Monday, April 9, 2012

Bathroom renovations

Bathroom renovations become necessary every now and then, particularly because they accumulate moisture and tend to deteriorate. When working on joists and bathroom walls, you may have to replace the moisture-resistant drywall and include a moisture-proof backer board for the wetter areas. In case the moisture has gone way beyond the wallboard affecting the joists and the wall stud, these elements will have to be either completely replaced or just sistered, depending on how bad their situation is.

Then, you can seldom consider bathroom renovations without including shower/tub repairs or even replacement in some cases. Some home owners remodel precisely because they want changes to the shower-tub combination. There may be cracks, stains and discoloration of the shower or tub that could be dealt with quite easily. For example if the cracks are not numerous and minor, there are self-repair options that cost really cheap. These work great for fiberglass and acrylic tubs or showers. Tub refinishing is also possible, and you can choose to do it yourself or get a pro for the job.

Some problems nevertheless go beyond refinishing or repairing, and then, more drastic bathroom renovations are required. Even so you don't have to go for the most difficult and expensive solution. Many home owners declare themselves satisfied with pre-fab tubs and showers that don't require any form of on site building. As long as you buy a unit that fits through your doorways and matches the space, it could be just fine.

In case you want to take one step further with major bathroom renovations, the flooring will inevitably come into discussion. Given the fact that the bathroom is a very damp place, you have to choose your flooring carefully and weigh all the options. Ceramic tile is by far the most popular, yet, laminate flooring and engineered flooring do the trick for many homes. There is no moisture tolerance with hardwood flooring; you certainly don't want it in your bathroom.

In case you have not decided about what bathroom renovations you want, you might take a closer look at your budget, evaluate your real needs and then make up your mind on the most suitable design and remodeling options there are for you. Lots of people take this decision process the other way round: they see a bathroom design they like and they do their best to apply it to their home. This could prove a really bad idea because of the differences in space, as well as because of the high expense too dramatic changes would bring about.

No comments:

Post a Comment