MUST-KNOW BATHROOM REMODELING TIPS
Getting ready to start a new bathroom remodeling project? Is this your first time going through a home renovation? It’s an exciting chapter of your life and one that should be approached the right way. We compiled our favorite tips and tricks to help you learn the perfect balance between your creative customization needs and functional design ideas that can help you tie the whole bathroom together.
PLAN YOUR BATHROOM
Before you even call a remodeling company for your bathroom remodel, you should first talk with everyone who will be using the space. Try to have a discussion about the fixtures and finishes you are supposed to use and how much of a budget you’re willing to shell out. As you plan for your budget, it’s important to have a little extra, because you never know if there will be some unexpected problems that will increase the cost later on
How to Design Your Bathroom?
A lot of homes usually have at least one bathroom with a sink, toilet, and bathtub. Then, there are optional extras, such as the shower, and in some cases, a bidet. An extra sink is also a popular choice for most people, especially in households where the bathroom is often used by more than one person. A master bathroom should especially take into consideration the space required for two sinks, two vanities, and even two medicine cabinets.
Customize Your Bathroom
Similar to a standard bathroom, a customized bathroom is filled with a number of suite fixtures. The difference is that the final design usually has a matching countertop and built-in cabinets around a certain area of the room.
Wet Rooms
Thinking about all of your different customization options can actually be a little overwhelming, especially if you are having trouble deciding what direction you want to go in. Assessing your purpose, budget, and goals can help clear your mind, allowing you to focus on what you need to get started.
Design Tips to Know Before Remodeling Your Bathroom
Pop quiz: What’s the average amount of space required for a toilet? How much does a basic bathroom remodel cost? And how do you pick out the right vanity? If your answers to these questions are some combination of “What?” “Huh?” and “Um … ,” don’t worry. You’re not alone.
There’s so much that goes into a bathroom remodeling project that unless you’re a professional who does it every day — or a homeowner who’s been through the process numerous times — then all the nitty-gritty details, processes, options and decisions are going to sound like they’re in a foreign language. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for the test.
Know What a Bathroom Remodel Costs
Before you begin any project, it’s important to put your expectations into perspective when it comes to how much money you’re willing to invest. The size of your bathroom, the quality of materials you want to include and whether you’re planning to do some of the labor yourself all can affect the cost of a remodel.
Don’t Make the Toilet the First Thing You See When You Open the Door
Ask a bathroom designer what his or her best tried and true tip is, and this is what you’re likely to hear. The reasoning is simple. Oftentimes bathroom doors get left open, meaning that you or any guest in your home walking by will see the toilet — which, come on, isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing thing to look at. If you’re hoping for a spa-like vibe, putting the john front and center in the design can sort of kill the mood as you’re transitioning into the room. So, what should you make the focal point? Anything but the toilet.
Consider Leaving Those Vintage Finishes
The point of your bathroom remodel might be a fresh, new look, but some things are easier to replace than others. For example, in older homes, wall tiles may have several coats of concrete and maybe wire lath. The difficulty in removing these can cause labor costs to skyrocket. Instead, you might want to keep the vintage tiles and spend your time and money elsewhere. Besides, vintage finishes such as tile can be a cool feature.
expert tips for a top bathroom remodel
PLAN A BATHROOM LAYOUT AND STICK TO IT
When it comes to bathroom renovations you’ll want to avoid making unnecessary changes to your existing sanitaryware layout — the fewer alterations you make, the lower your plumbing costs will be. If you do need to move some key elements, then at least keep the toilet close enough to connect to the existing soil pipe. Find out more about bathroom plumbing in our quick guide
APPOINT AN ELECTRICIAN EARLY ON IN A BATHROOM REMODEL
You will need to find an electrician for any rewiring, lighting schemes and the addition of an electric shower or shower pump. Chat to one before any building or plumbing work starts so they can plan their jobs into your bathroom refurbishment schedule.
CHOOSE SANITARYWARE BEFORE PLASTERING OR TILING
To ensure the hot and cold pipes and waste are in the correct positions, you need to choose all sanitaryware before plastering or tiling. Specify everything before first-fix stage, as leaving key decisions until the sales are on can mean expensive alterations with your bathroom renovator.
