How to Renovate Your Bathroom

Any homeowner is going to face a day when they’ll need to remodel parts of their home, whether due to necessity to fix something that’s broken or to change it up and make their home look a little different and more unique. If you’ve decided that you want to move forward with renovating your bathroom, here is everything you need to know to get started on that project.

If you want to save money and go the do it yourself route, then you’ll certainly save money because most bathroom renovations can range between $10,000-$15,000, with the costs of hiring a professional and the labor that goes into it taking up about 20% of those costs.

To start off with, you’ll need to prep your bathroom by finding a design that matches what you envision. You’ll also need to be honest with yourself about your skills and what you’ll be able to accomplish and where you might need to get a professional’s help. Make sure that you choose the color scheme, fixtures, storage spaces, and locations for pipes and wires.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind:

1. Remove the old bathroom fixtures. Whether you’re doing a full remodel or not, you’ll want to start with the fixtures, which means you’ll remove the drywall and any of the fixtures you’re planning to replace.
2. Gut the bathroom. The first step here is to drain the toilet so there aren’t any spills. Get rid of your bathtub down to its studs, take the insulation out of the walls, and then remove all the features you plan to replace, such as the mirrors, cabinets, and tiles.
3. Install the new shower and/or tub. Once you’ve finished gutting everything in the bathroom, you’re then ready to start replacing the old features. When starting with the shower or bathtub, you need to get a fixture that’ll fit the designated area properly. Make sure to keep an eye out for any rotting wood or water damage and remove all of those rotted areas, otherwise you’ll end up in trouble down the line.
4. Install the other new fixtures and features. After you get the shower/bathtub finished, you’ll be able to move onto installing the new vanity cabinets, mirrors, and other items.
5. Put down new flooring. Once you’ve installed all the new items and have everything in place, you can put down the new tiles. It has to be pretty much your last step because you’ll need to wait until everything is set in place.