The bathroom is one of the most commonly renovated spaces in the home, and if you’re a keen fan of DIY upscaling, then you may want to tackle your bathroom renovation yourself. But although it’s a small room compared to others in the home, your bathroom actually has a lot of reno pitfalls you need to avoid!
Your bathroom serves a lot of purposes – you use it to clean yourself, get ready for the day, and even relax. Any renovations you make need to ensure your bathroom can continue to be used effectively – while also hopefully looking beautiful!
There are quite a few things that can go wrong when attempting to renovate your bathroom – here are 10 common bathroom renovation mistakes you should do your best to avoid.
Planning is the key to any successful renovation, and that includes ones in the bathroom. You can avoid many unexpected complications by making a detailed plan of your bathroom and how you want it to look. Include the layout, any features you won’t be moving (such as the toilet and shower) and then your must-haves and nice-to-haves to finish. Take precise measurements of the space and the amenities you want to add too!
Then, we come to the less fun part – budgeting. Having a clear budget set is the best way to prevent you from getting carried away and going over, so set clear amounts for what you need to buy and how much you’ll need to pay any professionals you might need to help you. Make sure to shop around, look at quotes and even get advice on social media from others who have renovated their bathrooms to help you with a realistic budget. Then add a little extra – just in case!
An important thing to factor into your budget is delivery times and dates. Make sure you have a clear idea of when you’ll have your amenities and bathroom fixtures ready to install versus when you can book the experts needed to install them. Booking in a plumber, only to have your new accessory not turn up on the day, will mean wasted money for both you and the person you’d asked to do the job.
Most DIY work is safe to do yourself as long as you have researched what needs to be done and are confident you can complete it. Screwing in a new lightbulb or adding new taps is one thing – but serious electrical wiring and plumbing tasks are always best left to a professional.
Installing new powerpoints, adding new light fixtures or changing how your light switches work all involve complicated electrical work that can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Not only can you hurt yourself, but faulty wiring can lead to a higher risk of burns and fire damage to your home! Always call an electrician for this sort of work.
Plumbing is another area that is best left to an expert. Installing new pipes or rerouting old ones requires a great deal of knowledge to do safely, and incorrectly done, may lead to a leaking or burst pipe which may then cause water damage to your home. Mould, floods and even damage to the structure of your house are all possible – so let’s leave all pipe work to the plumbers!
Your bathroom should contain a mix of natural and electric lighting to ensure it functions properly.
Natural light is soft and the best way to light a bathroom. It isn’t harsh on your eyes and can even help prevent mould and mildew growth. It’s also good to get ready for the day in natural light if you can, as you don’t need to worry about your choice of clothes or makeup suddenly looking different when you leave the house.
A skylight or windows can allow plenty of natural light into your bathroom while also making the space look larger. Make sure to install sheer curtains or blinds in your bathroom if you need some extra privacy during the day but still want to enjoy your views of the outdoors.
Electric lights will ensure your bathroom can be used at any time, from early in the morning to the middle of the night. Ensure your choice of lights illuminates the space fully, and be careful with your choice of colour, too. A cool, white light is more similar to the outside and is energising, while a warm, yellow light is more relaxing and similar in colour to candle or firelight.
Many modern bathrooms feature accent lighting above the mirrors to help you see yourself clearly, something that is much appreciated if you’re getting ready in the dark. Make sure your lights aren’t fixed directly above your shower, as you don’t want steam getting into them.
The last thing you want after painting a room is to have it start to bubble and peel off, which can happen if you use the wrong kind. In bathrooms, there is an extra danger – that moisture from your shower and sink may penetrate the paint, damaging it and causing mould growth on your walls and ceiling.
Before painting your bathroom walls and ceiling, make sure to prime them. A good bathroom primer will not only prepare the walls to accept paint but will also help them resist mould growth and discolouration caused by moisture.
Once your primer has dried, you can start painting. Choose a paint designed for indoor use (avoid paints designed for painting walls and floors outdoors) and make sure the colour and finish work for a bathroom. Colour is important, but more important is the finish.
Your colour can affect how light or dark your bathroom will feel. Lighter colours, like white, grey and cream, will bounce light around the room and make it feel bright. Dark colours, like navy blue, emerald and garnet, will absorb the light and make it feel cosier.
The finish of the paint will affect your bathroom’s health as well as its look. Paints with soft, matte or flat finishes will actually take in moisture (even if you’ve primed the walls) and are also less durable, meaning any hard scrubbing you do can cause the paint to lift.
Instead, choose paints with a gloss, semi-gloss or satin finish. These paints form a solid coating on their top layer that resists water penetration so that water will drip down them onto the bathroom floor. These paints can also withstand hard scrubbing and washing without damage – their only downside is they show bumps and other imperfections in the walls more easily than their matte counterparts. Prep your walls carefully and apply the paint evenly to prevent this!
Tiles are a mainstay in many bathrooms on the floor and in the shower, although you may see them on the walls and even the ceiling sometimes! Choosing the right tiles is important for the look of your bathroom, and cutting and installing them may be harder than you think.
Always strip back old floor tiles and wood from your floor when installing new tiles, as these older materials may cause the new tiles to warp and crack over time if left underneath. Always install tiles on a smooth concrete surface to prevent this. You may like to set down all of your tiles before adhering them to check if you have enough and how you need to cut the ones on the edges. When laying down the bathroom tiles, start in the middle of the room and work outward – this will prevent you from walking on the new tiles. Check your tiles as level as you go.
