Do-It-Yourself Bathroom Renovations

Are you tired of the way that your bathroom looks?  Do you have leaky faucets, old fixtures and cabinets that look like they were installed in the 1970’s?  If so, maybe it’s time to do a few bathroom renovations.  Some jobs may require you to hire a contractor, but there are many jobs that are easy to do yourself, as long as you know how to use a hammer and screwdriver.
If you live in Toronto and are planning on doing bathroom renovations, it is important that you get all of the information that you need about building permits.  At Toronto Building, you will be able to find out which renovations require permits and which do not.  Also, you can get all of the forms that you need to apply for a building permit should it turn out that you do need one.

No Permit Needed, Easy Bathroom Renovations
There are many bathroom renovation jobs that do not require a contractor or a building permit.  A lot of the jobs are fairly easy, and even if you have not done them before, you can get all of the how-to information you need online or from your local home improvement centre.
Some of the simple bathroom renovations that you can take care of yourself include lighting, floor and wall tiles and accessories (towel bars, doors, etc.)  These projects are all relatively easy and can be done in just a short time with the proper tools and materials.

Lighting – Lighting projects can be as simple as changing a light fixture and applying new switch plates.  Or you may want to put up a new bathroom mirror and install track lighting above it for plenty of lighting for shaving, putting on make-up and doing hair.
Floor Tiles – When it comes to floor tiles, your choices are pretty much unlimited.  And tiles are really easy to install without needing a contractor or a permit.  In fact, if you really want to make the job easy, there are self-adhesive tiles that go on easily and look great.
Wall and Counter Tiles – These look great in bathrooms and are very easy to install with a bit of cement or grout.  You can get tiles in a number of shapes and sizes, as well as many different colors and patterns, and a tiling job can be done in less than a day if you put your mind to it.
Accessories – Installing accessories is probably one of the easiest bathroom renovations you will do, but it is still very important.  It only takes a few minutes to install towel bars, and it is really easy to add a new shower rod, especially if you use one of the retractable ones.  Another accessory you may want to install is a set of grips for getting in and out of the bathtub safely.
No matter what bathroom renovations you plan on doing, make sure that you know what you are doing or have some help.  And make sure that you have the proper permits if they are needed for the job you are doing.

 

What to Ask a Bathroom Contractor

Hiring a bathroom contractor can be a very trying process, especially if you have never done anything of this sort before.  You need to know how to find the right person for the job that you have in mind, not only in terms of location, but in terms of their level of skill and expertise, their cost and their shared vision with you.  Some homeowners are fine with sitting back and letting the contractor tell them what needs done and what does not.  Some contractors are perfectly fine with being told exactly what to do and when to do it.  Finding someone who can not only listen to your vision but help you bring it to life is the key to a successful bathroom renovation.

Experience, Education and Expertise

Finding the right contractor can be as simple as calling the person who did such a great job on your best friend’s home, or it can as complicated as looking at a long listing of contractors from various areas.  You can narrow down your search with a few simple questions about the experience of each of the contractors.  It is important that the contractor that you choose actually be able to handle the job at hand.  After all, if you are paying someone, they should at least have more skills than you yourself do.

Pricing and Availability

No matter what level of experience or expertise your bathroom contractor might have, it is also important to keep in mind that you actually have to pay for this work.  You also want to keep in mind your own personal timeframe.  You may finally find the perfect design and the perfect bathroom contractor who not only can bring that design to life but has done so in the recent past.  But there is a problem: he is not going to be available for another two months, which does not work for you.  Your plan is to have the renovations done before your mother-in-law comes to town in three weeks.  You may be able to go with the second choice contractor who is available right away, but will you be sacrificing too much in terms of quality?

Special Considerations

If you are interested in incorporating certain aspects into your bathroom renovation, for instance, green fixtures or other design ideas, you will need to find the right contractor for those details as well.  While there are many contractors who are going to be perfectly willing to use green techniques to give you the bathroom that you want, there are some that are surprisingly behind in the times. 

Other special considerations should be kept in mind as well, including potential allergies and the materials that can cause them.  You should also keep in mind the users of the eventual bathroom design.  Delicate and fancy is great, but will it really be appreciated by a group of teens or small children?  If there is more than one bathroom in the home, consider who uses each one the most and fit the designs accordingly.

 

Beautiful and Efficient Bathroom Design Toronto

The smallest room in the house is also the one that gets to see the most of the family’s traffic.  No matter who you are, young or old, male or female, you spend a lot of time in the bathroom.  If you think that bathroom design is really nothing more than a luxury and that it does not matter what that room looks like, then wait until the next time you are really ill.  No one wants any part of their home to be unattractive or, worse, not fit in with the rest of the place.  Unless you are designing for a dungeon, you want the bathroom to be cozy and appealing, a welcoming place not only for its intended use but a small respite from the noise and chaos outside of its doors.  You live in a living room or a family room.  You cook in a kitchen and dine in the dining room.  You come to the bathroom not only to bathe but also…to think.  A great bathroom design, Toronto, starts with the basic elements of the home in mind but with a nod to practicality as well.

Why Good Bathroom Design is Vital

While your bathroom is small, the ideas you might have in mind can be very grand.  And those very grand ideas can become very expensive, very quickly if you do not keep a few bathroom design rules and guidelines in mind.  First and foremost, you have to know if you are going to need a contractor for what you have in mind, and second, you will need to know if you are going to need a permit to do the work.  Anything that will involve adding or removing a wall, changing the floor plan layout that is currently in place or installing new plumbing fixtures may require both, and it is important to keep that in mind before you get started.

Bathroom design Toronto can be as simple as changing the color schemes and the flooring, or it can be a major tear down and rebuild of the room.  The more work that will need to be done, the more expensive it will become; however, it will likely be twice as expensive if you are going to have to pay someone to repair whatever you have already fouled up.

What Others are Doing

Bathroom design Toronto should start with a look at the design books of a well-respected contractor or remodeler who can show you what is popular for different size bathrooms as well as for different budget amounts.  You may spot a bathroom that is set up almost exactly like your own and think, “Well, I can do that.”  Again, if it is a matter of paint, then you probably can, but if you have to reseat the toilet to a new location, you should probably hire the pro.

A final thought about bathroom design Toronto: when you are choosing the design that you will go with, think about how long it will take to accomplish, which is important, especially if it is the only bath in the house.  And also keep in mind that you do not want it to be too spectacular, after all, you will still need to come out of there to go to the other rooms in the home.