Bath Fitter turns 25 this year!

Bath Fitter would like to say Happy New Year and extend its warmest wishes to everyone for 2009! And a huge thank you, as well, to the thousands of customers who enjoyed our bath remodelling services in 2008. We are looking forward to bringing our bathroom solutions to plenty more homes in the next twelve months.

This is a landmark year for Bath Fitter. Twenty-five years ago, the idea for Bath Fitter came to the Cotton brothers from Montreal, Canada, out of personal experience. Sensing a need for a more sane approach to bathroom renovation, Bath Fitter was established in 1984. The company initially focused on building its reputation in high-end hotels by offering quick and professional bathroom remodelling with custom-molded products that fit right over existing fixtures – done in a matter of hours. This was a big plus for hotel owners who can’t afford to have rooms out of service for days at a time.

But the Cotton brothers knew their idea could go much further than hotels. Traditional bathroom renovations in homes can also be messy, costly, and time-consuming. What was a homeowner supposed to do if a bathroom becomes a construction zone for a week, or two weeks, or more? Not to mention the associated noise, chaos, and high cost. The Cotton brothers quickly learned that residential customers were just as eager to benefit from Bath Fitter’s custom-formed acrylic tub liners, shower bases, and wall-systems. The company grew very quickly, adding franchises coast to coast, starting in the late eighties and continuing right to the current day.

What are we looking forward to in 2009? While responses from our professionals may vary, typically, nothing makes our people happier than the look of pleasure and amazement on a customer’s face when they first see the finished product: a beautiful new bathroom, finished before the day is done.

Quality and Service at Queens Bath Fitter

Bath Fitter‘s office in Queens, NY, serves one of the biggest markets in North America. It’s a big job, with lots of big-city pressures, but the Queens crew gets the job done with due attention to the small details – crucial for bathroom renovation work. Their steady supply of jokes and smiles helps, too!

Bathroom renovation in the New York City area has unique challenges. Manager Mark Donato notes that “there can be times when you are looking for parking, and it literally cannot be found for blocks.” When you’re carrying tools, as well as a Bath Fitter tub liner, shower base, or wall-system, those blocks add up. Then there’s the climbing of many flights of stairs, given that numerous customers in Queens and the area live in walk-up apartments. You’re not always lucky enough to find an elevator!

Sometimes, especially during tub-to-shower conversions, Bath Fitter installers will find a gas line underneath the skirt of the tub. This discovery will often be a surprise to the customer, and it complicates the installation, but Bath Fitter installers take it all in stride.

Perhaps the most unusual customer story to come out of the Queens office is the one about the brand new estimator who encountered a customer who was confined to his bed. Typically, an estimator needs to enter the customer’s home to take measurements of the bathtub and working space. In this case, the resourceful estimator was able to tell the customer all about Bath Fitter’s bathroom renovation solutions… while standing on a milk crate and talking through the window! The customer liked what he heard, and later, when his wife was home to let Bath Fitter inside, the measurements were taken and the installation completed at the appointed time.

It goes to show that in a big city, expect the unexpected.

Last but not least, it goes without saying that in a fast-paced environment, customers expect the same pace from Bath Fitter. They want service right here, right now. Needless to say, Bath Fitter’s one-day bath remodelling service is a perfect fit for Queens.

Spirit of Giving at Long Island Bath Fitter

The spirit of giving started early this year at Bath Fitter’s Long Island location. Local staff found a great way to give back to the community and provide affordable bathroom renovation solutions at the same time. Here’s the deal: local customers can get great savings on the installation of a tub liner, shower base or wall-system – all they have to do is make a donation of canned goods. For every can that a customer donates, he or she gets a discount on their final purchase. The Long Island Bath Fitter location then collects all these cans and gives them to the Island Harvest, a long-time community organization that helps needy families in the area.

The manager of the Long Island branch says the worthy cause has attracted many customers. It’s a win-win for everybody – an updated bathroom, and the satisfaction of supporting Long Island families at the time of year when that help is most appreciated.

If you’re in the Long Island area and want to find out more, call 631-956-1459.

