Ultimate Bathroom Renovation Guide

FIXTURE UPDATE

Your bathroom’s fixtures are the star of the show; they are what makes a bathroom, a bathroom. Thus, pick wisely when buying new fixtures. With the right choices, you can save space, water and electricity. 

• Toilet - also known as the water closet. This plumbing fixture has different types that you can choose from depending on how much space you want to allot for your toilet and your household’s needs. 

Thanks to innovation we now have tankless toilets that are smaller in size and more efficient in flushing. Compared to the old conventional toilets that consume 7 gallons per flush (gpf) at an average, tankless toilets only consume an average of 1.5 gpf, lowest being 0.8 gpf. However, installation costs for this type of toilet is higher.

If they’re not within your budget’s range, you can look for alternative High Efficiency Toilets (HETs).

• Sink - when choosing which sink to install in your bathroom, think about storage and countertop space. How much toiletries do you need to store in your bathroom? Certain sinks won’t allow any countertop space such as wall-mounted sinks, so you might want to consider a tabletop or an undermount type. If space is an issue, a pedestal sink can work best. 

DELICATE PLUMBING

Before starting with your project, you should know that under those floors and behind those walls are delicate pipes. Swaying that mallet without knowing where these pipes are may result in unwanted expenses and accidents. Survey the bathroom before doing any demo work. 

Delicate jobs require delicate hands. Hiring a professional is the best choice if you lack experience. It’s still your project at the end of the day. You can still help out with the laborious parts under the supervision of an expert if you’re after the satisfaction of working on your own dream bathroom. 

DESIGN AND BUDGET

When detailing the design of your project, make sure that you’re taking into account every penny that you can spend along the way. Be realistic. 

Design inspirations are everywhere. You can take a look at magazines or Pinterest for ideas. It’s a good practice to look deeper than aesthetics. Look at the layout of professionally-designed bathrooms; fixtures, walking space and storage, and incorporate their ideas to your design.

If you’ll notice, walking space is always well-respected in any bathroom layout even if it means downgrading on fixtures and storage in terms of size. 

SAVE WORKING FIXTURES

Don’t throw everything away. At least save working fixtures or cabinetry. You may reuse them for your future projects. 

The biggest thing you can save in a bathroom renovation is your bathtub, so you shouldn’t miss that. Stains may turn you off, but porcelain (the most common tub material) is really easy to clean with the right technique. A tablespoon of dishwashing soap and hot water will do the job. 

Most of the time, if you don’t tell your demo workers that you’re saving a piece of your old bathroom, they’ll end up damaged. 

PAINTING 

A bathroom doesn’t have to be all tiled up. Behold the power of paint. Majority of your bathroom can be painted, besides the shower and sink area.  You can remove those outdated tiles and update it with a sparkling white paint if you want your bathroom to look extravagant, or you may opt for a pop of color over your white subway tiles for a more artistic appeal and an energetic vibe. 

Easy as may seem, painting needs thorough work. You don’t just stroke your brush around or play with your paint roller over the walls. You need to know what kind of paint to use for what kind of wall. You don’t want to end up with uneven or patchy walls. Avail a bathroom painting service to avoid such beginner mistakes

The quality of the paint job can determine the outcome of your project regardless of other developments. You can have the nicest tub, sink and all, but if you have walls with uneven paint, everything will look cheap.

TILES

A more subdued tile color and design for your shower and flooring will enhance the overall look of your bathroom - they just give a more refreshing look. It must complement the color of your walls and cabinetry. 

The safest choice would be light colored tiles. They go with anything.

DOOR

Bathroom doors will end up the least battered pre-renovation. Simply applying a fresh coat of paint on your used door can save you some extra bucks. 

If you’re planning to buy a new door, make sure you’re buying the right one. PVC doors are the most common type of doors for bathrooms. They are waterproof, easy to install and maintain and are budget-friendly.

With a bigger budget, you may choose wood-plastic composite doors that give off a very authentic wood look while being very resistive of humidity.

VENTILATION

Ventilation is very important for bathrooms because of the extra humidity produced by showering, flushing, washing, and all the water in one enclosed area. Trapped humidity turns to condensation which can result in mold and mildew, making ventilation a must.

Good ventilation reduces bacteria growth and makes your bathroom experience more comfortable. 

• Windows. Stay away from fixed windows. They’re not for bathrooms. It’s best to install operational windows. 

• Shutters are perfect for bathrooms with large windows. You get to enjoy the light and privacy at the same time. 
• Bathroom fans effectively improve the quality of air in bathrooms by sucking out humid air. 

Bathroom Renovations are expensive projects that need to be handled with care. They’re delicate, and even the smallest mistake can put the whole project on the line. However, if done successfully with the right advice from experts, budget and care, any bathroom renovation project will pay off in the long run.