Bathroom remodeling can be a tricky business and mistakes, both big and small, are sadly common. So, to avoid these mistakes and others in your own project, work with a local home remodeling contractor like our company Artisan Remodeling & Design!
But first, check out this list of our top bathroom remodeling mistakes and how to dodge them.
Error #1: Not Blocking Towel Hooks, Towel Bars, or Grab Bars
While you can find drywall anchors with a surprising amount of hold you should never use them for high-impact features like a towel bar or grab bar. Ultimately if these fixtures work their way loose or pull free entirely it can cause serious injury—and the drywall damage is frustrating too.
Instead be sure to install wood blocking behind your drywall early in the process to securely anchor and hold these fixtures permanently.
Error #2: Inadequate Ventilation
Even if you have a full bathroom with a sizable exterior window you should always go the extra mile with your remodel and install a high quality vent, vent van, and timer switch. This way your home will automatically work to remove moisture from the space each time you shower, keeping your bathroom dry and reducing the likelihood of mold growth, peeling paint, or other water damage.
Error #3: Hardware and Material Clash
If your cabinet handles don’t match your plumbing which doesn’t match your faucet, the overall effect will be messy. The same goes for wood tones, shades of white, and other colors and materials.
From start to finish make sure every feature in your space works together and runs in the same design flavor to give your space consistency and flow. With that being said…it IS ok to mix metals and wood tones. In fact, it’s preferred and adds a nice layer of interest to the overall look and feel of the space. The trick is to ensure the undertones compliment one another. Not the overall tone, but the undertone. So, for example…if you have honey oak flooring, you will want to make sure the rest of the wood species have a warm undertone.
Error #4: Poor Layout
Laying out a bathroom is trickier than you might expect, and even the smallest bathroom spaces can give inexperienced remodelers trouble.
For one thing, bathrooms (like all home spaces) shift as they age and can often fall out of square, which means tiles don’t line up or tubs don’t neatly fit where they are supposed to—not without some hasty reframing work anyway.
For another thing, toilet and shower plumbing can be difficult to space out correctly and moving fixtures around isn’t always easy or even possible. Precise measuring and experience are required to make sure that everything lines up and drops in where it is supposed to.
Error #5: Poor Quality Lighting
Lighting is painfully important in a properly designed bathroom. Done right it’s something you’ll never think about twice. Done poorly, it’ll bother you every day for years.
You need enough overhead light to make the space feel bright and clean, but not so much that the bathroom looks stark or sterile. The lighting should also be positioned to eliminate shadows when using the mirror without being blinding, dim, or uncomfortable.
Error #6: Low Quality Paint
In a bathroom, low quality paint is prone to moisture penetration and peeling, and all-in-one paint and primer options are especially poor candidates.
Instead, choose a high quality primer and moisture resistant paint and follow all application instructions to ensure that your walls stay clean and protected in the years to come.
Error #7: Chasing Trends
On the one hand, you don’t want your bathroom to be sterile and boring. But, on the other hand, leaning into the trends of 2020 too hard will date your bathroom, and that can work against you quicker than you might expect.
So, what should you do?
We recommend falling back on clean, neutral tones like whites and off whites, stone or wood-look materials, classic metals, and beauty by simplicity. If you do want to add a dramatic element to your bathroom, keeping the rest of the space simple will accentuate your choice—and you can always change the look of the space later on with your sink, faucet, lighting fixture, towel, floor mat, and shower curtain selections.
Expert Fort Collins Bathroom Remodeling
Are you interested in remodeling your home, without regrettable or expensive mistakes along the way? Then call us today for high quality kitchen, bathroom, and basement remodeling.
Our team is proud to deliver outstanding craftsmanship and reliable customer service at a great value, serving the Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and the surrounding communities.