A newly renovated bathroom can end up being one of your favourite rooms in your entire home. Many people can gain a lot of comfort for themselves, not to mention adding value for their homes with the ideal bathroom renovation. The important thing is to try and avoid common traps or mistakes that many other people have fallen prey to in the past. At Craftsmen Contracting, we always make sure to put the needs of our clients first and foremost on each job we take on. That is why we have prepared a shortlist of mistakes that should be avoided by anyone interested in a new bathroom renovation in Vancouver. By keeping these tips in mind, homeowners can save themselves a lot of future grief, as well as expenses.

Avoid 10 Mistakes For Your Next New Bathroom

1. Buying into Dated Trends

If you’ve ever stepped into a bathroom and been struck by some of the baffling design choices, keep in mind the room could’ve once been seen as trendy. Unfortunately, the reality about most trends in bathroom designs and renovations is that they aren’t always going to be the right trend. When coming up with the design for your new bathroom, try to avoid being roped in by current trends. For your own enjoyment, as well as the resale value of your home, it is best to renovate your bathroom with more elegant and classical features and fixtures in mind.

 

2. Lack of Storage

Bathrooms are sometimes limited in terms of the space they can offer. When renovating your bathroom, you should take note of the kind of storage you had. While you don’t need to keep all the storage you had, it is good to plan to keep some bathroom storage. This includes adequate cabinet space, drawer and vanity storage, and even towel racks and handy areas to store shower items.

 

3. Improper Building Materials

A qualified and experienced contractor should be able to provide adequate guidance on which materials are appropriate for a bathroom and which are not. For example, due to the regular exposure to water and moist air, items like softwoods, and fabric-based materials should never be used in a bathroom. In fact, if you encounter a contractor who either offers these materials or doesn’t point out that they are a bad idea for a bathroom, this might be a good indication that a particular contractor is not the one for you.

 

4. Overspending

A good rule of thumb on any bathroom renovation project is to keep your costs below 1.5% of your total property value. Doing so will prevent you from making any unnecessarily expensive choices when planning your renovation. While it can be tempting to splurge on some custom fixtures or ornate mirrors, you need to ask yourself if those are really worth the expense.

 

5. Ventilation is Key

Even the nicest bathroom renovation can start to look worse and worse over time without proper ventilation to keep everything dry. With a regular buildup of moisture, you will immediately notice issues like mould on painted walls and bubbling and cracking of the paint and drywall. These issues will only get worse as time goes on unless you have proper ventilation installed such as a ceiling fan or steam extractor.

 

6. Inadequate Waterproofing

Plumbing and waterproofing are a key factor when it comes to any bathroom renovations. This is very important to get right the first time, as it can be difficult to notice an issue before a great deal of damage has been done. It is therefore vital that you enlist a skilled and certified plumber and/or tiler to handle the areas of the bathroom where water is involved.

 

7. Inadequate Drainage

Related to the waterproofing tip is one about drainage. Should an issue with your shower, sink or toilet drainage occur, repair costs can quickly skyrocket as the damage spreads to other areas of your home. Your drains, as well as any surfaces laid around your drains, must be properly connected and sloped so water goes where it is meant to, and nowhere else.

 

8. Inadequate Lighting

Lighting in your bathroom is very important. Not only does it make things easier to see and do in the bathroom, but it is also vital to your safety. While many people may enjoy some form of ambient lighting in their bathroom for relaxing in the tub, task lighting should be a priority in any bathroom renovation. Make sure you have adequate lighting over the sink and in the shower.

 

9. Improper Electrical Connections and Receptacles

Due to the proximity of water in a bathroom, it is vital that you have a qualified electrician perform installations or at the very least inspections of your bathroom’s electrical system. There are specific codes that need to be followed and electrical equipment that must be used in a bathroom. Things like GFCI outlets and wall switches kept a proper distance from water faucets and connections should be standard in any bathroom renovation.

 

10. Bathtub Removal

Plenty of people have removed a bathtub from their homes altogether. While this can mean more space in the bathroom, it is not a good idea to take all the tubs out of your home. Recent statistics show that homes without bathtubs in any bathroom can negatively affect resale value. There should be at least one tub in the house, though you will not gain any resale value by adding additional tubs if you already have one.

 

For more tips or helpful advice about your upcoming bathroom renovation, contact the friendly team of experts at Craftsmen Contracting today.