Woodworker's Central Woodworker's Gazette Gazette Archive 7/10/01

A Book Review by Joe Jansen Title: Constructing Bathrooms Author: William P. Spence Published by: Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. 387 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016-8810 ISBN 0806981032 Price Softcover: $14.95(Canada $21.95 ) 144 color pages Having done some bath remodeling work over the years, I found this book interesting. 'Constructing Bathrooms' is a comprehensive overview of designing and building bathrooms. This book is from the Building Basics series so it is not designed to enable the beginner or first time do-it-yourselfer to build or reconstruct a bath. However the material is thorough. The following topics are covered by the seven chapters: 1. Preliminary Consideration: such as shape of room, sound transmission, floor loads and more. 2. Planning Guidelines: codes and national guidelines. 3. Cabinet, Countertops and Accessories. 4. Bathroom Fixtures: materials, types of toilets, tubs, bidets. 5. Designing the Bath Layout. 6. Electrical, Lighting and Plumbing 7. Bathroom Floors, Walls and Ceilings: an extensive chapter on types of flooring, walls, even painting designs. The pictures in this book were compelling and made me want to change my bathroom design, or move to a bigger house. My wife got a hold of this book and now we will definitely be re-doing our bath, (thanks Mr. Spence!). This book is not a step by step, how-to book but an excellent reference for bathroom work. It is a a good book to just browse through for anyone interested in bath construction and design. Joe Jansen Editor's Note: Sterling Publishing has graciously donated several books for review which are passed on to our members free of charge in exchange for thoughtful, honest reviews. Thank You! And you can usually find their titles at a discount from Barnes And Noble