Monday, October 17, 2005

So You Decided To Remodel Your Bathroom by Judi Singleton



Bathroom remodeling ranks up there with kitchen remodeling in the U.S.
I thought when I thought I should remodel my bathroom that a simple spruce up would do costing maybe tops $1000. I had a new toliet and vanity. I badly needed a new tub. I didn't count a wall having to come out to accomodate a new tub. Also that meant that the new tub surround I had installed just two years before had to be taken out. The bids I got were closer to $10,000. Too much we would just have to put up with the old bath.
My new toliet did not work very well. While the toliet itself looked just fine it did not flush well. The federal government outlawed the standard toilet homeowners have used for decades, so they are no longer being produced. Now, you must install a toilet that only uses 1.5 gallons of water per flush. So if you have an older toliet you may just want to replace the inards toliets don't wear out. Some higher-end toilets also come with pressure-assisted flush mechanisms. Available for years in the commercial market, these toilets use compressed air to assist in flushing. However, these toliets can cost from $150. to $500.
So think about whether it is worth the new look or the toliet flushing well before you buy a toliet.

While you are thinking about remodeling the bath you might think about your needs changing in a few years and safety factors.

Bathrooms should be designed with floors that do not become slick when wet. Avoiding things like sharp corners, hard edges, and scalding hot water. This can make everyone using them safe.

Bathrooms should include grab bars that are well set into the walls for people to balance themselves. They should be roomy enough to accomodate a Wheelchair or walker. Perhaps when choosing a tub you could choose one that allows you just to step in. These things may be more costly now but your needs will change and then these features will pay for themselves.
The shower should be equipped with a water pressure-equalizing device so that when a toilet flushes, someone in the shower doesn't experience a sudden increase in water temperature. Also, the shower should have a seat.
A flexible hose attached to a showerhead makes it easier for someone with disabilities to wash. It also makes it easier to bathe small children or the family pet.

Many people now isolate the toilet area from the rest of the bathroom with a partial wall or privacy glass.
There are many wonderful features that can be installed in bathrooms now. Heated floors, large windows or extra lightening, ceramic tile, 2 sinks, jacuzzi tubs. Of course ceiling fans are now part of the regular options. I installed a skylight as my bathroom is tucked in between the bedrooms and garage with no outside wall.
These are all things to think about when you are deciding on a bathroom remodel.
About the Author
About the author: Judi Singleton is the publisher of Jassmine's JOurnal, nine lists only one ezine. Target your advertising. You can subscribe to Jassmine's Journal for only $60. a year. Subscribe now
http://www.motherearthpublishing.com