How to Grout Tile

As you have read from previous blog posts. (Keep Your Bathroom Mold Free) It is very important to learn how to make and use grout. Grout is essential because it holds and seals the tile floor together making it harder for water or other substances to leak beneath the floor and damage the tile. So although it is a messy process; you must use grout to avoid doing permanent damage to your floor. As with most things the benefits of grouting will outweigh the costs.

To continue with our periodic How To Videos from YouTube we are now going to learn how to properly make and use grout. This video will show you what products you need, how to mix the grout so you have the proper consistency (not to watery), and how to tackle the messy clean up. We got this video from the Blakech channel that is run by Blake. He has loads of videos that he filmed while renovating his house in in Kingston, Ontario.

The Decorator Is In

Since most of the videos featured have been about installation; I wanted to show you what you can do after the installation process is over. Well of course; it would be to decorate. This is where you really get to have fun in your different rooms and express your creativity and imagination. This next YouTube video shows you how to decorate your bathroom with a beachy style.

A beach theme bathroom needs to bring refreshing and relaxing feelings to yourself and your guests. Most beach theme bathroom supplies are sold in sets (with a shower curtain, towels, bath mat, toothbrush holder etc etc.) Do not buy these sets because it will overwhelm your bathroom with too much of one style. Instead go for colors that represent the beach. You want your bathroom to bring about feelings of the beach not the image of it. To learn more great tips about decorating you can visit decorator.com.




This video is from askthedecorator channel and is produced by Megan Carter. You can also visit her website that will give you plenty of ideas on how to decorate every room of the house.

Did We Miss the Exit?

I spend a good portion of my day surfing the web trying to find new and exciting topics about bathrooms. This is difficult considering there aren't many new news stories about bathrooms. However, every once and awhile you stumble on something that is truly creative and interesting. This is what happened to me.

I found a cool website called Design Boom. I was checking out a bunch of stuff when I found these really cool tiles that are definitely unique. They are designed by a man named Jim Termeer from Concord, New Hampshire. They are a set of 25 ceramic tiles that can be used anywhere from your bathroom to your kitchen. He takes the everyday object and turns it into something beautiful and inspirational. It takes a really creative person to think of something like this.

These tiles are based on satellite imagery of major highway systems not only in the United States but from around the world. They take some of the most complex and expensive highway systems and turn them into a beautiful piece of artwork. They take digital images of the highways and then transfer the design onto tile with black glaze. The white ceramic tile measures 15"x 15". Also on the tile is the city where the highway system is located.

Where did Jim get such inspiration? Well he was an industrial designer for technology products which serves as his inspiration for his work. He also has a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute and an MA in design from the Design Academy Eindhoven.

These tiles are a great way to add a cultural twist to your bathroom or kitchen. Now you can see the world while you make your dinner or brush your teeth. Amazing!

Installing a Kitchen Faucet

We all know the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. So when you move into a new home or remodel your house one of the first rooms you want completed is your kitchen (the other room being your bathroom) So we thought as we continue along with our How To Video YouTube segment we would show a kitchen faucet installation.

This video is from the channel of YouTooCanDo and is once again hosted by Joe Schmidt. This video gives you specific instruction on how to install a kitchen faucet. He really does make it look so easy.

Architectural Salvage and Vintage Plumbing Sources Part 2

Our last trip through architectural salvage yards was focused on the east cost. Now it's time to experience sunny California which is our next stop on our tour. So hop on and buckle up and off we go!

Our first stop in our CA adventure of salvage yards is Santa Fe Wrecking Company located in Los Angeles. They buy and sell salvage items and have a yard that spans over 50,000 square feet. (tip # 1- wear grungy clothes because it is gonna be a little dirty) They offer lighting, plumbing, doors, hardware, and appliances. They offer over 600 clawfoot tubs and over 200 different claw feet. They also offer hundreds of corner, pedestal, and wall hung sinks.

Our next stop is at Tony's Architectural Salvage Yard in Orange County. This salvage yard offers nontraditional items such as mantles, french doors, chandeliers, fountains, iron gates, and gothic doors. So if you are looking for a unique item this is the place you will find it.

Our last stop on this CA trip is a place called Pasadena Architectural Salvage located in Pasadena (obviously.) Some of their products are doors, pottery, stained and leaded glass windows (these are beautiful), and books/magazines. Some of their newer items are glass walkway tiles, a fireplace tool set, and an iron arch. And plenty more!

Well another salvage yard journey has been completed. Two more cities to go and we will have completed Salvage Tour 2007. Next place.....I'm thinking Boston!

Architectural Salvage and Vintage Plumbing Sources Part 1

As you know Vintage Tub and Bath began in 1993 when Norman (Allan's brother and owner) began taking clawfoot tubs out of homes and began renovating and selling them to architectural salvage firms in Philadelphia and New York. So we thought it would be great to let you guys know where some architectural salvage yards are located.

