Remodeling a bathroom is a great way to add enjoyment to your everyday life while increasing the value of your home. Aesthetics, functionality, and overall quality of fixtures can make a big difference in how you feel inside your own house, but remodeling a bathroom is a complex process that requires a great deal of careful planning to achieve the desired results. A few missteps can really cost you in the long run, so here’s a list of common mistakes that are absolutely necessary to avoid.
Shortcutting The Planning Stage
It’s easy to fall in love with a certain look or style of bathroom fixtures, but choosing lights, vanities, showers, toilets, and bathtubs independently without having a deep understanding of how they all work together in such a small space can result in a lot more work and costs than what you originally anticipated. Everything in a bathroom needs to be easily functional for everyday life in addition to being pleasant to the eye in order for you to truly be satisfied. Since you’re making the financial investment, be sure to plan as many details as you can before beginning the process. To be absolutely certain of the plans, hiring a designer or having the builder do the designing can really save you a lot of time, money, and headaches.
Rearranging Fixtures
Changing the location of the toilet, sink or bathtub can certainly be done, but not without consequence. Moving a toilet can require extensive plumbing work. Moving a light to the opposite wall means you may be doing drywall repairs. Every change that incurs causes a ripple effect of adjustments that need to be made elsewhere. This means that if you’re planning on moving something, be aware that it could be costly. It can still be done, but you must ask yourself if it’s worth it to you.
Inadequate Spacing
Though spacing of fixtures, cabinets, and wall hangers is important for ease of use, there are also building code requirements that need to be met. Beyond the legalities, putting things too close together can make them difficult to use, and trying to fit too much into a small space can become an eyesore.
Choosing the Wrong Materials
A bathroom endures more severe environmental changes than any other room in the house. The steam from the shower causes moisture everywhere in the room which can be a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Because of this, choosing materials that are easy to clean and maintain is paramount. Even choosing the wrong paint or wallpaper can lead to black specks on the wall by absorbing moisture rather than repelling it. Make sure that you choose materials that are made to last long in a damp environment.
Not Prioritizing Ventilation
One of the best things you can do to combat those unwanted black specks of mold from growing on the wall is to ensure a well functioning ventilation system. It’s best to consult a professional to learn where the best points are for fans to be installed. You also want to use the correct size of fan for the square footage or the room. There’s also the option of using multiple smaller fans depending on how large the bathroom is and how far apart you toil, sink and shower are.
Saving Money On The Wrong Things
It might be tempting to take a trip down to a big box store and pick up whatever bathroom fixtures catch your eye, but buying anything on sale or at a discount might come at the cost of cheaper plastic parts that wear over time and eventually break or cease to function. If you hire a builder to remodel your bathroom, they’re only going to want to use parts and fixtures that they can stand behind. It’s a good idea to get their input when making a decision or have them present a few recommended options.
You might even get the idea that tiling is not too difficult and after watching a couple of how-to videos you can manage to get the job done. While you can most definitely lay some tiling down, there’s no guarantee that it will be done correctly. It’s a skill that takes a lot of time and practice to learn and if done incorrectly can result in moisture getting underneath the tile, causing it to buckle and crack. Sometimes, it saves money in the long run to hire a professional.
Strict Budgeting
Budgeting is an absolute must. However, many surprises can arise during a bathroom remodel that can cause costs to change considerably. The more complex the remodel, the more likely this is to occur. If walls need to be demolished or extra plumbing or electrical work needs to be done than originally anticipated, it can cause the overall cost to go up. You might even find that you might need to alter your plans a bit to better fit the orientation of the room. A good rule of thumb is to plan for roughly 15-20% beyond what you think the remodel is going to cost. If you plan for surprises, then they’re less of a shock when they do happen and it won’t put you in a bind.
Let Butler Contracting Do Your Bathroom Remodel!
At Butler Contracting we offer a wide variety of options to fit your needs, desires, and budget for a bathroom remodel. We love turning our customer’s bathrooms into their own personal spa. Start planning your bathroom remodel by filling out our Contact Us Form or calling (844) 628-8537.
