What to Consider in a Bathroom Remodel Project

When it comes to home improvement projects that can actually enhance the look and feel of your home and increase its value, a bathroom remodel offers a variety of benefits for optimizing the functionality and aesthetics of one of the most frequented rooms in the house.

Embarking on a project of this size and scope takes a lot of planning and preparation to ensure everything goes smoothly and that you’re satisfied with the finished product.

What does that entail, exactly?

First off, you’re going to be making a lot of decisions.

This overview will cover the most important things to consider when a bathroom remodel is your next home improvement project.

You may already have your dream bathroom in mind or you may have no idea where to start first. That’s okay, we’re going to get you there by helping you make smart decisions throughout the entire process.

The first question that must be answered – what is the ultimate goal for this home improvement project? Do you want more space in this bathroom? Are you aiming to improve functionality by adding a bathtub or shower? Maybe the bathroom looks and feels dated and you want to bring it into the 21st century?

These are all valid reasons for mounting a bathroom remodel in your home. There are even more that you may want to consider (and will impact the overall budget of the project).

What goes into the project you have in mind? Depends on the purpose of the project.

Aesthetic Improvements
This means you should plan on spending much of your resources on new tiles, new finishes, even new windows, or new lighting fixtures.

Functional Enhancements
Improving the functionality can mean changing the entire layout of the space, upgrading the plumbing, repairing old flooring, adding more storage space, turning a bathtub into a shower or adding one or both into a bathroom that has neither at the moment.

Energy Efficient Upgrades
Conservation has been a popular motive for remodeling bathrooms with LED lighting, energy-efficient windows, and toilets that flush less water.

Remaining focused on why you’ve chosen to improve your bathroom will help you prioritize what’s important for the project and avoid any unnecessary renovations and the costs that come with them.

Every home improvement project begins with establishing a budget. The goal, of course, is to come in on budget (if not under) and this can be accomplished with careful planning and setting realistic goals from the very beginning.

The amount you’re planning to spend will inform the size of your remodel, the type of materials you will use, and who will be doing the bulk of the work. Are you hiring professional installers to do everything (highly recommended) or are you taking on the labor yourself?

When you sit down to start crunching the numbers, do your homework. Do the research into the renovations, components, and fixtures you have in mind. Get quotes and incorporate all of these costs into your budget.

Be sure to include approximately 10-20% of a contingency for any unexpected costs that can put you over budget and delay or hinder the forward progress of your bathroom remodel.

Allocate more of your resources towards the fundamental aspects of the job like the plumbing, the tiles, flooring, permanent fixtures, and other components that can make or break the finished product. Spend less on decor items and easily replaced fixtures that you can focus on after the foundational elements are addressed.

Next up, how do you like the current layout of your bathroom? Making any major changes to the layout can be one of the most expensive aspects of the project. Adjusting the layout could require knocking down a wall, moving or changing the plumbing and wiring, and reconfiguring the floor.

These are big changes. So it’s important to decide if you are happy with the current layout or if you want to make renovations. Assess the room to determine if there is sufficient storage, adequate countertop space, and enough square footage to move around the room without hindrances.

If this remodel project is being done to accommodate someone with a medical disability or an elderly individual who has mobility challenges, the layout may need to be updated.

If you are happy with the current layout of the bathroom, then you may want to focus on changing the fixtures and other aesthetic components of the space.

Remodeling or renovating a bathroom in an older home may require an upgrade of the plumbing or electrical systems, particularly when modern lighting and new fixtures are part of the project. Upgrades are a good idea to support efficiency and to ensure the new components work properly and safely.

This may require the relocation of water lines to fit the new layout of the remodeled bathroom, replacing old, rusty, and corroded pipes with new galvanized steel or iron replacements, and the installation of water-efficient fixtures that conserve water. This is especially important for master bathrooms that get a lot of use or shared bathrooms with multiple users on a daily basis.

Performing electrical upgrades may require improved lighting fixtures, additional outlets, or ground-fault circuit interrupters to prevent users from electric shock. These upgrades should be handled by a professional licensed expert and all work must be compliant with local codes.

Bathrooms are subject to elevated moisture levels and sufficient ventilation is essential for reducing the risk of mold, mildew, and damage caused by condensation.

When you are planning on your remodel, ventilation is a critical part of the planning process to reduce condensation and moisture. This will protect the surfaces and finishes in the space and preserve air quality, while ensuring the life of your new bathroom.

Installing a high-capacity fan that can handle the size of your bathroom and is connected to appropriate ducting that is short and insulated can be very helpful. Check the CFM (cubic feet per minute) on the fan you choose to install as that could have a significant effect on the success of your remodel.

It’s possible poor ventilation has contributed to the condition of your bathroom that has led you to choose to initiate a remodel project. Take action now to reduce the risk of the same wear and tear happening again in the same manner.

