Bathroom Renovations: What to Consider First

In your lifetime, you will spend a cumulative 3 months sitting on a toilet!

While it’s a hilarious statistic, it brings up an important point: we spend a lot of time in the powder room. Whether it’s to relieve ourselves, to get dolled up, or to have a moment of escape from guests, this is an important room in our houses.

Does your current bathroom need some upgrades so it becomes a room that you love?

If so, here are the things you should consider first when planning bathroom renovations.

Budget

The least exciting but most crucial part of any renovation project is funds available.

Having a clear budget makes it easier to prioritize what you need and what you want.

If you’re considering making a lot of upgrades, consider completely gutting your bathroom. That way, contractors can make sure everything’s dialed in and you won’t have any expensive, unforeseen issues pop up down the road.

Space

What’s the size of your bathroom? Where’s your plumbing and electrical located? Is ventilation in a place that works?

You can dream up luxurious bathroom plans all you want, but it might be time wasted if you haven’t considered the room’s dimensions.

Bringing us to the next consideration: time.

Time

How much time do you have to work with?

When diving into bathroom remodels, keep in mind how long the entire process will take. Hiring contractors, ordering parts, letting different components cure, the list goes on.

If the bathroom in question is your only one, make sure you have arrangements to bathe and relieve yourself elsewhere.

Building Codes

If you’re remodeling a bathroom for commercial purposes, there are legal requirements to follow.

Hiring a contractor will help you stay in code.

If you’re doing a remodel for your residential space, you should still consider accessibility. This may mean making wider doorways or making your shower easier to get into.

Style and Functionality

Don’t choose one over the other. You can and should have both.

Think about ways you can make certain features serve multiple purposes. A great example of this is the medicine cabinet. It’s both a mirror and a storage place.

Lighting

Speaking of mirrors, consider how your mirror will illuminate.

Try to balance natural and artificial light. This may mean adding a water-sealed window in the shower.

If you don’t opt for a window, consider if you need to add a light in the shower so that the curtain or door doesn’t make it a dark space.

If you plan on getting ready in front of the mirror, make sure to have lighting that will be bright enough. It’s better to build in what you need then to have to add extra light sources after the fact.

Storage

Where will you put your toiletries? Do you want to have space to keep extra towels?

Consider if you’ll have cabinets, drawers, or shelves. You can always add storage options such as a rack above the toilet, but it’s best to think about what you know you need and accommodate for that.

Storage includes hooks, bars, and that little space where you put your toilet paper.

Also, think about where you’ll put your stuff in the shower or bathtub. You can get creative with built-in shelves or soap dishes.

The “Bath” Part of Bathroom Renovations

There are many factors that go into a functioning shower or bath.

One of the main aspects is proper drainage. There should be a downward slope that guides water to drain out.

If you don’t have this, the grout between tiles deteriorates over time.

And speaking of tiles, you may want to go with smaller ones rather than large ones. This makes it easier to create a slope and also makes for a less-slick floor.

To make sure the bath in your bathroom works well and doesn’t cost you more money down the road, call us for custom shower remodeling.

Plumbing

Consider what plumbing you’re working with and how you can upgrade it.

This may mean installing bigger pipes to decrease the frequency of clogs.

You don’t need to understand how plumbing works to remodel your bathroom. That’s what professional contractors are for. Still, you should ask questions about efficiency to make the best decisions possible.

Environment and Efficiency

You can save a ton of money by upgrading your toilet to a low flow toilet.

Many new houses already have high-efficiency toilets due to somewhat recent legislation. If your house is older, prioritize getting a low flow toilet to get up to date with current standards.

Plus, it will save you money. Low flow toilets decrease your bathroom water usage by 50%.

There are many other ways to consider the environment when remodeling your bathroom. This could mean using sustainable materials that last longer and come from a reputable source.

Walls and Flooring

So long as it’s waterproof (moisture-resistant), you can choose whatever you want for walls and flooring.

Get creative with these aspects. You can choose to have intricate mosaics or a simple, chic, and modern feel.

Make It Yours

These are your bathroom renovations. It doesn’t have to look like your neighbor’s or a home design magazine.

Consider what your tastes are and how you can personalize your space.

To get inspired, jump on websites like Pinterest to see what’s out there. Look at every detail of your bathroom (down to the knobs and hooks) so that you can make decisions that you like.

Once you have ideas rolling, get in touch with us. We can help bring your dreams to reality.