The top 10 mistakes you dont want to make in a bathroom Remodel in 2023

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[00:00:45] Eric Goranson, CKD: There are plenty of waterproof and vapor proof systems out there that will work great to backup tile in a. Or a floor system when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home. There is a lot to [00:01:00] know, but we've got you covered. This is around the house. Welcome to around the house. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information and education.

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[00:01:35] Eric Goranson, CKD: That's the website, and there's links to all of our podcast, our social media pages, and make sure on Facebook that you follow us there as well as around the House Nation. Around the House Nation. Is that close group for you to share up that project that maybe you're stuck on or the one you just completed?

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[00:02:11] Eric Goranson, CKD: Number one. The first one we're gonna start with not install. That vent fan that's sized for the room that completely exits to the exterior vent fans are gonna be the number one thing that you should be paying attention to outside of water in that bathroom. Ventilation is key, and I'm not tucking a window in most states.

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[00:02:59] Eric Goranson, CKD: [00:03:00] Now I like to put in a large fan for a bathroom. You know, a hundred plus cfm, even for small ones, I oversize my fans. For what I do. But here's the key with this. You have to have makeup air to do that. So think about it. Think of that bathroom that you have. If you put a hundred c f m fan. Now that fan probably is not getting a full a hundred c f M.

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[00:03:49] Eric Goranson, CKD: So it gets it. You don't wanna create a vacuum inside this space. So make sure you've got enough space under the door and if you can't there, make sure you've got some air coming in from another space that's [00:04:00] conditioned, uh, in my master bathroom. That is one of those things that I'm gonna do. And let's, let's take a side note here.

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[00:04:32] Eric Goranson, CKD: Sears using it in a description for the first time in one of their catalogs. It is no different than using Master Electrician, master Plumber, master's degree. It is the. Expert of the home. It has nothing to do with slavery. So there's nothing wrong with using master bathroom out there. And if that triggers you, I'm sorry, but guess what?

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[00:05:19] Eric Goranson, CKD: In my room, I have a problem because I have a, this is something to, to learn from. I have a problem in my space because I have, uh, heated tile floors and I'm pulling in so much air underneath that door. I need to help resolve that. It's actually cooling part of that floor. Hyper cooling that floor from the airflow coming over it.

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[00:05:56] Eric Goranson, CKD: Get the best one. Don't get the cheap builder. $35 one. Get [00:06:00] something that's quiet, something that's gonna work. And, uh, there is a little trick here too, if you're putting one in, you're doing our e model, bro. NuTone makes a really great one. Now that has. You know, cuz like right now, for instance, I've got a nice Panasonic fan.

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[00:06:32] Eric Goranson, CKD: New tone one, because it has a controller that uses Bluetooth, so you just wire it so the fans always on, and where the switch is, you put in this controller that runs off batteries. And it, uh, doesn't take much to do this, but you basically can control it from that. You can run everything through it. You have all the controls without having to worry about running the extra wires up there to do that.

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[00:07:23] Eric Goranson, CKD: And, uh, always be careful. I like to see the projects they've done. Here's where referrals get interesting, and this is gonna be one of those pet peeves of mine, especially with bathrooms. I have seen more than once where referrals will either be their friends or referrals. People will feel guilty and give a better referral than what actually happened.

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[00:08:10] Eric Goranson, CKD: Well, people I work with were at the TV station that they have done, had him do 6, 8, 10 projects in their home because they're family. That's the people you want to find, stay away from, uh, hiring those people off of. You know, Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, and the worst offender next door. I have not seen good experiences with finding plenty of illegal, unlicensed contractors over there on those platforms.

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[00:09:05] Eric Goranson, CKD: All right, when we come back, we have got so many on this list today, much different. Those were kind of similar to the ones in the kitchen model in the previous segment. Now we're gonna start getting into some of the details that are very bathroom specific. That are gonna be, uh, very important because you know, bathrooms, you have different kitchen, you've got, uh, design issues, you've got appliances, bathroom, you've got power, water.

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[00:09:57] Eric Goranson, CKD: What's up? This is Stick and [00:10:00] Satchel from Stihl Panther and you are listening to Around The House with Eric G. Yeah, we love Eric G and you should too.