Even with proper ventilation, humidity and moisture are common in all bathrooms. The next thing to consider is the type of materials you plan to install as part of your remodel. You want materials that are moisture-resistant and won’t be damaged by humid conditions and the mold and mildew that can emerge as a result.

This goes for your flooring, countertops, even the walls in the bathroom.

Choosing flooring materials like stone, porcelain, ceramic, or high-quality vinyl are all smart options with a variety of benefits. Some are waterproof and easy to maintain, others offer exceptional durability and eye-catching aesthetics.

When you’re choosing your countertop materials, quartz and granite are two of the most popular because they are highly durable and require little to no maintenance to keep them in great shape. There are other choices like solid surface and recycled glass which are also reliable options that look and feel great.

There are a number of options available such as ceramic or porcelain tile, moisture-resistant drywall, acrylic or fiberglass, cement panels, and even waterproof paint that can reduce the impact of mold and mildew to protect your wall panels.

Fixtures like faucets, shower heads, sinks, toilets, bathtubs and shower stalls allow for you to get really creative, stretch your design muscles, and improve functionality while supporting water efficiency in your newly remodeled bathroom.

Many homeowners prioritize aesthetics when choosing their new fixtures but other factors should be taken into account. Yes, it’s important to match the finishes of your faucets and shower heads for a clean and stylish appearance, but toilets should be WaterSense-certified for water conservation, and sinks and bathtubs and showers should integrate effortlessly into the new or existing layout of the bathroom.

It’s important to buck the current interior design trends and choose fixtures that are evergreen. That way you won’t want to swap them out again in a few years because they’re no longer in style or they are functionally outdated after just a brief period of time.

The next question on your mind should take storage into consideration. How much functional storage capacity is available in your current bathroom? Will you need to expand that space when you remodel your bathroom? It’s good to know the answers to these questions early, because then you can decide on how to address these concerns.

Expanding the storage space in your bathroom increases functionality and decreases clutter. Some of the most popular choices for achieving these objectives include vanities or cabinets with drawers and shelves, recessed storage spaces built into the walls, and specialized spaces for extra storage like medicine cabinets and shower niches.

A bathroom remodel should take all factors into consideration and that might require changing the lighting in your current bathroom design for any number of reasons.

Adequate lighting is important in any room of the home but it is especially vital in the bathroom for safety, peak visibility, and ambiance. The bathroom is where you get ready to go work and clean up before a night out with friends and family.

The functionality of the bathroom demands good lighting to prevent slip and fall accidents in and out of the shower, ensure safe grooming when using sharp razors or scissors, and accurate illumination for applying makeup.

A bathroom remodel can take as little as a couple of days to as much as several weeks to complete the home improvement project you really want. It all depends on what you plan to do and some of the factors that play a role in the project timeline are:

• Design
• Preparation and Approval
• Demolition
• Electrical and Plumbing Upgrades
• Construction/Fixture Installation
• Finishing and Paint Detailing
• Inspections

Working with NYC Kitchen and Bath on your bathroom remodel project looks like this:

Phase One – Design
Phase one is where your bathroom remodel begins with the design phase. This can take roughly one to two weeks as you work with our interior design team to craft the bathroom you want. No job is too big or too small for us. Maybe you’re upgrading some fixtures and countertops, maybe you want to redesign the entire layout of the space. The design phase is when it all starts to take shape.

Phase Two – Prep
Phase two is when measurements and data are collected by the project manager assigned to your remodel project. The prep phase is also your opportunity to make any last minute changes or fix any aspects of the job that you may have reconsidered or were on the fence about in the design phase. But once you sign off on the work, the project is ready to begin.

Phase Three – Installation
Phase three is when your existing bathroom becomes your new bathroom. Demolition starts as all of the old components and fixtures are removed, plumbing and electrical systems are updated or converted, and all of the new fixtures, lighting, flooring, tiles, ventilation, storage, you name it, are built and/or installed.

At NYC Kitchen and Bath, our team of designers and installers guide you through the entire process, from the design phase to the construction phase, until you have a remodeled or renovated bathroom that meets your expectations.

Schedule an appointment today. Come visit our massive 10,000 square foot showroom where you can test and touch a variety of interactive displays and samples from all of the top designers in the industry. We work with some of the best designers in the business, offering top quality materials like fixtures, countertops, tiles, cabinets, flooring, we have it all!

Explore our showroom, consider all of the options we offer, and learn how you can remodel your bathroom at a price that will fit your budget. Since we do everything in-house, you save time and money and we make sure your new remodeled bathroom is the one you envisioned from the very start.

NYC Kitchen and Bath is proud to be the Tri-State area’s most popular bathroom renovation and remodel specialist. Give us a call today and tell us how we can turn your faded, old bathroom into a shiny, new personal space worthy of your home.