Bath Fitter for Christmas

With only a few more weeks to decide what to buy everyone in the family for Christmas, maybe it’s time to think outside of the box. How about a gift that immediately breathes fresh life into your home? It’s time to consider a gift that will be a delightful surprise to every member of the household. In only one day, you could transform your old bathroom into a sparkling new one. And there is perhaps no time of year that people enjoy a hot bath or shower more than during the winter months. Now is the time to think Bath Fitter.

Bath Fitter has many great gift ideas, and if you schedule an appointment for a free in-home estimate, it will be the pleasure of our trained professionals to tell you about all of them. And Bath Fitter gifts don’t just delight on Christmas day – they keep proving their value for years and years. A brand new bathtub, shower or wall-system, plus the useful and elegant accessories, will immediately enhance the look of your bathroom, but also provide practical use for decades.

And nothing says “I’m thinking of you” like the quality that Bath Fitter represents. For almost 25 years, Bath Fitter has made dreams come true all across North America – making beautiful bathrooms possible in homes where previously the bathroom fixtures were dingy, outdated, or just plain ugly. And Bath Fitter has a diversity of gift ideas that are so exciting compared to just socks or hair curlers or ties. Best of all, Bath Fitter can customize their bathroom remodeling services to ensure the best possible fit with the needs of your family.

So make it a Bath Fitter Christmas this year. Call 1-800-892-2847 or visit the company website. You’ll be glad you did.

Tough bathroom renovation jobs

Anyone with experience in the renovation business can tell a story or two about the pride of finishing a particularly tough job. At Bath Fitter, it’s no different. While our one-day bath remodeling process is smooth and professional, there are some homes where it’s inevitable that our estimators and installers are going to have to go the extra mile to get the job done. And at the franchise we’re featuring today, Burlington, Vermont, the weather also plays a decisive factor.

The Burlington territory extends to Lake Placid in the west; Lebanon, New Hampshire to the east; the Canadian border in the north; and stops just short of the last two counties in Vermont to the south. Some days, there is a three-hour drive to the job, each way. Last winter was especially rough.

At that time of year, “There are places in Vermont that we can’t get to,” says Charlie, the franchise manager. On one particular installation, Charlie reports, “We tried four times to get to a job.” The installers eventually had to wait until June – not only for the snow to melt, but for the muddy tracks to dry out enough to allow a vehicle to pass.

Of course, there is also the New England challenge of installing tub liners, shower bases and wall-systems in very old homes. Often they encounter what Charlie calls “George Washington plumbing.” Despite that, there are very few jobs that Bath Fitter cannot do. Charlie’s estimators and installers have extensive training and experience. They use all the resources available. “Skip,” an estimator – like all his co-workers – will take detailed photos and measurements of the space where the new Bath Fitter fixtures will be installed. If he encounters something in a home that looks unfamiliar, he can share this information with any of the other 165-plus Bath Fitter locations in order to find the product that is the perfect fit.

The Burlington franchise, opened in 1984, is one of Bath Fitter’s oldest, and it’s fair to say that over the years there’s probably very little that these guys have not seen. Charlie tells the story about a home where the staircase was so narrow that it was impossible to climb it while carrying the seamless wall-system that they needed to maneuver into place. So Charlie went outside, climbed to the top of a ladder, had his partner pass him the wall-system, and then Charlie hauled it inside through the third-floor balcony.

Sometimes installers find a home in which the bathroom wall is built of plaster stuck to chicken wire. All of this needs to be removed before they can replace it with Bath Fitter’s tough and elegant acrylic products. Needless to say, our “before” and “after” photos often show a dramatic change. We look forward to sharing some of these photos with you in future posts – not to mention more great bathroom renovation stories.

Bath Fitter in Commercial Properties

A lot of people already know that Bath Fitter can install a new tub liner, shower base or wall system in residential properties such as houses, apartments, or trailers. What fewer people know is that our company can also renovate bathrooms in much larger properties. Bath Fitter’s commercial work has been a great fit for hotels, motels, clinics, and schools; one of our franchises has even done work on an oil tanker at sea!

