Bathroom remodelling is a great option if you’re looking to update your home. However, renovating your bathroom does involve a lot of hard work, your experience in this area may be limited.
Bathroom Remodelling Best Practices
Before starting on your new bathroom, take a look at the most common do’s and don’ts that come with this type of work. There are several things that you should and shouldn’t do when remodelling a new bathroom. The list below will ensure you do everything you need to when going through this type of project.
Expect The Unexpected
No matter the reason for the bathroom remodelling, you should always look for any potential problems before you finish making all of your plans. Bathrooms can sometimes have hidden water damage from areas such as the sink, bath, toilet, or shower. Spongy flooring around the area is usually a good indicator of water damage. You may also come across a vent in one of the walls you wish to knock down. This will result in you having to install a new vent in a new location. When looking for a new vent, it’s always best to search for the most efficient bathroom extractor fan to help ensure you keep your energy bills down.
To help you with being prepared for these unexpected problems, add 10-15% budget cushion so that you can address these issues immediately without having to wait.
Invest in Quality Surfaces
A bathroom counter will usually go through a considerable amount of wear and tear. With this in mind, it’s important to think ahead when choosing the right kinds of surfaces for your bathroom.
For example, if you choose porcelain surfaces, these may chip easily, and laminate surfaces may scratch easily. Instead, it would be better to use quartz, granite, or enamel-on-steel surfaces for a durable and stain-resistant surface.
When I remodelled my bathrooms, in most I opted for quartz except for the basement. The vanity came with engineered marbled which is touted as durable material but less expensive than pure marble. However, comparing the 2, the quartz handles stains better as regardless of how much treatment your marble goes through, some marks become permanent.
For flooring, check out this guide for some ideas.
Hire a Professional Plumber
If you are planning any complicated installations, always leave these to the professionals to handle. If you try to install or move any pipes, you may come across some difficulties. You can also risk creating more damage to your bathroom, and this could end up being a waste of your time and result in higher costs down the line. To avoid these issues, contact a reliable, professional plumber to handle all of these parts of your work.
When we installed a bathroom in our basement, most of the work was done by my husband except for the piping move. The water pipes were cemented in a different part of the basement floor and we wanted them moved. Rather than risk it ourselves, we hired a professional plumber to ensure the old one is properly removed, blocked and the new one installed. We later added the cement around it to secure as that was easier to manage.
Consider Lights & Ventilation
Many older homes won’t have bathroom fans installed and can experience water damage. Water damage can look terrible and can also cause mould and mildew, which can also become a health hazard. You can prevent water damage by installing a bathroom fan.
For lighting, you should consider creating layers of light in the room and the square footage of the area. For example, the main light in the room may cause shadows on your face if it is sitting on a vanity mirror. Consider incorporating light at the sides and above the mirrors to prevent these shadows. Also, toilets and shower areas may need their own extra lighting sources.
In our case, when shopping for vanity lighting, I opted for cool-white lights that provided at least 1000 lumens if it was a powder a room and 2000-3000 if it was a master or main bathroom. I also took into consideration whether there was another light in the bathroom such as above the shower when calculating the lumens needed.
To connect your electrical, do go with a certified electrician for safety and insurance purposes.
Take Your Time
When you decide on a bathroom remodelling, most people will want the work finished as quickly as possible. It’s important to take the time to properly plan the work and make sure you know the design and prices before going ahead with it. This will help you avoid going over your budget or facing any problems with the design element.
Poor planning may lead to parts of the work needing to be redone. To avoid this, spend a few months planning out every aspect before you start. If you are considering moving your layout around, you will need to figure out the plumbing lines during the planning stage.
Avoid Clutter
The more you can clear the essential areas, the better. Decide which fixtures are necessary during the planning process. This will allow you to create storage for certain appliances beneath the counters or in closets.
On the other hand, it’s important to ensure you have enough room for everything. Most families will use the sink space for storing toothbrushes or other essential daily items. Consider choosing counter sinks over pedestal sinks so that you and the family have enough room for everything.
Think Ahead
Think and plan your choices ahead. Try to envision what your bathroom will look like and check out several examples online to help you picture it. Avoid going for trendy designs that will go out of fashion or that you will grow tired of within a few years.
Additionally, you should consider adding a walk-in shower or a bench to help as you get older. Add in grab bars by the tub or toilet to help seniors and children, and consider the height of your toilet – you want your toilet to be at a comfortable height that is easy to stand up from.
Don’t Settle
Although the budget is often at the top of people’s priorities when going through with any type of home renovation, you shouldn’t allow your budget to affect the quality of the bathroom remodelling.
You may be able to save some money by choosing something such as a cheaper toilet. However, these cheaper fixtures may need to be replaced sooner than you want. Consider spending a little bit more as bathroom go through a lot of wear and tear and you will need durable fixtures.
The Gist of it
When going through a bathroom remodelling it’s important to plan for the unexpected and think of your ideal bathroom ahead of time. Draw on inspirations that suit your layout, area size and style before the installation. Hire a professional to ensure proper installation of plumbing and electrical circuits. Consider spending a little to ensure you get durable fixtures
What tips do you have for bathroom remodelling?
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