How am I Doing?

I mention, often, that I follow and participate in some 30+ chatrooms/forums/discussion groups. I read these on a constant basis sometimes as many as 4 times each day 7 days a week. These discussion groups allow me to do several things.
1. As most of you know I am disabled with Parkinsons which limits my ability to work and even get around so reading and commenting on these panels fills my days and allows me to feel useful during the last days of my life when it is hard to find my own value.
2. The forums provide me with a fount of knowledge on all sorts of DIY subjects. I have been a lifelong project person from planning and building 3 personal homes to numerous renovations and repair projects. By far I don’t pretend to be an authority on any one thing, the old "jack of all trades/master" of none syndrome probably describes me beat but studying the problems of others and the solutions offered keeps me up to date and allows me to then pass these answers on to others when the problem pops up elsewhere on another site.
3. As witnessed by my writings of this blog site these forums have provided me with a constant supply of subject matter to write about in an effort to further document these lessons and to have them as a constant point of reference to my readers.
4. I try to keep track of my writings, postings and threads as well as the number of visitors I get here on this site to judge its value and thus to provide me the encouragement to continue to write even on days when I don’t feel like it or when my joints hurt so badly that it’s difficult to type. The results of these trackings are as follows after 5 months of my work: On Google I have nearly 800 separate hits of things that can be traced back to me, on a Yahoo search you can find nearly 1400 hits, here on this blogsite, over this past weekend, I installed a counter to see how many viewers I am getting daily and I’m proud to say that in 3 days of tracking we have had 60 visitors that have found the site and spent some time reading my musings.

In a further effort to disseminate my writings and to make them easier to find I also have reprinted many of my blogs on” Ezine” sites such as www.hubpages.com. www.articlesbase.com. www.associatedcontent.com, and www.ehow.com.

One of my favorite sites is www.diychatroom.com. This site offers not only discussion forums that cover EVERY possible DIY subject but also has a space for blogs. I have 23 of my DIY based blogs from this blogsite reprinted and featured and as of today have had over 2500 people view, read and comment on my writing. To me these numbers as well as the tracking and numbers above mean that the word is getting out and hopefully represents people that have learned something that Ive been able to pass along or have found a solution to a problem.

As I previously said, I don’t have all the answers so for your own reading pleasure and resources for additional help I recommend the following additional forums and discussion groups out of the many I follow: www.diynetwork.com, www.doityourself.com. www.terrylove.com, the kitchen. bathroom. plumbing, home repair, and remodeling forums from http://ths.gardenweb.com . These latter sites represent the very best in really personal chat and discussion and are probably the most heavily used on the web. There are also great sites sponsored by the PBS series “This Old House”, HGTV, and the Home and Garden section of the New York Times. Check some of these sites out but don’t forget to come back and see me and keep up with the latest from FAUCETMAN886 and please leave me some comments on what you think and what else you would like to read about.

KITCHEN CABINETS....CUSTOM OR PREFAB?

