SurePods Close Up: How Streamlined Delivery Processes Benefit Urban Communities

With over 50% of today’s global population living in cities, more building teams find themselves working on projects centered in metro areas However, urban construction projects are no easy task. Issues like tightly spaced jobsites, public safety and rigid timelines are just a few of the challenges builders face when working in densely populated areas.

At SurePods, our goal is to mitigate these issues through prefabricated building methods—namely, through our concurrent construction and streamlined delivery process. With experience in urban builds, we’re covering how these efficient operations can help improve working conditions for urban building teams and a project’s surrounding residents.

Minimize disruption

At one point or another, everyone living in a city has had to endure the not so pleasant effects of traditional construction. Small urban jobsites force developers to maximize all available storage and workspace. Excess materials overflow into the streets and significantly disrupt traffic flows, all of which are compounded by frequent crew arrivals and building material deliveries. With modular construction taking place in a controlled factory environment, extra materials no longer need to be kept onsite and deliveries are reduced.

A just-in-time delivery approach can further minimize disruptions. Developers and contractors can arrange for the bathroom pods to be delivered at off-peak traffic hours when the building team is ready to lift, place and connect the units. And with the ability to deliver and install up to 30+ units per shift at SurePods, fewer truck deliveries are required. This means less time at the jobsite, which in turn greatly reduces public disturbances.

Reduce market related delays

Another way prefabricated construction can reduce disruption is by alleviating any market related delays. There is no need to wait for the building shell to be complete and ready for bathroom pod install. The concurrent construction process makes it possible for the building team to take advantage of favorable market conditions and begin at once. When the pods are complete, modular units can then be held in offsite storage, ready for delivery. This provides developers with further control over potential market uncertainties like material availability and labor shortages that would otherwise disrupt construction timelines and keep projects ongoing in communities.

Save time and resources

Unlike traditional building methods that require multiple contractors, modular solutions like SurePods prefabricated bathrooms also serve as a one-stop-shop for materials, transportation and installation. This is widely beneficial for urban construction projects in densely populated areas, where traffic is constant, and resources and labor are tight. This is evidenced in Prism Apartments, a residential building in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

With less material deliveries needed for individual bathroom components, urban traffic surrounding the jobsite was significantly reduced (five completed bathroom pods arrived per box truck). Following a successfully coordinated just-in-time delivery, bathroom pods were ready for a seamless “plug-and-play” installation. Better yet, by reducing trade labor resources and eliminating the need for rework, SurePods delivered 159 prefabricated bathroom pods directly to the site. This helped save the project team $2,500 per bathroom and eliminated 10 days of onsite labor per bathroom.

Interested in using SurePods modular bathrooms for your next urban project? Get in touch and we’ll help explain exactly how these solutions can benefit your new build.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.a1-bathroom-4u.com/?p=156

“Do You Want It After Me?” – Who Does & Who Doesn’t Share The Bath Water?

Coronation Street fans took to Twitter last night to express their horror and despair at street favourite Tyrone, as he asked his partner Alina a very contentious question.

After discussing the whereabouts of a Weatherfield teddy bear – that was bought for their unborn child – the Corrie stalwart said “do you want it after me?” when referring to the bath water he was just about to lie in! 

This sparked a furious debate on Twitter and beyond, with many people left reeling at the thought of Alina sharing Tyrone’s bath water.

Tyrone&Alina sharing bath water? Do people actually do that? #coronationstreet #corrie pic.twitter.com/oTi0ojfs1C

— SαႦιɳα
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(@Bhoney1990) July 29, 2021I think I just threw up in mouth a little @itvcorrie Tyrone asking Alina does she want his bath water after him
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#corrie #coronationstreet #romanceisdead

— audreygreene81 (@audsgreene) July 28, 2021

But, taking a dip in the tub after your partner isn’t as uncommon as you think! 

In a recent survey we found that almost 1-in-5 of 35-44 year olds (Tyrone’s age group) actually shared their bath water regularly. 

The figures drop off for younger (18-24) and more elderly age groups (65+) – but it would seem sharing the bath water is not as uncommon as the Twittersphere would have us believe.

Why Share The Bath Water?

There could be several reasons for sharing a bath with your partner. 

There’s the obvious romantic evening you could enjoy with a glass or two of the bubbly stuff.

