Episode 1578
The secrets of bathroom design before you remodel
Designing a bathroom and taking on that remodel can be tough. There are a ton of things that can go wrong. It doesnt matter if you are going to DIY this project or hire a contractor here are our tips to doing it right and avoiding those mistakes that cost you money. Thanks for listening to Around the house if you want to hear more please subscribe so you get notified of the latest episode as it posts at https://around-the-house-with-e.captivate.fm/listen
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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
Mentioned in this episode:
A new kind of decking and siding from Millboard
For more information about the latest in decking and cladding head to https://www.millboard.com/
Baldwin Hardware
Transcript
[00:00:30] Eric Goranson: That way when you put all the new plate pieces in, if you have iron or sulfur or hard water, it's one of those things. Get it taken care of now 'cause it's just gonna do damage later. Don't want to see that happen. Now, here's another one that I want to talk about, and this is a key before we get into the planning stage, which will be in the next segment.
[:[00:01:10] Eric Goranson: Thanks for joining us today. Well, on hour number two, I wanted to talk about the secrets to bathroom design before you remodel. All those things that need to happen, and I don't care if you're gonna be starting out a project where it's a D I Y project, or you've found the best contractor known to mankind that you're absolutely in love with.
[:[00:01:53] Eric Goranson: If you want healthier trees, shrubs, and bushes. Check out root cher.com. It'll save you money on that [00:02:00] water bill and you got healthier plants at the end. Root cher.com. Well, let's talk about the secrets to bathroom design here, because you know my background, I'm a certified kitchen designer. I have done bathroom remodeling and design for about 30 years out there.
[:[00:02:40] Eric Goranson: This is understand your abilities. If you are going to go in. Do the tile work, the tub, the plumbing, the electrical, the flooring, the drywall work, the ventilation, all of those things, and the electrical that go into that bathroom. Are you capable in all of those [00:03:00] fields? Can you do it well? Can you do it right enough to not cause a water leak, cause an electrical fire, cause damage to yourself or others?
[:[00:03:33] Eric Goranson: If you don't, that's okay. You have two choices. You can either learn and figure it out, take it step by step, or you can hire the best contract you can find out there. But understanding your abilities is one of the biggest keys in home improvement. So you don't have to buy materials twice. You bought it once.
[:[00:04:18] Eric Goranson: And these are the ones that are probably the most expensive, and this is where the mistakes happen. And this happens either from a d I Y person or a contractor that you hired thinking that you found the best contractor and you didn't. The biggest mistake that I see, the number one, Is not waterproofing, A walk-in shower or a walk-in bathtub or just a regular bathtub correctly.
[:[00:05:13] Eric Goranson: Now there's a ton of great systems, whether it's Wheaty, whether it's rx, whether it's Schluter, those are three great systems right there you can use to waterproof it behind that. My first thing is if you're putting drywall up behind the shower, whether it's greenboard or not, I'm gonna tell you, you got the wrong material back there.
[:[00:06:04] Eric Goranson: 'cause it's got a little bit of the flexibility so it doesn't crack and have problems later. So really understanding the waterproofing, whether you're hiring a contractor or not, whether you're gonna take this on and say, this is a D I Y project I can handle. I want you to understand the waterproofing system that you should find and hire your contractor based on that.
[:[00:06:51] Eric Goranson: No one wants to pay $5,000 for a cheap shower, remodel and then turn off to pay to do it right, another seven to 10. [00:07:00] It's, it's a, a huge waste of time. Uh, money as well. So just something to consider. The biggest problems I see is right here. This is that. Gotcha. And this is really where, where most of the contractor issues happen.
[:[00:07:36] Eric Goranson: This is where you want the professional. So something to consider understanding as well, how to deal with a window that's maybe in a shower or a bathtub enclosure. That's a huge area where not having the right system and not having it waterproof correctly is a big deal. They can easily be done. They need to be tempered [00:08:00] glass.
[:[00:08:23] Eric Goranson: Is another part of this. There are plenty of great contractors and tile places out there that sell high quality materials. Generally speaking, I'm gonna say when you're thinking of tile, when you walk into the home improvement stores, you are finding the cheapest and lowest in product that might not perform the best, but it's gonna get you on price.
[:[00:09:06] Eric Goranson: There are times that I have been there with professionals that knew what they're doing, and the product rep that was on site went, Hey, we gotta prime that before we put the mast on it or the thinset. And you go, what? And that is where the professionals really have to play a part of this to make sure that you've got the right deal.