I have, in the past few weeks, written blogs about choosing floor surfaces, backsplashes, countertops, sinks, cutting boards and a myriad of other things to consider when remodeling a kitchen or bathroom. The one thing that I have avoided, until today, is cabinetry and I do so reluctantly for a couple of reasons. Although I don’t put myself forward as a true “expert” on anything I blog about I do carefully research most things so as to supplement the knowledge that I do have and that I have gained from some 30+ years of DIYing and of actually building a few of my own homes. The last home I built was in 1997 and at that time the cabinet choices were slim. Home Depot was just getting a major foot hold in the market and was selling prefab, broken down assemble them yourself cabinets, the first I remember seeing. There were some cabinet manufacturers with local showrooms offering beautiful cabinets, factory made and there was the old tried and true sole proprietor custom cabinet shop. After looking at the products available at that time and the labor and knowledge that it would take to install the prefab type, I immediately chose not to go with that choice. I did price the showrooms and although they offered some great options and ideas there was lead time, installation schedules, a built in factor for mistakes and an exorbitant cost. Thus it only took me 3 interviews with custom cabinet makers to decide that they were the way to go. I got the style of my own design, which happened to be a mix of natural pine frames and boxes with natural cherry doors and drawer fronts (imitating some classic antique furniture pieces I had seen) and every detail I wanted including some glass uppers, hardware, countertops and backsplashes all from one source and most importantly FULLY INSTALLED. If you have never installed cabinetry of any kind or watched it being installed you do not realize what an art it is to do correctly. Every room has its construction abnormalities and each cabinet has to be custom fitted to adjust for these faults. Prefab or preassembled cabinets ordered from a factory cannot account for these problems and even the custom cabinet maker may have the same problem he at least has the advantage of doing all of his work having actually seen, measured and worked in the kitchen or bathroom you are building. Needless to say I was happy with the experience and felt that I got more than my money’s worth from the cabinet maker I chose and a certain amount of pride in my design.
That brings us to today and man have things changed! As I said at first, when I sit down to write these blogs , if I don’t know enough about a subject I do research. Thus I spent a better part of the weekend “Googling” cabinet choices, reading other blogs and last but not least I read the discussion rooms and forums. The controversy can be summed up in the fact that just two forum threads, alone, had a total of over 100 responses of opinions and personal experiences. The latter provided a real eye opener on the state of the cabinet business today. The choices have broadened considerably in suppliers.
1. The big box stores now offer a wider selection of both prefab and broken down cabinetry with their primary brand being KRAFTMAID. The brand is well known and well considered for its quality and standard features that are options in custom shops. They are offered installed or ready for you to install and the store usually offers free design consulting. The down side is the installation if you are doing it yourself with little flexibility in sizing if your room happens to be one of those examples with rampant abnormalities of square and dimension.
2. The market is now full of products made in China and offered in all varieties from ordered, imported and fully assembled, to imported broken down and assembled by the dealer or by the customer. There are enough problems with these to cause me to NEVER consider this alternative. Although the price may be right if doesn’t offset problems with lead time for ordering, with getting replacements when errors are made or received quality is lacking (months if at all), and the most notable news of late of Chinese products being constructed of poor quality materials and sometimes containing downright dangerous chemicals. The latest in this vein is the thousands of homes that have been built in the last 5 years with sulfur contaminated sheetrock causing major health and corrosion problems, lead in painted products such as toys and furniture and tainted food products. The forums were full of these nightmares.
3. The custom design showroom is still flourishing offering the best in design, style and construction. This service is offset again with the need for built in timing for replacements and high costs. It just rubs me wrong somehow to pay premium prices for something and then to be told that we have to build into the pricing and scheduling the fact that some of the cabinetry will arrive damaged, wrong sized or just incorrect and will have to be reordered and you will have to adjust you building schedule to account for this inevitability. Additionally a word of caution that you make sure where they are getting their cabinets. Many have begun to get their cabinets from China also.
4. Lastly is the small businessman local cabinet shop. In this day and age and with economy the way it is and the competition from the above sources many of these small businesses have fallen by the wayside. Call me old fashioned but if I needed cabinets today this would be my first choice. I make this choice with many thoughts in mind, my perception of quality offered, value based on that quality, experienced design and installation expertise and the factor of supporting a local business.
As I did, do your own research, shop around, decide in advance what your priorities are i.e. Price? Design? Quality? Timing? Convenience? or a little of all of it. I’m afraid that what you will find is a confusing market filled with possible disappointments and because it can be the largest expenditure in your renovation or build out you should make your final decision carefully and well advised.

The Washlet..Luxury or necessity?

