Bathroom Remodeling Not a DIY Project

Posted February 2nd, 2011 by Patrick Eldershaw No Comments »

If you’re handy with basic construction, a bathroom remodel seems like a project you can handle. It can be simple to replace a vanity, install a new medicine cabinet or – for the more adventurous – re-grout the shower wall tile.

But it is quite common for a seemingly simple project to snowball into a situation beyond your knowledge level. Remodeling companies commonly agree that the most urgent calls received are from homeowners needing professional help while in the middle of a Do-It-Yourself bathroom remodel.

Bathrooms are typically one of the smaller spaces in a home, but they are packed with so many different functions that are interconnected. From plumbing, to electricity to venting to sub-structure, it’s a highly-charged room with little room for error.

Down the Drain Installing a new shower can be a straight-forward construction job, but what happens when the old wall covering has been removed and you find water damage behind it? That needs to be properly dealt with before installing any new material.

Multiple shower heads are becoming more common because it’s a great idea, and if you have basic plumbing skills, can be done in a weekend. But you also have to know when to increase the number of water lines and enlarge the drain to accommodate the extra water load. Overlooking this crucial plumbing step will lead to water damage behind the scenes.

A Lightbulb Moment

Do you want to install additional lighting in your bathroom? And a heated towel rack is a welcome feature, as are fully automatic toilets you command from a control panel. But as you increase the number of electrical features, you must have enough juice to safely power the bathroom. A room with so much water is not the place for an electrical short accident.

A Firm Foundation

If you’re tackling a major overhaul to the configuration of the bathroom requiring new walls and adding new features, much knowledge is required. Are you using the proper drywall for moist areas, and is there enough support in the floor to handle increased weight?

Even when adding new surfaces, will the existing floors and walls be able to support a heavier surface? And it’s important to have the right materials to install new surfaces; if you use the wrong mastic or grout, that new tile will eventually fail, creating a mess.

There are so many details to bathroom remodeling that lie below the surface, and it’s these less glamorous details that can lead to unintended problems. Simply covering up existing conditions with new features can be a waste of time and money, so it’s important to make sure it’s done right the first time. Also keep in mind that professionals can complete a bathroom remodel much quicker than you can carve out spare time to do it, and who wants a bathroom out of service for any longer than it needs to?

The bathroom experts at Mosby Building Arts have remodeled thousands of Metro St. Louis bathrooms, so they know about the surprises that pop up during construction, and how to ensure that all functions are coordinated to work properly. Mosby bathroom designers understand the installation requirements of the selections you’ve made to create the perfect bathroom and work with their carpenters to ensure a successful outcome.

If you’re caught in the middle of a D.I.Y. bathroom remodel and need professional help, or would prefer to work with experts from the start, or contact them here.

Answers from Mosby Designers

Would you like to talk about bathroom remodeling with a design expert? E-mail your questions about bathroom remodeling to designers@callmosby.com.

As schedules permit, the Mosby Planning & Design team will provide the answers you need to remodel with confidence. Should your question be of interest to other homeowners, Mosby will share the question and answer on their Home Improvement Library, Twitter and Facebook pages.

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Tags: Project   Posted in Home Design Reviews

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