Guest Blogger: Holiday Surprises For The Family

Holiday Surprises for the Family

In order to bring richer content to our readers, we have tied up with other bloggers to post as a guest.

Please welcome today's guest blogger Bob from http://metalhandyman.com

I look forward to the holidays because they remind me of wonderful childhood memories. I'm a pretty sentimental guy so when I get the chance to think back to those memories, I take advantage of the opportunity.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two big holidays I spend the most time preparing for. I enjoy spending time with my family and I make sure that my home has a few memorable surprises every time they visit. I've taken the liberty of jotting down some of the projects I've worked on in the past. These projects provided the right amount of excitement. I love the look on their faces when they come over!


1. Paint Job
Painting was probably the easiest and cheapest holiday project I worked on. I didn't paint my entire house green and red, but that was one of my initial plans. It was going to cost more than I thought to wrap my home in paper and bow. Instead I decided to paint my bathroom. It's the smallest room in the house and I knew that if I got sick of it, repainting the room would not be a huge problem. I sketched a few branches on large brown paper and taped them to a freshly painted white wall. I then painted over the paper with red paint. The result was a winter landscape against a bright red Christmas background.

2. Light Fixtures
In the past I've changed light bulbs in the kid's rooms to reflect the Christmas mood. I know it sounds corny, but green and red lights shining through the bedroom door made me laugh uncontrollably. A simple green tinted bulb can supply all the Christmas cheer you need. I also heard of a great DIY project involving wine bottles. These bottles are usually ornately designed so adding a few inches of LED lights inside a few of them can provide some interesting decoration. I'm stilling thinking whether or not I want wine bottles sitting around on my table. I saw an article about changing a light fixture so I've given thought to installing a special light fixture in the dining room. Maybe it will give our dinners a fancy feeling.

3. Kitchen
The kitchen is probably the most important room in your house for the holidays. It’s where everyone will gather. It’s where the kids will roll out sugar cookie dough, where your uncle will go for Thanksgiving Day game beers and where your mother will say the gravy is too lumpy. Don’t give anyone anything to criticize by giving your kitchen a quick update. Fresh paint on the walls can breathe new life into the kitchen. Or, if the cabinets are in good condition but about as stylish as big ’80s bangs, fresh paint and hardware on the cabinets can make them look as good as new. White is always a classic, or consider painting the upper and lower cabinets different colors for a contemporary look. New hardware – silver or matte black are very “au courant” – will finish the look.

4. Bathroom
I spent a few years as a plumber so the bathroom is my favorite place to make changes. One of the first projects I worked on was actually turned into a gift for my daughter. I placed steel fittings around a mirror and surrounded it with LED lights.For me the bathroom is probably the the most important room for the holidays. My family sometimes stays over for entire weekends so I know the bathroom will be a busy place. I already mentioned the paint job idea I implemented before. Alternatively I thought about simply coordinating towel bars, wastebaskets, toothbrush and even toilet paper holders with holiday themes. I've also considered making general changes such as adding a new vanity and sink which can cost as little as $100. I'm most familiar with the shower and sink but I've never been able to think of anything fancy for the holiday. I saw an article about channel drain showers and thought about how amazing the looked. Maybe one of the models from Quick Drain USA. They make the bathroom look incredibly modern. That's not really my style but I know my family would be so excited about it.

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303 (part 2 of 2)

This is a continuation of Part 1.

Insert Square headed bolt through bolt and slide catch into seat base assembly.

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- Bolt + catch on seat base (viewed inverted)

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- Bolt + catch on seat base slide in (viewed inverted)

 Repeat for other side.

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- Bolt + catch on seat base 2 sides (viewed inverted)

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- Bowl without seat and cover

 Insert 2 x transparent rubber spacers.

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- Insert 2 transparent spacers into 2 anchor holes on toilet bowl.

 Align bolts and insert into bowl anchor holes

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- align seat assembly's bolt to bowl's anchor holes

 The bolt needs to be secured with nuts from underneath. See below pics for a thousand words.

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- bowl without seat and cover elevation

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- nut and washer to secure inserted bolt from under the bowl.

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303- nut and washer to secure inserted bolt from under the bowl.

Repeat for other bolt.


Also see:
Feedback of water cabinet baron w303

Other Maintenance Postings:
Changing chair fabric
DIY home repair cabinet knob
Does a refrigator need plinth
Wet floor toilet design

Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303 (part 1 of 2)

After 4 years of use, we decided to replace the toilet seat in the master bedroom with a standard oval shaped cover-seat (aka non-original) which was commonly available costing SGD26.

It proved to be an unwise choice as

1. The seat and bowl shapes did not match. I guess it still works well, but we started questioning why the decision to get a designer toilet bowl in the first place.

2. Due to the incompatible dimensions between the bowl and our purchased seat, the sitting position became awkward, which required the user to lean forward. In short it did not work.

Without much options, we searched for original seats and had 3 quotes, ranging from SGD40 to SGD55 all before GST. Naturally the cheapest one was picked from Klisss.

HDB renovation DIY- change toilet seat cover Baron W303 invoice

It came in a rather plan box for a designer product.