Large, multi-unit installations are actually what put Bath Fitter on the map almost 25 years ago. Upscale hotels were the first to benefit from our fast but high-quality bath remodelling process. Since those early days, Bath Fitter has grown enormously and residential customers now represent the biggest part of our business. Nevertheless, there is a resurgent demand for our services from non-residential customers, too, and because our products are custom-made for each situation, we we’re always happy to take on a unique and challenging job.

For large scale remodels, the Bath Fitter advantage is exactly the same as for our hundreds of thousands of satisfied home customers. We don’t compromise on the durability, elegance, or professionalism of our work. Whether we’re installing one tub liner or one hundred, you can always count on our expertise.

When commercial customers call on us, they’re getting the benefit of a company that has the resources of a nationwide network of experts. We’re at over 200 locations and still growing.

Bath Fitter’s commercial division helps coordinate multi-unit installations. Over the years, we’ve been glad to help out medical clinics with our tub-to-shower conversions, which helps them better serve mobility-impaired patients. Best of all, we’ve been able to get the work done quickly, which minimizes disruption. Similarly, at hotels – where many customers see an elegant bathroom as integral to their overall experience – we’ve been able to refresh the tub, shower and wall-system, and help management provide guests with the highest standards in comfort and style.

In an increasingly competitive world, we can help any business maintain their bottom line by ensuring that remodelled bathrooms are ready to use the very next day. That’s a fraction of the time of a traditional renovation.

It’s no wonder, then, that more and more businesses and institutions are trusting their bathroom renovations to Bath Fitter.

Bath Fitter: 25 Years of Bathroom Renovation

Next year marks Bath Fitter’s 25^th Anniversary. We are very excited about this major landmark. Lots will be going on during the anniversary year itself but already we’ve started gearing up. While continuing to provide affordable bathroom renovation solutions – installing tub liners, shower bases and wall-systems – we’ve also spent some time crafting some promotional messages that let customers know about the Bath Fitter difference.

Over the summer, we oversaw production of three new television commercials that focussed on the pride of Bath Fitter employees. Without doubt, Bath Fitter wouldn’t be where it is today without the commitment of its company employees and those of our over 165 franchises. Each commercial was narrated from the perspective of a Bath Fitter professional: one narrated by an estimator, one by an installer, and one from a quality assurance manager. The commercials illustrate the expertise of our team and their commitment to excellence.

Professionalism is key at Bath Fitter. We know it’s not enough to manufacture top-notch products. We need the best people standing behind them. That’s why training is so important to us. At Bath Fitter, every employee gets the tools he or she needs to serve the customer. Our estimators learn how to take precise measurements of the customer’s bathroom so that the tub liner or shower base, when ordered, will be an exact fit. Our installers undergo extensive, hands-on training at one of our factory classrooms. There they perform installations in a variety of scenarios that they can expect to find in customer’s homes. And in the manufacturing process, technicians custom-make the product in factories that are rigorously controlled for quality, cleanliness, and safety.

 We see the pride and professionalism of Bath Fitter employees shining through every day, and we hope that when our brand new commercials hit the air in 2009, that pride and professionalism will also shine through to those who have not yet met our team.

To learn more about Bath Fitter, visit us here.

Bathroom renovation: options and costs

If your bathroom needs an update, there are various options to consider. At Bath Fitter, when an estimator comes to your home, he or she will explain all the choices available to you – even those that aren’t offered by our company. As many homeowners know, costs for various renovation projects – no matter where in the home they’re done – can vary widely.

For bathroom renovation, typically the most expensive option is a complete remodeling. What does that involve? It means the customer selecting a contractor out of the potentially hundreds out there. If often involves a redesign of the floor plan. Then, be prepared to lose the use of the bathroom for many days – even weeks – as workers tear out the old bathtub, toilet or sink and haul them away. Expect plenty of noise and disruption as the old wall tiles and flooring are ripped out. Then allow time for the relocation of the plumbing, installation of new fixtures, and most likely, a whole new paint job.

