How Do You Choose Lighting For Your Bathroom?

You need light in your bathroom. Unless you have a skylight in your bathroom and tons of windows, you need great lighting. Where do you place the lighting is the question?

Over the Sink

Both sides of the mirror.

Over the tub.

In the shower.

What type of Light Fixtures do you install?

It all depends on your style. What kind of person are you? What do you see yourself surrounded around? What colors do you love to decorate with? If you had a choice where would you live? What’s your favorite type of restaurant?

How you answered the questions above, is your Design Style. If you don’t understand your answers here is a link to help you choose.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25171951/list/houzz-quiz-whats-your-decorating-style

• Modern
• Contemporary
• Traditional
• Funky
• Shabby Chic
• Southwestern
• Industrial
• Tuscan
• Medieval
• French
• Asian
• Zen

If you have the extra money to add windows for natural lighting in your bathroom, that’s a Home Run. Natural lighting in your bathroom is always great. You could do a lot by placing and installing the perfect fixtures, but having a large window or two in your bathroom could give you the perfect Natural Light everyone desires. Before you begin your project sit down and plan out what exactly you want to do in your bathroom. After you have thought about what you have in mind, plan out the perfect spots to install lighting. Let your electrician and or remodeler know. They will be more than glad to work with your design idea. 

Please visit our website for more information 

www.KevinSzaboJrPlumbing.net

How To Rebuild A RPZ Valve

SHOP LOCAL: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY

Small Businesses Are Important To Our Community

It is our responsibility to support the community. We can't wait for the government to come help us. When people spend their money locally, most of it stays in that community. I hear a lot of people talking about how businesses in their town are going out of business, or how there isn't enough money in the town. It is your responsibility to spend your money in that town. The more you take care of your local businesses the more they take care of your town. Small business owners love to support the community they serve in. It is their duty to give back to the town they belong to. 
I'm not going to lie, we do shop at big box stores here and there, because a good deal is hard to pass when you're on a budget. But, no matter what deals we get at big box stores, we always make it a point to stop at locally owned businesses to purchase a few items. Take care of those small business so they could keep taking care of your community. Remember, it's never to early to teach your children to support local businesses. 

Stop Flushing Wipes Down The Toilet

Wipes Don't Belong In The Toilet

I have a giant problem with all these baby wipe companies still putting "flushable" and "sewer and septic safe" on their packages. Let me express to you how much we love baby wipes in our household. We have a child and a puppy who love to make messes all over the house. Not only are baby wipes great when we change his diaper. They are great to clean up his face, his hands, and where ever else he loves to get peanut butter/chocolate/jelly/cheese/etc. on himself.

It's simple, you grab a wipe and clean up the mess. Toss it in the garbage and it's done. Simple as that. Well, toilet paper and paper towel companies wanted to jump in on the baby wipe success. They are doing very well for themselves. They have created several types of bathroom "flushable" wipes. The only problem is these wipes ARE flushable, but will not dissolve. 

They sit in your pipes, get stuck on other stuff and clog up your pipes. Yes, it creates more jobs for plumbers but it's ruining our sewer pipes. How is it that they are allowed to print "flushable" and "sewer/septic safe" on their packages? Some of them are even printing "biodegradable". In their terms, yes they are biodegradable, but not for another 1000 years. 

Until someone does something about these companies printing "flushable" on wipes, please stop flushing wipes down the toilet. It will cost you hundreds, even thousands of dollars to fix. You should only flush toilet paper. 

What I Love To Use Baby Wipes On:

• When I change my baby's diaper.
• After my kid eats.
• My puppy's bum.
• When my husband spills food/drinks/whatever else he is eating on his clothes.
• The table.
• The floor.
• My kitchen cabinets.
• The make up off my face.
• When I get make up on my fingers.
• After I do my hair in the bathroom(it's so easy to pick up the hair off the floor).
• Cleaning inside the car.
• Cleaning leather seats. 
• Getting deodorant off of clothing.
• Wiping down shoes. 
• Wiping down exercise equipment.
• And the million other things that I wipe down with baby wipes. 

Maybe, I should look into buying stock in baby wipe companies. Moral of the story, baby wipes are amazing, just don't flush them down the toilet. 

Kevinszabojrplumbing@yahoo.com

www.kevinszabojrplumbing.net

Drink Your Morning Coffee In Your Dream Kitchen

Dream Kitchen I Can Afford!

You're sitting in your kitchen drinking your morning coffee. As you look outside, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, birds are out chirping away. How beautiful is Spring? Then, you snap out of your day dreaming and realize we live in Chicago. There's snow in the end of March and your kitchen needs a major facelift.


Often in my free time, I search dream kitchens on Pinterest. I fantasize about having a magnificent kitchen. High ceilings, thick wood trim and crown molding, glorious windows, white cabinets, with a farm sink, and to top it off a giant rustic chandelier. For now, let's work on building a kitchen my budget can afford.

First, what kind of budget do I have? How much should I really spend on my kitchen to make a difference? Let's do some simple math.

Modest Budget: Value of Your Home X 5% = $__________

Great Budget: Value of Your Home X 10% = $__________

Now, after deciding the budget for your kitchen, let's break down the percentage for each category.


