Bathroom remodeling stories are ripe with tales of woe. The two most common complaints are ‘my remodel project took way longer than planned’ and ‘the final cost is much more than what was originally estimated.’ Take control of your project with Simplicity Bath’s list of avoidable bath remodeling mistakes. Keeping it simple is at the heart of a bathroom remodel experience.
The 18 Most Common Mistakes
1. Under-estimated the time to select and order all the required products and materials to ensure they would arrive before the construction begins.
2. Started demolition and construction before design was finalized and all products and materials were selected, ordered and had an assured delivery date.
3. Failed to confirm that all items were included in a given product selection for a complete installation. Missing parts delay the job.
4. Did not install wall blocking for current and future grab bars, towel bars and toilet paper fixtures.
5. Added lighting, fan and other electrical fixtures, without realizing that an additional electrical circuit needed to be added to handle the load.
6. Forgot to check existing water supply piping and make provisions to replace galvanized pipe (especially applicable for homes built before 1975).
7. Created new design repositioning plumbing fixtures that required changing the ‘rough-in’ plumbing, while not understanding cost impact.
8. Didn’t create a reserve account for hidden damage such as dry rot and mold in the tub area.
9. Did not verify and confirm tile quantities and associated water-proofing and crack arresting underlayment.
10. Planned a new soaking tub, and forgot to confirm that the existing hot water tank can handle the load.
11. Didn’t ensure adequate access to plumbing to fix future leaks or clogs.
12. Door location and swing hit fixtures, vanity or did not provide adequate clearance.
13. Inadequate toilet clearance side to side and leg room.
14. Poor or inadequate ventilation for moisture and odors. Windows alone are often not enough.
15. Built-in vanity unit too close to wall causing drawers and doors to clash with trim, door or fixtures.
16. Inadequate provision for storing linens, medicines, cosmetics, grooming accessories.
17. Failed to realize commonly referred bath tub dimensions provided by manufacture is the overall size, not the interior bathing area dimensions.
18. Failed to check shower door [net] free area dimensions.
Avoiding these costly mistakes won’t solve all the issues with remodeling your bathroom but addressing them will surely guarantee less headaches and less overall cost.
