Renovating your bathroom involves many different tasks and decisions. Tablet and smart phone apps help you to stay organized and on top of things all the way through this busy process. Consider downloading these top ten apps for bathroom renovation projects and make the most of the technology at your fingertips.
Room Layout - Home Design 3D
Named one of the best apps for home design by the NY Times, this handy little tool provides you with the chance to design and view your new bathroom before it's completed. Work on fixture and room layout with your contractor or get busy with this app right from the early stages of your renovation. With a price tag of just under $3 for a smart phone or just under $6 for a tablet, this app delivers high tech solutions for getting your renovation dreams realized.
Space Planning - Home Sizer
Very different and more low key than the above app, this tool by Armchair Design can be useful for sizing your room during the estimation stages. Figure out how many square feet of tile you'll need for the floors and shower, find an exact size for your double vanity and calculate the room area for lighting requirements. You may only use this app at the beginning of your project, but the calculations will help you throughout the entire renovation.
Design and Decor Choices - Houzz
Millions of web users browse through the Houzz website every week, viewing high res images from designers, contractors, architects and homeowners. You can find unique plumbing fixtures, eye catching room layouts and brilliant decor ideas on this professional and diverse site, and the app provides one-step access to all of the site's features. Create an "ideabook" for your bathroom remodel and store all of your favorite images in one place, handy for showing to contractors or referencing while you shop.
Budgeting and Expenses - Renovation Budget Tracker
Keep a close tab on every dollar spent during your bathroom remodeling project with this handy app. At just under $3, this home improvement budgeting app by DKDesigns is built to save money over the span of your renovation and helps you to create an initial budget, record payments and receipts as they pile up and even track the timing until your project is done. A perfect tool for any home improvement project, this app can be tailored to suit your bathroom renovation with specific categories and lists.
Organization - Evernote
This app is the ultimate organization tool for any project or task, and works seamlessly for your home renovations. Use the app on any device (laptop, desktop, smart phone or tablet) and take advantage of automatic syncing between devices. Evernote "notes" can be shared with other Evernote users, making it easy to communicate and exchange information and digital documents with your contractor, designer or supplier. Store web page clippings and make notes on anything and everything about your project. Evernote organizes all data in a straightforward manner, keeping information at your fingertips for access anywhere at any time. This app is so useful, you'll take advantage of its features long after the reno is completed.
Paint Selection - Color Capture
Created by paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore, this app allows you to snap a picture of any item and find a color match in Benjamin Moore's massive selection of paint colors. You can also locate the nearest retailer, share your color picks on social media and save all selections for easy reference. View different types of paint and find one that works well in the bathroom. Complementary colors and contrasting tones are also available. Several paint manufacturers offer an app for color matching services, but with over 3,300 colors to choose from, Benjamin Moore offers your best shot at a match.
Building Materials - Home Depot or Lowes
Either one of the major big box building supplies store's apps will work for your project. Both offer somewhat limited access to store inventory and provide a store locator for fast reference. Lowes offers an extra bonus for DIY enthusiasts, with several high quality, helpful videos built in. Learn how to install your tiled floor or put in the faucet and save a few bucks on your bathroom remodel. Home Depot also provides excellent resources for DIY fans or just those looking to understand the construction process.
List Taking and Accountability - Wunderlist
Another organizational app that works across multiple platforms and provides automatic syncing between devices, Wunderlist specializes in creating simple lists to help you get more done. Schedule reminders, move around priorities and share lists with other users to make the most of this app. It provides you with a sense of accomplishment, as well as allowing you to stay organized and on top of all the tasks involved in your bathroom renovation.
Energy Calculations - MeterRead
Useful in the early planning stage of your project, this app allows you to monitor electricity use in real time. Consider these calculations during your bathroom renovation, and invest in more energy efficient light bulbs, exhaust fans and bath tub jets. Sadly, this app does not monitor water usage, but you can reduce your electricity bills and cut down on heating and cooling costs when the energy calculations collected by this app are used to improve your new bathroom.
Cabinetry Design and Estimation - CamScale
Developed by a Japanese company, this app is slightly techy for a novice user. Once you get the hang of it, using CamScale to measure the space available for your custom vanity makes sense. Take your smart phone or tablet to the store to double check exact vanity sizes. It also works on furniture, in case that's an option in your bathroom remodeling project.
From room layout and 3D design tools to budget tracking, organizational and energy monitoring tools, your smart phone or tablet can be transformed into a useful tool during a bathroom renovation. These top ten apps make your project move smoothly, enhance communication between homeowners and contractors and provide millions of different ideas to help you achieve the bathroom of your dreams. Get downloading and get moving on your home improvement project today.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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