Common Bathroom Remodeling Mistakes
February 07 2023
A bathroom renovation requires a strong sense of design, along with many considerations, such as bathtub-to-shower conversions, budgets, and timelines. Some people try do-it-yourself renovations, but that is one of the most common bathroom remodeling mistakes. DIY rarely goes well because bathrooms are complex with a lot of interrelated parts.
6 Typical Bathroom Remodeling Mistakes People Make When They Do It Themselves
Your dream bathroom could turn into a huge annoyance if you’re blasted with cold water every time you turn on the shower, cannot ever get your towels to dry completely, and have nowhere to put your linens, toilet paper, and beauty and hygiene products. If you want to renovate your bathroom, be aware of these six common issues.
1. Failing To Plan the Layout Adequately
Some DIY bathroom remodelers fall into the trap of assuming days of planning mean they've covered all their bases. They may have worked out the placement of their tub-to-shower conversion, but what about seemingly small things such as the towel bars and hooks?
Not accounting for towel bars and hooks is an especially egregious error in small bathrooms. Bars and hooks help everything hang dry properly, so not having enough is a problem. Proper spacing is essential in bathroom renovations, as is prioritizing function over form.
Some DIYers also forget to put hooks in a location they can reach from the shower. As it turns out, you can put hooks inside some showers in an area where they do not get wet. This avoids one of the most common bathroom remodeling mistakes.
Failure-to-plan mistakes can be about being so overly focused on one area that you forget about other areas. Other times, the errors have to do with a lack of expertise. Either way, they are avoidable with professional design assistance.
2. Installing Shower Controls in Inconvenient Places
Speaking of shower-and-reach problems, some people think the shower controls must be right under the shower head. Sometimes, that works fine. Other times, though, it means the shower knobs are so far away you must step into the shower to turn on the controls and get drenched. It is rarely fun to get hit with freezing water.
The shower on and off valves do not actually have to be under the shower head. You can position the controls near the door for easy access. Either way, ensure you do not have to enter the shower to turn the controls on completely. To verify you do not sacrifice function for a pretty shower setup, examine your bathroom plans and imagine the motions of opening the shower door and using the controls.
3. Forgetting About Storage
A bathroom remodel is a major change. It is easy to get excited and caught up in this project. You may be envisioning luxury materials, decadent showers, and marble floors. Where is the storage, though? Oops. Bathroom remodeling mistakes alert.
Ample storage is possible with any type of bathroom theme or focus, but it's something you need to think about from the beginning. Some folks try to shoehorn it in at the end, which can create problems with layout, space, and budget.
Combine a variety of storage solutions. Think about a mixture of cabinets, medicine cabinets, doors, drawers of various depths, shelves, and even lazy Susans.
4. Skipping the Handheld Showerhead
Handheld showerheads are becoming more popular for a reason. They help you clean all the nooks and crannies of your body, as well as the shower itself. It is a lot easier to clean the shower using a handheld versus a bucket of water.
Handheld showerheads are great for accessibility as well. They are necessary if you’re remodeling your bathroom and converting your bathtub into a shower for accessibility or aging-in-place purposes.
5. Choosing Improper Materials
Using incorrect or cheap materials is one of the top bathroom remodeling mistakes. Bathrooms require specific materials that can withstand rapid temperature swings, high moisture levels, and condensation. If you choose the wrong materials, you risk warped floors and peeling wallpaper, walls, floors, and vanities growing mildew.
For example, it is possible to have a wood vanity in the bathroom, but it must be wood treated to withstand the stresses bathroom use throws at it. Also, reconsider looking for the cheapest fixtures to save a buck. Plastic parts break easily and, in the long term, can end up being more expensive than purchasing quality metal parts in the first place.
6. Forgetting About the Fine Details
A lot can go wrong when laying out a bathroom. For example, poor ventilation could cause issues with the paint. Likewise, you could spend hours looking for the perfect tile but not account for the space needed between each tile for adherence and crack resistance.
Take lighting, too. Installing poor or bad lighting is another of the common bathroom remodeling mistakes. A vanity light over the mirror tends to work well for smaller models but not so much for larger vanities. You shouldn't sacrifice good lighting for the mirror of your dreams, but it can be tricky to get vanity lighting in the right proportions and with proper spacing without professional assistance.
Not Hiring a Professional Is the Biggest Error of Them All
DIY bathroom remodels can be perilous and extremely costly even if you plan extensively and account for extra time and money. It’s just too easy to make mistakes.
For this reason, it is better to hire a company for your bathroom remodeling project. Even if you have decent DIY experience, a bathroom renovation can turn into a frustrating slog. Professional remodelers handle these projects efficiently and know where to source high-quality materials at excellent prices.
Many DIYers set out to remodel their bathrooms themselves to save money, but in the end they spend more than they would have if they had chosen to work with a contractor in the first place. Fixing mistakes requires time and expense. Get your bathroom redone right the first time.
Avoid Bathroom Remodeling Mistakes
You don’t have to commit expensive bathroom remodeling mistakes. Turn to professional bathroom renovators who have years of experience and understand how the various elements of a bathroom interplay. Compare bathroom remodel contractors in your area today for projects of all sizes. Request a quote and compare pricing today.
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