A couple sharing a bath together

But we think Tyrone’s approach is more about saving on the water bill and that he is perhaps a little more water conscious than we give him credit for!

So, to find out who WILL and who WILL NOT sit in someone else’s muck – we asked the residents of 15 cities in the UK & Northern Ireland who does and who doesn’t share a bath!

Who Is Sharing Bath Water?

As Weatherfield is a suburb of the great city of Manchester, it would be remiss of us to start anywhere else. 

And, it would appear that Tyrone is not alone on the bath sharing idea, as 21.3% of those Mancunians polled said they had no issue with sharing their bath time. 

However, it was Belfast that came out on top – by a solitary 0.1% – as 21.4% of those asked in Northern Ireland said they were happy to dip in after their partners.

A woman dipping her toe into the bath water

Who Isn’t Sharing Bath Water?

Those UK residents sharing the sentiments of many a Corrie fan – and who are not too happy to jump in someone else’s filth – are the people of Edinburgh; with just 4.5% of those polled saying they are happy to share the tub. 

Elsewhere, Scousers & Nottinghamians are not big fans of their partners’ leftover bath water either, with just 7% of Liverpudlians and 6.6% of Nottingham residents sharing a bath.

The Full Bath Water Sharing Breakdown

So, who loves a bath share and who doesn’t? 

Check out the graphic below to see which age groups love a shared bath.

And discover which city residents near you are not averse to dipping their toes – and everything else – in their beloved’s leftover bath water!

Bath water sharing infographic

 Do You Share Your Bath Water?

How do you feel about sharing your bath water with your partner? 

Is it something you do to save water, or do you do it for some other reason? 

Let us know if you support Tyrone’s stance on your partner jumping in the bath after you, and tell us if you’re #TeamBath or #TeamShower!

The post “Do You Want It After Me?” – Who Does & Who Doesn’t Share The Bath Water? written by John Lawless appeared first on Big Bathroom Shop.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.a1-bathroom-4u.com/?p=146

9 Reasons You Need To Shower In The Morning

What Makes An A.M Shower An Essential Vice?

As a broad generalization, two main profiles exist as it pertains to those who take showers on a daily basis – people who hit the shower in the morning and those who prefer to cleanse in the evening.

For those that tend to go for the latter option, the main reasons typically relate to feelings of relaxation and hoping to unwind after a long or stressful day. The morning showerers are usually seeking a refreshing boost to awaken the senses, and kick off their day in an invigorating fashion.

But, do the benefits of one shower routine outweigh those associated with the other?

The title of our blog has probably already indicated so, and the rest of this article will cover the numerous health advantages that would appear to set morning showers apart…

1. Improved Skin Condition

Shower water on skin of woman with star tattoo on back

From a general perspective, showers are beneficial with regards to skin health. But morning showers are actually considered to be more advantageous.

Indeed, a shower taken early doors is a greater help in combating acne, and also in terms of balancing the natural oils on the skin.

2. Ease Stress And Anxiety

Woman taking a shower

Plenty of people experience the sensation of early-morning stress and anxiety, often linked to the prospect of the multitude of tasks that will populate the day ahead.

A morning shower offers an excellent means to tackle this stress, especially in the case of lukewarm or cold showers, as explained in greater detail on our blog – Cold Shower vs Hot Shower: What Are The Benefits?

Simply put, morning showers guarantee your body receives the oxygen it requires. Sufficient oxygen presence in the brain will help you to de-stress, no matter how busy your day ahead might be.

3. Enhanced Immunity

Man cleansing himself in shower using yellow sponge

The immune system can be enhanced by morning showers, which will stimulate the body to produce new white blood cells. These cells are then used to help fight off illness.

Our biological clock represents the reasoning for this process only occurring to a significant extent during morning showers.

4. Cough Relief

As well as improving immunity from sickness to begin with, morning showers also provide a superb vice to relieve any existing colds or coughs.

In such a condition, phlegm and mucus can build up in the throat and chest areas overnight, making for an uncomfortable morning experience battling a sore throat and persistent cough.

With a hot morning shower, the emanating steam will loosen up these unwanted substances and help to clear your sinuses and enable you to feel much more comfortable in very little time.

For the very best effect, indulge in an aromatherapy shower with the use of scented shower gels and eucalyptus oils, accentuated by the full coverage provided by a modern shower system.