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[00:10:45] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now, here's a controversial one that I know is gonna get some of the old timers mad, but let's just be honest, this is the way the industry is going, not using number three is not using current materials in tile work. [00:11:00] I tell you what, I am not a fan of some of the old school methods. Compared to new school methods, we have come a long way in the last decade on waterproofing in bathroom areas.

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[00:11:46] Eric Goranson, CKD: And I'll be honest, here's my pet peeve and I'm sure there's gonna be people that wanna argue with me on it, and I'm okay with that cause they stand behind this. If I walk in and see somebody installing Greenboard [00:12:00] tile behind. That drywall, that drywall behind tile, you got the wrong person on the job site.

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[00:12:40] Eric Goranson, CKD: So this is one of those things that I want you to really make sure that you have the right system behind that. So do your research. Find out the tile installer in your project, what they're gonna be using behind it. I'll be honest, I'm not even a fan of using, uh, hardy backer type stuff below tile anymore on the floor.[00:13:00]

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[00:13:31] Eric Goranson, CKD: And when I did my steam shower, I did the Wheaty system with the Vapor 85. That is vapor proof because if you look at the details like on Slitter and some of these other ones, they're waterproof and kind of kind of vapor proof, but the seams and stuff are not. So if you're doing steam, I like something that is guaranteed not to let that moisture through, cuz steam getting through something is completely different than water.[00:14:00]

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[00:14:23] Eric Goranson, CKD: Again, not a fan. I wanna see another. Vapor barrier up there on that. So red guard or any one of the other better solutions out there is the way to go. I perfectly love the, I honestly love the foam systems out there where you put up the board, you know, any one of those things that is the, uh, composites.

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[00:15:05] Eric Goranson, CKD: So, uh, make sure your tile person is using the right materials and if they're going to get all their stuff off the home center shelves, that is one of the things that makes me get nervous that they're not using it from a tile place instead of using the lower end stuff that you see in a home. So those are my tips on tile work, and that kind of goes into number four as well, which was using drywall on greenboard behind tile.

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[00:15:54] Eric Goranson, CKD: Not adding added electrical for extra plugs, [00:16:00] heated tile floors, or a bk in that process. Traditionally in an older bathroom, you have maybe one outlet for even two sinks. Everything's sitting there and you've got a. So what happens is, is that your pump, you know, somebody puts in the hair dryer curling iron, off goes the breaker.

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[00:16:52] Eric Goranson, CKD: I have done luxury bathrooms where I have added five to six [00:17:00] extra circuits, including like an esteem shower, esteem generator. That's a 30 amp circuit, so that's a 30 amp, two 20 circuit in there. So you can add 50, 60, 80 amps to a. The tile floor and all the different things you could have. There's medicine cabinets now that have refrigeration in them for your medicine or your high-end makeup, and that's an important one.

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[00:17:47] Eric Goranson, CKD: And, uh, a lot of those now too have got the nicer ones, have a filtration system in there. So, um, guys, you don't have to go in there, ladies, stink up that bathroom. It can [00:18:00] change your world by having that in there where it's warm. And you've got cleaner air and even some of these new toilets out there, the smart toilets, I've got one coming up on a segment that I'm putting in that is absolutely amazing.

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[00:18:35] Eric Goranson, CKD: How crazy is that? All right, we come back. We got so much more to our top 10 list of, uh, mistakes to avoid when you're doing that bathroom just as soon as around the house returns,

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[00:18:59] Eric Goranson, CKD: Hey, [00:19:00] this is Ron Keel, the middle Cowboy from Keel, the Ron Keel Band and Steeler. We are rocking around the house with Eric G. Ray is you. Welcome back to The Round The House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information and educat. We've been talking today about the top 10 mistakes to avoid in a bathroom remodel in 2023.

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[00:19:42] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now if you want any more information about the show, head over to around the house online.com and you can find us there and comment. So if there's something here that you think I'm, uh, wrong on or you disagree with, or even you want to add to it, feel free to send a message there. Now, so far we've been talking about not installing [00:20:00] proper ventilation for the bathroom.

