Your bathroom should be a place where you can de-stress after a hard day’s work. The luxury of a long soak in a gorgeous tub, or a refreshing shower on a hot day. Unfortunately, not everyone’s bathroom provides that indulgence, but it can be easily found in a good renovation. If you have a wish list for your bathroom and are getting ready for a bathroom renovation, here are some mistakes to avoid when you begin your dream bathroom renovation.
Keeping on budget
The hardest part of a bathroom renovation is creating a budget and more than that actually sticking to it. You have imagined your dream bathroom for years and you may have already starting purchasing items for it. However, before you get truly stuck into the renovation, you should create a clear plan of action. Very often overspending on a bathroom renovation happens because although you have an idea of what you want the actually reality becomes overwhelming and you have bought things that just don’t fit anymore.
Start with a solid plan, imagine how you want your perfect bathroom to look and then find the pieces you want to include. Set a budget and ensure that the items you want to make your perfect bathroom fit. If a piece is far too expensive then look for an alternative that comes close to what you want. The plan and the budget will keep you on track and will help you from feeling overwhelmed.
Professionals can be cheaper than do it yourself.
You may have read everything you can find on waterproofing your bathroom. You may believe you know how to do it yourself because you have watched all the TV shows on it. Beware; waterproofing is the single most critical factor in your renovation. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can save money on this aspect of the renovation. Waterproofing is not an easy job and many times the best money you can spend is on hiring a professional. They will understand the way water tries to leak out of a shower, or be able to prevent a leaking drain. Hiring a pro to do this job may save you thousands in the long run.
Don’t forget to ventilate
We see it happen all the time, dedicated do it yourselfers renovate the bathroom and then can’t figure out why mould is appearing or the windows always get steamed up. The biggest thing most renovators forget is the ventilation and sometimes when they do add, in a ventilator, they get one that is the wrong size and it just doesn’t work.
Always take care of the details when choosing a bathroom ventilator. Make sure you have chosen the correct unit for your bathroom and one that is sized for your space. Another tip is to make sure that you choose mould resistant paint, as a damp space is always a prime mould area.
Bathroom Hoarding
There is so much to choose from these days with accessories for the bathroom and you may have been collecting for months before the actual renovation begins. The trouble with collecting these accessories is that you can overwhelm the look of your renovation and sacrifice the functionality of the bathroom. Don’t start buying items and accessories before you have planned the use of space and have a budget set that should include these items.
Bad Lighting
When you start planning your bathroom renovation make, sure you take into consideration just how much light you need. Does the room get lots of sunlight during the day but is very dark at night? Are you constantly complaining that it is so dark you can’t find anything in the storage spaces? The bathroom is a place that we tend to use for personal grooming so you need to make sure that the lighting works for all of your needs. Do you need special lighting for shaving or makeup applications? Is there adequate light over the sink, shower or tub? You may want some task lighting put into place and you may need more lighting than was originally in place. Don’t forget to add lighting to your plan and your budget.
Poor drainage
You may be renovating an older bathroom that has inadequate drainage for your new tub, shower or sink. Don’t forget to include good modern plumbing and pipe into your new renovation. If you have had drain problems in the past now is the time to get a professional in to fix things. These types of upgrades may not have been required when your home was built. These days you should check the by-laws and recommendations for modern plumbing. That way you can make sure, you don’t have old pipes or an inadequate slope for efficient drainage.
Making your dream bathroom a reality needs careful planning and consideration of all aspects. Spend some time in the planning process to make sure you get what you need to make your bathroom the true luxury it should be. It doesn’t have to cost the earth as long as you plan ahead and consider all the elements necessary before you begin.
Call us at 416-825-2542 when you start planning, we can help make sure you don’t miss any of the little details that need to be taken into consideration.