5. Boosted Energy

Probably the most simple reason on the list. Morning showers represent a preferable choice for many due to the sense of rejuvenation they provide.

All in all, they deliver the perfect refreshing energy boost to kick start your day, preparing you in earnest for whatever tasks lie ahead.

6. Rids The Body Of Toxins

Man taking a shower in bathroom

Woman taking a shower in bathroom

A multitude of toxins emerge from the skin whilst we sweat during sleeping overnight. And these same toxins can even formulate whilst relaxing in the high temperature surrounds of a home bathtub, for instance.

Morning showers are an ideal vice for washing these away, and therefore ridding the body of toxins.

7. Better Hair & Scalp Condition

By taking regular morning showers, you’ll notice an improvement in the condition of your hair and scalp.

If you are dealing with an extremely oily scalp and hair, even an evening shower will not prevent the areas from remaining oily to some extent by the following morning.

Taking frequent morning showers is an obvious but failsafe method to dodge or curtail this issue.

8. Muscle Ache Relaxation

Man taking a shower pouring shampoo onto yellow sponge
Male Everyday Hygiene And Bodycare Concept. Unrecognizable Man Pouring Shower Gel On Sponge Washing Body Standing Under Falling Hot Water Drops In Modern Bathroom At Home. Banner, Copy Space

Any niggling muscle aches or pains can be alleviated greatly by taking a morning shower, ultimately relaxing the body and achieving a comfortable physical state.

Essentially, morning showers can help you feel far less tense from both a mental and physical perspective, providing the perfect foundations to attack the day ahead from your very own shower enclosure.

9. Increased Fertility

It might surprise you to learn that morning showers have been linked to increased fertility levels in the male population.

So if couples are having difficulty conceiving, or even just planning ahead to conceive, it is worth the male indulging in frequent morning showers to garner the potential positive effects.

Again, cold showers can be especially useful in this regard. The cold water can trigger testosterone, and more importantly, research indicates that male sperm production is enhanced dramatically after just a week’s worth of cold morning showers.

Get In Touch With Big Bathroom Shop

To find out more about the benefits of morning showers, or for any further information regarding the showers vs baths debate and much more, consult the full Big Bathroom Shop blog.

Or, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team if you would prefer. You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below, or contact us via Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

The post 9 Reasons You Need To Shower In The Morning written by John Klee appeared first on Big Bathroom Shop.

Bathroom Design Essentials: Elements To Own

Bathroom Design Essentials: Elements To Own

Bathroom design needs some special items in order to be able to truly ascend to perfection, and today, we at Maison Valentina have decided to gather some of the best elements one can use when renovating their bathroom! From incredible taps to amazing mirrors, these elements will truly turn your bathroom into something special! Let’s take a look at Bathroom Design Essentials: Elements To Own!

See More: The Apartment Éternel: The Most Iconic Bathrooms Paris Has To Offer

FEEL INSPIRED BY THE BEST BATHROOM DESIGN ELEMENTS FROM MAISON VALENTINA

ORIGIN MOUNTING FLOOR MIXER WITH HAND SHOWER TAP

Origin Mounting Floor Mixer with Hand Shower Tap is a beautiful contemporary mounting floor mixer tap.

Continue reading Bathroom Design Essentials: Elements To Own at Maison Valentina Blog.

11 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid Remodeling a Small Bathroom

Living with your small bathroom (and developing a plan to remodel it) can be a real chore! And this ‘AMAZING REVELATION’ is even coming from a guy who leads a Cleveland bathroom remodeling and nationwide bathroom products wholesale business too! Here’s just a few reasons a small bathroom can be a pain in the neck. […]

The post 11 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid Remodeling a Small Bathroom appeared first on Innovate Building Solutions Blog – Home Remodeling, Design Ideas & Advice.

Bathroom Design Ideas That Will Leave You Wanting A Fresh Renovation

Bathroom Design Ideas That Will Leave You Wanting A Fresh Renovation

Bathroom design ideas like Maison Valentina’s own will surely revolutionize your trends outlook in 2021! Follow along as we introduce to you the best ideas that this incredible summer has to offer! From golden-bathed bathrooms to darker shades that bring with them a strange feeling of harmony and universal blissfulness. So, without any further ado, follow along to Bathroom Design Ideas That Will Leave You Wanting A Fresh Renovation!