HDB renovation DIY- change toilet seat cover Baron W303- simple box

 However, the box was clearly labelled as "SLOWLYFALL". See the video here to know what it means.

HDB renovation DIY- change toilet seat cover Baron W303- Labelling

Supplied components included (clockwise in picture below) assembled cover-seat, 2 rectangular catch, 2 sets of plastic bolt + nut + washer and 2 transparent spacers.

HDB renovation DIY- change toilet seat cover Baron W303- Supply components

 Plastic rectangular catch.

HDB renovation DIY- change toilet seat cover Baron W303- Catch

 Complete assembly of the Catch + washer + nut + Bolt  assembly

HDB renovation DIY- change toilet seat cover Baron W303- Catch+ washer+nut+bolt assembly

See Part 2 here

Feedback of Water Cabinet Baron W303- 4 years

Initially, we provided a feedback after several weeks of usage and are not sure if we should be providing a 4-year feedback as it seemed like a pretty "unhygienic" topic to dig into so much detail. Since we have done the dirty job, we might as well save the readers the trouble of the same journey.

After 4 years of use, we observed the following:

1. The Baron W303 was the most economical designer bowl we could find in 2009. It added to the hotel-like toilet look we were after.

2. As a designer toilet bowl, the seat came with a "Slow fall" or silent falling function, which started to show that it is wearing out after approximately 2 years. At 4 years the cover was behaving like any normal cover, ie when released, you can hear the contact sound. Ironically, this made life easier as the new cover took more than 20 seconds to "fall slowly".

2. In addition, the toilet seat was less child friendly when compared to a standard oval shaped bowl, specifically:
a. The built-in resistance for the "fall slowly" cover poses a slight challenge for our 3 year old boy learning to pass urine on his own.
b. Baron W303 had a non-standard seat shape and curvature that was not compatible to some child-potty seats.

3. The dual flushing power was decent so far. There was no significant loss of flushing power over the period of use.

4. Seat cover surface started to deteriorate after 4 years of use by 2 adults. However, we have to admit that it is still functioning well except with a slight loss of contact comfort. Baron's original seat replacement was not commonly available and the cheapest quote was SGD40 before GST. In contrast, a conventional oval shaped seat-cover is readily available island wide for SGD 10 to SGD 26. See posting replacing the Baron W303 seat cover.

In conclusion for the above feedback, while the Baron W303 provided high aesthetic value at a decent price, the maintenance cost expectation should be kept at that of a designer bowl. Recommended for the Master Bedrooms but not for common toilets with heavy wear/tear and toddler use.

Also see:
Feedback on Baron W303 after 2 weeks of use

Concerned about maintenance cost: also see:
Advantages of installing ceiling fan
Lighting concept cost savings
Compare LED vs energy saving lighting

Improved Toilet Layout- Cost of Renovation

There has been numerous inquiries about the cost of renovating the toilet.

However, there are a few assumptions before sharing this information:
1. Do bear in mind that this was priced in end 2009 and offered as part of a complete renovation package.
2. Excludes demolition works and installation of all other toilet accessories.
3. Toilet is approximately 4.8sqm in floor area

a. S$1700: To Supply and Lay ceramic floor tiles c/w water proofing (Material cost up to $3/ft2)

HDB renovation- toilet floor waterproofing

For your information:
water proofing needs to be done under the toilet floor tiles. The failure of this waterproofing is often the cause of a wet/ leaking toilet roof between neighbours on the upper and lower floor.

b. S$1500: To Supply and Lay glazed wall ceramic tiles including low wall @ 1 toilet (Material cost up to $3/ft2)

HDB Toilet- Wall tile near completion

c. S$920: To supply and install 1500mm wide vanity top c/w integrated Bowl
d. S$820: To supply and install 1500mm wide suspended cabinetary c/w mirror panel door (Material soild ply/Laminates)

HDB toilet- Vanity Top and Wall Mounted Cabinet Construction

Improved Toilet Layout- Feedback Dec 2012
Wet Floor Toilet Design
Improved Toilet layout

Improved Toilet Layout- Feedback Dec 2012

Generally, visitors complimented on the spacious feel of our MBR toilet. However, their perception, like any photo viewer would have limited depth in the functionality of the layout.

After using the "new concept" toilet layout, this article is targeted to provide a genuine user feedback for renovators to make an informed decision. The following are some of the highlights.

1. Shared Shower-sink concept
PLUS: This concept created a spacious feel be removing the conventional glass shower wall.
MINUS: The only concern on this the constantly wet floor. Earlier blogs covered the solution for this by buying an anti-slip mat. See the link here

2. Vanity Top with Sink

PLUS: There has been no complains about the generous table space from the vanity top. We still try to keep it uncluttered by storing as much as possible in the wall mounted storage shelf. Maintenance is extremely easy  using a small water wiper.
MINUS: Cannot think of any at this moment.

3. Full Wall mounted Storage Cabinet

Wall mounted Storage Cabinet in Toilet

PLUS: Fantastic Storage Space! We use it to store spare toiletries, make-up, toilet paper etc. In addition, replenishment is immediate in the toilet.

