Updating Your Bathroom With A Shower Remodel

Is your bathroom old or outdated? Are you thinking of giving your bathroom an updated appearance? One of the best things to do for your bathroom is to renovate it and this notion starts with the shower. Of course, sinks and toilets are key components of any bathroom, but there is only so much you can do to update them, especially the toilet itself.

On the other hand, the bathroom shower has nearly unlimited design potential thanks to its many beneficial fixtures. Shower designs can vary across the board by location and purpose. There are a lot of things to consider before diving in head-first. First and foremost, are you willing to with the actual space of your bathroom or maybe you’re thinking about removing a wall or two for a bigger custom build? Would you like an open layout or do you prefer a more practical enclosure?

Practical purposes are what the average homeowner is seeking. Depending on where your shower project is located, ease of mobility and children’s safety can play a significant role in how your specific remodel should start. Shower remodels can be a lot of fun, especially if know what you’re doing. There are a lot of cutting, measuring and lifting activities that goes on and if you’re not trained to do this kind of work, consulting a professional contractor is the best way to go.

Tubs have there place in the household as they’re great for soaking after a long day’s work or they’re great for practical relaxation purposes. On the other hand, tubs can take up a considerable amount of space, and they can be a hassle for physically disabled people. Let’s be honest for a second. The average bathroom in the average home really isn’t loaded with space. Despite the lack of size, you can do many amazing things to give this entire room an updated appearance.

First things first. If you’re planning to take this task head-on, you should already have all of the necessary equipment and materials on-hand. If you’re not accustomed to completing home restorative projects, or if you’re not a (do-it-yourself) kind of guy, seeking professional assistance is the smartest route to take.

Plumbing & Installation

To start things off, you should have all of the necessary components at hand. This includes fixtures, tools, pipes etc. The first thing that you should do is to determine the actual placement of the plumbing fixtures. Where will your shower’s placement be located. Shower placement is very important because this will determine where the actual plumbing lines will need to run.

Guessing and half-measuring won’t cut it here, which will leave your newly remodeled shower with a cheap, uneven appearance. In order to run the pipes directly to the fixtures, you will need to cut holes in the floor. Make an outline of the shower unit, run a drain line and dry fit it. Also, be sure to glue the waste line, which helps to cut down on any leakage.

Cut points and drill points should be located and very carefully marked. Just to be on the safe side, measure once more and like the old saying goes, “measure twice, cut once.” This activity is known as prep-work, and it should be completed before you shut off your home’s water. Next step would be for you to shut off the water of your home. For locating bathroom waterlines, just look for the water valves, which will generally be under the sink or the next to the toliet.

Installation of the waterlines comes next. Standard bathrooms tend to have five waterlines. Depending on the bathroom’s location, you can run the lines from up through the floor or straight through the wall. Now you should attach the hot and cold flexible waterlines. If there are any rough feeling copper pipes, try using sand paper to make them smoother to touch. Now you need to connect the drain lines and fasten any loose bolts.

This process can be very tedious so taking your time is of the essence. “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”

Options For Choosing A Shower

Depending on your personal style as well as your budget, gives you plenty of options to play around with. Showers are very diverse as they can be purchased prefabricated or they can be put constructed and put together. In other words, prefabricated showers are manufactured in a factory and then shipped to you, while tiled showers are constructed from scratch and are built on site.

This has been an age old debate. The Acrylic vs Tile argument has been going on for decades because they are the two most popular and commonly used materials for bathroom showers. There are other alternatives such as Fiberglass Gelcoat and Aquatic Composite.

Acrylic

Acrylic can give your shower a beautiful, smooth finish. Everything just seems to flow with this material. It has exceptional luster, is highly durable and it can be molded into a variety of shapes and sizes.

Gelcoat Fiberglass

Gelcoat Fiberglass is more budget friendly, looks as good as acrylic, is long-lasting, and it offers a vividly bright appearance. Its strength comes from the actual fiberglass strands that are bonded and interlocked. Gelcoat can get scratched fairly easily, but it can be retouched for a fresh new look.

Aquatic Composite

Aquatic Composite is a lightweight sheet molding compound. This style of material is perfect for smaller sized bathrooms, and it’s easy to install. Aquatic composite is ideal for showers as well as tub-showers, and it can come in a four-piece sectional configurations.

Tile

Tile is a tried and true material that has an exquisite resume. Tile is one of the more expensive materials on the market, but it gives you unlimited color, shape and design possibilities. Many tile showers have multiple shower heads and granite seats. If customization is what you’re seeking, tile is definitely the way to go.

Time, Money & Things To Consider

If you’re thinking about remodeling your bathroom shower then you must know that this process will come with a price tag. There’s no way around unless you’re planning on manufacturing your own building material. Always a set a budget from the start, even if you have money to spare because there are numerous components that can inflate the total spending costs.

The standard tiled shower area can cost up to $800. When combined with adding fixtures and a door, the $800 will inflate up to as much as $1,800. Of course, these are rough estimations, but any little object can add a few dollars for your end of project running costs.

A fiberglass or prefabricated shower can range between $400 to $1,000 and that’s not including the faucet. For a great way to save money, discount stores generally sale discounted prefab enclosures at a much lower rate as well as other shower fixtures. Prefabricated shower wall kits are also another great alternative. These kits come complete with wall panels, a glass door and a shower pan. Prefabricated showers are (do-it-yourself) friendly because they are lighter in weight, have fewer seams and are much easier to install.

There are numerous shower heads on the market that can meet anyone’s need. Depending on how much square footage the shower area has, many homeowners tend to install multiple shower heads and at different levels. Check out the options below.

Water Saving Shower Heads:

Water Saving Shower Heads: Are decorative, comes in many finishes and does a great job of conserving the amount of water that’s being used.

Rainfall Shower Heads:

Rainfall Shower Heads: Gives you a gentle rain-like shower experience. The shower head can come in rather large at 6 to 8 inches.

Filtered Shower Heads:

Filtered Shower Heads: Filters out harsh chemicals that are present in water.

All in all, your new shower remodel is what you actually make of it. Always stay within your budget and try to utilize the total amount of space.