THE GREAT ESCAPE:  AIR LEAKS

Home energy audits are now available through professional companies, but you can check your home's energy-conserving status yourself.  One of the most important assessments is to locate air leaks.

Shower stalls built many years ago are likely not to have the features or structural elements that would make them up to code to today's building requirements.  After countless dousings of both hot and cold water over a score of years, tiles and grout can erode, fixtures loosen or malfunction, and shower curtains or doors lose their loveliness. 

If you are considering a new shower stall, remember to add the comfort of a ledge or bench.  You might as well include a wall niche for soaps and shampoos.  Granite or marble tiles give the stall an elegance, but there are fabulous porcelain tiles available too.

Bottom line:  You spend every day in the shower stall, so treat yourself to beauty, convenience and functionality, and add a few flowers for flair.