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[00:20:28] Eric Goranson, CKD: But sometimes when you go on a budget, if you have to do it twice, it's gonna cost you more than doing it once. And this is going cheap on a tub or shower. Or even worse, some of those coverups where they come in and do the 24 hour bathroom model and slide the plastic cover in over the top and leave the ugly hideousness behind it.

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[00:21:16] Eric Goranson, CKD: And I'm gonna put in one of those plastic kits you get from the home center and glue up on the tile and cover that up. You know, they work a little bit. But to be honest, you're just so much better off long term because those things don't do a great job of sealing up. They don't do a great job of putting things and keeping it together where water gets behind it.

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[00:22:01] Eric Goranson, CKD: I get it. They come in and do the quick fix 24 hour prem molded covers that they put over your tub and shower. And again, the same kind of thing. I don't like gluing stuff over the top of that. Um, I've pulled many of them out and uh, my experiences is many times people will come do that in a year or two.

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[00:22:43] Eric Goranson, CKD: Instead of buying the a hundred dollars tub, buy the $400 tub. The extra $300, just making up numbers here. But the extra $300 is going to save you because if you have to go spend another five or 10 grand to put another one in, you'll wish you'd spent a little bit. So that's where [00:23:00] the budget makes a lot of sense.

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[00:23:27] Eric Goranson, CKD: So that's a big one. Make sure you're not using that cheap plastic stuff. It just never goes in right. It never looks great and uh, all it takes is a kid to lean up against it or bump into the, the, the little soap dispenser that's molded into it and that super thin plastic's broken. And plus in a couple years, it ends up looking yellow anyway, and nobody likes that look.

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[00:24:11] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now that's different. They have created technology and they understand toilets well enough that you can get a 1.3 to to one gallon flush. That works really. But however, you just have to buy the right toilet to do it. And I kind of have a general rule when you're purchasing a toilet out there. If you're buying a toilet from a home center that's under $200, it's probably not gonna work that well.

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[00:25:04] Eric Goranson, CKD: So really putting in the right one. It's gonna be the right way to go. And to me, I like to get something in the, in the $200 north range to get something decent. You know, the Kohler, the American standards, the Totos, the Dxv in the higher end, all those are great toilets. I stay away from the home center in-house brand toilets for a couple reasons.

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[00:25:46] Eric Goranson, CKD: The porcelain, you know, the, the shiny part of that ends up going all the way, finished all through the trap. So it's not rough. When it's rough, it likes to grab things and when it's rough it tends to clog up easier. [00:26:00] I mean, I, funny story, and you're gonna laugh about this, we have our new toilet here. Uh, if you've got a really good toilet, the stuff that can be flushed down there is crazy.

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[00:26:41] Eric Goranson, CKD: It did not end up in the toilet. It flushed all the way down. And guess what? It's on the way to the city. Sewer. If you had a cheap toilet, that would've got caught up in the inside, and most likely you'd have been trying to get that out of there. Or buy another toilet. Cuz many times when you get toys or things like that and they get jammed up in there, you [00:27:00] can't get 'em out easily.

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[00:27:18] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now, here's one of the things that I really worry about when I see remodels done, especially when it's homeowners or you're just trying to stay on a budget. And I've seen plenty of contractors do this as well. Not replacing old plumbing that is pvc. See PVC or galvanized. Now the pvc, that's white. I don't think that should be anywhere in your house for any reason.

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[00:28:02] Eric Goranson, CKD: and also for hot water. The PVC really get hot water. It comes apart. The yellow stuff gets brittle, and what happens is is there's been a lot of companies that have gone out of business from class action lawsuits from that stuff being brittle. My last house I had, I could be sitting there watching tv. It could be 60 degrees outside and I could hear a.

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[00:29:02] Eric Goranson, CKD: Gets the end of the show, the drinking down people, it's time to go. It's that time again, it's last call. Welcome back to The Round the House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information and education. I'm gonna try to help you navigate, like today, this bathroom project, whether you're doing it yourself or hiring somebody to have it done well.

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[00:29:47] Eric Goranson, CKD: So many times when you turn on that faucet, like you're filling up the tub, you'll see that rust come out that's usually failed galvanized pipe. And then what happens is as it fails, it gets smaller. All of a sudden you've got a little tiny straw of water [00:30:00] coming through and you have no volume. So that's where that really causes problems.

