Forgotten little bathroom now a shining star
Renee Vogt of Lombard has overseen many improvements to her 70-year-old suburban house over the years, including the construction of an addition in 1989. But one bathroom had been ignored for decades.
“This bathroom still looked just like it did when we moved here in 1986,” Vogt said. “It is a Cape Cod-style house, probably built in the 1940s, and while we put on a huge addition in 1989 and now have four bathrooms, this particular bathroom - used by my daughter - had been pretty much ignored.”
Fortunately, Vogt can no longer say that today. She was randomly chosen as the winner of the Daily Herald and Bath Planet's shower and tub makeover, worth up to $7,000. More than 800 entries were received.
“It was very outdated,” Vogt said of the bathroom. “I had been wanting to redo it for awhile.”
Winning the makeover from Bath Planet turned out to be the impetus Vogt and her husband, Richard, needed to gut the whole bathroom, replacing the old galvanized steel plumbing with copper, as well as replacing the floor, doors and everything else in the room.
“When we tore up the floor tile, we found there was linoleum under it, so someone had upgraded the bathroom at some point since the house was built,” Vogt said.
“It all turned out really nice. We are very happy with it and now when my daughter comes back for visits, she will have a nice shower to use,” she added.
Dimitris Nacopoulos, owner of a Chicago-area Bath Planet dealership based in Streamwood, said the company's products install right over existing, ugly wall tile and chipped or faded tubs or showers for maximum cost-effectiveness and minimum mess.
“We replaced the Vogts' old tub with a new one and put in new acrylic walls for a great, modern look,” he said.
Homeowners like the Vogts who are tired of the look of their bathroom, or those whose circumstances have changed and they are now in need an accessible tub or shower, are flocking to Bath Planet for an economical solution, Nacopoulos said.
Bath Planet offers stylish, cost-effective, low-maintenance acrylic bath improvements. Bath Planet also offers replacement tubs and shower bases in a wide selection of colors, sizes and styles to add value to the bathroom within your home.
And you don't have to plan on workmen invading your home for days or weeks. Installation can be completed in as little as one day, Nacopoulos said.
The products Nacopoulos' crews install are made in Palatine, where BCI Acrylic/Bath Planet is headquartered. The firm was founded in 1999 by Scott Rosenbach and Tom Barzantny, whose product line offers lifetime warranties and are installed by authorized and trained local dealers.
Nacopoulos has owned the suburban Chicago Bath Planet dealership for 15 years. His territory extends from Rockford to Lake Michigan and from the Indiana border to southern Wisconsin.
He said Bath Planet products feature the elegant look of ceramic tile, granite or marble - in a wide variety of colors and finishes - but without the grout and irritating maintenance of tile because the liners are made of a nonporous, easy-to-clean material.
Add to that the array of finishing touches that are available, such as shower caddies, soap dishes, grab bars, curved shower rods and a selection of shower doors, and homeowners can easily create a complete, unique bathroom that meets their particular circumstances.
Nacopoulos said Bath Planet also has a full-line of accessibility products and aging-in-place bath systems to ensure independent living for as long as possible. Roll-in showers, walk-in tubs, soaking tubs and even jetted tubs are all available.
“What sets us apart is the fact that we offer great service, competitive pricing, the most color and design options in the business and a lifetime warranty,” Nacopoulos said.
For more information, call Bath Planet at (877) 705-7177.