Last week I ran across a thread on one of the many forums that I follow daily regarding the Toto Washlet and an innovative idea for its use. I have been aware of the product for quite a while and even did a brief blog on the Washlet at Christmas time when Marcus was running a special on them as the ideal Christmas present. My opinion was at that time that it was a great item but truly a luxury that most of us just can’t afford. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the Washlet it is simply a replacement toilet seat that actually converts your standard toilet to a bidet type system. Bidets are standard equipment in most bathrooms in Europe and better developed countries worldwide but for some reason have not ever caught on here in America. Like a bidet the Washet literally sprays water in a strong directional or in an oscilating pattern to wash your rear or front after toilet use while you continue to sit. This accomplishes 2 major things, a cleaner more sanitary situation for your health and personal cleanliness and cuts down the need for vast amounts of toilet paper which is better for our environment and your septic system if you use a septic tank. Some of the Washlet units heat the seats as well as performing the washing function and as with all Toto toilets have soft closing automatic lids adding to the comfort and luxury.
The thread that I mentioned was for a person who’s elderly mother had just been placed in a nursing home and she was seeking some Washlet info so that she could possibly have one installed for her mother’s use. Having the Washlet would of course assure her mother’s sanitary needs but could also be considered as a practical way to reduce the need for assistance from nursing home staff. The more I thought of this concept the better idea I think it is and feel that it is something that would be advantageous to any hospital or nursing facility and would also be a great benefit in the home for the elderly and disabled folks such as myself. Many older folks find it hard to keep themselves clean and I afraid that with the lack of staffing and time they have the more the potential of not having their cleanliness needs met. The danger of this lack of care can lead to some major infections and discomfort. Before the thread was complete postings began to agree that it was a great idea and certainly has had me thinking more about acquiring one for myself. They are easily installed with the only complication coming from the need for a power supply nearby to supply the needed electricity.
In conclusion I think it’s time to stop thinking of the Washlet as frivolous luxury and more towards it being a necessity for the home where you have older or disabled folks, children and where you are conscious of the effect we all are having in the environment.
A full line of the Toto Washlets are available from National Builder Supply at costs from $435 to $1131. Use the link below for further info.

http://www.nationalbuildersupply.com/Results.aspx?dsNav=Ntk:081008washlet7&dsDimensionSearch=D:washlet&dsCompoundDimensionSearch=D:washlet

HOW SAFE IS YOUR WATER SUPPLY?

In past blogs I’ve written about plumbing smells and oddly enough those blogs have consistently been the most widely read and commented on and the topic still remains of high interest in the discussion groups and forums that I follow daily. As a follow up on this I would like to address water purity issues and simple ways that you can and should be checking your water source for the safety and health of your family and for the proper maintenance and care of your plumbing system.
To begin most Americans use some 80+/- gallons of water per day. Most of this water comes from a municipal or public source. In rural areas and small developments your water may still some from a well. In either case can you be sure the water is safe? Most of us just take it for granted that when we turn the tap on the water is fine but the reality is that even in a public system you should always keep up with the purity of the water provided to your family. Your local water district is required to issue “Consumer Quality Reports” on an annual basis. Although this report should be mailed to you many districts satisfy this requirement by publishing the reports in local newspapers and others by just having the report available to you upon request. Either way, if you haven’t received one, ask for it to be sent to you. To do this testing on your own can be expensive so use the sources available to you before you spend the money to have your own testing done. This is just a start because there can be other factors. The condition of the piping into your home and appliances such as your hot water heater can affect the water quality. If your home is old it can contain some lead piping or plastic composites that leach out chemicals into your water. High lead content has become a major concern in recent years with cases of severe brain damage occurring in children from lead in water sources, peeling paint and most recently in imported toys.
To this end start by simply drawing a glass of water into a very clean and clear glass. Does the water have a smell? If you’re on a public system you might smell a faint trace of chlorine. Do you smell sulfur or rotten eggs? As I mentioned in a previous blog this could indicate a problem with the anodes in your water heater. Is the water clear? You shouldn’t be able to detect any color nor floating particles in the water. Let the glass sit for couple of hours and see if there is any sediment that settles to the bottom. Any of these things could indicate that your water has become contaminated or compromised and you should contact your water provider for additional testing. To assure that the problem does not originate from within your own plumbing system you will have to do the testing on your own. Your county extension agent can provide you with a list of independent firms which do water testing and with a list of recommended do-it-yourself kits which can be purchased at your local big box or hardware store or from the internet. Obviously the testing done by a lab will be more reliable than a DIY test but the lab tests can be very expensive. Check your drains and fixtures such as toilets and tubs for red, green, blue or brown staining. This can indicate a bacteria growth or a presence of undesirable chemicals.
You should be especially conscious of your water quality if you have a private water supply, such as a well. You are solely responsible for your water quality when coming from your own source and you are far more likely to experience water quality issues. Wells should be tested for herbicides and insecticides when you first have the well installed, and at least twice the first year (early spring and late fall) for coli forms bacteria and nitrates from local fertilizing. After the first year you should be testing once a year for lead, pH and dissolved solids or if any work has been performed on your well, Notice chemical use on or near your property, or if you see any of the above-mentioned indicators, have your water checked. Most new wells are required to have initial testing done before use providing you a baseline guide for future water testing. This initial testing should check for coli forms, calcium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nitrates, pH, sodium, sulfate, zinc and dissolved solids. Keep this report for a comparison against future tests.
Basically water purity initially boils down to common sense. If you are on a public water supply the quality should be well maintained but you should avail yourself of the reports provided. You should perform the simple visual tests I recommended on regular basis and don’t ignore obvious problems. Lastly because a well is your own responsibility you should be even more vigilant with observation and testing.