MINUS: We observed that lipsticks grows moldy faster when stored in the cabinet as compared to those outside the bedroom, probably due to higher humidity in our naturally ventilated toilet.








4. White Colour
PLUS: Adds perceived space to the toilet when coupled with white light.
MINUS: little observed yet, However, we expect the white wall and floor tiles to become yellow in time to come.

5. Cove Light under the storage cabinet.
PLUS: The cove light is a good lighting option when we wake up to use the toilet late in the night. The cove light provided sufficient indirect brightness to move around without demanding the pupils to make drastic adjustments to the main lighting.
MINUS: If any, it would be the cost of an additional lighting point and bulb.

If you like to read about the concept of the Toilet Layout, please click here.

Also see
Improved Toilet Layout- Cost of Renovation
Wet Floor Toilet Design
Feedback of Water Cabinet Baron W303- 4 years

Wet Floor Toilet Design

Its been 2 years since our renovation has been completed. If you have been following on our choice of "Improved Toilet Layout", we chose to have a common standing area for the sink and bath zones. Thus our toilet does not have a Dry or Wet floor area.

The floor is always wet. Unfortunately, we have also not picked a floor tile that was sufficiently rough. As the result, the floor is slightly slippery when wet. "The solution was simple", I thought. Just get a floor mat!

My first mat choice was a perforated foam mat, supposedly made in Germany. It seemed to have a lot of friction when I tried it at the hardware shop, which obviously did not have a wet floor. But after the first trial, where I simulated a "slip" under wet conditions, it proved to be still slippery. No Go.

My second attempt was a mat made from hard plastic strips. it worked! Paid about S$40 from Homefix for a standard size.

Why it worked: I supposed the reduced contact area from the black strips allowed water to trickle through. In addition, the reduced contact area created a larger friction force against the black strips and the wet toilet floor. To verify this, a control test was done by pushing the mat on the wet floor with my hands, it slipped. I tried the "slip", that is with my body weight on the mat, which passed with flying colours. You may be interested to know that for the foam mat, the results were the exact opposite. There you go Physic fans!

After the toilet wash, we would stand it up in the corner of the toilet to allow the water to dry off completely to prevent floor staining. From the following photos, you can see the black strips that provides good friction against the wet floor.

Also see Improved Toilet Layout- Costing of Renovation
Also see Improved Toilet Layout- Feedback
Also see Improved Toilet Layout

Improved Toilet layout

For the toilet, we wanted a spacious "hotel toilet" feel. Perharps a lot to ask for on a tight budget.
Our ID had some good input by proposing the following:

1. Shared shower-sink concept.
This concept starts with the removal of the traditional shower glass partition which isolates the space used for sink and shower. Instead the sink-user and shower-user share the same standing spot. The saved space goes on to allow for a large vanity top. To prevent the vanity top from getting wet during shower, a shower curtain is installed.

Old and New Toilet Layout

Previous toilet with Glass Shower Partition

Toilet after renovation (with Vanity Top and shower curtains)

2. Vanity top with sink
The vanity top gives a the sink area a spacious table top and hotel feel (a cheaper version that is). This is in comparison to a tiny sink, usually typical of HDB toilets.


3. Full wall mounted storage cabinet
The wall mounted cabinet provides enough storage to keep the toilet clutter free. ID guy also suggested that the cabinet doors can double up as a mirror. these helps to make the toilet feel more spacious.

Wall mounted Cabinet provided Storage Space

Mirror finished cabinet doors

Also see the Improved Toilet Layout- Feedback Dec 2012

4. White colour was chosen for the wall and floor tile to make the toilet brighter and feel more spacious

5. Installed a cove light under the cabinet for a "hotel feel" (cheapo method)

6. Classy looking toilet bowl:
We chose the Baron Toilet bowl for its classy look (look-a-like TOTO, but at a fraction of the cost), water saving features and position of down-pipe (aka "size" in the dimension below). will do another write up about the toilet bowl "size" as I have learnt a lot the hard way and wanted to save you from the hassle.

As a feedback to all, after several weeks of use, we found that the original toilet seats does not provide comfort for long sitting, probably due to the curved profile. But we decided against changing the seat as it was too much trouble.

Also see Feedback of Water Cabinet Baron W303- 4 years and
Changing Toilet Bowl Seat Cover- Baron W303

7. Other toilet accessories
Purchased most of our toilet accessories from Heritage in Geylang. We were very impressed by Irene's service and knowledge. The other thing we liked was that they offered a best price straight away. No bargaining was entertained. when we compared against other shops, we can only get the same price after a long bargaining session.

Stainless steel toilet bin @ Heritage

Shower Head and holder @ Heritage

Simple Bidget $22 @Heritage

Also see toilet related posts:
Wet Floor Toilet
Improved-toilet-layout-feedback-dec-2012
Feedback of water cabinet baron W303

For unique Renovation ideas, see:
Kitchen Design Concepts and Specifics
Making a Long-shaped Living room feel Spacious
False Ceiling and Lightings