Things You Wish You Knew Before A Bathroom Renovation – Before and After Lessons For Wichita Homeowners

When it is time for a complete bathroom makeover, you want to do it right, from budget management to researching trusted suppliers and contractors. But the whole adventure begins with what you want and how well you can paint the picture of your desired bathroom renovation. Before and after photographs on the web are a good place to start and get inspired. 

Research and preparation should be the fun part of it all as it helps build up the excitement! When you hire one of our adept and experienced Wichita bathroom remodelers, you can rest assured that all your questions will be answered during formal in-home consultation and inspection. Mr. Handyman of the Wichita Metro Area brings many years of experience in comprehensive home remodeling and improvement projects, including bathroom renovations.

In this blog, we will cover some typical tasks homeowners want done during a bathroom renovation. Before and after images will also help you get a better idea of what is possible and generally, what to expect. Sometimes, DIY professionals make the wrong approach, such as not getting the budget right or not detecting some plumbing problems that need to be addressed. In fact, there is a lot to know “before” your bathroom renovation. Mr. Handyman will ensure that every step of the process is covered so that you’ll be able to enjoy every detail of the end result!

Common Bathroom Renovation Tasks

Every big bathroom renovation project has a first step and that is knowing your current pet peeve. What makes your bathroom an annoying place to be? Is your toilet too close to the bathtub? Are you lacking storage space? The lack of comfort and functionality are typically the main reasons that call for a bathroom renovation. Before and after images will detail the components that are to blame, whether it’s the choice of color, outdated floral wallpaper, or poor material choice.

Choosing a New Color Scheme

When you’re still brainstorming about your upcoming bathroom renovation, before and after photos typically highlight the importance of your choice of colors. As a huge part of the design element, color matching matters in terms of tile floors, tile walls, plumbing fixtures, and your choice of paint.

Our bathroom remodelers have found that dark colors have the tendency to produce a sense of warmth and calm. That is functionally and aesthetically pleasing for those who use the bathroom primarily in the evening. If you prefer taking relaxing evening baths with candlelight, dark colors like navy, steel gray, or deep magenta, could calm your senses.

However, if you are a morning person who steps into the shower before your coffee, you want your surroundings to be bright and energizing. In that case, we recommend opting for white or pale gray walls and fixtures. Hexagon porcelain or herringbone tile floors could create a trendy pattern that invigorates the entire space.

Outdated color schemes that are a blast from the past include orange, salmon pink, cream, and mustard yellow. If you seek something more neutral yet inspiring, teal is a popular color scheme to use. It is easy to make the wrong color choice, which, as a result, could ruin the entire aesthetic.

Picking The Right Materials

Perhaps you’re after a stylish renovation. In that case, it is important to keep in mind that your choice of materials matters in terms of how much maintenance you are willing to invest in it. For example, marble floors and countertops provide a timeless appeal, but to remain functional, they need to be resealed on an annual basis. This protects the otherwise porous surface from staining and deteriorating. The same applies to other choices of tile, whether you choose porcelain or ceramic tile. If you want to keep your maintenance duties to a minimum, be sure to check with your bathroom renovation contractor about your preferred material options. If high maintenance tile is an issue, your local pros at Mr. Handyman have the right solutions. Ask our professionals about different types of surface finishing, such as using glazing materials to give your tile a glossy look. Glossy finishes have a glassy surface and won’t need to be sealed. Alternatively, using epoxy grout during tile installation is another option for ensuring your grout lines won’t easily deteriorate. If you still prefer the traditional white subway tile style but don’t feel like dealing with the high maintenance, ask for a glazed finish!

We also recommend not to cheap out on your plumbing fixtures, such as faucets, shower heads, sinks, and bathtubs. When opting for high-quality fixtures, you’ll less likely be dealing with early future repairs. While chrome materials for these fixtures are the most common, consider polished brass or nickel for better longevity and hard water resistance.

And, of course, you should consider a toilet replacement during a bathroom renovation. Before and after images we have taken, include outdated two-piece toilets with big tanks replaced with water-efficient one-piece units with quiet flush styles. If high water usage is a concern, consider choosing fixtures that are energy efficient and long-lasting. We’ll be more than happy to help you pick top-rated products.

From Tub To Walk-In Shower Or Separate Them

Spacious walk-in showers have become popular, especially among busy young professionals. While the shower-bathtub combo is still common in many homes, people are moving away from it during bathroom renovations. Before and after photographs that our remodelers have taken involve many outdated bathtub-shower combos that are installed tightly against the tile wall. On the other hand, the “after” photographs depict either a spacious walk-in shower with frameless shower glass doors or a sophisticated standalone bathtub.