Continue reading Bathroom Design Ideas That Will Leave You Wanting A Fresh Renovation at Maison Valentina Blog.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.a1-bathroom-4u.com/?p=131

Spotlight on International Projects

Like most industries, the construction sector experienced a whirlwind of changes in 2020 and beyond. With the cost of building materials skyrocketing and labor shortages increasing, more are turning to prefab building solutions for their lean manufacturing techniques and ability to help keep projects on track. As a result, the market for modular is growing as the construction industry continues to adopt prefabricated solutions.

Here at SurePods we’re proud to support this growth—and even see it extend to distant places. With wide-ranging experience, our modular bathroom pods can ship to Canada and select international locations, depending on project needs. To showcase how we’ve seen modular building’s evolving technology help fuel innovation across the globe, we’re taking a look back at some noteworthy international projects that we’ve worked on to date:

Nassau, Bahamas

Situated on Nassau’s northern shore, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is a spectacular 1,800-room oceanfront resort that opened spring 2017. With two distinct towers and a variety of rooms, suites and residences, SurePods was the perfect match to prefabricate the beautiful custom bathroom units, all with 5-star quality. The pods were fabricated in Orlando, FL, and shipped to the jobsite via ocean container, eliminating thousands of man hours from the project site.

Ontario, Canada

In the development of their new retirement community located in Ontario, Canada, Seasons Retirement Homes enlisted SurePods to deliver 147 beautifully designed bathroom pods for seamless “plug-and-play” installs across the U.S. border. With the grand opening scheduled for early 2022, SurePods was able to provide quality bathrooms in line with a tight and efficient construction schedule. Plus, each pod features materials and fixtures all carefully selected by the project design team.

Montreal, QC, Canada

Taking up over two full blocks in the heart of downtown Montreal, the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) is one of North America’s largest academic medical centers. To help replace the outdated facility’s bathrooms in such a large volume, SurePods took on their largest P3 project to date. Supplying 669 pods, our single-source approach supported the institution’s clinical design and programming solution that stresses quality and expedient solutions.

If you’re an international developer or designer working on a large-scale multi-unit facility, let’s talk. Contact us at [email protected].

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.a1-bathroom-4u.com/?p=126

Keeping Clean On Company Time?

>How The Pandemic Has Changed Our Cleaning Habits

The last 18 months or so have seen many of us working from home for extended periods of time – and we’ve been taking advantage of this in a range of different ways.

Somewhat safe in the knowledge that we can get up and take things a bit slower than we normally would, some of us stay up past our “usual” bedtime and get out of bed a little later. 

Others kick back in the garden and enjoy a few extra minutes on their lunch break, knowing full well that an additional 15 minutes of lazing in the sun “won’t do any harm”.

And then there are those of us who have decided to shower or bathe on company time. 

That’s right, we British like to talk about the “stiff upper lip” and “just getting on with it”, but we’re just as guilty as everyone else when it comes to getting that little extra time away from our workspace!

Taking Advantage Of The Boss Not Watching

We surveyed 2000 people and found that around 1-in-10 of us were either taking more showers or having more baths since we started working from home. 

And that’s no bad thing, really, as we all know that there are many of us who have taken to showering a lot less since we weren’t allowed to leave the house!

But with the boss not being around to watch us (though that would be weird), we found that men were more likely to take advantage of working from home, with 10% of those surveyed saying they were taking more baths in lockdown – compared to 6.2% of women.

3.8% of men and 3.6% of women have also started taking baths on their lunch breaks, with 7.8% of those aged 18-24 most likely to take the plunge when they should really be fuelling up for an afternoon of work.

And of all the cities in the UK, residents of Southampton are more likely to try and get away from their home office desks, with 10.2% taking more baths in lockdown and 8.2% using their dinner break to have a nice relaxing soak.

re We Really Using Company Time To Take Get Clean?

Making The Most Of Our Bathtubs

Although many more of us are now taking baths in our lunch breaks, the question of whether we are actually eating into company time – and being paid to get clean – still remains. 

The average UK lunch break is 34 minutes – but according to our study, we spend an average of 25 minutes in the bath, so perhaps we’re being a bit hasty calling out the UK’s workforce! 

