Bathroom Remodeling Houston

Step #5: Learn about the materials needed for bathroom remodeling in Houston

Natural stone bathroom

Being the most formal and sophisticated, natural stone is the favorite when it comes to bathroom surfaces. Given the proper sealant, all natural stones would do great in a wet condition. So it’ll boil down to aesthetics and price.

Bathroom tiles

Subway tiles are the classic top-choice. Else, you can also select something a bit more handmade and bespoke, such as zellige. Alternatively, you can opt for tiny tiles like hex and penny. Due to their budget-friendly prices and resilience in wet conditions, it’s a wise pick compared to more expensive materials like natural stone. What’s more, they’re equally stylish.

Bathroom Wallpaper

Yup, wallpapers can be used in a bathroom. The key is to ensure it’s kept out of splashing reach and install the right ventilation to prevent moisture accumulation. It’s a fantastic way to attract a ton of eyeballs without committing to a pattern in an entire room.

There are several other ways to improve your bathroom with stylish, modern, and fun materials. Select based on your needs and style, and you’re well on your way.

Step #6: Focus on storage in your remodeled bathroom

Shower storage

Most bathrooms have limited storage. For this reason, a built-in shower is all but essential. Purchase a precast niche to tile over or slot one between the studs. Simply ensure it is large enough to accommodate important shower items.

Vanity storage

There are 2 options for a vanity: custom, where you choose materials perfect for high-moisture conditions and take them to a designer-contractor team for executing, or store-bought to avoid the hassle. However, don’t demolish the pipes if not required. If your budget is tight, select a vanity that’ll align with the existing plumbing. Cabinet doors can secret your mess; else, you can do it yourself – a rod and a curtain for a cottage-encouraged appearance.

Wall storage

Cabinet, floating shelves, built-in linen closet, and towel racks and hooks – all are useful – what you select simply depends on your style and the amount of space you have and your style.

Step #10: Select the components of your new bathroom

Showers

Usually, showers are known as more convenient and easier to use for persons of almost all ages. If you’re certain about getting a shower, you still have the option to choose between a tub shower or a standing shower combination.

A tub-shower combination provides bathing choices, which is specifically crucial in multi-purpose bathrooms. However, a standing shower might seem more stylish.

You also must choose between a glass door or a shower curtain. Would you go with a glass door, hinged or sliding? Pivot / hinged doors might add a bit of sophistication. Also, would you like clear door glass or frosted? Frosted doors are more privacy-focused, while clear glass makes rooms look bigger.

Bathroom shower products include stone, tile, fiberglass, and acrylic. All materials offer several colors and finishings. Plus, it helps to go to showrooms to watch the latest costs and options.

Then comes the fixtures. Would you like a removable shower head alongside a hose, a fixed head, or a rain shower? Given that you have a good budget, you can set up body sprays as well for an overall clean experience.

Toilet

While a toilet may look like a simpler option than tubs and showers, selecting the proper toilet per the requirements takes a bit of research. First of all, decide on your priorities. Do you want your toilet almost effortless to clean? Or, would you rather prefer comfort over style? Defining your priorities offers excellent clarity on your possibilities.

Next, decide where you’ll place the toilet in the room. The toilet location can depend on the bathroom infrastructure. The overall room layout is another factor you need to consider. Based upon the bathroom’s layout, consider a different water closet for your toilet (room-within-a-room). Also, you can entertain decorative glass or screens to add up light, all while providing privacy.

A simple design can turn the little toilet feel clean and bigger than the real size. Also, you can add details like a magazine rack or a separate vanity on the wall. While your bathroom might not be big enough to make a separate toilet room, yet you can avoid turning the toilet into a feature. Rearrange the room layout so that the toilet isn’t the first scenario in sight. Try to place it at the back of a cabinet wall, for example. Simply put: ensure the toilet isn’t the first thing in sight when the door is opened.

After selecting the toilet position, assess what kind and height would fit – 14 – 15 inches being the standard. However, you can extend the height for extra accessibility and comfort.

Cabinets and Shelves

One of the most costly parts of bathroom remodeling is bathroom cabinets. Cabinets need to offer a lot of storage room and enhance the overall room’s design. Custom, inbuilt bathroom cabinets tend to be merged with countertops. However, they can exist as independent storage elements – free-standing or built-in.

Free-standing cabinet furniture, such as little cabinets or vanities can turn out optimum for confined bathrooms. Standalone cabinets tend to hold linens, spare amenities, and towels. Corner cabinets can be used in underused spots in your bathroom and open up more room.

If multiple people use the bathroom, you can opt for symmetrical cabinets to offer equal space. After you select the cabinet location, select the material, style, and color. Although you can purchase bathroom vanities and cabinets digitally, going to a showroom gives you a better understanding of choices and more focused options depending on your personal taste and style.

