Tureks Plumbing Services Blog: Posts Tagged ‘commercial plumbing’

More Bathroom Tile Trends to Consider for Your Bathroom Remodel

Tuesday, September 20th, 2016

Bathroom Tile

More Bathroom Tile Trends to Consider

Planning on upgrading your bathroom? Maybe you have been looking at blogs and magazines for bathroom design inspiration. Or perhaps you are starting to draw up your shopping list. But before you finalize your design and shopping list, here are a few more bathroom tile trends that you may want to check out.

What’s hot now among designers and property owners? Although the new bathroom tiles that are becoming increasingly popular are diverse, one common thread you will notice is the emphasis on both shape and texture. Additionally, the availability of new technologies has made it possible for designers to explore new designs and materials.

Triangles

Triangle tiles are not exactly novel. However, this classic shape has experienced a resurgence in popularity of late due to the visual textures and lines these can instantly provide. It certainly helps that there are hundreds of colors to choose from. On top of that, the shape of the tiles lends itself to creativity and different design possibilities, ranging from more subdued ones like stripes and squares to more creative patterns like pinwheels and Chevron.

Carved tiles

Carved tiles encompass different styles and textures, from angular to soft curves. You can buy these tiles from local dealers or request manufacturers for bespoke designs for that added unique and exclusive feel. Although these tiles mimic the look and feel of concrete, the use of 3D technology allows for a high degree of customization. However, be aware that these tiles are heavy, weighing as much as two pounds apiece, and you may have to wait a month or two for bespoke orders.

Origami

Want to infuse a sense of Japanese aesthetics to your bathroom wall? Consider origami mosaic tiles for your bathroom. These tiles utilize pioneering cast glass techniques which result in delicate angles which mimic origami.

Glass mosaic

Another tile trend that is being increasingly used not only for bathrooms, but also for backsplashes and feature walls, is the use of glass mosaic tiles. Available in marble and glass, these hexagonal tiles are available in six colors including white, gray, and blue.

Wood-inspired

Wood is not exactly the first material that you would think of when creating a shopping list for your bathroom upgrade due to the material’s poor performance in high moisture areas. But with the release of wood-inspired tiles, you may have to rethink that idea. These tiles use bold wood grain to mimic the texture of real wood.

To get your bathroom remodel started call the remodel specialists in Fox Cities at Turek’s Plumbing!

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What Are the Signs of a Main Sewer Line Clog?

Thursday, August 11th, 2016

Main Sewer Line Clog

What Are the Signs of a Main Sewer Line Clog?

A main sewer line clog rarely occurs out of the blue. More often than not, an attentive homeowner will see warning signs that indicate that there will be an imminent clog. Knowing what these signs are and watching out for these can save you from the hassles and costs associated with fixing clogged main sewer lines.

But before listing the signs of a main sewer line clog, it is a good idea to know a little bit about the anatomy of your home’s sewer line. Think of your home’s sewer line as something similar to a tree. On one hand, you have the main line which is essentially like a tree’s main trunk. The main sewer line runs across your home. The secondary lines are just like branches that run from the main line. When you have a main sewer line clog, this will mean that your whole home will be affected. On the other hand, if the problem is with the secondary line, the clog will be confined to just one area in your home.

What are the signs that there is a problem with your main sewer line?

One of these warning signs that you need to watch out for is water backing up out the drain. Sometimes, you will hear gurgling sounds from the drains. You are likely to notice these signs after using one area in your home. For example, if you notice that your toilet or the floor drain in one part of your home starts percolating after you used the washing machine, it is highly likely that you have a clog in the main sewer line.

If you live in a home with several trees on your property, you have to watch out for pipes that have been crushed by the roots of the trees. Two tell-tale signs of this problem are gurgling sounds and the sluggish flow of drains.

On the other hand, if you live in a relatively new home and you notice these signs, the probable cause of this problem is clogging due to products like toilet paper and feminine hygiene products blocking the sewer line.

What should you do if you notice these signs in your home? It is important to release the pressure that has built up in the sewer line. To do that, you need to shut off the water at the main and then remove the cleanout cap. Avoid using chemical-based drain cleaners as these may cause more harm than good.

If you are hiring a Fox Valley sewer company and their employees cannot find the cause of the problem, they might recommend a sewer line camera inspection to pinpoint the underlying cause of the issue.

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Making the Switch to High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016

High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures

How High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures Can Benefit You 

There is greater awareness of the need to conserve and protect valuable water resources within communities today. Every activity inside the household that involves the use of water can be done in a more mindful manner, using better-designed equipment and fixtures, in order to prevent wastage and contribute to the collective efforts in specific areas.

One positive practice that families can observe is to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures to replace more traditional provisions. If all households were to do this, according to the US EPA, the entire country would be able to save over 3 trillion gallons of water, plus more than $18 billion each year.

And because energy is used to treat water for better quality, deliver the water to homes, and heat the water for the residents’ use, saving water also means saving considerable amounts of energy. Just one American home out of a hundred that gets retrofitted with more water-efficient fixtures would translate to around 100 million kWh of electricity saved each year. Just imagine: That is equivalent to 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions prevented from entering the environment.

With these benefits, what household would fail to see the practicality and positive environmental impact of high-efficiency fixtures? If you’re interested to transform your home into a truly environment-friendly one, then consider making the switch to high-efficiency fixtures with the help of your trusted plumbing professionals.

Here is what you need to know about plumbing fixtures with ultra-low water use:

Fixing Faucets

Conventional faucets use more than 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm). You can replace these with their high-efficiency counterparts which have flow rates that do not exceed 1.5 gpm.

Alternatively, you can modify your current faucet with a flow restrictor or aerator if you’re in need of a less expensive water-saving option.

Saving On Showers

Taking showers accounts for about 20 percent of water usage in the average household. But if the goal is to save water, it’s best to stay away from fancy showerheads that mimic rainfall, for example, which can waste several gallons of water at once.

Slash your water use when showering by replacing your old showerhead with a more efficient ultra-low-flow. A good showerhead does not use more than 2 gpm (traditional showerheads use 2.5 gpm). You’ll cut your water use down by as much as 70 percent with this move alone.

Flush Smarter

Finally, you can save more water, time and money when you choose your toilets wisely. Flushing is the one activity that consumes the greatest amount of water in the average household.

The typical toilet (generally, one that has been installed before 1994) uses over 1.6 gallons of water per flush (gpf). You have three alternative options for saving water:

  • A high-efficiency toilet does not exceed 1.28 gpf.
  • A dual-flush toilet comes with two buttons: a lower-flush button for liquid waste and a higher-flush button for solid waste.
  • A composting toilet uses little or even no water for flushing waste.

If you would like more information about high efficiency plumbing fixtures contact the Fox Cities plumbing professionals at Turek’s Plumbing.

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