HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BATHROOM RENOVATION
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If you've been following along, you know we’ve been doing a series about How to Renovate a Bathroom and I thought, what is more important than learning How to Prepare for a Bathroom Renovation? So, that’s what we’re going to talk about today…If you missed the other posts in the series, catch up here: Choosing Finishes | Choosing a Sink
HERE ARE 5 STEPS TO PREPARING FOR A BATHROOM RENOVATION
1. CLEAR EVERYTHING OUT
Most bathroom renovations are gut jobs meaning everything is being removed and you're starting from scratch so, in that case, you must clear everything out of your vanity, storage cabinets, and bath shower space. As a bonus, take this time to throw away expired, old and unused items. You don’t want to bring that stuff back into your new and improved space so take this opportunity to dispose of it now.
2. SET UP YOUR TEMPORARY OR ALTERNATIVE BATHROOM
If you are living in the house during the renovation, you will need to use an alternative bathroom while the other undergoes a makeover. You'll want to bring all your daily necessities into that space. This includes Hairbrushes/combs, Cosmetics, Hair products, Toiletries, Feminine products, Toilet paper, Hair tools such as hair dryer and flat iron, Bath products - bath bombs, bath salts, and whatever you know is essential to surviving the next few weeks. This will also give you the opportunity to assess what kind of storage you need based on what you have and use.
3. PROTECT YOUR FLOORS
If you have carpet, use carpet mask on carpet in an adjoining room and down the hall to the entry. This is where your trades are going to be walking back and forth so you want to protect it so it doesn’t get as soiled or damaged as it would otherwise. Carpet mask runs about $40 for 400lf.
If you have tile or hardwood or laminate floors, then you’ll want to use paper drop cloth to cover that same path or better yet, I would recommend investing in ram board. This is a slightly thicker and more durable material that you’ll need to tape down with painter’s tape but it won’t rip easily like regular paper does and it will really give you the protection you need. A 50 ft roll is about $30 v. builder’s paper drop cloth which is about $10-$12/roll of 140sf.
4. PROTECT ADJOINING ROOMS
This is usually a master suite situation where the bedroom is located inside the bedroom. Dust from the construction will invade that bedroom and the rest of the house so you'll want to protect your bed and furnishings with a plastic drop cloth. You’ll most likely be moving out of that room while the work is being done. You can also ask your contractor to create a plastic wall using plastic drop cloth and painter's tape to create a barrier between your bedroom and the construction zone. This will help keep the dust to a minimum.
5. EXPECT DUST
Ultimately, you just have to expect that dust will be a part of your life throughout the duration of the renovation and you'll even see traces of it after the fact, there’s no way around it. To help contain it, make sure your contractor cleans up daily (especially if you’re living in the house), you will need to sweep and mop regularly throughout the project and once the renovation is completed, you’ll have to do a deep clean. It’ll be frustrating for some more than others, it just depends on what you’re used to. I couldn’t stand it and couldn’t wait for everyone to get out. I had the carpet cleaners scheduled to come clean as soon as I thought the work was supposed to be finished and it was delayed and I had them clean around them. I highly recommend a whole house cleaning post reno. Get those windows cleaned along with window coverings; drapes should be taken to the dry cleaners. Carpets should be professionally cleaned. Hire a house cleaner to do the dirty work that you may not want to do including dusting the wall, baseboards, wiping down all the interior doors, and dusting all the furniture and surfaces in the house. So as you can see, there’s physical preparation and then there’s mental preparation. The mental was the hardest for me. But, hopefully if all goes well, this will be completed within a 6-8 week period of time and you’ll have a beautiful new and improved bath to enjoy. I hope you found these tips helpful. Please leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and of course, sharing is caring folks. If you know someone who is embarking on a bath renovation, forward this video to them. They’ll thank you. And I thank you for watching and reading.
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I’m raising my virtual glass to say Cheers to your soon-to-be new and improved home!
– Alice
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