The hows and whys for a heated towel warmer.
A heated towel warmer will make any bathroom feel like a palace. Well maybe not a palace but at least a little more tolerable on those cold winter mornings and any morning for that matter. The neat thing about these things is that they are not as out of reach as you might think.
First there are several levels of heated towel warmer to choose from. The simplest and least expensive would be a semi-portable towel bar style that simply plugs into the wall. This particular type of towel warmer is well suited to renters, people who will be moving and want to take their warmer with them and people who are not looking forward to tearing open their walls and paying an electrician some big bucks to hardwire a towel rack for them.
The second type of heated towel warmer is hard wired into the electrical system of the home. This is a much more involved process more suited to a complete bathroom remodel than a quick add-on accessory. In this scenario, a new circuit is ran from the breaker panel to the bathroom. The wall is torn open to reveal the wall studs, a wiring box is installed along with a switch box. The towel warmer is installed and wired up and the walls are repaired an re-painted. This process usually involves a licensed electrician, permits and inspections, not for the faint of heart.
If you decide to go with option number two I would suggest consulting with a reputable pre-screened contractor. For more information on selecting a contractor visit my page on selecting a contractor.
Once you have decided which style of warmer to get (based upon your tolerance for large scale remodeling projects). It is time to decide upon a style.
Once again I'll begin this discussion with some talk about choosing a finish first. No sense in finding the perfect bathroom accessory only to find out later that it doesn't come in the same“antique-hammered-oil-rubbed-bronze-stonewashed-lightly- sandblasted” finish as the toilet paper holder. Take the time to research what finish you are going with before you shop for accessories, this will save a lot of time in the long run and help to narrow the choices from super broad to just broad.
There are just as many styles as finishes. Here it will do well to talk about what your goals for the heated towel warmer are. Are you simply heating your own towel for the morning or do you have a family that also wants warm towels? Who takes the first shower in the morning and how many towels will you use in a day's time that need to be warmed? You may find that a towel bar may not be enough and that a rack may be necessary. Luckily they make those too.
The styling for these heated towel warmers is pretty vast as well. They
vary from the ultra-contemporary to some more conventional. One of my
favorites is the free standing towel warmer that maximizes
flexibility both in terms of portability and ease of use. For those
really small bathrooms there is even a towel warmer that fits on the
bathroom counter. It warms the towel in just about five minutes and
uses little to no space, even stores out of site when it's not in use.
As always, don't forget to bookmark my pages and be sure to contact me with any input or questions you might have.
