The Ultimate Bath Plumbing Guide
Did you realize that pre-pandemic, October 2019, a study performed by The National Association of Realtors indicated about 70% of homeowners that remodeled their bathrooms genuinely enjoyed staying in more often than venturing outside? One can only imagine what an impact the pandemic has created to obtain your own safe and secure bathroom for your family. Before jumping into this major remodel, run a few questions through your significant other and yourself before tackling this endeavor. When it comes to plumbing, choosing the right design/build firm will save you overall!
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Plumbing Tips
Plumbing is no place to play amateur hour. A licensed and insured plumber must do all plumbing to ensure the work gets done safely and effectively. You may also need to pull permits for any plumbing or electrical-related work. And this does mean changing out a faucet needs a permit; this is for your safety so that the city inspects the work for quality and safety of work performed by your plumber.
Best Plumbing Material
It’s believed that copper, which has been the industry standard forever, is always the best choice for your plumbing needs. With technology came PEX and PVC, which are plastic. The debate over the longevity of the materials has now been evaluated for decades since the utilization of PVC & PEX began. While copper may last 70 years, it does tend to need more maintenance than its plastic counterparts. Corrosion has always been the nemesis of copper. While PEX may last 20 years less, it has now become the “go-to” material in many cases due to its low cost, easy adaptability, and non-corrosive qualities.
Schedule Your Renovation
When you seek to qualify and contact a new plumber, stipulate that this is not an emergency. Upon finding that particular plumber, ensure they list water system and sanitation contracting or plumbing restoration and renovation along with the list of emergency repairs they perform. Choosing the right plumber is vital for years of safe, secure sewage and drainage! Should you decide to use the design/build remodeling method, you won’t have to worry about qualifying and hiring a plumber. This is part of the design/build model with all of your construction professionals under one roof.
Don’t Change the Layout!
Make every effort to maintain your bathtub, basin, and lavatory in the same location for your bathroom remodel. Shifting about sewer and drainage pipes, particularly larger objects like exhaust portals, will surely raise the expenses. You can change the aesthetics above, but changing the pipes below can become quite costly. On the other hand, should it make your life function better and you’re ready to invest, go for it; convenience inflow is often worth the price. And often, clients do not understand that changing from a tub to a shower will make you change your plumbing layout due to how the drain needs to be situated in a shower.
Plumbing Problems and Solutions
Discovering unresolved issues and problems later in the job will cause the cost of the job to change, obviously upward. This is particularly accurate for bathroom alterations, where a large amount of the job is concealed at the back of walls and beneath floors. During the primary visit to your home, to prevent complications, trust that your plumber or design/build team inspects for all the common challenges that commonly afflict lavatory renovations. Investigating existing piping and fixtures and all surrounding beams, supports, and vents is paramount for a job well done at the cost stated initially.
Pipe Problems
The days of the cast-iron drain systems here in California aren’t much of a concern in 2021. But, galvanized, copper, and plastic (PEX or PVC) pipes are all commonly found here in this great state of ours. Swapping the complete pipe run, since old, laced galvanized pipe seams are normally frozen stiff from weathering and can’t be removed without shattering. Copper plumbing pipes can also deceive you. In some areas of the USA, ore sediments from hard water will trigger copper pipes to disintegrate from the interior out. Plastics like Polybutylene pipe have been banned. Again, entrust your plumber for guidance. PEX is fine and should be easily replaced if needed.
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Sink Removal
Eliminating current basins or sinks is usually simple. However, you might have difficulties with pipeline dimensions or rusted connectors that need attention. One can also find that the necessary vent (air admittance valve) is absent, or the new sink might not fit into an existing cabinet. This occurs when the sink is purchased from a home improvement center or even a specialty shop when not measured correctly. In this case, the solution would be a unique sink or a brand new vanity. Again, hiring the right design/build team will guarantee these issues are addressed and billed accordingly at the beginning of the work.
Bathtub Replacement
If a bathtub is to be swapped out, the main problems will be connecting to the sewer and supply lines. Bear in mind; a cast-iron bathtub is extremely heavy. Destroying it may well be the only way to get it out of your bathroom. You can remove fiberglass and steel bathtubs in one piece unless they have been customized and will not fit through all doors.
If saving the tub is vital, ensure you can relocate the tub in one piece. Then make sure it will fit through the front entrance and down the hall and even stairs. Occasionally tubs are raised into place with a crane along with upper-story framing materials. Be sure about that decision since it will be extremely costly.
Shower Rebuild
Seeping shower faucets and slates can trigger immense harm to the internal construction. Until you remove the shower itself, this assessment will be difficult to make. If the shower is getting rebuilt, selecting the surface material for the shower floor and walls needs to be chosen first. This is exceptionally imperative with tile due to differences in texture that will impact the rough openings and faucet placements.
Bathroom Upgrades
This is a section all of its own! Whether you select a curtain for your shower/bath combo since bathing your child is a daily duty. Or maybe all the kids are out of the nest, and you would love no doors or tub? Going doorless is all the hot, latest look! Natural stone is for some, while tile is best for others. Wallpaper, even for the bathroom, has made a huge comeback! How about floating shelves or a refrigerated drawer for makeup and meds?! The options are endless and exciting!
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Ready to Remodel?
The conclusion to remodeling your bathroom should end with a “YES”! Please, never let the aspects of plumbing scare you off a new bathroom remodel. Pricing will be more palatable and pleasing to your pocketbook when keeping all your pipes in place than you could ever imagine. Trying and making every decision to save cash before the plumber arrives is also vital to your success. And, as always, hiring the right design/build firm will allow you to relax, rest, and be assured that your bathroom will be remodeled beautifully and correctly. Giving you peace of mind that you, your family, guests, and the value of your home is all positive now!
Is it time to start your bathroom remodel? At Sea Pointe Design & Remodel, we’re design/build remodeling specialists—your dream bathroom starts here!