Posts Tagged ‘Eastlake’

Free Guide to Kitchen & Bath Design in Denver: Best Practices Home Page

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

When designing a new kitchen or bathroom in Denver, or remodeling an existing one, it is important to consider not only form, but function. These rooms are characterized by particular appliances and fixtures that serve important roles within the space. Following best practices about how and where to lay these major pieces of the room out will help turn a plan into a dazzling and functional space.

Kitchen Best Practices

The design of a kitchen traditionally revolves around three main appliances: the range, the refrigerator and the sink. These are the basic, standard pieces of equipment you will find in every kitchen. Your vision may involve more fixtures, appliances and work areas, and that’s fine. What’s important is to establish space for work and traffic flow when laying these things out.

For example, during the design phase, consider the aisles and walkways in your kitchen. If you have an island, there should be at least 42 inches of space between it and the closest counter or appliance on all sides. This is to allow for enough space to, say turn around while carrying a roast from the oven, or be able to slip past someone who is getting a glass of water at the sink. Carefully consider how many people will be using the kitchen at one time and where the high traffic walkways are.

Bathroom Best Practices

You may not realize it until giving it some thought, but the considerations for bathroom design are very similar to those of kitchen design. That is, you want to have a space that gives enough room around all the major fixtures to move naturally and comfortably, while also using materials that will be durable and easy to clean.

The number one consideration here is safety, and it should guide all the questions you ask yourself and your contractor during the design process. Is the shower big enough for each person to turn around without banging into the wall or door? Is there enough space between the tub and sink to maneuver safely and comfortably? Are the floor and tub made from materials that provide enough traction to be able to stand safely, even when wet? Consider all these variables when consulting with your contractor on what materials to use and where each fixture or appliance should go.

By all means, have fun with your design project. It’s fun and exciting to design a new room the way you have always pictured it. Just be sure to also consider some best practices while you do it, so that you wind up with a room that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also safe and functional. For any help remodeling your Denver home’s kitchen or bathroom, give Bell Plumbing & Heating Company a call!

The Solution for a Wet Basement in Sheridan is a Sump Pump

Monday, May 14th, 2012

Sump pumps in Sheridan are required in many homes to keep basements dry. At the lowest point in your basement there is a pit, or a sump, and that is where the sump pump is installed. If your basement starts to flood, it will start filling from the lowest point, over the sump, and once water fills the sump, the sump pump will turn on.  Once the sump pump is activated it will start sucking the water out of the basement and disgard it into the sewer line.  This plumbing installation is a quick and property saving device that every home in Sheridan should have.

How Sump Pumps Work

The pump’s base has openings to allow water to flow into it. When water fills the sump it also fills the interior of the pump. When the water reaches a certain level it triggers a floating switch that activates an electric motor. The motor spins a metal shaft immersed in the water at the bottom of the pump. The shaft is attached to an impeller, which resembles a small, sideways water wheel.

As the impeller spins at high speed it whirls the water away from the center of the pump, forcing it into a discharge pipe that rises up out of the sump. The discharge pipe connects to a length of hose or pipe that empties the water into a sink or outside the foundation of the house. As the water is forced out of the pump it creates a vacuum that pulls more water into the pump and out of the sump. The impeller keeps spinning and pumping water into the collecting pipe until the water level inside the pump – and the sump – allows the float switch to drop low enough to shut the motor off.

Types of Sump Pumps

There are pedestal sump pumps and submersible sump pumps. In pedestal pumps, the motor assembly is above the base of the pump and the impeller, and doesn’t contact the water. The activation switch for the motor is attached to a long shaft with the float on the other end that drops into the water. As the water rises, it pushes the shaft up and activates the switch. Submersible pumps are smaller units with the motor, activation switch, and impeller all on one level. The motor compartment is waterproof. Either style pump is usually connected to the house electric circuit. But some homeowners connect them to backup battery power supplies so the pump will work in the event of a severe storm and power outage.

Which Sheridan Homes Need Sump Pumps

Every homeowner in Sheridan should understand the concept of the water table. Simply put, the water table is the permanently saturated layer of soil, sand, or rock below most of the surface of the Earth. In some places it’s hundreds of feet below the ground, but in most areas it’s much closer to the surface. In temperate or seasonal areas, the depth of the water table can rise and fall.

The foundations of homes in the Sheridan area are built above the water table. But seasonal fluctuations and heavy precipitation can cause the water table to expand upwards. If a basement isn’t completely waterproof, and few basements in the Sheridan area are, the water will seep in. Land near rivers, streams, and wetlands tends to have a very high water table, so homes built in those areas are particularly susceptible to flooding.

Although most basements are not waterproof, they should be able to withstand an occasional increase in the saturation of the soil around and beneath the house. A permanently damp basement could indicate that the foundation is close enough to the water table to prevent the basement from ever completely drying out. Rather than installing a dehumidifier, a sump pump may provide a better solution.  To have a sump pump installed please call Bell Plumbing & Heating