Kitchen & Bath
Easy Care. Tile floors demand periodic
maintenance; some busy homeowners may prefer a solid-surface
shower pan. Royal Stone offers 22 standard shapes in 48 colors
and can produce a custom pan in about four weeks. The company
says its acrylic and polyester pans — which are cast in
one piece — are rugged enough to support granite shower
walls. Their nonporous surface can be repaired if chipped.
Standard sizes run from 34 inches by 34 inches to 48 inches by
60 inches; costs range from $563 to $1,350. Royal
Stone, 888/633-4537,
www.royalstoneind.com
Leakproof. Tile Redi's preformed pans are
guaranteed to be leakproof and come in seven standard sizes,
including models for corner and ADA-compliant showers. Made
from rigid polyurethane, they're prepitched with an integrated
curb and drain, and can be set on concrete or plywood
subfloors. Prices start at $580. Tile Redi,
800/232-6156, www.tileredi.com
As You Like It. Fin Pan's preformed and
presloped shower pans are ready to drop in and tile. In
addition to offering eight standard sizes, the company can turn
out a custom pan in as little as two weeks. Pan bases are made
from high-density foam with cement-board sides; drains are
fused in. The company says assemblies are thoroughly
waterproofed and tested before shipment. Prices start at about
$350 for the smallest standard size, 36 inches square.
Fin Pan, 800/833-6444,
www.finpan.com.
Toilet Seats
No Mess. Bemis' Easy Clean seats pop off
quickly for easy toilet-bowl and rim cleaning. Sized for both
round and elongated bowls, with the standard 5 1/2-inch
distance between hinge centers, they come in plastic and molded
wood and cost about $23.
Bemis, 800/558-7651,
www.bemismfg.comAll the Perks. Kohler's C3 200 toilet seat
packs a heater, a deodorizer, two adjustable self-cleaning
water nozzles for bidet-like cleansing, and a warm-air fan for
drying. Lighted for nighttime use, it stores two different
preferred settings and boasts a quiet-close feature and
quick-release hinges. According to Kohler, it fits most
elongated toilet bowls. Prices start at $1,300. Kohler
Co., 800/456-4537, www.kohler.com
Supersized. Although the Big John toilet seat
is designed for large people, its extra width and no-slip
design make it ideal for anyone who needs to transfer from a
wheelchair to the toilet, the company says. The 19-inch-wide
seat is rated for 1,200 pounds and measures 51/2 inches between
hinges to fit any standard toilet. It comes in cream and white
and in open- and closed-front designs, and costs $158 and up.
Big John, 866/366-0669,
www.bigjohntoiletseat.com