Cabinets 40%

Labor 25%
(including plumbing)

Countertops 12%

Appliances 8%
(if you can wait for a sale, or Black Friday, you won't feel like 8% isn't enough)

Flooring 7%

Lighting/Electrical 4%

Wall Covering 3%

Miscellaneous 1%

After we break down how much to spend on each category, the fun part begins. Make a priority checklist.

A. Appearance
      a. What do I want my kitchen to look like?

B. Workflow and Layout
      a. Do I need more room?
      b. Do I entertain in my kitchen?
      c. Do you have kids? Pets?
      d. Where in the kitchen do you want to eat your meals?

C. Storage and Organization
      a. Do I need a simple set up?
      b. Cabinet space?
      c. Pantry?
      d. An area for all my gadgets(phone charging area)?

D. Increasing Value

      a. Do I plan on living here for several years?

      b. Do I want to turn around and sell it next year?

      c. Do I want a functioning kitchen?

If you are like me, and love to get ideas, visit Pinterest, Houzz, HGTV, Better Homes & Garden.

Visit a showroom. When you are in a showroom kitchen, you can have a better idea how you want your set up. Play around with their storage solutions. Think about what you actually need, and what you want. Do I really want that tiered cutlery divider or the different pantry roll out trays? I want it all. The Recycling Center, the Message Center, the Easy Access Wall Cabinet, the Pantry Pull Out, the Super Lazy Susan and of course I want the Gourmet Super Cabinet. 

How do you use your kitchen?

• Cooking and food prep
• Eat meals 
• Use electronic devices
• Feed your pets
• Do paperwork, pay your bills
• Read
• Visit with friends/family
• Do your homework

Remember make your kitchen dream a reality. Start calling licensed professionals and let them know what you want done. Show them your plan layout. Most important, make sure they are licensed, bonded, insured, and highly recommended.

If you need help with your dream kitchen, let us know. We love helping.

Now go get started on that kitchen. It's not going to build it self.

PREVENTING FROZEN PIPES

When water freezes it expands, it can cause hundreds, even thousands of Dollars worth of damage. Be prepared and use that extra money towards a beach vacation, away from this frigid weather. 

ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR MAIN WATER SHUTOFF IS LOCATED.

   -FIND THE LOCATION OF YOUR WATER METER AND YOU WILL FIND YOUR MAIN WATER SHUTOFF(BASEMENT, CRAWL SPACE, LAUNDRY ROOM, EVEN UNDER YOUR KITCHEN SINK).

INSULATE YOUR PIPES.

   -PIPE SLEEVES, HEAT TAPE, NEWSPAPER

KEEP YOUR FAUCET OPEN.

   -LET YOUR SINK DRIP 

KEEP YOUR CABINETS OPEN WHERE YOU HAVE WATER LINES, ALLOWING HEAT TO CIRCULATE. 

WATER LINES THAT ARE ON A OUTSIDE WALL, SHOULD BE EXPOSED FROM THE INSIDE TO LET HEAT GET TO THEM. 

IF YOU HAVE WATER LINES OR YOUR WATER HEATER IS IN THE GARAGE, KEEP IT CLOSED AND INSULATED. 

IF YOUR PIPES FREEZE, USE A HAND DRIER, ELECTRIC SPACE HEATER, HEAT LAMP, TO TRY TO THAW OUT PIPES. 

   -DON'T LEAVE UNATTENDED

APPLY HEAT TO PIPES UNTIL WATER PRESSURE IS RESTORED.

IF YOU CAN'T THAW OUT THE PIPES, CALL A LICENSED PLUMBER.

For Future Protection

• Pipes can be relocated by a professional plumber
• Add insulation to your attic, basement, crawl space, and garage
• For more information contact a licensed plumber

Just remember, our Chicago Summer days are right around the corner. 

13 Plumbing Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Plumbing Facts

1. The average person spends three whole years of their life sitting on the toilet.
2. King George II of Great Britain died falling off a toilet on the 25th of October 1760.
3. Over $100,000 were spent on a study to determine whether most people put their paper on the holder with the flap in front or behind. Three out of four people have the flap in the front.
4. Albert Einstein was made an honorary member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union after he had announcement that he would be a plumber if he had to live his life all over again.
5. The most famous plumbers ever are Mario and Luigi.
6. The toilet is flushed more times during the super bowl halftime than at any time during the year. 
7. The word "plumber" comes from the latin word "plumbum", which means "lead".
8. Manhole covers are circular because if they're turned sideways, they can't fall through their own opening.
9. Standardized plumbing can be traced back to around 3,000 BC.
10. If you have a leaky faucet that drips twice per minute, you'll waste over a gallon of water in a week.
11. Have you ever heard the myth about water flowing in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere? It's not true. It's possible for water to flow either direction in either Hemisphere.
12. In 1939, Al Moen invented the single handle faucet that can control hot and cold water in just one turn.
13. The average person visits the toilet six to eight times per day. 

 -Kevin Szabo Jr

Kevinszabojrplumbing@yahoo.com

(708)845-7922