You've been dreaming of a new bathroom, a spa retreat within your own home. You might be tempted to think, "This will be fairly easy, and it shouldn't take very long."
If that were the case, I guess I could go find a different career. ;) The truth is that remodeling a bathroom takes more than a few subcontractors (electrician, plumber, tile installer, carpenter), a couple dozen design decisions (tile patterns, hardware and fixture finishes, towel bar heights, grab bar placements, etc), and a lot of project management.
To avoid disasters, here are three things I look out for when managing a bathroom renovation. Enjoy!
1. If you plan to eventually sell your home, having an ADA compliant bathroom is a huge selling point. Knowing where to install bracing for future grab bars - or current towel bars - is key, as is having enough space for multiple users, a curbless shower, and other ADA compliance related features. Going this route is also ideal if you plan to age in place.
2. As for the shower, I often see a lack of niches and shelves. These things have to be planned into the design, built by a carpenter, and brought to fruition by a skilled tile installer.
Instead of using the same tile pattern for these niches and shelves, which is another common faux pas, I prefer to elevate the aesthetic by mixing various tile patterns and colors. In fact, showers often use three tile patterns - the floor, walls, and niches - but can often require more.
3. We often see DIY'd bathrooms with the toilet too far from the wall.
Is it awkward? Oh, yeah!
It's also a pain in the neck to redo (for the homeowner) because they often don't fully realize the issue until the floor tile has been installed. Moving the toilet means removing and replacing tile - not exactly making for an efficient or cost-effective project.