Does your bathroom feel like you’ve traveled back in time to the 1980s? Has heavy use over the years just taken its toll? Often, there are several signs that telling you it’s time to remodel your bathroom.
Remodeling can be as minimal or extensive as you like. Sometimes, the smallest changes or upgrades can make a world of difference. Here are our top six reasons we tell homeowners it’s time to make a change.
1. Poor lighting
In a bathroom, lighting is everything! Not only does lighting affect a person’s perception of the space, but also makes the bathroom as functional as possible. In an article in Forbes, Tiffany Carboni discusses how to light a bathroom the right way. She claims light has the ability to boost self confidence—and that the wrong lighting can have the opposite effect.
Sometimes, it’s the placement of the light fixture or even the fixture itself. Perhaps you need to bring the light down to eye level or ensure your light bar extends over your mirror so the light doesn’t get blocked out before even reaching your face. Some mirrors even have built-in lighting, which is handy for detailed tasks such as shaving and applying makeup.
2. Peeling, discolored, or chipped paint
Bathrooms are high-traffic areas. Over time, moisture, scratches, and dings add up and start to take their toll. A quick paint job may be all that your bathroom needs. Painting your walls and even an old vanity (if it’s well made) can refresh your room. If your bathroom accumulates moisture from hot showers and baths, be sure to use a paint made for bathrooms. (Note: If you find mold, have it removed by a professional prior to painting.)
3. Running out of space
If your household is growing, or if you find yourself storing toiletry items outside of your bathroom, that’s a sure sign that you need more storage space in your bathroom. With hundreds of vanity options on the market and unique storage solutions, like drawers that curve around the water pipe and open shelving, you should be able to find a great option at a fair price point. If you like your current vanity, consider installing a medicine cabinet to hold more items.
Thinking about installing a new storage solution? Learn how to shop for a bathroom vanity or medicine cabinet.
4. Outdated fixtures
Maybe your decor is up to date (this includes your towels, soap dispenser, and trash can), but what about your faucets, towel bars, lighting, and even vanity hardware? Updating these items may not be as costly as you think, and they could give your bathroom a much-needed facelift.
While it’s OK to mix and match colors in a bathroom, having matching hardware, including towel bars and rings, facets, soap dispenser, light bar, and more can bring a room together visually.
Thinking about updating your bathroom hardware? Learn how to find the perfect faucet first.
5. Toilet uses too much water
While your toilet may appear fine physically, if it’s an older model, it could be using too much water. According to conserveh2o.org, you can find out how many gallons per flush (GPF) your toilet uses on the inside of the tank or neck of the toilet bowl. If you cannot find the label, the age of your toilet can help you estimate your GPF. Toilets made before 1992 likely use 3.5 to 7 GPF, versus today’s Federal plumbing standard of 1.6 GPF.
Not only can replacing an old toilet give you a feeling of stewardship by reducing your impact on the environment, but it can also save you money on your water bill.
Thinking about replacing your toilet? Learn how to determine your toilet style.
6. Obvious damage
While you may know you need to replace a sink, bathtub, shower base, or toilet because of cracks or leaks, waiting may cost you more in the long run. If water starts to leak and gets trapped in dark spaces, you could end up with an expensive mold problem. Or, if you’re dealing with a leak, a tiny drip or running toilet may not seem like a big deal, but it can make your water bill go up. It pays to repair or replace damaged bathroom fixtures as soon as possible.
Learn more about your options.
At Handy Man, we only the highest quality bathroom remodeling options for customers in Sioux Falls, Sioux City, and Lincoln. Whether you’re looking for the perfect lighting, toilet, or everything for your bathroom remodel, we can help you choose the right items to fit your bathroom space.
You don’t need to complete this project alone. We’ll walk you through it! Come visit our showroom soon.
