warranty on the steam generator. They also have the best after sale customer service around. We spent countless hours on the phone with their designers and engineers discussing how to make a better product and they have succeeded.

Bathroom is one of the important areas within our home and has its own significance. A bathroom is considered to be incomplete without the presence of a shower. After a long hard working day what you need is a shower that relieves you from all the mundane worries and rejuvenates you. It is also essential that the shower must be stylish and must offer excellent performance. Here’s where shower valves came into being as they are the ones responsible for the well functioning of a shower. They promise to offer you smooth and flawless flow of water to make your shower memorable.

Shower valves controls the flow of water and regulate the temperature through a rigid riser or fixed shower head. Once the flow and temperature are set it remains the same (unchanged) assuring you consistent flow of water that makes your day, unless and until it is changed. Numerous varieties and designs of shower valves are available in abundance. These may be thermostatic, manual, dual, electric or traditional shower valve. These may be either concealed or exposed. Most contemporary and modern shower valves are concealed whilst the traditional are mostly exposed.

The thermostatic valves include an anti-scald mechanism that automatically stops working in case of hot or cold water supply failure to avoid any mishaps. Many valves come with a diverter whose function is to divert the flow of already mixed water to one or more outlets.

The traditional valves are very much alluring and perfect for any bathroom design, classic or modern. These are usually available in chrome and gold finish with white to utter luxury and are very much appealing to eyes. The bold and masculine design of these valves echoes their excellent performance. These are usually concealed and are designed to evoke period style. The traditional shower valve incorporates the modern ceramic disc technology and an anti-scald device to prevent the occurrence of any hazardous consequences. The single control valve lets you control the temperature and water flow at the same time whilst the dual control offer you separate handles for the same.

Finally it’s you who have to make the decision as there numerous options available; you are assured to find out the best for yourself. People who want their bathroom to be luxurious and up to date, the traditional thermostatic shower valves are the best as they sheer luxury and add to their riches.