Alternately, customers just looking for a surface makeover, might consider a bathtub reglazing. This is when your existing bathtub is painted over. But this solution is only temporary, and what’s more, it is not without complications. Surrounding areas have to be masked off to protect from overspray. The house will need to be ventilated thoroughly to remove fumes. The bathtub will take time to cure before it can be used. Moreover, the new tub surface is fragile and needs special care.

Given the high cost of the first option – complete remodeling – and the short lifespan of the second option – reglazing, not to mention the disruptions caused by both processes, here at Bath Fitter we’re confident that when customers fully understand our one-day bath remodelling process, they make it their preferred choice. Bath Fitter can install a new tub, shower base or wall-system over the top of old fixtures quickly, and best of all, the end result is a beautiful new bathroom that’s built to last.

Bathroom solutions

Over the last few weeks, we’ve covered the basics of Bath Fitter’s products and services, including the installation of a tub liner, shower base and wall-system. But Bath Fitter can go well beyond the basics. During our twenty-five years of business, we’ve learned to tailor our bathroom solutions to fit almost any home. We’re going to discuss a few of those more unique situations today.

Freestanding tubs or showers

As many customers already know, Bath Fitter has made its reputation by installing a brand new tub over the top of the old one. But sometimes, customers need something a little different. On occasion, we’re asked to install a tub or shower where there has never been one before, or where the old one might need to be removed entirely. For these situations, we offer a durable and elegant free-standing tub or shower. We can build the appropriate supports so that your new fixture will stand the test of time.

Corner panel

A new tub liner can sometimes present a challenge in tight spaces. Let’s say your new bathtub is too close to the toilet, or impedes the movement of the door. Bath Fitter’s product development team came up with an ingenious solution. They created a corner panel so that when installers need to cut a small portion of the tub to allow for added clearance, the new panel fits over the top, providing a smooth and professional finish.

Window trim

Our seamless wall-system is well known for keeping water at bay and for adding a touch of sophistication to a tub liner or shower-base installation. We can install our patented wall-system even in spaces with windows – of almost any size. Our skilled installers will measure the space, make an exact cut in the wall-system, and finish the job with a window trim that is solid, water-proof and elegant.

Bathroom accessories

The Bath Fitter experience includes a lot more than the one-day installation of a tub liner, shower base or wall-system. Beyond the basic components, you have a choice of a variety of bathroom accessories. Some of our accessories offer added convenience, such as soap dishes and shelving; others enhance the finished look of your installation, such as our full line of shower and bath doors; our grab bars offer improved safety, while our various faucets and shower heads can minimize water usage at the same time as maximizing your comfort.

A bath tub liner or shower base installation would not be complete without soap dishes and shelving. We have elegant styles to choose from for soap dishes, including standard and oval, as well as different sizes of shelves – some of which fit snugly into the corner of the wall, while others are more conventional horizontal shelves. Get the size that best fits the size of your household! Also choose a towel or toilet paper holder to ensure a consistent and stylish look throughout your bathroom.

Second, as anyone who’s ever struggled with a frayed or flimsy shower curtain knows, good quality doors are a big plus. Bath Fitter’s sliding or pivoting doors have been designed not just to look good, but also to ensure the best possible performance. Anti-jump technology keeps a Bath Fitter door from dislodging from the header track, and the low bottom track won’t collect water or debris. In all our doors, quarter-inch tempered glass provides the sort of resilience that is vital in a busy home. We offer doors that slide shut snugly over bathtub installations, as well as pivoting doors for showers that open and close securely and smoothly.

If safety is a top concern in your home, make sure your one-day bath remodeling includes the addition of Bath Fitter’s grab bars. Not only do we offer you handsome options – white, pearl, brass, chrome and stainless steel – we also offer you the most secure installation possible. Patented technology is used to affix the grab bar in the wall so that it can withstand hundreds of pounds of force.

And think of the money you can save by installing a faucet and showerhead that maximizes pressure but minimizes water use. We offer valves that are designed to maintain a consistent flow, even if somebody else in the household is flushing a toilet or running a tap.

A Bath Fitter estimator can guide you through these many choices and help you find the ones that are best for you and your family. Try a free in-home estimate today.