It’s a new year and a great time to get your DIY skills to work. Renovating homes is costly, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, which are the most used home areas. You walk into your bathroom, and you finally decide that you’ve had enough. Having family over during the holidays had you blindsided for a bit, but you can put things into perspective now that everything’s settled down. Your bathroom’s a total mess, and cleaning it won’t solve anything. A quick call to your plumber confirms what you already know. Building a new bathroom is your only option.
Bathroom Renovation Guide
The cost of a new bathroom may scare you away, but you can limit how much you spend by doing most of the hard work yourself. As projects in the home improvements niche, bathroom remodelling can be tricky to handle all by yourself. Still, we’ve made things easier with this complete step by step guide for do-it-yourself renovations. Let’s begin!
1. Set Out Your Tools
Without the right tools, you’ll find yourself neck-deep in murky waters before you know it. A quick trip to your hardware store will solve the problem if you don’t have any tools. Some of the tools you’ll need for your new bathroom project include:
2. Identify Your Design Plan
There are many bathroom remodelling tips for DIYers to explore when remodelling a bathroom. These 2022 bathroom design ideas include the best layout for small toilets and walk-in showers, among others. You must choose a cost-effective method for renovation projects based on your bathroom layout.
3. Remove Bathroom Fixtures
Start by stripping the existing bathroom of all its plumbing fixtures and fittings. It’s important to note at this point that you’ll need to adhere to all safety precautions necessary. Before removing anything in your existing layout, ensure that you’ve shut off the water coming in from the pipes and that you have removed and drained out the toilet. This will prevent any sudden spills that can disrupt your work.
4. Install New Fixtures
Now that you have a clear outlook on what you want your bathroom to look like, you can begin the actual work. One of the best things about a bathroom remodel is that most of the pipes have already been placed, so you won’t need to worry about those unless you’re making any significant changes. You can also check out trendy bathroom tips for different bathroom layouts if you’re remodelling family bathrooms or a small space.
Suppose you’re ditching the regular bathtub in your old bathroom for a freestanding bath or walk-in shower. In that case, you must follow your manufacturer’s guide for installation. Plumbing work can be pretty tricky, and we recommend following your expert’s advice to the letter, even for mundane things like cabinets or a heated towel rail.
5. Work On New Flooring
Most bathrooms use tile flooring, but you can decide to do something more DIY-friendly. Before you begin to work on your floor space, it’s necessary to check your subfloor to ensure that there are no issues. Your bathroom needs to be durable enough to handle constant foot traffic and moisture, so you may need to remove the old material when remodelling.
Installing or laying flooring will undoubtedly take up a chunk of your time, even if you have a small bathroom. That’ll be great if you have someone to help out in this process. The ideal subfloor is two stacks of thick plywood placed atop each other, and you’ll also need some concrete if you’re going with natural stone tiles. Don’t forget underfloor heating!
6. Fix The Walls
This is one of the final steps to complete bathroom installation. If you’re not installing wall tiles, you’ll need a smooth surface to work with, especially if you want to go with a glossy finish. You can also use acrylic material for your shower walls because of their durable and easy-to-install nature. Check out some bathroom wall ideas and pick which resonates best with your décor.
7. Sinks, Faucets, and Everything In Between
After fixing your walls and shower enclosure, you’ll be able to install your sinks and faucets. You can also bring in a new vanity, wall-mounted taps, cabinets, mirrors, and other accessories you need to hang on your bathroom walls. Your bathroom should be taking shape already! Caveat emptor: use a certified plumber and electrician where required for wiring and pipe work and install shower, bath, taps and toilet. What’s most important is water-tightness, and getting advice on how to achieve it will set you up to succeed with a dry, mould-free bathroom.
8. Clean Up
Now that you’ve done all the hard work, it’s time to see results! Clear out all the dirt, and include any extra décor you may have missed. Reconnect your pipes and then test run to see if everything is in order. If you’ve chosen to install new bathroom lighting, turn on the lights to see the best of your bathroom design!
Finally…
Congratulations! You’ve done it! And all by yourself too! Now, all that’s left is to enjoy a nice warm bath in your dream bathroom. You’ve earned it!
This content was originally published here.