Remodeling your bathroom is something that almost every homeowner eventually takes on. Use these tips to make your next remodel plumbing project a success. At some point, you realize that you could be enjoying your bathroom about ten times more simply by changing a few small details. The color of the tiles, the finish on the fixtures, and maybe one or two major plumbing renovations would do the trick. Whether you are on your first bathroom, remodel project, or this is something you like to do every few years just for fun if you want to project to go well you have got to have a strategy. You want to have several strategies, each designed to minimize the difficulty of your plan and enhance the functionality of your bathroom when you are done.
Get Blueprints for Your Plumbing
In your bathroom, it can be assumed that pipes are everywhere behind the walls, especially near your visible fixtures. The last thing you want is to start making changes only to discover that there’s a pipe where you did not expect one or no pipe where you were counting on one to be. Before you start your remodel and, in fact, before you even start much planning, get ahold of the blueprints for your home. This should give you a clear indication of where the pipes are behind the walls and what your remodel plumber has to work with.
Leave Your Plumbing Where it Is
If you want to completely remake the tub and shower, that is fine. However, make sure you are planning the new shower head in the same place as the old one, or you will need new pipes, connections, and holes in the wall to accommodate your designs. You do not have to take this as a limitation for your next remodel plumbing project. Use the existing plumbing placement as an inspiration for what you can do around their locations.
Update Pipes and Valves Where You Can
While you have got a professional plumber elbow-deep in remodeling efforts, ask them to take a close look at your pipes and make a recommendation based on their age, material, and apparent state. If any of your pipes or valves have begun to noticeably deteriorate, consider replacing them now while everything is opened up rather than waiting to need an emergency repair a year or two down the road. This is especially important for rusty pipes and valves which will clog more easily, leak rust into your water supply, are at greater risk for freezing, and will become harder and harder to replace over time.
Efficient, Easy to Clean Toilets
If your toilet is more than a decade old (and most home toilets are), then you are not working with the most efficient model. Not only can you upgrade yourself to something more comfortable and possibly even better suited to your height, but you can also get one that is more water efficient and easier to clean. You will enjoy both the lower water bill and the fact that cleaning the base of the toilet will go from five minutes to three seconds based on the new, smooth design trend.
Prepare for Drain Care
Finally, when you are planning a remodel plumbing project, don’t forget to consider the drains. Talk to your plumber about any measures it is possible to take to reduce the likelihood that your drains will clog. Solutions like built-in drain catch paired with drain screens can keep hair clogs from becoming a problem and installing valves to clear s-tubes is a great way to speed up a frequent drain care task.
The vast majority of the time, choosing to remodel your bathroom is a decision made with design and personal experience in mind, but there’s more than one way to experience your bathroom plumbing. With a few clever decisions made during the remodeling process, you can not only make your bathroom more luxurious to spend time in, but you can also make it more efficient, easier to clean, and less likely to clog. For more helpful remodel plumbing project tips, contact Aladdin Plumbing today.