HOW IS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS DOING?

Readers of my blog and my many postings and threads on the discussion panels know that I am a retired accountant. What most don’t know is that rather than a regular pencil pushing tax return filing accountant I was instead a specialist in startups and turnarounds of small businesses. In my 30+ years of career I wrote business plans and got funding for some 22 startups and managed 10 successful turnarounds from bankruptcy or near to the brink. Although I enjoyed my career a great deal I feel that what I enjoyed the most and feel a great comfort in today Is the fact that I managed to create and/or save many jobs for hard working business owners and their employees. In the economy of today I fear that so much of that has come undone and there is so much to do to help struggling small businesses today and yet I am unable to work any longer at this profession.
With this thought in mind I felt that maybe I could help a little by lending some words of encouragement and advice to those of you that may be struggling to keep your business afloat. The successful turnaround of today’s economy depends on small businesses. America is very dependent on the small business person. Yes large industries can hire hundreds of people at a time but it is the small business that supports the needed ancillary services that big business needs and of course families and individuals rely on day to day. For every 1 job that a large business provides there is a need for 8 to 15 jobs outside of that industry that are within the small business arena. Store clerks, mechanics, health pros, food workers, teachers and the list goes on and on. If these small businesses don’t survive then the chain of need cannot grow and develop the way it should. The product that the big industry makes becomes more expensive to produce because there is no competition in the market for supplies and services downstream. The American economy is built on the principle of “SUPPLY AND DEMAND” and the pricing of any product or service is mandated by the costs of its raw materials and labor.
If you are a struggling small business owner the most important piece of advice I can give is to have control on your business with proper books and records. If the only way you can determine the success or failure of your business comes the day you get to the bank and find that you have nothing left then it is too late to help yourself. You should know your labor cost, which in most businesses is your largest expenditure. You should know your raw materials cost of your manufacturing and what you acquisition costs are for inventory of a retailer. You cannot imagine how many failing businesses I was called in to review for help only to find that the owner had no idea what his costs much less profit or loss was. Worse I found too many owners who had a great set of books prepared by a great bookkeeper or accountant and yet never opened them to see where the problem was. Business failure rarely happens overnight but can be fast once it gets rolling downhill.
Secondly an important control is a budget and goals. You must have a road map to where your business is going otherwise how will you know when it gets there? This road map comes from budgets for month to month control of expenses and set performance or sales goals to have something to strive towards and to use as a barometer of performance. Human nature requires that we all get pats on the back or “atta-boys” along the way so that we can feel good about our accomplishments. These rewards are hard to get from others so we have to learn how to get our hand over our shoulder and pat ourselves. If you know where your business is going and can gauge its progress, or lack thereof, you will know your being successful or what changes to your route needs to be affected.
Last but not least, and this is a hard one to accomplish and sometimes impossible to prove but I am a firm believer in ‘WHAT GOES AROUND…COMES AROUND”. If you do good for people then it will come back to you. Run your business in a moral and ethical way in which you cannot be challenged. Do as much for your employees and your customers as to make you invaluable to them and lastly be good to yourself.
The American economy has been on the ropes. Some believe that they can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I for one believe that it is there and is not a train coming towards us. I believe we have a government that is taking control and making every effort to effect change. Most of all I believe in America and its people and that is the most important thing to all of us. The market is consumer driven. When the people feel confident and start buying cars and durable goods again, when they start spending on non essential services again, when they take their savings out of the mattress and put it back into the banks then we will be back on firm ground again. So if you are running a small struggling business and are finding it hard to make it day to day do something to feel more in control, do something for other people to give them confidence. Keep fighting the good fight and if I can be of more specific help contact me. All I have to offer is words of experience and I ask for nothing in return because even though my days are not as good as they once were and my bank account is practically non-existent I am still paying back for all the good that I have received in life. YOU CAN TOO.