There are two ways you can search for architectural salvage yards; you can either Google it and search around on the Internet yourself or you can utilize SalvageWeb or Old House Web.

Our first location we will research is going to be the wonderful state of New York.

The first stop is at a place called Historic House Parts which is located in Rochester, NY and began in 1980. Most of their inventory is salvage of pre-1940 buildings that were being demolished in the NY region. They offer a ton of restored products such as lighting, kitchen and pantry items, radiators, garden items, and bathroom items. Most of their bathroom items are vintage. They really do some wonderful work and I suggest checking them out.

Our second stop will be in Manhattan, NY at a place called Olde Good Things. They salvage antique and architectural artifacts from turn of the century and pre- war buildings. They started as a small flea market and have now grown to 5 different locations and have over 2,000 products online. They also pay a finder's fee if you know of any old buildings ready to be demolished. They offer items such as doors, furniture, hardware, kitchen supplies, and bath products.

Our last stop on this amazing adventure through salvage yards is at Oneonta, NY and is a place called Architiques. This place creates home accents out of architectural salvage and they also buy and sell antiques in their own salvage yard. This business began in 1989 by offering architectural elements and garden items at antique shows. There three main areas of products are antiques, home accents, and architectural salvage pieces. Take a look at some of their architectural salvage pieces here.

Our trip through NY has been amazing and we have found some awesome salvage yards with pieces that you could incorporate into your everyday life.

Next stop, Sunny California!

New or Used Toilet Installation Video

Learning how to install a toilet (or anything for that matter) can be time consuming, frustrating, and messy. It's eay to lose your patience especially with written instructions. It is to hard to read the instructions while learning how to install something for the first time. But in this day and age it is easy to find thousands of How To Videos on the web. This way you can work along with the video. You are also allowed to pause it, rewind, and fast forward. The first How to Video I found was on YouTube. This is the best place to start because they have millions of options to choose from.

This video is how to install a new or used toilet. It is well put together and easy to understand. It is from a channel called HomeRemodelWorkshop. It provides useful information for homeowners dealing with remodeling projects. This video was hosted by Joe Schmidt.





Good luck and keep reading for more How To Videos.

Show Me Those Pearly Whites

Your toothbrush cleans your teeth. But what cleans your toothbrush?

I know I am particularly insane about cleanliness; brush your teeth, wash your face, wash your hands...etc, etc. However, it never occured to me that everyday I am brushing my teeth with the same old grimy, dirty toothbrush. I didn't think there was a solution to this problem until I researched and found the VIOlight toothbrush sanitizer. This VIOlight product will kill 99.9% of germs found on the toothbrush using a special UV light.

Ok. Well why would you need this product?
There are millions of microorganisms in the world. When these microorganisms combine with a warm and moist environment (like a bathroom) they will form harmful bacteria. These bacteria can cause the flu, colds, e.coli, botulism, salmonella, and other diseases. Rinsing your toothbrush under the faucet is no longer an acceptable means of sanitation.

How does it work?
The VIOlight uses a germicidal bulb (same one as used in hospitals) to clean your toothbrush. It holds 4 toothbrushes and also electric toothbrushes. Once you are done brushing your teeth you place your toothbrush upside down with the head of the brush by the UV bulb. Then you press the start button. The top part of the VIOlight will turn a blue violet color to let you know that it is working. It only takes 10 minutes for the complete process. Once it is done the bulb automatically shuts off. You can also watch the video of how this product works.

Why should you buy this product?
1.It saves space. The VIOlight is the size of an average cup and it has a skid proof bottom

2. It's multi-purpose. The VIOlight serves as regular toothbrush holder also.

3. It's easy to use. The drip cup can be easily removed so it can be cleaned regularly. It is also powered by standard household electricity and has a 6 ft wall plug.

4. Functional. You can have one for your household that accommodates up to four brushes and also a single case for travel. So everywhere you go, you can have clean and healthy teeth.

5. It's cheap. You can get a lot of use out of it for your money. You only have to change the bulb every 18 months or over. The new bulb is only $11.95

Remember. You don't have to brush your teeth- only the ones you want to keep!

Back To School

Being a recent college graduate; I spent the first two years of my college career trying to maximize space in my dorm room then another two years trying in a small apartment. It is very difficult to find space for all your necessities (especially all your clothes and shoes) So since it is back to school time; I figured a blog post about dorm rooms would be great. In a dorm room you will be equipped with a twin bed, a desk, and a very small closet.

Dorm space is very very small. So your first hurdle is to increase the functionality of the room and maximize the space given to you. Here are a few accessories that will help you do that.

