The Bathroom Remodel - Where Return On Investment Happens
It’s easy to push the bathroom remodel off. That’s what our client had been doing for the better part of two years. Her basement had been an eyesore since she bought the house, but she had been chipping away at all of it. The drywall had been textured and painted; new baseboard, window, and door casing was done; old carpet had been replaced with quality laminate. But the bathroom… If she were to try to sell the house, that was the one thing that would make a potential buyer smell “blood in the water” and start looking to negotiate down the price. The drop ceiling was an eyesore, the budget linoleum matched nicely with the plastic shower surround and the peeling wall paper. Best of all, the shower vent was a vent to nowhere. It was just pumping air into the void above the drop ceiling. It was time for a makeover.
Time to get to work. We started by tearing it all the way down to the drywall. Everything came out—tub, surround, toilet, vanity, drop ceiling, mirror, lights, everything. Next we removed all the old wallpaper, patched the big holes, and then skim-coated everything with a nice smooth coat of mud. It’s important to start with a clean slate on the drywall. We’ve seen plenty of jobs where you can still see the old wallpaper seams right through the new texture.
Next up was installing a proper vent fan over the tub. Venting moisture and fumes out of the bathroom is a must. We cut the hole, installed the exterior vent, ran the insulated duct line and hung the new fan/light housing. A new shower mixer valve is always a good idea since we had everything exposed. Finally, we framed out the plumbing and closed the ceiling up properly in moisture-resistant drywall. Taped seams and corners, and knockdown texture brought the walls into line with the rest of the basement.
Our client opted for a new white tub to replace the old brown version. And also a natural marble tile to go into the surround. We kept the grout-lines tight to make the tile stand out, and ran it all the way to the ceiling for a more finished look.
Primer and paint went up next, followed by flooring. We prefer that order to avoid any potential damage to the new floor. From there the finishes moved quickly. Toilet was set, vanity installed, countertop placed, sink and faucet plumbed, lighting installed, door casing nailed up and baseboard run. Final caulking and paint on the trim, touch-up on the walls, and a final cleaning wrapped up the job.
With the bathroom completed, our client was able to check off the last major project that was bringing down the value of the house. In addition, it finished off the entire basement project making plenty of room for guests to stay and enjoy the space.
Let us know how we can help you increase the value of your home and check off that last nagging project that’s been holding you back.