How to plan a Handicapped (ADA Compliant) Bathroom

As promised in my previous blog “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” I discussed the importance of having a safe and comfortable bathroom for seniors in the family or someone suffering from a disability. I took the first shot at the problem by discussing how you can change a bathroom with out major renovations and most importantly without breaking the family budget, a budget that is probably already taxed to the maximum if you are a senior, disabled or family trying to care for someone in that situation.
Now lets discuss pulling out all the stops. You’ve got unlimited funds and talent and need to do it all right. To accomplish this feat you may as well decide to tear the old bathroom back to the bare studs.
1. Structurally things that will have to be done include widening the entrance door to a width that will accommodate a wheel chair or someone with a walker. The average wheelchair is 24” to 27” wide so a handicapped door should be at least 32” wide jamb to jamb. The old door will have to come out, a wider framing installed and a new wider door assembly purchased and installed.
2. The next most important item in the handicapped access bathroom would be to install either a walk in tub with a door or a roll in shower with a flat sill. The walk in tubs are becoming more popular for their ease of entry and comfort. These tubs are deep and have a swing open door that seals up tight once you’re in and allows for the tub to fill. These tubs can also be purchase with whirlpool options which can provide additional therapy and comfort for someone suffering from maladies. A simpler option would be to tile the entire area where the old tub was from side to side and floor to ceiling with no sill and a slope front to back to allow for easy wheelchair access and proper drainage. These showers are usually supplemented with a shower curtain but there are more decorative doors available for privacy but you must be certain the door installed is made of safety glass or lexan to protect from any possible shatter glass. Remember a person with a walker or wheelchair cannot always be well balanced.
3. I discussed in the other blog the replacement of the existing toilet with a new one with an elongated bowl and at the recommended ADA height of 17” to 19”. I have these in my home and although they male all the difference in the world to me you would be surprised at how many guests comment positively on the height having never noticed or experienced one in a private home. These can be found reasonably priced at very little more cost wise than a standard toilet. They are money well invested.
4. When installing a new vanity you will want to consider either a unit at wheelchair height (lower than the normal vanity) which should be no lower than 29” from the bottom of the counter top to the floor and no more than 34” maximum from the top to the floor. If this height will interfere with other family members multiple height vanities can be found with a lower and higher sections to accommodate all family members. You may also want to look into faucets that are easily turned on and off by someone disabled. Single handled models with large easy to grip handles work best. For expert friendly advice on any of your plumbing needs for this project please call any one of the customer service staff at National Builder Supply.
5. You should also consider the height of all ancillary hardware in the bathroom. Toilet paper holders, towel bars, soap dishes light switches door knobs etc should all be adjusted to a comfortable height for the disabled.
6. New floor surfaces should be of a non-skid variety, easily cleaned and well drained. While you have the bathroom gutted you may want to install a floor drain for easier cleaning. Accidents do happen and a floor drain can make your job disinfecting and cleaning a much easier task.
7. Grab bars should be installed near the toilet, by the entrance and inside the shower/tub . Fir these grab bars to be safe please note that they MUST be attached to the wall studs. You cannot depend on expanders or “molly” bolts to give you the strength to hold a person up.
8. Last but not least, as provided by all electrical codes today, any electrical outlet within reach of a sink or tub must be wired to a GFCI. These are safety circuits which prevent accidental electrocution. If your home is older it may very well not have those in place.

