Top Tips for a Successful Bathroom Renovation: Avoid These Common Mistakes!
Bathroom renovations are among the most rewarding home projects you can undertake! They offer the opportunity to transform a vital, everyday-use space into a luxurious retreat. However, as you dive into the renovation process, you'll quickly find that a bathroom makeover is not as straightforward as picking some pretty tiles.
Did you know that a bathroom renovation typically involves at least seven different trades? And in a room of fixed hard surfaces, making changes halfway through a renovation is often not an option.
Once the initial excitement on undertaking the makeover wears off and you start to tackle all the steps and considerations involved, it can become a tad daunting. It goes wihtout saying that a successful bathroom renovation requires careful foreward planning and meticulous attention to detail. Having built and renovated around 150 bathrooms we’ve identified some common mistakes that should be avoided!
Underestimating The Importance of Quality Waterproofing
Waterproofing might not be visible, but it's an essential step you cannot afford to overlook or cut corners on. It protects your bathroom from costly repairs and structural damage in the future. Investing in high-quality waterproofing materials and techniques will save you headaches down the line and this task should always be carried out by certified professionals to ensure it's done correctly and at the right stage of the project.
2. Botching the Layout
A well-planned layout is key to a comfortable and practical bathroom. Consider how the placement of fixtures like the toilet, shower, and basin affects flow and usability. Think about the minimum amount of clearance that you need around the fixtures and fittings. A dysfunctional layout can make daily routines inconvenient, so prioritise practicality in your design. A good practice is to mark out the fixtures to scale on the floor in their desired spots to double-check clearances with the anticipated arrangement.
What’s more, you want to position your bathroom features to draw the eye towards its more attractive features as you enter it, or pass the doorway it in the hallway. While we all need a toilet in a bathroom, there are much more appealing scenes to position across from the entry, such as a beautiful vanity, freestanding bath or beautifully tiled shower.
3. Choosing Inappropriate Materials
Select materials that are moisture-resistant and durable. Avoid using non-sealed natural stones, as they can stain and deteriorate in a wet environment. Opt for materials specifically designed for bathrooms to ensure longevity and maintain aesthetic appeal. This way, your renovation will be both beautiful, easier to keep clean and withstand wear and tear.
4. Neglecting Adequate Storage Solutions
Storage in a bathroom is more important than you might think. Without it, a bathroom can quickly become cluttered and uninviting when all our daily use products and cosmetics are taken into account. Incorporate built-in niches, recessed nooks, custom cabinetry, wall-hung solutions and vanities with ample storage options. This keeps the space organised and free from clutter, making it more enjoyable, functional, and always looking its best. You will always need more storage than you think!
5. Boring Lighting
Good lighting is crucial for both functionality and ambience in a bathroom space. A common trap is to opt for a downlight or two and think it will be sufficient.
We suggest using a combination of task, ambient, and accent lighting to make your bathroom feel inviting and efficient. Different lighting options contribute personality and warmth to the space, avoiding a cold, flat look. Consider wall sconces, LED strips routed into cabinetry, shelving and niches, pendant lights and skylights for some natural daytime illumination.
6. Choosing the Wrong Size Floor Tiles
The size of your floor tiles can greatly impact the perceived space. In a large bathroom, small tiles such as mosaics can add texture but can also make the surface feel cluttered and busy, while larger format tiles minimise grout lines and enhance the feeling of openness and space.
In a small bathroom, larger tiles can help the space feel larger, but be careful with placement - they may require more cuts to achieve the required fall of the floor, leaving you with a pizza slice arrangement. Smaller tiles can create some visual interest that gives dimension to the room.
Running the floor tiles up one or all of the walls of the bathroom can also influence how small or large the room feels, so think carefully about your tile placement as well as its scale.
7. Neglecting Proper Ventilation and Heating
High humidity levels can lead to mould, mildew, and unpleasant odours in this hard-working wet zone. Including an integrated exhaust fan is a must, and, if possible, operable windows to promote airflow and maintain a fresh bathroom environment. If operable windows aren’t available, try for an operable skylight instead, which delivers both natural light and ventilation functions.
Wherever possible, incorporate heated floor or wall tiles and heated towel rails to assist in keeping textiles dry and fresh after use, as well as making the bathroom much more inviting in colder months.
8. DIY Plumbing and Electrical Work
In these challenging economic times it can be tempting to attempt DIY plumbing or electrical tasks, but these are not for the unlicensed! Professional expertise is essential to prevent safety hazards and ensure compliance with Australian building codes. Even if your intent is to flip the property, leave this work to the experts!
9. Getting the Floor Fall Wrong
Proper water drainage across the floor surface is vital. Incorrect falls can lead to frustrating water pooling and ingress into the main bathroom space from the shower, which can be dangerous.
Once again, there are strict building codes to adhere to with the fall, so ensure that your trades are across the regulations and discuss with you how they will address achieving the required gradients within the room.
10. Inadequate Planning and Budgeting :
The key to a successful bathroom renovation is careful planning and budgeting. Many of the components of a bathroom renovation require locking into place right at the start of the project at rough-in, before there is even sheeting on the walls. Making changes later on often isn’t an option.
Without a clear plan, overspending and delays can easily occur. Make sure your budget includes investment allocation for key areas, contingencies, and accurate estimates for labour and materials. Consider using our Bathroom Renovation Budget Tracker and Bathroom Meaurement Cheat Sheet to stay organised and on track.
11. Forgetting Future Needs
When designing your renovation you also need to consider the long-term use of your bathroom. Whether it’s thinking about accessibility, growing children, ageing parents, or having multiple users to the space, ensuring the design can adapt to various needs over time will make it a lasting investment. As an example, we’ll often try and create a separate WC for a family bathroom that will be shared by multiple users to make it a more functional zone.
12. Not Considering The Overall Design Theme
While each fixture can be beautiful on its own, it’s important to maintain a cohesive design theme across the entire space. Aligning fixtures, colours, and materials with a unified theme enhances the bathroom's overall appeal and ensures it adds value to your property. Apply the 60/30/10 rule when it comes to your palette, and ensure you’re using a unified tonal foundation (e.g. warms vs cold colours) when selecting your fittings. Always start with a mood board, and ensure you see all of your selections together at once, in different lights. Your array of samples of tiles, cabinetry colour, tapware and surfaces should feel cohesive and not jarring to the eye.
By avoiding these common pitfalls and keeping these insights in mind, you're setting the stage for a successful bathroom renovation, resulting in a beautiful and functional space you'll enjoy for years to come.
Get in touch with us to discuss your upcoming bathroom renovation with us today!