Remodeling any room in the home can be challenging, but a room with plumbing is exceptionally complex. Today, I am covering the process to remodel a full sized bathroom. This is a process my husband and I implemented in our home.
1. Determine Scope of Work
Before starting any project it is important to know what you are getting yourself into. Of course you will not prepare yourself for everything, for there are always surprises in a bathroom remodel. However, it is best to be as prepared as possible. You can do that by setting a loose budget and making a list of all the parts and pieces that needed to be remodeled in a room. I have included a downloadable list to help! You can download it below.
For this bathroom remodel I decided to tare out the tub shower, replacing it with tile. We also have another full bathroom with a tub shower, so we are not without a tub. To save money, time and headaches I decided to use a shower pan for the floor. Tiling the shower floor must be done with very small mosaic tiles atop a well constructed, gradual slopped floor. Additionally, instead of replacing the whole vanity I opted to replace the laminate countertop with affordable quartz, new hardware, and sink faucet to give the vanity a new life. The tile floors were done previously, so those are here to stay! Lastly, I planned to paint the walls a new color, but would not decide until everything else was installed.
2. Shop for Materials
When remodeling our bathroom I made a list similar to the one you can download in this blog. Alex and I ordered everything we could think of needing. There are things that you don't know you need until something inevitably goes wrong!
3. Hire Help or DIY
Alex and I agreed early on we would pay someone to demo the bathroom. I feel like some things need to be handled by professionals. The company did a clean job, damaged nothing, and discarded of the demoed materials on our behalf.
We don't typically like to mess with plumbing ourselves, but after exhausting all our plumber options we had no choice but to DIY! Alex ended up replacing all our plumbing, the actual guts of the plumbing you do not see. Alex did a great job!
In short, know your skills and what you are willing to tackle versus paying someone. It can be incredibly beneficial to hire a professional for "high risk" tasks. For example, if we were to do the demo ourselves we might break something important. Therefore, we would have started the remodel off on a bad foot.
4. Demo & Install
Demo is easy to understand. You just need to tare out and break down all the parts of the bathroom that are not going to be part of the final design. Below is a suggested order for installation from floor to ceiling.
Redo all plumbing if necessary
Install shower pan
Mark out a space for a niche between wall studs. (skip this step if you do not want a tiled, built-in niche for shampoos, body washes, etc).
Lay cement board for shower walls.
Measure and cut shower wall tiles. (Be sure you have a wet saw to cut tiles).
Mortar and lay shower wall tiles on cement board.
Clean dried mortar off tiles.
Grout tile after mortar has completely dried.
Scrub and clean grout from tiles.
Install sliding glass door.
Caulk where needed.
Scrub and clean all grout and tile from shower tiles once more.
Water proof the shower.
Install plumbing fixtures such as the shower head.
Move on to the flooring.
Replace any subfloor boards that are molded, worn or uneven.
Mortar on top of the waterproofing Schulter material.
Cut and lay tiles as you mortar.
Grout tile lines.
Clean clean clean.
Install new vanity cabinets.
Seal vanity top and sink onto vanity cabinets.
Glue countertop backsplash to all the walls in which the vanity touches.
Attach sink faucet.
Install cabinet hardware.
Repair any drywall on walls.
Begin painting with chosen wall color. (Any wall color works, but make sure to choose your paint color in a satin finish. Satin finishes are washable).
Install fan light kit.
Install vanity mirror and lights
Attach all towel bars and toilet paper holders
Finish the remodel with rugs and art work.
6. Decorate
When decorating a bathroom choose artwork that is easy to clean. Avoid items that absorb water and coil in heat. In my opinion if it can't by cleaned with Lysol then it should not be in a bathroom. Hence why the artwork in my bathroom is glass and acrylic. I opt for white rugs, so I can bleach them. However, as long as you can wash the rugs any color and pattern will work.
My Bathroom BEFORE
My Bathroom AFTER
Snapshot of What I Used
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