Things to Consider when Renovating your Bathroom

Whether you are doing an entire bathroom renovation, or just making a few small changes to freshen up the bathroom – We’ve compiled some important factors for you to consider before you go gung-ho with a sledgehammer.

o   It’s all about the design!

Remember “function over form” before you start imagining the bathroom of your dreams. Before your décor or colour scheme, or layout is even considered you’ll need a licensed plumber to layout where pipes, drains and other fixtures are able to be installed or moved to.

By keeping plumbing fixtures in the same spot as before, you’ll be able to save costs. This shouldn’t be a limiting factor for you when you consider all of the other changes you could make that don’t involve moving a toilet or a bath.

The big things to consider:

o   Drains

Ideally, water should be able to flow to a drain from any point in the room. Without adequate drainage with your bathroom re-model, you could be left with pooling water. This could eventually cause rot, rust and more. A licensed plumber will analyse the floor and plan out where drains are able to be installed.

o   Waterproofing

In wet areas, waterproofing is the most fundamental application you can do that will prevent water ingress, mold, water damage, rot, termite attraction and so forth. It is imperative this is carried out by a licensed waterproofer who will then provide the form 16 for your warranty.

 o   Pipes and fixtures

As mentioned above, to save on costs, keeping your bath, sinks, shower, taps, and toilets in the same position will mean you don’t have to re-plumb pipes. This is particularly the case when the bathroom is on a slab.

What’s most important to you?

Before renovating your bathroom you must evaluate what is most important to you with the bathroom. Here are some questions I like to ask my clients before a new bathroom:

  • Do you have specific design preferences?
  • How many people are going to be using the bathroom?
  • Do you need a lot of storage? Do you like storing toiletry items, towels, and products in the vanity?
  • Do you require a lot of space around the sink?
  • Is a bath necessary? Sometimes it is good to keep a bath for resale purpose.

Make the most of the space

When it comes to installing a new bathroom, even if you’re blessed with a large room, there are a few space-saving tricks you can implement to make the most of your new bathroom.

  • Vanity selection is crucial, wall-mounted can give a larger effect, some vanities can be greater in-depth than others.
  • Consider installing wall niches as a way of keeping toiletries out of the way.
  • Choose a vanity with storage such as drawers. Even if your bathroom is large, having an extra for towels, toiletries etc will come in handy – trust me!
  • Install a mirror cabinet. These can usually be reset into the wall and provide not only a mirror but more storage. Otherwise, a large mirror itself will make the room look more open and less cramped.
  • Selection of tile size and tile height – that is 2100mm for example or floor to ceiling, these choices will again give more length or height to a room.