Does remodeling your own bathroom sound like fun, or at least like a really good way to save money? Before you jump right into the project with a wrench, take a moment to consider a couple of important questions.
How Are Your Do-It-Yourself Skills?
If you proudly bear the title of ’master fixer-upper,’ you should be able to handle remodeling your bathroom without too much trouble.
If, on the other hand, picking up your hammer usually ends with an emergency room visit to treat a smashed thumb, you’ll probably want to arrange for professional plumbing services to handle this task.
After all, a smashed thumb is no fun, but a flooded bathroom is almost as annoying and as costly.
What Do You Want to Do to the Bathroom?
Some tasks are easier than others. Painting the walls or replacing the handles on the cabinets, for instance, is nowhere near as difficult or involved as rearranging the plumbing to switch the positions of the sink and the toilet.
If you’re not sure how much technical know-how your project involves, run it by a plumber and arrange for help if you think you’ll need it.
Easy Fixes: Lighting
Some older bathrooms have lights that are so harsh or so badly placed that they make even a 10-year-old appear geriatric. You can fix this problem by installing softer lights at about eye level.
Eye level lights do away with unflattering shadows that make you appear older. At the same time, it’s a good idea to install bright task lights that can be turned on for chores like applying makeup or shaving.
For example, wall sconces are available in many complementary styles and can be mounted at any convenient height. The only issue you are going to encounter during installation is locating the wiring and running it the wall cavity and securing a junction box.
You can find local ratings on licensed electricians to handle this for you. Angie’s List makes it easy to find the best. Join today.
Easy Fixes: Ventilation
Bathrooms are home to all manner of odd smells. They can also be fertile breeding grounds for various molds and mildew. If your bathroom has an old vent fan or, worse, no vent fan at all, you can easily install a new one to keep the room odor free and fungus resistant.
As an added bonus, new bathroom ventilation systems run so quietly you’ll be able to carry on a conversation in the loo without shouting.
Measure your bathroom before purchasing a fan vent so that you’ll buy the correct size. It’s also a good idea to remove the old one and take it with you to the home improvement store to be sure the new one is compatible with the rough opening in your ceiling.
Before going to work on your bathroom, make sure you know exactly what you want to do and that you have the skills and equipment to do it safely.
Don’t be embarrassed about asking for help if you need it—not everyone was born to tackle the complex world of plumbing and electrical work.
Besides, it’s far less expensive to get the help you need up front than to pay a tradesman to come in behind you and correct your mistakes. In the end, it doesn’t really matter who does the work as long as your bathroom looks—and smells—the way you want it to.
About the Author:
Michelle is an aspiring writer with a passion for blogging. She enjoys writing about a vast variety of topics and loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publicly voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.
