Circumstances Determine Your Course of Action

Each homeowner has their own reasons for remodelling their bathroom yet if you were to take those reasons and categorize them into sets they would fall into four main groups. The four main reasons to remodel your bath are: health and safety issues, overcoming cramped spaces, plumbing issues and planned investment matters. The older your home, the more likely a remodel is in your future. Of course if all of the above is true, not matter how old your home is then a full renovation would be your only saving grace.

One of the most pressing issues to remodel your bath is plumbing woes, even though modern bathroom manufacturing techniques and the materials used have greatly increased the lifespan of your fixtures, unfortunately they will not last forever. There is nothing that says fix me now than a burst water pipe or toilet that won’t flush.

Unplanned emergencies sometimes happen!

These are water system problems that have to be dealt with now and if left unchecked the consequences would be disastrous and eventful to say the least. And while repair problems like leaking shower heads, inadequate water flow to your faucets or toilets, poor drainage in your sink and bathtub and noisy pipes can essentially be put off, you have to take into consideration the cumulative effects of poor maintenance and the underlying hidden damage to your floors and walls if these plumbing problems are allowed to continue unimpeded.

Problems Sometimes Run Deeper

Don’t make the newbie mistake and think that by replacing or repairing the offending fixture you have solved the problem. Look deeper and you may find that you have let the delinquent plumbing problem go on for far too long and now you may not only have to replace the problematic fixture but the surrounding wall or floor because mold and mildew has taken root in your bathroom due to wetness being a chronic problem.

The safety and well-being of yourself and your family members is another good reason to remodel your bath and this reason should not be taken lightly. As we all know electricity and water do not mix yet if you live in an old house, there may be hidden dangers lurking in your walls, just waiting for an accident to happen.

Rodents may have chewed away at electrical wires or your switches and reciprocals may not have the proper insulation or modern anti shock mechanism or they may have become old and brittle over time exposing wires. The house may have shifted on its foundation, putting undue tension on framing members which in turn may inadvertently be putting unwarranted pressure on old plumbing or stretching electrical wires.

Is Your Home up to Code?

Turn of the century building materials were usually substandard compared to the manufactured goods of today because the processes were rarely regulated. Electrical and plumbing codes were practically non-existent and even if you were lucky to have your home built by a conscientious contractor, the building code standards of today far exceed the building code criteria of yesteryear.

Improper ventilation and a lack of a bathroom fan are issues that need to be addressed in older homes to prevent the growth of unhealthy mold. What about your shower, older homes did not incorporate a water resistant barrier behind the tiles in the shower area and water being the unrelenting force of nature always seemed to find a way past improperly sealed grout. Needless to say most older washrooms would be declared unsafe by modern standards. If that isn’t a good enough reason to overhaul your bathroom then I don’t know what is to take on a restoration project.

Mold behind your tiles is a problem in older homes.

Enough Space is Frequently an Issue

A cramped, tiny and dysfunctional lavatory is another good reason to remodel your small bath. This type of bathing area is not only unsafe because you are constantly bumping into things, it will also cause undue stress to your family life if more than one person[...]