[:[00:09:57] Eric Goranson: What's up? This is Stick and Satchel from [00:10:00] Steel Panther and you are listening to Around The House with Eric G. Yeah, we love Eric G and you should too.
[:[00:10:41] Eric Goranson: Before we get into that, just wanted to say the ways to track us down, head over to around the house online.com for the website and you can generally find everything there, including the television show. Uh, our YouTube videos, we've got over a hundred of those. So if you're looking for made in U Ss a products [00:11:00] to d i y projects you can tackle and new products as well.
[:[00:11:27] Eric Goranson: What does that do? We got a lot of that stuff coming up that we're gonna be testing. So each week we are testing a new product to see if I can break it. And if it's doing what it says, and then I'll give you a, uh, star review on it as well. All that. You can find those videos over, uh, at around the house online.com.
[:[00:12:02] Eric Goranson: What some of the biggest mistakes that happen in a bathroom are. Before we start talking about how to plan this out, I just wanted to talk about the big mistakes that happen to get expensive. And another one, and it comes down to planning, understanding the details of clearances so things don't run into each other.
[:[00:12:44] Eric Goranson: You can have swinging door issues with shower doors and a door that's coming in maybe from a hallway, and you've got things hitting each other, and that's, that's a bad day, especially when you're putting things back together and you realize you might have to move things and that can get expensive [00:13:00] quick.
[:[00:13:23] Eric Goranson: You need to have a high C F M vent fan that is going to vent to the exterior. Uh, check your local building code, but in many places you'll have to have a timer on that that'll run for at least 20 minutes. So, uh, that way it can evacuate all that high moisture content outta the bathroom after you're done.
[:[00:14:09] Eric Goranson: So under the door, maybe putting another vent in over the shower or something to bring air in. That way you've got a place to move the air out and it will drag that moisture with it. 'cause if you put it where you only have just a small gap under the door, And what happens is, is you're not moving enough air.
[:[00:14:50] Eric Goranson: So when I opened the door, it had the best, easiest place to get out. So those are keys. Where are you putting that? Is it going over the toilet because it's a powder room? Is it going right in [00:15:00] front of the shower door or next to the tub? Or where is that going? Make sure you've got that in the right place.
[:[00:15:28] Eric Goranson: Don't ruin the beautiful bathroom you're putting in. Start with getting before you start that remodel project. Get your water tested and get your water system dialed in so you don't have to worry about hard water spots on shower doors and fixtures and all that stuff. Get your water quality fixed first.
[:[00:16:14] Eric Goranson: But there's a trend out there of people not putting shower doors in or creating these big wet bathroom areas. Let me tell you the problem. The problem is it leads for a cold shower. So the, the general purpose of that shower door is one to stop water, but two, it keeps heat in. That's the beautiful part of that.
[:[00:16:57] Eric Goranson: So I'm gonna say about 85% of my customers [00:17:00] that I have worked on design projects with that said, I don't wanna put a shower door in. I just wanna leave this open concept every time I have left them an option to be able to put a door on later. At 85% of the time, they took that option later because they didn't like the cold air in the shower.
[:[00:17:41] Eric Goranson: Run that in the shower too. You can do that in many cases. So think about places that you can put heated tile. It will also help, you know, dry out that shower later. So if you do it there in the bench and then put in like an air modest system, which is that shower drying system, if you do something like that, it's gonna be [00:18:00] completely dialed in.
[:[00:18:19] Eric Goranson: These are all things that are important, and we'll talk about some of the key products that we're starting to see out there that can make things a little bit easier. And, uh, what's expensive, what's not, what can help you and where to spend that money all coming up and around the house in just a few minutes.
[:[00:18:59] Eric Goranson: Hey, [00:19:00] this is Ron Kehl, the metal cowboy from Kehl, the Ron Kehl Band. And Steeler, we are rocking around the house with Eric G. Ray is your best. Thank you. Welcome back to The Round the House Show. This is where we hope to get the most outta your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today.
[:[00:19:41] Eric Goranson: So first off, you know when you're designing this out, you really have to get all the pieces together before you pull the trigger. 'cause you want to have all the materials on site when you start day one. So you need to sit down and really. Plan ahead. Now, some of the things that when you want to build for the future, which is an [00:20:00] important thing to keep in mind, and maybe today you don't want a bidet toilet seat, but I think later you might.
