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Bathroom remodels are one of the most common rooms for home remodeling, especially if you’re moving into a new home and the bathroom is outdated.
But it can be incredibly expensive, leading many homeowners to take matters into their own hands. Once you learn how to remodel a bathroom yourself, you can save a lot of money.
Are you looking at how to remodel a bathroom yourself? You have a tough but fun project ahead of you. If you’re a DIYer, this is your time to shine.
Before you get started on any bathroom renovation, there’s a lot of preparation to be done and decisions to be made.
This article is full of tips and tricks to help you remodel your bathroom.
1. Make a plan
You can’t get started on any renovations if you don’t have a plan. Going into a remodel blind is a recipe for failure.
Before getting started, you need to know your area’s building codes. In some communities, you have to get permission to add on or remodel.
There are also set times of day that you can work on your project so the noise doesn’t bother your neighbors.
We recommend you speak to a professional when it comes to any electrical work or even plumbing. Unless, of course, you have experience and training in these areas.
When the plumbing and electrical work are done, you have the basics of the room ready and you can start the meat of the planning. Do measurements in all areas that you plan on remodeling and make sure that these measurements are accurate.
If not, you’ll end up frustrated and even stuck in one area. Then you have to redo certain elements. It’s never fun to start over.
Make sure all the changes you plan on making are within your scope of experience and knowledge. You don’t want to start something you can’t finish.
2. Bathroom demolition
Now you can tear the bathroom apart or at least the areas you plan on remodeling. You might need to remove drywall, flooring, or cabinets.
The very first thing you need to do is turn off your plumbing’s water supply or you’re going to end up with a huge unwanted mess. You need to only tear down what you’re remodeling. Don’t get overzealous.
Pay very close attention to what you’re doing. You don’t want an accident on your hands with your plumbing system or electrical system.
However, demolition really isn’t too hard: If you can fix a leaky faucet, you can demo your bathroom!
3. Painting your walls
One of your first changes during any renovation should be to your walls. They need to be done before you can bring in any fixtures or hang any mirrors or artwork.
Otherwise, you may have difficulty getting everything where it needs to be or dripping paint all over tile or the tub, toilet, or sink.
Invest in either semi-gloss paint or interior paint that’s made for bathrooms. Other paints can hold onto the moisture in the bathroom which leads to problems with mold and mildew.
Plus, when the paint absorbs moisture, it bubbles and peels. (For more information on that, check out the best paint finishes for bathrooms.)
Do you have a small bathroom and want to make it appear bigger? Use white or neutral colors. If you want the bathroom to have a cozy atmosphere, use dark colors instead.
4. Laying down bathroom floor tile
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Now that you’ve finished the walls of your new bathroom, you can move on to the floor. In most cases, you’ll be laying down tile.
This part can be tricky and is where accurate measurements are the most important. You usually plan tile quantities by square foot so you need to know exactly how much to get.
It helps to start marking tiles around your bathroom fixtures or where your bathroom fixtures are going to be. Then, continue tiling around the edges of your bathroom.
There will be areas that require you to cut them to a perfect fit so starting around the edges is the easy part.
Next, put down the mortar and place the actual tiles. Make sure they’re even and right where you had it marked. Use spacers in-between the tiles for when you grout them later.
It takes a day for the mortar to dry and hold the tiles in place. Once the mortar is dry, pull out the spacers and fill the gaps with grout.
5. Add your fixtures
The last step is to add your new bathroom fixtures, whether that’s a toilet, shiny new faucets, a new rain shower head or all of the above.
One tip is to make sure there’s adequate lighting throughout your bathroom. Having lights around your mirror is a must. They illuminate your face so you can do whatever you need to.
Hang up towel holders that match your desired bathroom decor and add shelves to hold and organize your bathroom accessories.
Find a stylish shower curtain that makes a statement. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your bathroom remodeling project.
If you’re attaching a new toilet, sink, or bathtub, make sure you know what steps you need to take. If possible, hire a professional to make sure they’re attached to your plumping in the right manner.
Ready to start renovating?
Remodeling a bathroom can be a lengthy and expensive project, depending on what all you want to do.
But if you do some of the work with your own two hands, you’ll save on bathroom remodel cost and feel a sense of accomplishment you can’t get anywhere else.
Now that you know how to remodel a bathroom yourself, it’s time to dive into the details! Check out our recommendations for the best small bathroom sinks and the best bathroom vanity brands.
