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To Retile Or Not To Retile?
Personalize Your Bath With Removable Tile Appliqués
(ARA) - If you're like most homeowners, you're long on decorating ideas ... and
short on cash.
Oh, to have a fully landscaped backyard! Restored kitchen cabinets! New
carpeting! While the ideas may be endless, the ways of financing them are all
too finite.
One of the most utilized, yet often most under-appreciated, rooms of the house
is the bathroom. Like the kitchen, it tends to fall into the
"I'd-like-to-remodel-but-it's-too-daunting-and-expensive" category.
According to calculations by R.S. Means, a construction-costs estimating
company, a full bathroom remodel costs, on the average, $7,771 in the South,
$8,989 in the Midwest, $9,458 in the West, and $9,500 in the East. While that
may seem high, compare it to the price of a brand-new bathroom, which the
National Kitchen and Bath Association estimates could cost up to $11,600.
Small wonder many homeowners simply accept their temperamental toilets, faulty
faucets, and tired-looking tiles. With the latter, however, there is not only
hope -- but also a solution.
Hopkins, Minn.-based Environmental Graphics, the market leader in decorative
products for home or office in the United States, has recently launched their
revolutionary Stick'n Stile appliqués, offering homeowners a new cost-effective
way to brighten up their bathrooms.
"While the number-one goal of 83 percent of Generation Xers is to remodel this
year, cost will certainly be a factor" explains Todd Imholte, president of
Environmental Graphics. "Many of those seeking to redecorate their bathrooms
will focus on ways to enhance what already exists -- as opposed to remodelling
the entire room."
According to Imholte, ceramic tiles continue to be a popular bathroom design
element. "The average growth rate of tile sales is expected to be in the 6
percent-per-year range through 2004, as more and more people appreciate their
value, aesthetic appearance, durability and ease of maintenance. With Stick'n
Stile, they can retain the ceramic wall tile look that they currently enjoy, yet
incorporate fresh design attributes that will add new life and personality to
the room."
Stick'n Stile peel-and-stick appliqués are easily applied to tiles, shower
doors, mirrors and plastic or fibreglass tubs, creating a ceramic custom look
within minutes. Appliqués come in several popular sizes and are available in
trend-setting designs (such as Water World) that reflect the latest colours and
themes. Created with today's consumers in mind, they colour-coordinate with
towels, bathmats, shower curtains and other bath accessories readily available
at upscale department stores as well as value stores like Target.
Installation is a breeze, since the appliqués are simply affixed to the cleaned
surfaces. A damp cloth and mild domestic cleaner is all that's needed to clean
them, and removal is just as easy with the help of a blow dryer.
Stick'n Stile appliqués are currently available in most Bed Bath and Beyond
stores. For the nearest location for Stick'n Stile, visit the company's Web
site, www.sticknstile.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content |