[:[00:20:38] Eric Goranson: So that little outlet can be a lifesaver when the walls open up, put it in there, and then making sure as well that you've got that, uh, you've got a place for a heated towel rack if you wanna reduce your laundry. Those heated towel racks can save you a ton of laundry each year. Basically they save you a, a load of towels each week and that adds up.
[:[00:21:15] Eric Goranson: As well as, uh, much healthier. 'cause you've got, uh, that moisture bacon off outta there and it dries that bathroom up even faster than it did before. So those are things to really consider. Now, as far as planning goes, I want you to think about what you want this to look like when you start. Now. Jump on Pinterest, take a look.
[:[00:22:07] Eric Goranson: Make sure that it fits the style of the house. So that's another key right there. Now, when you're talking about this, planning goes a long way. Think about the materials you want to use. Does this have a shower in it? Okay, do I want a tile shower? Do I wanna put like slab, porcelain, or quartz or coin in the walls?
[:[00:22:51] Eric Goranson: Do I have enough counter space? I wish I had more counter space. Just write down your wishlist. Wow, the lighting's horrible. What I have to jiggle the handle on the toilet. You know, all those things. [00:23:00] Write 'em down, get 'em dialed in. That way you can address those things. 'cause maybe you'll forget about it later.
[:[00:23:27] Eric Goranson: 'cause maybe you've got, you know, two or three colors in that tub shower. Well, maybe you want that shower floor to carry out into the room, so it looks like it's seamless with a curbless shower. So you wanna make sure you get that dialed in. So get your 30,000 foot level dialed in first. Get it figured out, right, and then start distilling it down to the pieces and parts that you have so you get that final picture, and now here's some of the problems you run into that you need to consider.
[:[00:24:12] Eric Goranson: No need for a horror movie here. Let's make sure and uh, not have it where you can grab something electric when you're bathing in water. So if you wanna do that big chandelier over the top, you better have the right ceiling height to do it. 'cause otherwise it's gonna be a no-go. Now, I've seen contractors put in blank out plates where they put the switch in all ready to go, but there's no fixture and the homeowner does it later.
[:[00:24:57] Eric Goranson: And if you had somebody get hurt in there, [00:25:00] guess what? It's your liability. So it's something to consider with that. You know, you're really best served by the time that you plan this stuff out. Make your materials list, understand what's going in there. And even if you've got a contractor doing it, you need to understand what's going in there.
[:[00:25:43] Eric Goranson: In your planning stage, I want you. To be working with the contractor to make sure every little piece is identified. It's the same thing as we talked about the kitchen last week. When you're dealing with these products and these projects, I want you to be able to look [00:26:00] down and see that every single thing, every materials on this list, what color knobs and handles, what grade do they $2 Home Depot specials, or are they, you know, $40 Baldwin ones?
[:[00:26:31] Eric Goranson: You need to know where those products are and what great a products are. 'cause if they're putting in laminate countertops and a fiberglass tub shower, they're keeping a lot of money in their pocket in most cases. So you wanna make sure that you've got those things to find out. And what's going in?
[:[00:27:09] Eric Goranson: Planning is the biggest key to having a successful project is getting that plan dialed in and making sure that everyone is on that same plan. So if you're the contractor yourself and you're like, I'm d I ying this whole thing, awesome. Just make sure that you know, start to finish what's going on. Okay.
[:[00:27:48] Eric Goranson: So again, there's all these little tips of the tricks of the trade. I wanna make sure that you, your contractor or you the D Iyer have understood, 'cause there's a lot of these things out there, and making [00:28:00] sure that those go together is gonna be the key to your success. Now, there's a lot of other things you can add in that bathroom here as well.
[:[00:28:25] Eric Goranson: We'll, right back with some more tips just as soon as.[00:29:00]
[:[00:29:17] Eric Goranson: And let's talk about some safety issues here in the design process. I wanna make sure that you understand, for instance, slick floors, polished marble, you know, any one of those stone floors, including some of the more polished ones or a bad idea for the bathroom. You know, anything, um, any one of the limestones, any one of those out there are a really bad idea for a bathroom.
[:[00:30:04] Eric Goranson: That's what I want. That's what I want. That's what I want. Sign away the release. Okay, I am gonna do it that way. Sign away the release and they come back and go, you were right. Yeah, 'cause you're gonna have a head injury in that bathroom if you don't. Careful. So no polished walking surfaces in a bathroom period is a great rule for you.
