A Do It Yourselfer's Bathroom Remodel

The top three remodeling projects in the United States last year were bathrooms, kitchens, and basements respectively.

When we decided to remodel our bathroom, I assumed that it would be a simple job, costing a maximum of $1,500. We didn’t count on the fact that a wall would have to come down in order to accommodate a new tub, or that we would have to replace our out-of-date toilet. The bids that we received were approximately between $10,000 and $17,000, which was way out of our budget.

Our home was built in the mid 1960’s, and though the retro look has come and gone several times, our bathroom needed a new look. The thirty-year-old toilet still worked great, but we were wasting approximately 5 gallons of water per flush, the sink was triangular shaped and butted against the tube in such a way that it was impossible for the shower curtain to close all the way so water always ended-up on the floor. Because of how the sink was installed, we couldn’t install shower doors to stop the water either, which over the years had ruined the floor. Something had to be done.

The first step was to come up with a design. When deciding to remodel a bath, you have to consider how your needs and those of your family will change over the years, including any safety concerns you may have. If you plan to tile the bathroom floor, you must choose a tile that will not become slick when wet. Other concerns you have to consider are sharp corners, hard edges, breakable glass, and scalding hot water when designing your bathroom.

Deciding to do most of the work ourselves, we installed extra safety fixtures for when our parents visited. However, it is my personal opinion that all bathrooms should have safety grab bars installed for when individuals must balance themselves as well as pressure-equalizing device on the showerheads so that no one has to experience a sudden increase in water temperature if a toilet is flushed or another facet turned on somewhere else in the home. In addition to these extras, we also installed a shower that was large enough to accommodate a wheel chair or walker if needed. All of these items are more costly, however with the reality that our lives were changing, as were our needed and those of our family members, these extra features will eventually pay for themselves.

When designing your new bathroom, there are several other options available to you, including heated floors, large windows, extra lightening, ceramic tile, multiple sinks, bidets, and Jacuzzi tubs just to name a few. Several people even isolate the toilet area with a partial wall or privacy glass from the rest of the bathroom. When deciding to remodel your bathroom, think safety first, then look are all the wonderful options you have.

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