Bathrooms are one of the most popular areas for home improvement. Renovating a bathroom adds function, form and most importantly, value to your home as well as your day to day life. Whether you're adding a powder room on the main floor or revamping the master bath, there is a long list of things you need to consider before the opening stages of a bathroom renovation begin.
1. Think About the Hot Water System
Planning a bathroom's location is about more than just floor space. You'll want your shower located closer to your hot water tank to eliminate long wait times. Also, by sharing plumbing in walls or concentrating the bathrooms into a certain corner of the home you may save money on materials and end up with a more efficient system.
2. Think About Waste Water
Those of you who have a septic system need to be careful when planning bathroom renovations. Adding an extra toilet may extend the limits of your existing tank or require you to overhaul a dated septic system. Your municipal authorities will likely have the last word about it and can shut down a project if you aren't following codes and building department recommendations. It's best to find out in the planning stage what you can do within the existing systems or what it will cost to bring it up to grade.
3. Think About Sizes
Make sure that your plumbing and venting system is sized or can be altered to handle an additional bathroom or added fixtures. Many newer homes come with a rough in and the entire plumbing system is sized to accommodate that, but older homes may be more of a difficulty. If the venting or plumbing is too small to handle all of the fixtures in your home your traps may get sucked dry, causing serious damage.
4. Think About the Appearance Over Time
Many trends in the home improvement industry are just fads. They are here today and gone tomorrow, along with harvest gold appliances and shag carpeting. Sure, they may come back into style after a few decades, but do you really want to live with them that long? Be sure that you choose bathroom fixtures you will admire and appreciate for a decent length of time, whether they are fashionable or not. The classics are always popular and hold their value and beauty.
5. Think About the Future
You may need an extra sink a year down, with a growing family and tight schedules, but how much is too muchshould you get it now? Would you need the extra space you're planning to build a bathroom on a few months later? Thinking a year or two into the future will save you from undue expenses later on.
6. Think About Efficiency
While you're upgrading the look of your bathroom, be sure to give the efficiency a boost as well. Install water saving faucets and taps with aerators built in. Opt for a low flow toilet or the latest dual flush models to cut back on water usage. You'll be surprised at the difference these small changes can make to utility bills over time. With these considerations in mind the design and construction of your bathroom renovation will go smoothly and result in the optimum space for your family.
Oh, and of course, you'll need to think about the cost and the equipments, and hundreds of other tiny details. Take a quick look at our Forum to see what issues other homeowners are having with their bathroom renovation.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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