Shower Remodel
One of the best ways for homeowners to add value to their properties and stay comfortable at home is a shower remodel project. Bathroom renovations require patience, time, and money from homeowners who need to research myriad choices before tearing up their showers.
Every homeowner who undertakes the hard task of bathroom renovation needs a full tool kit. Shower remodeling and renovation cannot take place without proper tools to remove old tiles, install new tiles, and complete waterproofing. The fundamental tool used by bathroom contractors is the painters’ tool. This tool is a flat piece of metal with a handle that is used for patching, spreading, and other tasks during installation.
A basic set of tools should be added to the painters’ tool when preparing for shower remodeling. Levels and tape measures help homeowners keep track of their progress while installing shower pans, tiles, and doors. Hammers and putty knives can be used by family members to scrape off grout after tiles are fully removed.
There are several special items that should be gathered before knocking out tiles. A pile of white towels should be bunched outside the original pan, as well as the drain to pick up excess water. Masks and face shields keep dust, dirt, and water away from the faces of workers. A rotary cutter may be necessary if large tiles need to be cut, or drain holes are needed in generic shower pans. It is important to keep supplies and tools on large towels accessible from the bathroom to avoid unnecessary messes.
The process of remodeling shower stalls and bathrooms leads many homeowners to work with contractors. A qualified contractor can complete projects quickly without exceeding quoted prices offered before the project begins. There are several ways that homeowners can assure that bathroom contractors are above board before shelling out thousands of dollars.
Every homeowner should become familiar with the basics of remodeling and renovation before meeting with contractors. There are plenty of instructional books and websites available for individuals looking to generate a list of interview questions. Interior design software can be used during initial meetings to let contractors provide evidence of their design skills.
Contractors should have extensive portfolios that display their full range of past projects. A contractor that shows up to a meeting without photos, blueprints, and notes cannot ensure a perfect product in a competitive field. These portfolios may be rough in nature, but homeowners should have access to pictures of past projects, while contractors explain their approach to bathroom renovation.
The point of contention in negotiations between homeowners and bathroom contractors is project price. It is wise for individuals meeting with contractors to ask for hourly prices, supply needs, and other considerations as an initial quote is generated. Homeowners should be willing to walk away from negotiations, because there are plenty of contractors to interview before starting renovation projects.
There are several ways that homeowners should prepare their bathroom for remodeling and renovation projects. A full bathroom renovation will lead to unused pieces that need to be disposed of before new tiles and faucets are inserted. Homeowners should think about responsible methods of disposal before tossing tiles and other items in the trash. Classic tubs, showerheads, and other items may be reusable by builders looking for greener images.
A shower remodeling project can cause damage to the counter top, toilet, and cabinets in the rest of the bathroom. Homeowners should cushion the blow of parts moving in and out of the bathroom. The simplest way to prevent scratches and dings on wooden cabinets is taping thick towels from the top of the cabinet to the floor. It is possible to purchase fabric pads and coverings from moving companies that are designed for heavy-duty activity.
The removal of shower and floor tiles in a bathroom simplifies the installation process. A homeowner should rely on friends and family to scrape off rows of tiles before installation begins. It is critical that grout and other adhesive materials are removed to ensure flat surfaces for new tiles. The use of free labor from friends and neighbors decreases the number of hours spent by contractors on simple removal projects.
The myriad shower heads available through home improvement centers reflect the personal nature of showers. Every homeowner has a shower head preference that needs to be balanced against faucet styles and tile colors. It is important for homeowners and contractors to choose shower heads that reflect these preferences during the remodeling process.
One area of preference is the amount of water sent through the shower head. Many shower heads can be adjusted to provide low and high pressure depending on the preferences of family members. The number of slots, as well as the diameter of the shower head, influences the water flow available in a newly built shower.
Another category of preference for shower users is the ability to move shower heads. Families have parents, children, and guests of all heights using their showers. Most shower heads can be tilted and swiveled in a 360-degree plane to help users find their comfort zone while bathing. There are removable shower heads that allow homeowners to stand away from the front of the shower pan.
The rise of multi-function shower heads has resulted in greater options during shower remodeling projects. Some shower heads have pulse features that provide massages to users with neck and back pain. Deluxe shower heads feature multiple stream patterns that change pressure and water distribution for families with divergent showering interests.
Homeowners need to answer three fundamental questions when choosing shower doors during bathroom renovations. The first concern for contractors and homeowners is the materials used when constructing shower doors. There are inexpensive plastic doors that are designed to withstand wear and tear during thousands of uses. Glass doors built on sturdy frames offer elegance and durability at premium prices from local building suppliers.
