Mistakes to Avoid During Your Bathroom Remodel

You may dream about soaking in a freestanding tub while gazing out the window or separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom with a wall divider. Changing the layout of your bathroom may even provide your main rationale for undergoing a remodel.

However, tubs, showers, sinks, and toilets all have to be hooked up to plumbing. If you decide to change the location of one or more of those items, your cost will increase. You can add it into your budget if the relocation means that much to you. However, you could also try to work within your current layout for a new floor plan that still achieves many of your goals.

Believe it or not, you can go to the home improvement store and choose a "wrong" toilet that may otherwise seem right. Water conservation, color, and style will mean nothing if the toilet doesn't fit into your existing space. And changing the space to fit your new toilet will add some of the costs mentioned above.

Before you hit the supply store, do a "rough in" of your existing toilet. The rough in is a set of measurements related to how your toilet, wall, and plumbing work together. To find the rough in, you'll need to measure the distance between the back wall and the center of the current bolt caps. The measurement should be 10, 12, or 14 inches, which is the size of toilet you need.

A curbless shower is a mainstay of Universal Design. The bathroom floor transitions seamlessly into the shower. The contractors don't use a shower pan, so there's no lip to trip over or to impede a wheelchair. Such a shower stall can be a boon to aging family members and even add value if you're planning to sell.

To make a curbless shower work, the plumber has to slope the floor back to a drain, either located in the middle or the back of the stall. This design depends on the floorplan having enough leeway for the concavity. If it doesn't have that leeway automatically, they have to build it up - that can add cost and challenge for the rest of the bathroom remodel.

Professional plumbers will come in and assess your current plumbing. They may then take you aside and break some bad news to you - your current plumbing has issues. You can save some heartache by looking into existing issues yourself.

Check for drainage problems by running your shower for a few minutes. The water should drain quickly - it should all be gone a few minutes after you turn the water off. If water remains, you may have an improper seal, clogged pipes, or even an improperly configured drainage pipe.

While you're running the shower, listen for a knocking sound. If you hear it, the sound may indicate pipes that aren't properly attached within your walls. They're rattling around in their brackets or against each other, causing the noise.

Look around your bathroom for signs of mold, which will present as black or wet spots in corners or between tiles. You can also sniff around your existing plumbing - a musty smell can be an indicator of mold. The culprit can be leaking pipes in the walls.

If you find any of the above problems, budget for plumbing repairs in addition to the more aesthetic upgrades.

Improve the utility as well as the beauty of your bathroom by avoiding the above pitfalls in the planning stages of your remodel. Contact AERO Plumbing for more advice.