Hopefully this has given you some ideas as to what you can plan on needing for your senior years. If you are building new construction from scratch and feel that you may stay in your new home for a time extending into your senior years it is a good idea to plan some of these adaptations into at least one of your bathrooms.

HELP I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!!

A familar commercial message but all to real to senior citizens and their families. As many of you that follow my blogs know, I am a retired disabled accountant suffering from Parkinsons. My family and I have had to make many adjustments to our lives because of my condition both physical and economic. I tried living alone and maintaining my home until my savings were depleted and eventually I had to face the reality of limited income and limited physical ability. I had to give up my home and the independence that it afforded me and became, for a while dependent on living with one of my children. These are decisions that so many families are being forced to make these days because of the aging of the baby boomer generation as well as the deterioration of the American economy. I assure you it isn’t an easy decision from either’s viewpoint, the parent or the children but a reality none the less. Although I was able to regain some independence last year by moving in to a small place of my own with close friends nearby to look in on me I was still faced with having to make my new space safe.
Over eighty percent of all fractures in senior citizens over the age of sixty-five years of age are caused by falls. In twenty percent of falls the injuries result in death. The long term result of a fall is fear of another fall, permanent disabilities, pain and the loss of independence. At some point these fears of both the senior and his or her family may result in institutionalization. I have so far only fallen once and it was while I was still living with my son. I lay in the floor for what seemed to be forever but was only a few minutes before I could get myself up. Fortunately I suffered no major damage but it caused me to develop a fear that I have never had in my lifetime and additionally caused us to begin to rethink my safety. We did and still today I maintain some simple things. I ALWAYS have my cell phone on my person so I can call for help if need be. I am slower in my movements and more careful in my daily activities so as to minimize the chance of another fall and because I live alone, as I mentioned before, I have nearby friends who check in on me and react if I don’t answer the phone or have not been heard from during the course of a day.
Fully one-half of all accidents occurring in the home, are in the bathroom such as slips getting in and out of the shower or tub, getting on and off the toilet and simple slips caused by wet surfaces. Because of this fact alone, if you can only do little simple things to make your home more accident proof your money is best spent in improving your bathroom and making it more handicapped accessible. Providing a safer bathroom can be simple and completed in a short amount of time. The following are some of the simple things that can be done:
1. Remove loose rugs or at least make sure that any necessary rug has a skid-proof rubber backing to ensure footing. These are especially important in the bathtub and sink areas.
2. The tub or shower should have slip-proof strips installed.
3. Grab bars must be installed in areas where they would be of the most use, such as near and in the tub and beside the toilet. We installed a long horizontal bar in the tub/shower and a shorter vertical bar directly across from the toilet which enables me to hold on while getting on and off the toilet. This same bar coincidently is immediately adjacent to the tub and gives me something to hold on to when stepping in and out.
4. Special portable seats can be had to place in the tub or shower so that the senior can sit down while bathing and not have to sit all the way down in the tub. I have one of these in my bathroom it’s easily lifted out (light weight plastic) if someone else needs to bathe.
5. Special toilet seats are available which are much thicker and raise the seat up several inches. These can be awkward for other members of the family and guests who may have to use the same bathroom and they are difficult to keep clean. We opted to replace both toilets with ADA height toilets. These toilets are available at reasonable prices and are an easy DIY project for most anyone.
6. Additional planning for how to handle day to day functions can go a long way towards making the bathroom safer. Unlocked doors with a courtesy knock, someone should know that the senior is going to the bathroom so that he can be checked on in a reasonable amount of time and someone should be at least close by if not in the room with the senior while bathing. A few preventative measures in any home can make it safer for a senior or handicapped family member and allow them to remain at home for a much longer period of time.