SALVAGE ANY USABLE SANITARYWARE
Bathroom renovations provide a good opportunity to reuse any good-quality taps or sanitaryware – roll-top baths are usually salvageable – or, for a cost-effective way to update existing fittings, you can always re-enamel or add a new surround to a bath. This is not only cost-effective, but a great way to maintain character.
MIX AND MATCH TO MAKE SAVINGS ON A BATHROOM RENOVATION
When you remodel a bathroom, stick with white, and mix items of sanitaryware from different suppliers, in order to offset affordable buys against luxuries such as a quality bath. However, avoid cheap fixes such as plastic baths or shower trays that are so thin they are flexible and, therefore difficult to seal and make watertight.
Things Nobody Tells You About Renovating Your Bathroom
Renovations of any kind are a daunting process. But when it comes to the bath—a space that needs to be both hyper-functional and serene, practical and, ideally, a little bit luxe—the stakes somehow seem higher. There are a million decisions to be made along the way, from mirror to grout—and the price tag can be surprising
Don’t assume your contractor is on the same page.
“When you’re functioning as the general contractor—or even working with a general contractor—you have to spell out every part of the plan, and never assume everyone is up to speed,” say the mother-daughter team behind Matriarchy Build in How to Avoid Rookie Remodeling Mistakes. “Someone we know had a contractor demo the wrong bath,” they add.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost? More than you think
Think you can remodel your bathroom head to toe for a couple thousand dollars? We hate to tell you: the average cost of a bathroom remodel was $11,364 in 2016, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). A basic, low-grade renovation with less expensive materials or smaller swaps could run from $1,500 to $5,000, while a top-of-the-line, tip-to-toe renovation could run up to $23,000.
You may want to rethink that statement-making bathtub
You may be tempted to upgrade your bathroom with a dramatic freestanding bath. But it might not be the most practical choice going forward, particularly if you’re petite, hate cleaning, have an old rickety house, like to take long baths, or take more showers than baths.
Flattering lighting requires planning.
Don’t think you can install a few lights and call it a day: because bathrooms are sometimes small and/or dark and filled with mirrors (which complicates how light bounces around), lighting requires careful thought and placement. The simplest way to light a bath is a single diffuse light in the center of the ceiling. Have a bathroom that’s already pretty bright? A pair of wall sconces should be sufficient. Thinking about ceiling-inset downlights? Place with care: avoid installing directly over light-colored countertops (since those will reflect the lights), and place close to the wall over a vanity to maximize light when looking in the mirror. And if you spend a lot of time applying makeup, consider vertical fluorescent light fixtures on either side of the mirror
Selecting a Bathroom Remodeling Contractor
Have you decided upon remodeling your bathroom? If you have then you have probably made one of the best investment decisions, in terms of value and comfort. There are several factors that you will have to consider before engaging the services of a contractor for remodeling your bathroom. After all, the correct choice is the key to a successfully remodeled bathroom.
One of the first steps
One of the best ways of finding a qualified contractor is to talk to your relatives and friends about their experiences with contractors and ask them for recommendations. Find out the reasons for their good or bad experiences. You can also use online referral services, such as www.SmartGuy.com, which provide ratings and comments on different contractors.
How Credible Is The Contractor?
After you have considered a few contractors for the job, the next step is to verify their credibility. This can be done by giving them a call or visiting their website. Ensure that they have all the licenses required by the state or local municipalities. Also, check if they have any designations from professional bodies like the National Association Of The Remodeling industry (NARI) or the National Association Of Homebuilders (NAHB).
Conduct an Interview
How many bathroom remodeling contractors should one select from? Generally you should select at least three, though a few more could be better as you can always get new ideas from them. Set up meetings with them.
Be Particular About Paper Work
After you have finalized selecting a bathroom contractor for your job, go through the documents that he or she has submitted. Assess the professional nature of those documents. Go through the documents in detail to make sure they are fair.