Bathroom Remodel Information

The following list will guide you to additional information on each aspect of bathroom remodeling.

While remodeling or improving your bathroom, steps should be taken to minimize pollution from sources inside the home. In addition, residents should be alert to signs of inadequate ventilation, such as stuffy air, moisture condensation on cold surfaces, or mold and mildew growth and use the remodeling project to correct underlying problems.  While all of our general recommendations may not apply to your home, you should be aware of the issues, from radon and lead, to ventilation, and good work practices.

Backsplash

Installing a tile backsplash in a bathroom is not a difficult project for the home handyman.  Backsplashes allow the homeowner to be creative, make clean-up easier and enhance the value of the home.

Basin / Lavatory / Sink

There is probably no other single item within a home with more selection than the bathroom basin, lavatory or sink.  There is a wide selection of materials, shapes and styles.

In most homes it is used many times a day, we stand in it, we sit in it, and we lie in it!  It provides comfort, and relaxation.  It is a place for contemplating the problems of the world and many of us use it as the area to express our thoughts through song.  We use it to wash the kids, the dog, and delicate drapes.  Yet, with all its uses and its importance in our lives, it is probably the least thought about fixture in most homes.

Bidets

Bidets are principally used to wash and clean the external genitalia and the anus, as well as the skin near these areas. They may also be used to clean any other part of the body; they are very convenient for cleaning the feet for example.

Building Permits

Most states, provinces and local municipalities have bylaws which require that homeowners, or contractors working on behalf of a homeowner, obtain permits for many building and remodeling projects, bathrooms because they usually include work on plumbing and electrical, as a general statement, require a building permit.

For the homeowner, caulking is one of the most beneficial products made.  It can be used both indoors and outdoors, as an adhesive, as a decorative finish and at the same time it provides a weather and moisture seal.

Contractor   

Whether you are looking for a general contractor or a specific trade, determining who you should contract with can be a very frustrating experience.  Reference checks are a critical part of the exercise. 

Countertops are a focal point in any bathroom.  You have many choices of material, edging and cost, each has advantages and disadvantages – learn which is best for you!

Getting out of a hot shower and finding the bathroom mirror fogged is a frustrating situation at the best of times.  Now there is a way that you can eliminate fogged bathroom mirrors. 

Drilling holes in ceramics,  porcelain, natural stone, marble, granite, and glass is not difficult, it requires some patience and as with most projects, the proper tools for the job.

Exhaust Fans   Installation

Bathroom exhaust fans come in many noise levels, sizes, shapes and configurations.  It is important that the ventilation system meets the needs of the square footage of the room that it is to ventilate.

As a somewhat unique building material glass blocks blend with many architectural styles.  It has the characteristic that It can provide privacy, yet permits substantial amounts of light to pass from room to room or from outdoors to indoors, making it and excellent choice for bathrooms.

Faucets come in a variety of styles, finishes and quality levels.  These faucet can be one piece or three piece construction.  In the vast majority of cases the one piece construction uses holes in the vanity top or sink or basin itself of four inch centers.  Three piece, separate hot and cold valves and a separate spout, generally use eight inch centers for the holes in the sink, basin or countertop.

Flooring

When considering the flooring material for a bathroom there are two major considerations; safety and the material's ability to stand-up to water.

There are so many beautiful flooring materials for bathrooms, yet they all have a major drawback.  They are cool and sometimes very cold to the touch.

There is nothing much worse than stepping out of a relaxing hot shower onto an ice cold floor.

Hot Water

On demand or tankless hot water systems have been in use in Europe and Asia for over 40 years, although the vast majority have been fueled by natural gas or propane and were installed in locations within the home that required hot water, primarily kitchens and bathrooms, as they did not use a central hot water tank for an entire home.

Lighting

Adequate lighting in a bathroom can be a complex exercise.  Florescent lighting, as a general statement, produces a light spectrum that is somewhat limited and hence colors are not what they appear to be.  Glare and shadows from light bouncing off ceramic tile and enclosures add to the lighting problem.

Medicine Cabinets

The medicine cabinet provides an area for storage and generally a mirror.  Medicine cabinets come in a variety of sizes, finishes and functionality.

Mirrors        Defogging Mirrors

Mirrors in a bathroom accomplish two things:

Mold & Moisture

Molds are part of the natural environment.  Indoors, mold growth should be avoided.    Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through indoor air.  Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet.  There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

It is a fact of life in decorating that what is the in thing today will most likely not be the in thing tomorrow and because of that many homeowners end up with outdated room decoration.  This is especially prevalent in ceramic and porcelain tile.

A total bathroom remodel is one of most expensive and most complex home improvement / remodels that one can undertake.

The most complex part of any residential plumbing system is located in the bathroom.  If the rough-in portion of the plumbing is not installed properly, the homeowner will have no end of problems, that include water hammering, sinks and lavatories that drain slowly or create gurgling sounds and sewer gases entering the home - a true health hazard.

Shower & Tub Enclosures

There are very few bathroom renovation projects that require more planning and thought then the installation of a shower or tub enclosure.  A new or replacement shower or tub enclosure will require working, at a minimum on the walls, hot and cold water lines, tub spout and shower piping.

Shower & Tub Doors

As in most things, you get what you pay for.  But with shower and tub doors that statement has a lot of meaning.  It is very easy for manufacturers to skimp on quality while still providing a product that has aesthetic appeal, in the short term.  In the long term, inexpensive products will bend, warp, discolor and generally fall apart.

Showerheads

When it comes to the shower head, most shower and tub faucets include a matching shower head.  If you are buying a separate shower head, make sure that the finish actually matches.  Chrome glosses vary as does other types of plating between manufacturers.  A brushed nickel from one manufacturer may not match the brushed nickel of another manufacturer.

Steam Generator

Taking a steam shower is a refreshing and invigorating experience which can be enjoyed in almost any bathroom.   A compact steam generator delivers steam to a shower enclosure with suitable seals, creating a leisure facility in the privacy of your own home.

Molded from porcelain, toilets are the basic essential for a bathroom.  With the ever dwindling supply of water, manufacturers have been pushed to create toilets that require as little water as possible in order to properly dispose of waste material.

Vanities      Make Your Own Vanities & Cabinets

In many cases the vanity and sister cabinetry is the focal point of a bathroom.  Besides providing an area to perform self grooming, it provides a place to house the sink or basin and provides space for storage.

Wall Tile

From 1" to 13" squares, from diamonds to rectangles, bathroom wall tile comes in an unbelievable amount of shapes, patterns, colors and materials.