In a future blog I plan to discuss the things that you can do to make your bathroom more handicap accessible if you have a better budget.

AMERICAN STANDARD AND NATIONAL BUILDERS SUPPLY...A GREAT NEW COMBINATION

In a continuing effort to bring the largest selection of products and brands to its customers, National Builder Supply announces its inclusion of American Standard Brands to its growing line of premium plumbing fixtures. When other businesses are cutting back in services and raising prices NBS is proud to say “BUSINESS IS GREAT”. Here, from the American Standard website are some significant facts and history of the Company. American Standard Brands was formed in February, 2008 from the merger of 3 companies: American Standard Americas, Crane Plumbing, and Eljer. American Standard America is a leading North American manufacturer of bath and kitchen products. The Company participates in all key product categories including bathroom and kitchen faucets, fixtures and furniture with leading positions in toilets and the number two position in bathroom fixtures in the U.S. and overall category leadership in Canada, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Products are marketed under brand names such as American Standard®, Porcher® and Jado®. American Standard America delivers products to a wide range of customers in both residential and commercial markets and for new construction and replacement/remodeling. Crane Plumbing manufactures and distributes plumbing fixtures and specialty plumbing products in the United States and Canada under the Crane Plumbing, Fiat, Showerite, Universal-Rundle and Sanymetal brand names.
Eljer manufactures and markets vitreous china fixtures, cast iron sinks, whirlpool tubs, and other related plumbing products for the kitchen and bathroom markets.
Before American Standard, there was the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. It was founded in 1875, and merged with several other small plumbing manufacturers in 1899 to form the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. Standard Sanitary pioneered many of the plumbing product improvements introduced in the early part of this century including the one-piece toilet, built-in tubs, combination faucets (which mix hot and cold water to deliver tempered water) and tarnish-proof, corrosion-proof chrome finishes for brass fittings. By 1929, Standard had become the world's largest producer of bathroom fixtures.That same year, the Standard Sanitary Corporation merged with American Radiator Company to form the American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corporation. The corporation adopted the name "American Standard" in 1967.And, in the last few years we’ve introduced new products and innovations in all of product categories, leaving an indelible impression on the industry.
At American Standard, it all begins with our unmatched legacy of quality and innovation that has lasted for more than 130 years. It is this tradition of quality and innovation that puts us in three out of five homes in America, as well as, countless hotels, airports, and stadiums. We provide the style and performance that fit perfectly into life, wherever that may be.
We have a broad range of bath and kitchen products that are designed to marry style and function with innovative solutions, creating products that simply make life easier. Every product we make is designed to meet the unique needs of our consumers and trade partners all over the world.
At American Standard, innovation never stops, ingenuity never ceases, history never dates itself and needs never go unmet. The same goes for the vast product line and unmatched service provided by National Builder Supply.

HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS TOO MUCH PRESSURE?

