Making plans to remodel your bathroom this fall? You’re not alone: this year, more and more Americans are starting that long-anticipated bathroom remodeling project. Whether you’re redoing your bathroom with an eye on listing your home at a higher price or you’re building a better space for you and your family to use, it’s important that the remodel gets done right. Let’s review three major categories of plumbing mistakes—and how you can avoid making them.
Hiring the wrong people or using low-grade materials
Every homeowner wants to maximize the return-on-investment they get out of their bathroom remodel. There’s a right way to do this—including limiting the project’s scope, finding good deals, and keeping parts of your existing bathroom—and there’s a wrong way. Too often, homeowners who want a luxury bathroom at the lowest-possible cost cut corners in one of two areas:
- They hire the cheapest labor, regardless of qu0alifications, experience working on remodels, or general trustworthiness.
- They choose the cheapest materials—tile, countertop, cabinets, fixtures, and more—regardless of longevity, quality, or durability.
Doing either of these things can save you money on your upfront project costs, but they can also lead to disaster down the road. Unqualified plumbers and remodelers may make “rookie” mistakes or, copying your lead, take cost-saving shortcuts that have a negative impact on how the bathroom turns out. With low-grade, cheap materials, your new bathroom just isn’t built to last, and will likely start falling apart the day you start using it.
Worst-case scenario, the negligence or faulty workmanship of an inexperienced plumber may lead to disaster, such as a leaking pipe, an improperly sloped shower floor, or any other number of plumbing and remodeling errors. Then, you’re stuck paying for rework, pushing your project completion date out and potentially ballooning your remodeling costs past what you would have spent had you just hired experienced, qualified people in the first place.
Incorrect, rushed measurements
If you are doing any of your own remodeling work, be sure to pay extra attention to any measurements you take. Verify, and then reverify, that your measurements are correct. Many plumbing and remodeling mistakes occur because of incorrect measurements. When you are fitting pipes together or laying tile, even a fraction of an inch matters. Professional remodelers know the importance of accurate measurements, which is just another reason that you should always work with a certified and locally trusted contractor on your project.
Using the wrong tools
One of the best reasons to work with a professional is that they already come equipped with the tools of the trade. Many aspects of a bathroom remodel—from removing and laying tile to sloping a shower drain—require specialized tools that, as a homeowner, you may only need once. Of course, where the trouble often starts is when people try to substitute one tool for another they already have in their garage. This can lead to damaged materials, shoddy installation, or things just being flat-out broken.
From improper electrical work to mismatched bathroom vanities, there’s a lot that can go wrong with your bathroom remodel. Our advice? It’s always a good idea to work with a professional plumber and remodeler when redoing your bathroom. For more information on remodeling bathrooms and even more mistakes to avoid, be sure to check out this new infographic from the team at ABC Cooling, Heating Plumbing in Hayward, CA:
Turning to the Groysman Construction Remodeling Company, the experts will help you implement the best solutions.
