Next to renovating your kitchen, a bathroom renovation can, in most cases, provide outstanding ROI for a homeowner. Beyond ROI, a newly constructed bathroom can also provide a homeowner with years of leak-proof functionality and enjoyment. If you're considering renovating the one room in your house that can make you look pretty, here are some quick tips:
1. Porcelain is king!
Porcelain tile is easy to clean and practically indestructible. Moreover, Porcelain tile is not porous so it's a natural fit in a room filled with water and moisture. Personally, I would stay away from marble (it's porous, chips easily, and tends to turn yellow with time), granite (needs to be sealed), and ceramic (chips and not as strong as porcelain) when deciding on tile choices for a bathroom renovation.
Porcelain tile is easy to clean and practically indestructible. Moreover, Porcelain tile is not porous so it's a natural fit in a room filled with water and moisture. Personally, I would stay away from marble (it's porous, chips easily, and tends to turn yellow with time), granite (needs to be sealed), and ceramic (chips and not as strong as porcelain) when deciding on tile choices for a bathroom renovation.
2. Light is important when you are trying to get clean.
I like to include lighting in or near the shower/tub area, wall mounted lighting above a mirror, and adequate overheard lighting.
I like to include lighting in or near the shower/tub area, wall mounted lighting above a mirror, and adequate overheard lighting.
3. Exhaust the room.
An average shower produces a ton of steam, so be sure to adequately vent your bathroom with a recessed bath fan. Also, if you have a window in your bathroom, be sure to open it during your shower (and try not to scare the neighbors)!
An average shower produces a ton of steam, so be sure to adequately vent your bathroom with a recessed bath fan. Also, if you have a window in your bathroom, be sure to open it during your shower (and try not to scare the neighbors)!
4. Replace the pipes, sheet rock, and plywood!
I recommend doing a gut renovation when it comes to bathrooms. A gut renovation will allow you to replace old and possibly faulty copper pipes, old concrete board and sheetrock (which may or may not have had water damage), and properly level and stabilize the floor and shower area with new plywood.
I recommend doing a gut renovation when it comes to bathrooms. A gut renovation will allow you to replace old and possibly faulty copper pipes, old concrete board and sheetrock (which may or may not have had water damage), and properly level and stabilize the floor and shower area with new plywood.
5. Expect the project to take longer than you imagined.
Renovating a bathroom includes tile work, electrical, sheet rock, concrete board, framing, plumbing, etc. and, in some ways, is a more complicated project than a kitchen renovation.
Renovating a bathroom includes tile work, electrical, sheet rock, concrete board, framing, plumbing, etc. and, in some ways, is a more complicated project than a kitchen renovation.
Are you looking for more information on bathroom renovations? If so, check out the GardenWeb Bath forum (the message board has tons of enthusiastic members who will answer your questions, Garden Web also has an excellent forum on kitchen renovation).
BONUS TIP
Don't purchase a rain shower shower head (they use tons of water and lack proper pressure), instead purchase this inexpensive shower head from Kohler (thousands of guests at the Holiday Inn can't be wrong)!
Italian