Water pressure seems to have been the theme of the week on the DIY forums and discussion groups so I thought I would end the week with a brief article about water pressure, how much you really need, what can cause it to fluctuate, how to lower or raise it and the damages that can occur with too much pressure.
Anybody that ever thought that too much pressure was impossible needs to know that long term you can destroy appliances and fixtures in your home. In reality 60 psi is more than adequate for the average home. If your water pressure exceeds 100 psi from the street you can be doing permanent damage to your washing machine, dishwasher and other appliances with valves. Additionally you can find that sensitive cartridges in single handle faucets, cartridges in showers as well as the showerheads themselves can be damaged. With this thought in mind if you have recently gone from high pressure to low pressure in a specific faucet or appliance the first thing you need to do is check you incoming pressure. If you find it to be high you may have to investigate the repair or replacement of the offending device. If you do find high pressure you should consider installing a pressure relief valve inline in the incoming water line. Some utilities can adjust the pressure at your meter so you might also check with them.
If you find your pressure to be satisfactory on all but one fixture, the most common example of pressure variance, you may simply have a clogged aerator. Believe it or not a miniscule amount of grit or trash that has gathered in your aerator can significantly hinder your water flow or pressure. Simply remove the aerator or shower head and clean it out thoroughly.
Another long term problem that can build up is corrosion in your delivery piping in a specific area of your home. This occurs especially when you live in an area with high iron or mineral content especially of you get you water from a well. This is not as easy a fix because it can involve repiping the area of your home where the pipes have become compromised. The immediate sign of this type of problem is low pressure in one part of your home and normal pressure in another. This is not a job for the faint of heart and should be left to a licensed plumber.
Lastly if the pressure problem seems to be the whole house it can be one of three things, either corrosion build up in your main supply line from the meter, an undetected leak in the ground or well or a system problem with the provider of you water. If you have a leak you should have noticed an increase in your water bill or possibly detect the sound of running water in your system. Before getting ahead of yourself if you are served by a water utility check with your neighbors and see if they are experiencing the same or similar problem. If it is a system problem report it you’re your utility if your on a well you will need to adjust your pressure tank to compensate. If it is your problem alone then you will have to face installing a new delivery line into your home. Again this is a time consuming and costly thing to have to have done

HOW TO HELP YOUR DISHWASHER DO A BETTER JOB

Is your old dishwasher not doing a good job? Is it just not getting your dishes clean? Not drying them well? Here are a few helpful hints on how to improve its performance.
1. Fix him a wonderful dinner, send the kids off to the neighbors, wear some new beautiful lingerie and offer him sex!
2. If that doesn’t work try bribing your teenager to let him/her use the car!
3. Well so much for the human element, if you’re using one of those new fangled devices you might try the next few examples
a. Because you need good water circulation through the washing and rinse cycles make sure that you don’t overload the dishwasher especially on the lower rack. Many dishwashers have a telescoping pipe that rises up to the upper rack during the washing and rinsing cycles and where this pipe comes up from the bottom must be kept clear so that it is not hindered in extending.
b. Has much as you might hate it, pre-rinse the dishes if they are heavily soiled or dried because the human dishwasher didn’t get to them fast enough
c. Dishwashers depend on hot water to perform to their best so if it takes too long for the hot water to reach your kitchen then you are hindering its performance during the most critical time, when the dishes are being rinsed for the first time. To make sure the hot water gets there quickly, run the water in the sink first (in most cases the dishwasher runs off of the same hot water pipe as the sink) until you get hot water then turn the dishwasher on. Some of the newer more expensive dishwashers have a element to boost the water temperature but even of yours does its is a waste of precious energy when you have hot water already heated and ready to go from your hot water heater.
d. Avoid the inexpensive dishwashing detergents. Invariably they do not perform as well as the old dependable so the few pennies you save by buying the generic or off brand is lost in time and effort to either wash the dishes again, yourself, or to run another cycle. I know if this fact from personal experience. I always was pleased as to how great our old Kenmore dishwasher worked, probably the best of any I’ve owned. I changed detergents to save some money and immediately the difference was notable and I began to think that I was going to have to invest in a new washer. I went back to my old tried and true brand (green box, by the way) and BINGO! Clean dishes again.
e. Make sure you keep “jet dry” well stocked in the machine to keep spots from forming. I prefer to save electricity by bypassing the heated drying cycle and this drying agent will eliminate spots that form from.
f. Lastly, your dishwasher has a drain in the bottom that can easily clog and will throw this old waste back up in the clean wash water and can cause your machine to smell badly. Every so often pull the bottom rack out and look for the drain, in the lowest point in the dishwasher, and clean it out, especially after washing a cycle of very soiled dishes.
Either way you choose to have you dishes washed will work but I highly recommend that you try step #1 occasionally. Even if it doesn’t get the dishes done better it can be great for your relationship and will detract from your spouse “washing someone else’s dishes”….LOL