Another question that needs to be answered during shower remodeling is the level of visibility from outside the shower door. Most homeowners purchase frosted doors that offer privacy to bathers. Individuals without family members and guests frequenting their bathrooms may opt for clear doors that are built from glass. There are mirrored doors that combine the protective level of a shower door with the practicality of a full-length mirror. This final category is advisable for people who want to save on the cost of a shower door and bathroom mirror.
A final area where homeowners need to make decisions is the method of opening new shower doors. The traditional sliding door has been surpassed by more creative methods that are used in households throughout the United States. There are shower doors that swing, similar to an exterior door to avoid installing sliding tracks in a remodeled shower. Folding and pivoting doors add more selections to the overwhelming number of products available to homeowners.
The decision to take on shower remodeling projects without contractor assistance requires some studying by homeowners. Some homeowners who have not taken on home improvement projects may be unaware of potential issues during renovation like drainage and waterproofing. It is important for amateur renovators to waterproof walls within the shower and throughout the bathroom to deal with humidity changes.
Homeowners need to check foundational elements like drywall, once tiles and adhesive is removed. The drywall acts as the primary layer of shower walls and needs to be structurally sound to deal with moisture. An amateur builder should measure out the square footage of the bathroom walls and purchase enough waterproof cement board to cover exposed drywall. The cement board provides a sturdy base for grout, adhesive, and tiles, once the shower stall and pan are moved into the bathroom.
There is no need to procure custom shower making services for new and existing homes. Every homeowner researching bathroom renovations needs to look at prefabricated pans, tubs, and stalls before seeking out customized products. It may seem difficult to get fully built materials from the moving truck into the bathroom in existing homes, but it can be accomplished in a few easy steps.
The length and width of a shower pan present problems for movers trying to navigate doors of varying size. The first step in moving prefabricate materials into the average home is getting the installers to pull up to the closest door possible to the staging area. A patio door is perfect for families willing to move tables, chairs, and other furniture aside to install prebuilt products. Another way to get shower materials into the house is using long hallways and other large spaces, instead of shorter paths with more obstacles to the rest room.
The temptation to shuffle old and new shower pans at the same time needs to be balanced against simple logistics. Most homeowners need to remove the old pan, complete tiling and cleaning projects, and purchase new products before thinking about installing the new pan. An updated construction plan drawn up during each step of the remodeling process helps avoid space problems for families with two pans, tubs, and shower doors.
Homeowners need to keep track of pan sloping, drainage, and water supply, as remodeling projects head toward the finish line. The slope of the shower pan needs to correspond perfectly with the angle of the drain to avoid water trapped between the floor and the shower. Any movement of the pan during renovation should be accompanied by level and tape measurements to ensure proper drainage after full installation.
There are plenty of potential obstacles to drainage caused by lapses in attention by contractors. A contractor may jostle or move drains in ways that cause slow drainage once the shower pan is installed. Contractors may place coverings over drains during renovation to avoid grout, paint, and other materials entering the drain pan. It is important for homeowners and contractors to stay vigilant about proper drainage during each step of the process.
A common problem for homeowners undertaking their own shower remodeling projects is turning off the water supply. This step is necessary to avoid leaky pipes and messes while water pipes are exposed during renovation. The builder who has shut off the water should make a note to himself that the water supply is off before testing drainage and water pressure. Water valves should be opened several minutes before testing out new showers to ensure proper pressure throughout the house.
A shower remodeling project does not take place within a design vacuum. The overall color scheme of a bathroom should match the tiling and colors used in a new shower. A shower pan that is eggshell white will stand out negatively in a bathroom with tan tiles and paint. Homeowners with colorful bathrooms should find complementary tiles and paints to decrease the amount of work needed during renovation.
The faucets and sinks used in an old bathroom scheme should match their counterparts in a new shower. An ornate sink placed a few feet from a modern shower faucet and head can cause undue attention by friends, family, and guests. One way to avoid mismatched faucets in a new bathroom is acquiring a product catalog for an extensive comparison with existing faucets. Another approach is taking photos of sinks, faucets, and other metal pieces in the bathroom to carry during trips to home improvement centers. A qualified sales person can look at these photos and find hardware that helps homeowners meet their design needs.
The counterpart of the newly built shower in the modern bathroom is a new toilet. There are thousands of toilet designs that can be used to match shower pan, door, and rail designs during shower remodeling. A toilet encompasses the design challenges of shower remodeling for homeowners with little renovation experience. The inclusion of colors, metal hardware, and special design elements makes the toilet a microcosm of bathroom renovation.