Extra Shelves. You can get these from Pottery Barn and create your own set of drawers. You can choose from shelves, cubbies, and drawers. You can place these extra shelves in your closet. This way you can save your minimal floor space and add extra space for clothes.

Storage Bins. If you dont want extra shelves buy a few of these storage bins to put either under your bed or in your closet. You can also get hanging storage. You can put this on the back of your door or in your closet. With this product you get a mirror, pockets, and pegs all in one.

Another great product is the bath caddy. I found these great ones with suction cups on them. So you can pack all your shower supplies in one easy bucket. I suggest leaving the supplies in there. Just put a small towel down in the closet and place your caddy on this to make sure it dries and doesnt leak onto the floor.

You will also want to choose a small desk lamp and a laptop for your desk. You will want to save as much space as possible on your desk. A laptop will take up much less space than a PC desktop computer.

Egg cartons are also a great investment. They are stackable and dont take up much room. I used to store my books in one and my notebooks and folders in another.

I also suggest this rollable four drawer white cart set. I had one of these and I put it next to my bed. This way I could put pictures and my alarm clock on the top and use the drawers for extra storage.

Don't forget to be creative! Use your dorm room to use your imagination. Use bright colors and lots of pictures to show your personality.

Have a great year!

"Shhhhh, be vewy vewy quiet; I'm hunting wabbits...hehehehe

Since all past blog posts have had to do with bathrooms or kitchens; I've decided to venture to a new topic for today's post. Today we are going to talk about gardening; more specifically how you can keep rabbits out of your garden.

We all know the famous story of Peter Rabbit and how he sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden to eat as many vegetables before Mr. McGregor chases him out.
We also know the saying "Wascally Wabbits" said by the famous cartoon character Elmer Fudd whose aim is to hunt rabbits but most of the time ends up hurting himself. However, I do not suggest chasing rabbits around in your backyard with a shotgun.

Here are some tips you could use (besides chasing them out or hunting them down) that will help keep your garden beautiful and rabbit free.

Rabbits like to live in areas that are inhabited by bushy fences or rows or on edges of fields. They prefer certain plants such as peas, beans, and beets. They also tend to shy away from squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

The absolute best way to keep rabbits away from your garden is to build a fence. A good height would be around two feet and make sure you bury the fence into the ground a few inches because rabbits are more likely to go under the fence than above it. And also make sure that the fence openings are not to wide that the rabbit can squeeze through. (it should look something like the picture below) You could also use circle wire and wrap each individual plant. You can also sprinkle vinegar, hot pepper flakes, or liquid chile spray on and around your plants. Another suggestion would be to soak corn cobs in vinegar for about five minutes and place them throughout your garden. If you continue to do this make sure you periodically soak the cobs so they don't lose their effectiveness.

One last suggestion would be to plant clover around your garden because rabbits would rather eat that than any plant you offer.

Good luck with your wabbits...!!!

Blogging Basics

Today we are going to blog about blogging. Here at Vintage Tub and Bath we think it is imperative to give attention to our blog; since this is one of the main ways of communication with our customers. When you run an online retailing business you lack the face to face communication that is present in brick and mortar stores. However, the blog allows you to feel connected with the customers and allows them to feel connected with you. Since a blog is written in a more relaxed and conversational style you really can get that two way communication that would be lacking otherwise.

I recently received this magazine directed at e-commerce professionals called eBiz Insider. This magazine is really great. It takes what would be complicated topics and breaks them down into easy to read articles. It's editor in chief is Scott Sanfilippo and the magazine is published monthly by Solid Cactus. This magazine covers subjects such as keywords, customer service, blogging, and how to create 360 degree product reviews.

Today I am going to cover some basics about blogging that I found useful (with the help of Chris Pawloski who wrote the article.) So if you're just starting out you should find this really beneficial.

Blog is short for weblog which is almost like an online diary and shows the personality of the author of the blog. It should be written in a more conversational style instead of following a rigid structure.

Most of the tools you need to write a blog are free. That means you get to increase your customer base for no cost. You would be crazy to not take advantage of this opportunity!

Try to keep up to date with your blog posts. It is a good idea to write a new one everyday because search engines love fresh information.

As I mentioned before it is a great way to form that communication between your business and customers. Just make sure you keep your blog interesting and relaxed.

Set up a google account like google analytics. This is a great and free way to track the traffic going into your blog. You can monitor the amount of visits, bounce rate, time on site, and unique visitors. It's a great tool to see if your blog is reaching your target audience.

Request feedback and comments and try to engage the reader in activities on the blog. Encourage them to participate in contests or questions that you may post on the blog.

Link. As you can see througout the whole blog I have linked to many different sites. If you link to websites hopefully websites will link to you in return.

Good luck getting started!