Renovating your bathroom comes with great opportunity to express your inner creativity and style. When it comes to your bathroom, do not be afraid to take advantage of the vast amount of colours, textures and materials available to you.
When done right, renovating your bathroom is a great way to refresh and add value to your home. There are many things to consider when making these changes and it is important to know what options are out there. To make the process a little easier for yourself, have a read of what you should consider during the earliest stages of decision making.
Does the bathroom work need a building consent?
If you are re-configuring your bathroom layout or changing any internal or external walls or doors then you are going to need structural drawings provided by a draftsman as well as a building consent first. Once your plans are approved by your local council, you are then ready to select your builder.
What builder is right for you?
Selecting a builder to take on your project is a big deal. To ensure that your building company has the skills and resources to carry out your project you should…
Check references and photos for previous work that the building company has carried out.
Find out if the building contractor is a licensed building company (LBP) or has other relevant qualifications such as being a member of the New Zealand Certified Builders Association which comes with added benefits!
Determine whether the building company has sufficient insurance to cover their work.
Tiling
Decide on what areas of the bathroom you will be tiling. Floors? Half wall or full wall? Tiled shower? You should also consider if you will need any extra building work to ensure flush floor entry into the bathroom.
Showers
There are two common types of shower waste. One being a standard centralised drain (circular or square) and the other, more modern option being a linear floor drain.
Consider where you would like to place your shower mixer as you do not want to be splashed every time you turn on your shower.
Another thing to think about is your shower entry. It can be a flush entry (continuation of floor tiles) or a step can be created from hebel block to create a barrier to prevent water escaping into other bathroom areas.
Shower Heads
The shower head is also a subject to think about as there are many options available.
Two showerheads in one shower is common these days, will the showerhead be on a slide rail or separate spout? You also have the option of a ceiling fixed showerheads which will require planning and work from your builder.
Shower Recesses
Shower recesses are a must in a custom shower. It saves the mess of having shampoo and soap bottles scattered on the floor, they also give you a chance to add another texture or wow factor to your bathroom with the use of different tiles on the back of the recess. There are many options for shower recesses and it comes down to the bathroom space and personal preference.
Mirrors and Mirror Cabinets
Recessed mirror cabinets are another great way to provide more storage space when the bathroom area is limited. Recessing a cabinet rather than using a wall hung cabinet still provides great storage but does not intrude into the bathroom space.
Mirrors again are personal preference but a custom mirror insures you get your desired result and that it matches any tile modulations or other distinctive lines in the bathroom.
Mirror lighting and or vanity lighting is also a great way to add impact to your bathroom and installing power points into the mirror cabinets and or vanity drawers give for a much cleaner bathroom look.
Toilets
The big decision when it comes to choosing a toilet is will it be a floor mounted or a in-wall toilet. Whilst in-wall toilets save space, they can bring problems if the toilet is ever needing to be serviced, replaced or repaired.
Lighting, Towel Rails, Heating and Bathroom Fans
Lighting is also extremely important in your bathroom. Ensure that there will be adequate lighting above your mirror. LED lights are our go to, providing a more natural light when looking into the mirror.
Towel rails are also something to consider. Ensuring they are close to the exit of your shower, so you are not dripping water through the bathroom area will prevent slips. You have options for heated towel ladders but there are also other options like individual rails.
A high quality extraction fan is a must have in any bathroom, making sure it is in the most effective position while still trying to keep it out of eye-sight. Having your fan on a timing switch with your lights is also a great idea for kids or any bathroom!
Skylights and Solar Tubes
Skylights and Solar Tubes are also another great way to bring some natural light into your bathroom, especially above shower areas. However they may not be suitable for all homes as they require access to the roof from the ceiling cavity. Check this with your builder.
For more helpful information regarding any of your building needs, you can contact our expert builders here.
Comments