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[00:30:29] Eric Goranson, CKD: Make sure you're following that and get it in there because that's just going to leave a better product for you when you're done. And who wants to go open up a wall that you've just finished up because a year or two later you've got a problem with it, you're just better off going in that. Um, I'm not a big fan.

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[00:31:06] Eric Goranson, CKD: And I think it's just a, a regular way of doing it. And to be honest, if I see a plumber coming in and using shark bike fitting, In my house and they're in doing something where other than just a temporary cap fitting where they're trying to shut it off and turn the water back on so you can use it.

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[00:31:44] Eric Goranson, CKD: I've just had too many problems with them failing. And the problem is, is yeah, they'll give you a new fitting, but uh, nobody wants to step up and pay for the a hundred thousand dollars of remodel work that has to be done from the flood. And trust me, I have seen this happen many a time when they first [00:32:00] came out and, uh, plenty of plumbers.

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[00:32:23] Eric Goranson, CKD: Now here's another one, number nine. People love to go in and I'm gonna put in my beautiful marble bathroom. I'm gonna put polished marble on the floors cause I want it to look elegant, classy. And the problem is you have now created a skating rink when someone has wet on, you know, water on your feet, make sure you have the right slip coefficient because the problem is, is that, uh, look for tiles that are rated for floor and are rated for having.

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[00:33:16] Eric Goranson, CKD: And the beautiful part of that is that they actually have something that is gonna be non-slip. So when you walk outta that shower with wet feet, and here's one of the problems. When you have a heated tile floor and you have a shower, for instance, or a bathtub and you step out, if you've got that heated tile floor, you don't wanna be using floor mats on it cuz you can overly heat that area because you're now insulating that.

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[00:34:00] Eric Goranson, CKD: And more importantly, getting somebody else hurt that's in that bathroom. Now, here's another one that's important as well. We talked about this in a previous. Episode here before in the kitchen one, starting that project before the materials have arrived. I tell you what, you need to receive materials, inspect them before you start that project.

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[00:34:45] Eric Goranson, CKD: I have had boxes of tile broken before, and then you're having a hard time finding dial lots all while you're trying to get it installed. No, make sure you have the shower materials, the shower valves, the trims, the flooring. Tile, vanity [00:35:00] tops, all that stuff lined up before you start this project because those are the ones that, uh, get you burned and you don't wanna be without a bathroom.

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[00:35:25] Eric Goranson, CKD: Great example, in my bathroom, when we started, we had to do that. It took me about two and a half weeks to do the shower walls. And that's with professionals helping. And that's because we had the machine. I had slab walls and a slab ceiling cuz it was that, um, uh, using the DuPont core in Endura slab, porcelain great product.

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[00:36:15] Eric Goranson, CKD: And then we had to order the shower wall, the whole steam shower door system that sh, that glass wall system so we could do it. So that was almost a month, just trying to get through that process of getting the walls. Then getting in and starting to get in. So you could actually deal with that shower door.

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[00:36:57] Eric Goranson, CKD: I don't ever do. [00:37:00] Usually wood base trim around there. If I'm doing a tile floor, I do a tile base around the perimeter. That way I can grout the floor, grout the, the tile base, and then use a nice silicone color match caul between those two surfaces because yes. You do want to use caulking. Anytime you change angles on tile, you never want to caulk that.

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[00:37:42] Eric Goranson, CKD: If you're going with a flat. In your shower, make sure you're using flat black on the, on everything else in the bathroom, or if you're gonna go two-tone, like maybe a, a flat black or a polished nickel, or a flat black and a brushed gold. Make sure that you're using [00:38:00] the same or similar colors, cuz the problem is, is a brush gold from five different companies can be five different colors.

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[00:38:24] Eric Goranson, CKD: Orange coming through. One was copper, and you'd have five different colors in there. So you want this to match really, really well. When it all comes together, that's where those pieces come together really well. So have those pieces matched the handles to the faucets, to the uh, toweled towel bars and that kind of thing.

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[00:39:05] Eric Goranson, CKD: All right, everybody show's over. As always, thanks for listening to Around the House