Properly laid and sealed tile will keep water from getting into unwanted areas for decades. But sometimes caulking isn’t perfect and it can dry out and crack. Taking the time to make a good seal the first time around can prevent expensive repairs later.

One way to do that is to get tile to fit well during initial installation.

In the shower, the spout and shower head pipe often have to come through tile. Measure carefully and ensure that the hole is no larger than necessary. That will make final caulking easier and more secure.

One good way to do that is to take one or two pieces of tile and lay the pipe onto the tile, then score the tile around it. It’s possible to simply take the stated pipe size as a guideline. But people often get confused between inner and outer diameter. Stated pipe sizes are of the outer diameter and, for threaded pipes, of the threads not the pipe body.

Measuring the actual outer pipe diameter gives an exact answer. It also prevents any errors introduced from using the measurement of the threads rather than the pipe itself. These should be the same, since the threads are created by grooving the pipe, but small differences can occur.

It may be easiest to use a single tile, score it and break it in half, then use a tile saw to carve out a perfect half-circle on each half. The two pieces should fit back together very closely with only a very small gap between the pipe and tile. Using one piece broken in half helps ensure the edges will fit together accurately. Leaving only a very small gap helps reduce any caulking errors.

After fitting everything in place, seal the gap with a thin bead of caulk using a caulking gun. Before it has time to dry fully, take a very slightly damp sponge and wipe away any excess from the tile to leave a nice clean result. A wooden cuticle tool or ice cream stick makes for a handy device to ensure that the bead is even around the entire circumference of the pipe.

After it dries, inspect the results carefully to ensure there are no small gaps anywhere. This is the time when you make the difference between a well-sealed pipe or virtually guarantee a later repair job.

-The Fixie Chick

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Brenna Hartmann also writes for the Democrat and Chronicle’s Living Section in Rochester, NY. In addition she writes monthly for The Property Source Magazine and the Home and yard Handbook which she was the founder and since has sold the handbook entity in order to spend more time with her family and children.

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An important part of a bathroom that is commonly neglected is the use of a fabric shower curtain. This item is not given enough attention yet it is so helpful in keeping the designs and styles of your bathroom to come lively. A fabric shower curtain enhances the ambiance and style in your bathroom. For the way you chose the kind of fabric shower curtain you can also chose the kind of environment you want your bathroom to posses.

You can set up a sense of fun, comfort, art, or even welcoming ambiance by choosing the appropriate fabric shower curtain for your bathroom. You should be able to find the perfect match for your bathroom that will also suit to the present design that you have. Using a fabric shower curtain is important if you have a simple design in your bathroom and you want to add a sense of elegance in it. You don’t need a big bathroom to tell that you have a presentable and beautiful bathroom, cleanliness and a little sense of design is good enough.

Choosing the right color is also important if you are going to buy a fabric shower curtain. Each color may represent a kind of ambiance. For example if you want a peaceful bathroom you can choose a green and sky blue fabric shower curtain. If you want a lively ambiance you can chose a bright in colors fabric shower curtain.

For smaller bathrooms, you might want to go with a shower enclosure instead of the bath that will take up more room. You can find a great shower that will fit in just about any size bathroom that can complement the space without taking too much of it up. A bath tub will require more room, and this can be something your bathroom just can’t give up. But, if you have the room for a bath and you still want a shower, you can always put both in.

One of the biggest factors in determining between a bath and shower is your own personal preferences. If you are one of those people that just can’t get through a week without taking at least one hot bath, then you will have to figure out how to make it work. In this case, you can purchase walk in baths or corner stall baths that should give you the right amount of space. But if taking a bath isn’t a high point in your life and all you really need is a shower, then you can have a shower enclosure designed specifically for your own bathroom.

If you have the space, you can have both put in, or place the tub in and have the shower enclosure built in around it so that you can take a bath or shower and still have plenty of space in your bathroom for anything else you might need. You will have to figure out where the plumbing is going to go, including the drain and the pipes that bring water to your bath or shower.

Summary

Deciding on whether to install a bath or a shower enclosure depends on the amount of space you have available and your personal bathing preferences.