When installing tiles at the bottom of your shower, you’ll need to choose smaller ones that can curve with the slope of your shower. All showers will have a slope that funnels water towards the drain, and large tiles won’t be able to accommodate this! Plus, lots of small tiles equals many grout lines, which are easier to grip with your feet and will help minimise the chances of you slipping in the shower.
If you want to have different types of tiles in your bathroom, you’ll need to make sure they don’t clash with each other. The tiles in your shower, floors and any on the walls should work together, not against each other! If you really want to have more than one type of tile in your bathroom, pick a common element – like shape, colour or material – and make sure it is reflected in every tile choice you make.
Leave your renovations to the experts at DPV Construction! We offer bathroom renovations in Burwood, Glen Iris, Malvern and other nearby areas.
You use your bathroom to store so many things! Shampoo and conditioner bottles, soaps, makeup, moisturiser, toilet paper, medicine, hair dryers and straighteners – the list goes on and on! Having adequate storage is absolutely essential for any bathroom, so make sure to factor in plenty of storage space when renovating – a floating sink may look amazing, but can you afford to lose the potential storage space from the cupboards below?
Factor in clever bathroom storage solutions when designing it. Consider recessed shower niches for your hair products and soap instead of a caddy, which will take up room. Or install hooks on the inside of your cabinet for your hair styling tools where you can hang each one, instead of them taking up space in a drawer.
Make sure your towel racks can hold all the towels you need for your household’s size. Tiered towel racks can help you save space, but make sure the towels don’t touch each other; otherwise, they may not dry between uses.
You may be following the latest trends when you design your bathroom, but there are a few amenities that will benefit from a more timeless look instead.
Fixtures like the toilet and shower are not easy to remove or replace – it is very hard to do on your own, and expensive when paying for it to be done by a professional. Instead of letting the DIYers of social media inspire your choices, stick to classy looks for these amenities that can slot into whichever design trope you want the rest of your bathroom to look like.
Materials like glass will suit any bathroom, and choose neutral colours that will give your bathroom a crisp look while allowing any other colours or focal points to stand out. Stick to neutral metal colours like steel or silver for your piping, or matte black if you don’t want a reflective material.
Having neutral, timeless amenities allows you to champion other decorative elements if you like, such as a grand mirror, bold wall colour or intricate wall hanging. They allow you to be as creative as you like while saving you money each time you renovate your bathroom.
Letting water and moisture escape from your bathroom space is the key to preventing mould, mildew and stains. This will happen in two ways – through the drains and by escaping the room via vents or windows.
If you are replacing your shower tray or sink, then it’s vital they are designed to funnel water into the drain instead of letting it stick around in the corners. While a flat, square sink or even a flat bench without a sink can look super modern and minimalist, water will just sit around instead of draining away, which can lead to stagnant water or moisture evaporating into spaces without ventilation, like the bottom of your medicine cabinet or between the layers of your mirror.
Having vents and exhaust fans is essential to good bathroom health, as they will draw steam and moisture out of your space and up into the roof, where it can escape outside. Install them above amenities like the shower and the sink, as these are the two spots where hot water is used the most and where steam will be generated. Opening windows to the outside can also help this moisture escape, but as you won’t want to do this on very cold days, it’s vital to have a fan in place for proper ventilation.
Water, steam and moisture are abundant in the bathroom, and they can wreck materials that aren’t designed to handle them. Waterproof materials are a must for every aspect of your bathroom’s accessories, including rails, benchtops, caddies and even decorations.
Avoid using iron and plain steel in your bathroom, as they are prone to rusting and corroding over time. Stainless steel, brass and copper are all durable and easy to clean and resist corrosion, although they will need to be regularly washed and polished to keep looking their best.
Most wood will absorb water, which causes it to swell and crack – making it a no-no for most bathrooms! Many types of wood will need to be varnished and sealed to make them suitable for use in the bathroom. If you really want the look of wood in your bathroom, choose a species that is resistant to rot, swelling and absorbing moisture – bamboo is a great choice if you want your bathroom to feel more spa-like!
Choosing the final touches for your bathroom is the best part, but make sure your colour and material choices work together rather than against one another. A veined marble sink may look incredible on its own, but it may clash with a rustic wooden soap dispenser or a minimalist glass toothbrush holder.
When designing your bathroom, think of a few different focal points and design the rest of the space around them so they can shine! Amenities like an ornate bathtub, a lush plant wall or a long double vanity can all work as focal points – choose the rest of your bathroom, such as the colour of the towel racks, the shape of the mirror or the pipes in the shower, to reflect the colours in these.
Some materials just won’t go together – avoid blending warm copper piping with a high-gloss painted wall, a bamboo bath mat with fluffy cotton towels or a stainless-steel shower head with a copper shower caddy. Compare materials, and you’ll soon see what does and doesn’t go together – just make sure to compare them before you make your purchases, not after.
Need some help with your bathroom renovation? Let the experts at DPV Construction help! We offer bathroom renovations to Prahan, Richmond and Surrey Hills residents, as well as their surrounding suburbs.
You can avoid all of these pitfalls by using a professional bathroom renovation service to do the hard work for you! Renovation specialists can help you choose the ideal style, purchase the perfect amount of materials and ensure everything is done to the highest safety standards, giving you peace of mind every time you use your bathroom.
The team at DPV Construction is the premier choice for bathroom renovations in Melbourne, Canterbury and Hawthorn, and we are excited to bring our passion for renovation to all of your bathroom projects! Contact us today by filling out an online order form or calling us – you can count on us to help you bring your dream bathroom to life.