We will talk about space in more detail later, but during some bathroom remodels, our experts were working on large open spaces. The bad thing about a large open room is when you don’t make use of it by adding extra utility. It’s a cold empty space that cries for additional content. Luckily, the good thing about extra bathroom space is that it gives you more opportunities for an upgrade. It is finally possible to build that spacious walk-in shower with that arabesque shower floor tile you have always dreamed of. Plus, there is enough space for a separate, freestanding bathtub for whenever you need a relaxing soak.

There is also a list of details we recommend our clients to think about in terms of shower design and decoration. Choosing the right type of shower tile and shower heads is highly important during your bathroom makeover as it will influence your showering experience. Other factors to consider include whether you need a shower niche or bench to increase comfort and convenience.

Functional Storage Space

Bathrooms come in all shapes and sizes. And since we’ve already covered large spaces, let’s focus on smaller bathrooms and what you can do to increase storage space to make the area look less cluttered. We have found that there are usually many possibilities for shelving and cabinet installations. You shouldn’t be restricted to just one sink or vanity cabinet to store cleaning products and toiletries. You should also be able to store towels, mats, and any additional items you may need. During a bathroom renovation, our remodeling and design team often suggest installing floating cabinets, so your white tile floor looks less cluttered. There may even be enough closet space if you remove that out-of-place towel rack. But if you need increased storage, there is something we call stud storage. It is practically a built-in cabinet or closet that requires our service technicians to cut a cavity into your drywall. It is an ideal space-saving option that also allows you to install a number of shelves between the wall studs.

Alternatively, adding standard shelving units above the toilet to store toilet paper and other equipment is also a great option. Another thing that people often overlook is their bathroom door. If it swings inward, it will likely take up a fair amount of space if you’re only going in to grab something. Getting a convenient sliding, pocket door could solve that problem.

Why Lighting Matters

If your bath has a window, you’ll likely benefit from some natural light shining through unless you’re facing another building that blocks most of the light. In that case, it’s crucial that you improve your light fixture system during a bathroom renovation. Before and after photos that we have previously taken depict unsightly wall sconces that did nothing in illuminating the area. Not only is it important that you install functional light fixtures, but choosing the right type of light bulbs will also make a huge difference. Our experts recommend choosing LED fixtures that emit warm white light. Soft white ranging between 2700K - 3000K are the most desirable for vanity lighting. But lighting fixtures don’t stop at the vanity mirror. Depending on where your bathing area is located, your vanity light may not reach that spot. So you’ll need to count on additional lighting for safety and comfort, as well as accentuate specific items that you want to highlight.

Our experienced pros recommend wet-rated light fixtures, such as recessed lights for your shower space or over the bathtub. But make sure they are wet-rated and have a protective seal. Lighting systems like chandeliers are not recommended because they are typically dry-rated and pose a safety risk in high-moisture environments. But they are fine to use in powder rooms. 

Upgrade Your Exhaust Fan

Having proper ventilation in your bathroom is imperative. Drawing out hot air, impurities, and keeping moisture levels to a minimum helps protect your bathroom’s materials from moisture damage and also decrease the risks of mold and mildew growth. There are different types of exhaust fans; the most common ones are ceiling or wall exhaust fans. Wall exhaust fans may work better in terms of drawing out unwanted air quicker, whereas ceiling exhaust fans connect to a tubing. So the unwanted air has to travel before it is vented through the roof. Some of Mr. Handyman’s bathroom renovation projects were due to poor ventilation. So there are a number of technical problems that homeowners want addressed and removed. Ventilation, plumbing, and lighting systems are some of the common ones.

Common Mistakes People Make During a Bathroom Renovation

Aside from the common bathroom renovation tasks and common improvement projects that property owners seek, there is also a list of mistakes they make in the process of their bathroom makeover. 

• Saving money on the wrong things: It’s easy to assume that tasks like tiling or a bathtub replacement are easy, but these jobs require a high level of skills and a strong attention to detail. 
• Poor planning, such as not putting aside a minimum budget of 10% for any last-minute changes or emergencies
• Choosing the wrong materials for the purpose (i.e., marble is high maintenance and not always the safest or most convenient when you have kids)
• Not hiring bathroom renovation professionals for a consultation

Leave Your Bathroom Renovation to The Experts!

Creating extra space is tricky and so is tile flooring installation, but when you hire our expert team at Mr. Handyman, you can expect a one-of-a-kind before and after bathroom renovation experience!

Ready To Get Rid of Your Pink Tiles and Dysfunctional Shower? Hire Mr. Handyman For A Bathroom Renovation!

We understand that planning your ultimate bathroom renovation can be stressful due to the endless number of design choices. Whether you want to make your bathing space more functional or you simply have a stylish statement to express, our bathroom renovation pros have you covered.

Give our friendly customer service team a call today to find out what we can do to transform your entire bathroom! We proudly serve our local community of Wichita and surrounding areas, including Augusta, Haysville, and Andover.