When Alan Simonini installed a cold-mist humidifier in his home during construction, he found that the system did not produce enough moisture to protect the wood trim and Brazilian cherry floors. “We took great pains to acclimate the floors to the environment,” he says, “but after the winter, the floors were cracking and splitting. The tongues were coming out of the grooves.” After some research, Simonini’s team found steam humidifiers from Skuttle, decided to try them, and “within two weeks, the floors were completely back to normal,” he says. He was so pleased with the results that Simonini Builders now installs a Skuttle High-Capacity Steam Humidifier in each house it builds. Because steam mixes more readily with air than cold mist does, says Simonini, it is easier to achieve balanced humidity with a steam humidifier. Simonini’s clients appreciate the difference in their comfort level, he adds. Using steam humidifiers has also reduced callbacks for cracked and dried-out floors and moldings.
Simonini’s clients also appreciate the aesthetic improvement in their bathrooms when he uses Kohler’s Villager 14-inch cast iron tubs built into raised platforms. A 14-inch tub, says Simonini, looks out of place in a room with 9-foot ceilings, but with the raised platform elevating the level of the tub, “the proportion and looks are improved.” A 14-inch tub is also lighter than a 16-inch tub, making installation easier. Plus, he says, the platform “makes it easier to get in and out of.”
Skuttle. 888.758.8853. www.skuttle.com.Circle 190.
Kohler. 800.456.4537. www.kohler.com.Circle 191.
