By Len Drewnowsky
Undertaking any renovation in your home can be stressful, but preparing yourself with the proper questions to ask your contractor, and knowing what to look out for can certainly make the process seem far less worrisome.
Many of the homes in the manor were built in the 1950s and have not been updated since then. The following things to consider will help to put you on the right track when thinking about updating your bathroom.
1) First and foremost, you must determine if the plumbing is outdated and, if so, are you prepared to strip all the walls down to the studs to upgrade the pipes. Upgrading from galvanized to copper is a must, and will increase water pressure and flow in most cases.
2) How many bathrooms are currently in the home, and do they all have bathtubs? The trend today is to keep one bathroom with a tub, preferably the main bathroom, and convert the bathtub in the ensuite to a large walk-in shower
3) Consider electric floor heating as an alternative to conventional forced air heating – This especially useful if you have an older home with hot water radiators. Electric floor heat eliminates unsightly radiators and frees up additional floor space.
4) Is there adequate ventilation in the bathroom? Years ago builders were only required to have a window in the bathroom in order to meet the criteria for ventilation. Today a fan is not just a convenience, but a must in ensuring proper ventilation - both for the sake of expelling excess humidity from the room, as well as fumes. Excess humidity leads to the formation of mould in corners and mildew on the grout. Make sure that the fan you select is large enough for the size of the room.
5) Do you want a pre-moulded tub or shower, or a customer built shower with natural stone or tile? These are all personal preferences and your contractor should be able to show you examples of both.
6) Now for the fun part - selecting plumbing fixtures. In most cases today, toilets are water savers so your choice for a toilet should be narrowed down to elongated or regular shape, and raised or standard height. Selection of faucets and shower controls become a personal taste issue. Choose from double handles to single lever. My personal choice is to always select a pressure balance control for the shower to eliminate the risk of burns due to drops in pressure while showering, which can happen when someone else in the home flushes a toilet while you’re in the shower.
7) Electrical considerations should include having a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) in the bathroom, as well as lighting in the shower or over the tub with a separate control switch. Pot lights add a lot of light without being obtrusive and should also be considered as a great option.
8) Choices of tubs is always a major component. Whether it be a higher soaker tub, a jet tub, or a therapeutic bubble jet, discuss your options with your contractor. He or she will guide you to a recommendation that best suits your needs.
9) Layout changes are a major consideration when remaking your bathroom. If you have a closet in a spare room that backs onto the bathroom, it may be possible to give you the flexibility to have both a soaker tub and walk in shower and increase the value of your home. A competent contractor can assess these possibilities.
10) Finally, when you consider a bathroom renovation, be prepared to be inconvenienced for at least a couple of weeks, and make sure you’re comfortable with the people that are working in your home. Remember that you will be seeing a lot of them during the project. Your contractor should be professional and friendly, as well as his employees. Is your contractor punctual? When he says he will be at your place at a certain time, is he? Remember, the contractor that you choose will make your project either a pleasure, or a nightmare, so select wisely!
Len Drewnowsky, LD
Construction and Landscapes Inc.
Owner of LD Construction and Landscapes Inc.,
Len has over 30 years experience in the home
renovation, landscaping and design industry.
Operating the family-run business, Len takes pride
in the workmanship and detail that is put into every job that him and his team undertake.
ldconstruction.ca
len@ldconstruction.ca
416.677.3459