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I would like to hang a TV on the wall at the foot of my bathtub. Are there any restrictions or guidelines I should follow when choosing the height, or general location for the TV?

You must overcome two problems. First you cannot have any receptacles in a tub or shower space. Next, if the TV fell into the bathtub you would most likely be electrocuted. Ask the local building inspector if you could have the TV behind a sealed tempered glass panel with the electrical and cable connection accessible to a space behind the TV. Access to the TV would be from another space and would keep you from harm’s way when in the bathtub. Controls would be with a typical wireless remote for safety. If the installation is approved, the height would be determined by where you would be when watching the TV. Eye level would be best.  As an example, if you were reclining in the bathtub visualize your line of sight without adjusting you neck. That is where the TV should be mounted. And since it is behind a sealed panel, water will not be an issue.

I am installing a slide in gas range in my kitchen, and the instructions calls for locating the shut off in the same proximity as the appliance (i.e. in and adjacent cabinet) I know I have to follow local codes, but do you think i can get away with locating the shut off in the basement below the range?

If I was your building inspector I would not allow the shut-off to be in the basement. The code requires a location that would be easily accessible and quick to locate in an emergency. Check locally to see if your inspector would be more lenient.

cabinet height when using a 6" high vessel basin and how far above the basin should your wall mount faucet be installed

You question has a lot of variables. Is the bath to be used by several people with different heights such as a hall bath? Will the lavatory be located in a master bath? Based on the user, I would suggest the top of the vessel be about 6” below the primary users elbow height. Let’s use 39” as a height of the elbow for a person about 5’ 3” tall. The top of the vessel lavatory would be 6” below that at 33”. If the vessel is 6” high the countertop would be 27” above the floor. If I was designing the space for my client, I would ask them to find a lavatory height that they found comfortable to use. Then by measuring 6” below the rim height, I would have the counter height for the client’s vessel lav.

As far as the wall mounted faucet; this is a good question for the NKBA dealer in their showroom. Wall mounted faucets vary in depth and the trajectory of the water leaving the faucet. It is possible that water will splash out of the bowl if the faucet and bowl do not match. The height of the vessel lav is also a factor as the water drops into the bowl. Another issue is a bowl with less depth used in conjunction with a deep wall mounted faucet. The faucet will get in your way as you try to splash water on your face. Once you select the bowl, ask the dealer for the best faucet.

We have a hotel with a shower floor 6" above the bathroom floor. The shower lip is 9 1/2" above the bathroom floor (3 1/2" above the shower floor). Is there a code indicating a maximum allowable change in level from the bathroom floor to the shower floor? Is there a maximum allowable shower lip height?

This is a question that should be answered by your local building inspector since your hotel falls under commercial building codes rather than residential codes. I will say that you are right to question the difference in heights of the bathroom floor and the shower floor. A difference of 3 ½“ can catch a person off-guard as they step into or out of the bath. This difference can be even more dangerous if the person is not holding onto a railing or grab bar. Since the NKBA deals with residential kitchens and baths we suggest you contact a professional who is active in the commercial market in your area.

What are the criteria that define the different 'grades' of cabinets? When comparing bids for cabinets, what structural or quality aspects would you consider the most important to quantify, aside from convenience or luxury items like full extension drawers, etc? Thanks.

As a designer, we see cabinets fitting into three groups; stock, semi-custom and custom. The distension between these three groups is more about customization, availability and style/finish options than quality. It is true that custom cabinetry will typically have more hand work performed on the cabinets than stock cabinetry. However, quality standards are similar throughout the three groups.  I have included a link to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufactures Association (KCMA). They perform several performance tests on manufactured cabinets to check for durability and reliability. The link to the test procedures is http://www.kcma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Visitors.Performance . I think a visit to their site will help answer your question.

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