[:[00:30:39] Eric Goranson: So if you get water on the floor, you're not gonna eat it, or most likely not going to eat it. Can't promise you everything. But that's, you know, you're gonna be pretty set in where you're, where you're standing. So that's good. And that's a key right there, making sure you got that dialed in. And then I'm not a big fan in bathrooms of using M D F for trim.[00:31:00]
[:[00:31:16] Eric Goranson: You don't wanna use exterior paints inside. So it's a troublesome area. So anytime that you can get away with using a tile or something like that, you're better off. That's gonna be a better and really more durable product for you. So something to consider with that. Make sure you've got the right pieces going into that.
[:[00:31:53] Eric Goranson: One is, I just like that little extra added durability of the plywood, so I'd be tempted in a kid's bathroom to go there. [00:32:00] Now the other thing is, is this is where in those hall bathrooms, for instance, that you should really spend some time making sure the van fan works good and then putting in a high quality toilet.
[:[00:32:35] Eric Goranson: That is kind of the medium end stuff. So don't let them kind of lull you to sleep with these knockoff products or off-brand products. It's something that is, uh, widely known and it'll keep it so you don't have to have a plunger in your house if you get the right toilet. You know those totos, they're glazed all the way down through the inside, so toilet paper doesn't tend to get stuck in there.
[:[00:33:18] Eric Goranson: But paint can be a great color pop that you can make work for your project. If you've got a lot of drywall in there, throw some color at it, throw some sunshine at it, make it feel warm and inviting and cozy spa-like if you'd like, that's gonna help create that more relaxing situation, which means you're gonna be happier.
[:[00:34:03] Eric Goranson: So make sure you got that. Now here's some of the other issues that I want you to consider as well. What are you doing with the floor in there? If you're doing a tile floor, if you're doing heated tile, then you really can't be doing a bath mat in that area unless you have your tile person or you as a di iyer move the heated floor around where that mat is.
[:[00:34:39] Eric Goranson: You're gonna have a fan with a light in it. Do you need heat in there? Do you need more ventilation? What happens? So these are all things you should be thinking about as well as power and plumbing. When you're cutting this thing down, do you need to have another out? Are you always kicking off that outlet with the, uh, with the hair dryer and the curling iron and a hair straightener or [00:35:00] whatever else you're trying to do?
[:[00:35:18] Eric Goranson: Uh, and maybe three because you're trying to put a vent fan in. But depending on what you have going, that's where your big friends can be. While you're at it, make sure you've got plenty of that power in there. Then really as you're designing out the rest of the system, make sure that your plumbing is up to speed.
[:[00:35:51] Eric Goranson: That's a good time to get that dialed in. Here's another trip trick too. If you are working on things and you don't have [00:36:00] the patience to do drywall really well, sometimes it's better to take a day. Bring in that drywaller, make sure you get it taken care of. Have them get it all finished up, ready to go.
[:[00:36:31] Eric Goranson: You want that to be consistent within the space so it looks correctly and you can't see where all those drywall patches were for maybe where you had to bring in electrical or that other stuff. So that's a key right there to make sure you get that dialed in. So those are some of the big ones right there that I think that you should really consider.
[:[00:37:07] Eric Goranson: I've been falling on social media because I know who owns it and I'm not gonna sit here and talk smack about 'em. But I tell you what, um, they need to work on their craftsmanship 'cause it doesn't exist. And they've been doing some really just ugly things to this house. My point being is make sure that you've got the right people, the right plan.
[:[00:37:52] Eric Goranson: I get that too. Knock it out, make the phone calls, find the right license, bonded and insured contractor, and [00:38:00] please, every single one of my bathroom issues that I've had over the last five years helping people out with bad contractors is because they looked at the price and went, this is too expensive, but I don't want to do it myself.
[:[00:38:32] Eric Goranson: They don't have a license to bond an insurance. So you have no place to collect, and you're out the money. You gotta tear it down, throw it out, redo the project again, the right way, and that's coming outta your pocket and there's no recourse when you can't track the guy down. Got no money. Alright everybody, this is the end of the show.
[:[00:39:07] Eric Goranson: We'll see you next Saturday. Don't forget the midweek special on the podcast. Thanks for tuning in to Around the House