Medicine cabinets are another option. You can hang it on the wall above the sink. The latest medicine cabinets have various designs, making them extremely viable options in several bathroom settings. You can also custom-make them. A lot of bathrooms come with open shelving as well. It can be a fantastic solution when your toilet is irregular-shaped or at a premium.

Flooring

Flooring costs comparatively more than other bathroom remodeling components. So you must do it properly. Bathrooms are among the most used places in a house, so your floor must deal with big traffic. Several bathroom flooring choices exist: tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, linoleum, concrete, carpet, and stone.

Here are some things to remember:

Porcelain, vinyl, or glazed tiles would be almost effortless to clean. Wood and porous natural stones must be carefully sealed, or they might soak up water and get stains with time. Although it might be an uncommon option for a bathroom, getting a carpet is an option too. Find carpets which are: stain-resistant, water-resistant, and mildew-resistant alongside backing that won’t let water flow inside the padding. The carpet tiles out there make it easier to clean by removing single panels.

You can select a heated floor too. Bathroom floors remain warm from radiant heat systems, and that warmth generates from the bottom up. You can use radiant heat for the part, but not an entire floor, for instance, around the shower / bath and the toilet. If that sounds good, look into it with your local suppliers or builder. Since your bathroom’s square footage isn’t much, it isn’t as expensive as you may think.

Because safety is crucial, in terms of a non-skid floor, use materials with matte finishes, textured surfaces, tiles with bigger grout lines, or sand glazes. Natural stones or ceramic tiles are a few choices.
Also, you can take the creative liberty and unite small and large flooring tiles or make tile rug by the shower entrance encircling the vanity.

Countertops and Walls

You can make the countertops with natural stone: granite, limestone, marble. While it’s elegant and long-lasting, it does require the right insulation. In the base, you can use concrete or cement. That way, it’ll be scratch-resistant and present in about all colors. And it’ll look faultless once installed.

If you use quartz, it’ll be scratch-resistant and have zero pores. Also, you can use laminate – it’ll be cheap and water, and scratch-resistant. You can make laminate look just the way you want – you can even imitate natural stone and wood.
Another option is cultured marble. It’s a mix of resin and natural marble, done in sheets. Because of the plastic resin used to manufacture, it’s much more negative-impact resistant. You can also use ceramic tiles or glazed porcelain. With these, you might get scratches, however, they’re almost invisible because of the pattern.

You can also opt for glass countertops. These require professional installation and the right maintenance.
You can use several components to cover your wall. To begin with: tiles – glass, ceramics, stone, or porcelain. Ensure you set up the tiles with professionalism. If you install the tiles right, it won’t require any exclusive maintenance and will serve for years.
After that, comes the paint. It’s the most budget-friendly option. You can use glossy or semi-glossy paint. Remember that you must make the walls ready before using paint. Else, the irregularities would become visible.

Sinks

First, come vanities. You can just place them on a countertop, set up below the countertop surface, or be a part of the countertop. That last option must be set up professionally to get a faultless outcome. Vanities can be installed easily and are thought to be the most budget-friendly and practical choice for all bathrooms.

Then come consoles. Generally, they’re designed to fit into the bathroom cabinetry. Their legs are built with wood or metal and countertops. While it’s nice, you must somehow hide the pipes to ensure they don’t get seen.

After that, come pedestals. Such classic sinks are fantastic for remodeling small bathrooms. They don’t require a ton of space and are presented in various colors and styles. Next are vessel sinks. They’re made out of several materials. Such sinks are set up above the counter, making them hard to use for children and disabled people.

Lastly, wall-mount sinks. They’re attached to the wall using special brackets. Such sinks offer a ton of storage room underneath.
Ceramic coated with enamel costs less and requires low maintenance. But sadly, it’s fragile. While cultured marble seems elegant, it’s fragile as well. While the glass is also fragile, if it gets tempered, it becomes stronger. Porcelain, iron, and stone are durable but heavy. Fiberglass is also long-lasting, but you can find scratches on it. When it comes to cost and longevity, stainless steel is probably among the top materials.

Bathtubs

The bathroom’s essential part can be composite, iron, marble, acrylic, porcelain, fiberglass. The bathtub can easily stand by itself; no fixtures are required. It can be on the platform or undermount, which depends on the aesthetic choices.
Bear in mind that a big bathtub requires a big water heater. If you plan to use a big tub routinely, invest in a heater that’ll be used for the tub only.

Lighting & Ventilation

Effective lighting should create an atmosphere and be practical. Quality ventilation keeps your air fresh and saves you from a fresh bathroom-remodeling project from too much humidity.

Begin with task lighting. It’s located in parts where most of your regular grooming occurs: tub, shower, and vanities. Then comes ambient lighting. It’s generally situated in the center of your ceiling. There’s one last optional thing – accent lighting. Usually set up to gather attention to specific places of your bathroom.

Don’t overlook a proper ventilation system to save your bathroom from fungus and mold. One fan is fine for a small bathroom. However, if you’re looking at something over a hundred square feet, you must set up exclusive fans for all showers, tubs, and toilets.