However, if 25 minutes is the average, that means some of us are spending a lot longer in the bath than others – so who is it? 

Well, according to our data, 35-44 year olds tend to spend a little longer soaking away their worries than anybody else, with 25% of them taking over 45 minutes in the tub. 

However, the biggest offenders for extended lunchtime bathtub breaks are actually the over 55’s – as 6.5% of them freely admit to spending well over an hour giving themselves that “prune-like” glow!

nd Sneaking A Shower

For showers, it’s a little different and perhaps not as naughty as it is taking a bath. 

Of those surveyed, we found that many people only took around 10 minutes to take a shower – which leaves ample time for a bite to eat in the remaining 24 minutes of the average lunch break. 

However, some residents of London (2.5%), Birmingham (1.4%) and Nottingham (1.5%) did say they spent in excess of 25 minutes showering, leaving little time to dry themselves off before needing to be back at their desks. 

Men were marginally more guilty of taking their time in the shower, with 1.3% of those asked stating they spent over half an hour in there, compared to 1.2% of women. 

And it was the millennials in the survey that showered for the longest, with an average shower time of 12.2 minutes, with 5% of that age group taking over 30 minutes in the shower!

What Happens When We Go Back To The Office?

With all this extra time being spent showering and bathing while working from home, it begs the question – what will employers do to accommodate this new-found desire to keep clean when we get back to the office? 

If companies allow a “smoke break” for those people dependent on nicotine, will they have to start allocating time for people wanting shower and bathtub breaks too?

Maybe we’re on the road towards showers and freestanding bathtubs in every office in the country! 

Perhaps we’ll see employees demanding contracts that state they must be allowed to take showers on site and enjoy the relaxation a bath can offer on a daily basis! 

Who really knows? 

One thing is for certain, however, the “new normal” is not as “normal” as we think, and in years to come don’t be surprised to find yourself walking past your colleague in their bath robe, making their way back to their desk, smelling strongly of Original Source or Dove. 

I for one support these possible changes, if only for the singing in the shower competitions that are likely to come about when everyone has got used to it all!

Have You Changed Since Working From Home?

We’ve all been through a lot in the last year and a half, and we’d love to hear how you are doing things differently than before the pandemic began.

Are you a secret lunchtime showerer? Leave a comment below or tag Big Bathroom Shop on Instagram or Facebook and tell us about your own bathroom tales.

The post Keeping Clean On Company Time? written by John Lawless appeared first on Big Bathroom Shop.

Debunking the Myth: Repeatable Units Do Not mean Cookie Cutter Design

Modular construction has proven itself a faster, more versatile, and high-quality building option. Yet, misconceptions continue to persist as the technologically advanced process deviates from the familiarity of traditional building methods. One common myth is that the repeatable units produced in large quantities during the modular construction process rely solely on ready-made design with little creative flexibility and diminished quality.

While prefabrication does enable production in large quantities, by no means does higher volume equate to lower quality. In the case of SurePods modular bathroom pods, our factory-controlled setting actually allows for higher quality finishes. To illustrate, our relatively thin floor assemblies support a smaller threshold and tighter tolerances. With this, modular bathrooms automatically adhere to ADA requirements while offering slim profiles and eliminating excess labor costs.

Of course, bathroom pods do work best in any market with a repeatable design, including multi-unit residential, healthcare facilities, hospitality, student living and assisted and senior living facilities. But this does not mean prefab is synonymous with lackluster units. Modular solutions simply need higher quantities to substantiate set up and production—not because of any creative deficiency.

In fact, modular construction can involve a great deal of creativity. With equal design collaboration between the manufacturer and client starting at the pre-design phase, every prefabricated project involves some degree of customization. From basic apartment bathrooms all the way to five-star level hotel finishes, the design is completely dependent on what the client wants and specifies. To emphasize this creative design process, SurePods even offers ample options for customizations on pods where dimensions don’t change. From trim and fixtures to accessories and more, building professionals can enjoy fully tailored bathroom components.

For large scale projects on a fixed schedule or those facing expensive or unavailable skilled local labor, consider the significant advantages of the creative and quality prefab approach.

If you have an upcoming project and you want to learn more about the benefits of modular bathrooms, contact us at: [email protected]

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.a1-bathroom-4u.com/?p=84