New bathroom interior in the house. Gray concrete tiles with wooden decor.

In What Order Should I Renovate My Bathroom

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When it comes to home renovations, the bathroom takes the center stage. This is because an updated and renovated bathroom gives comfort and a warm welcome. Bathroom renovation seems like the most viable option compared to building a new one especially if you are working on a budget since the two costs do not come anywhere close to each other. However, if not careful, even a bathroom renovation can drain your accounts. Bathroom renovation proves essential when reselling the property. Whichever route you decide to take, DIY or using a general contractor, this article gives steps that you should follow when remodeling your bathroom.

  • Demolish the Old Bathroom

The process begins with the demolition of the old bathroom. This includes taking up the floor and tearing the wall tiles, removing the old fittings like the toilet, sinks, vanity, and lightings.

New bathroom interior in the house. Gray concrete tiles with wooden decor.
You will need an extra hand to carry the old bathtub especially if you are renovating a bathroom in the upstairs. Be careful when tearing the floors and walls to avoid damaging water and electrical connections, if you do not plan to move them.

  • Update the Old Tub and Fixtures

Now that you have an open floor, it is now time to update the fixtures such as the lighting, studs, taps, and faucets. It is important to buy all these from the same manufacturer for uniformity purposes otherwise; a prospecting buyer will assume the work was not up to standard. Besides, buying them from one manufacturer is cost-effective since you will enjoy the bulk buying discounts. After installing the new sink, toilet and bathtub, ensure to tighten the studs and taps to avoid any leakages.

  • Schedule the Inspection

In most states and municipalities, there are strict building codes and guidelines. In fact, you have to acquire a building construction or renovation permit. This being the case, you need to have the electrical and water connections inspected to avoid hefty and costly lawsuits. You need to schedule the inspection early enough to avoid stalling the renovation work. Once on the site, the inspection takes approximately 20 minutes so that you can continue with the work.

  • Install the Floor

Although the installation of the bathroom floor is easy and simple, deciding on the right type of floor is quite a hard task. You have to put into consideration factors such as cost, style, durability, anti-slip properties, and ease of installation. One floor material that never disappoints is porcelain tile. It comes in a wide range of designs and colors, with some resembling real natural wood. It is also water and heat resistant thus making it very durable. However, for the shower area, you would have to go with something rougher to increase traction with the feet, hence minimizing chances of accidents.

  • Install the Walls

Now it is to hang the drywall, which should be an easy task. For the shower walls, you can decide to go with acrylic vinyl. It comes in large panels that eliminate grout lines that trap bacteria and mold. If you decide to go with the drywall, ensure to cover it with a waterproof layer to prevent damage by soap water. You will have to wait for at least 3 days to allow the waterproof material to dry before installing the wall material.

  • Paint the Walls

Now comes the easiest part; painting the walls. Before starting the painting work, you have to cover the fixtures and fittings with a cloth to prevent staining them with the paint. Also, do not forget to cover the studs, taps, faucets, and doorknobs with papers. Some people may think that bathroom walls and ceiling do not need painting. What they may not know is that painting bathrooms in the right color can help you save on energy costs while at the same preventing damage by bacteria and mold.

  • Schedule Final Inspection

By now, the floor, doors, cabinets, and vanity glass must be dusty from the wood chippings and dust. It is now time to clean the bathroom; start from the ceiling working your way down to the floor. Finalize by having a final inspection, and this time it does not have to be a city inspectorate representative. You can source your inspector if you are reselling the property.

You may have realized that some of these tasks like laying down electrical and water lines may take some time when doing the job yourself. To avoid stalling the project and prevent chances of damage and accidents through electrocution, it is always best to leave the job to professionals.