Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies E-Book

Gene Hamilton

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 503

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

We're a nation of countless bathrooms that are on the brink of being torn apart, redesigned, and remodeled. Bathrooms are big! They've gone from being a convenience to a luxury. Welcome to Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies, where you'll discover how to transform your bathroom from blah to beautiful and inefficient to well-designed.

Remodeling a bathroom is a challenge – it's action-oriented and requires extra energy and stamina. But you, undoubtedly, realize it's a challenge you want to take on. This guide can help if you

• Want to make your home more livable and enjoyable by updating, expanding, or improving the bathroom
• Want to find out how to begin the process of appraising your present bathroom so you can improve it
• Don't want to be pressured into selecting materials and fixtures because you want to see everything that's available and know all your options
• Want to know what's involved in demolishing the walls and removing the fixtures and cabinets, and how to install new ones
• Want to decide if you should hire help or do the work yourself

Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies is organized to provide lots of useful information that is easily accessible. You'll uncover tips about:

• Making the most of space in your bathroom
• Taking control and planning the project
• Finding fabulous fixtures, vanities, and faucets
• Decorating the walls, windows, and more
• Creating storage space

You maybe be asking yourself, "Can I remodel my bathroom without spending every penny I have, destroying the harmony of my house, and breaking the spirit of everyone involved?" The answer is yes. Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies can help.

Leseprobe

Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies

by Gene and Katie Hamilton

Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies®

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030 www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2003105848

ISBN: 0-7645-2552-2

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Authors

Gene and Katie Hamilton have been working on houses and writing about home improvements for over 30 years. They have remodeled 14 houses and write a weekly newspaper column entitled “Do It Yourself . . . Or Not?” which appears in newspapers across the country and on Web sites.

The Hamiltons are authors of 16 home improvement books, including Home Improvement For Dummies, Carpentry For Dummies, and Painting and Wallpapering For Dummies.

They are the founders of HouseNet.com, the first home improvement site on the Internet and America Online.

You’ve seen these veteran do-it-yourselfers appear as home improvement experts on CNN, Dateline, the Today show, Home Matters,Today at Home, and Our Home.

They live on the eastern shore of Maryland.

Author’s Acknowledgments

Over the years, we’ve tapped the expertise of countless professionals in the home improvement industry, and although we’ve thanked them individually, we’ve never acknowledged how much we appreciate their help. We began writing about home improvements some 30-odd years ago while we were working on our first fixer-upper house. We’ve been doing it ever since, and as our career continues to evolve, we keep on learning from a cadre of people in the home improvement industry.

We want to thank all the knowledgeable salespeople in hardware stores and home centers who have helped us and so many other customers with questions and concerns.

For many years, we’ve tapped the expertise of design professionals, contractors, and tradespeople, and they’ve always been generous in sharing their experience and knowledge with us.

We always appreciate the information and support we receive from manufacturers of home improvement products. The communication folks and their public relations comrades keep us informed of the latest and greatest new innovations. The product managers are always quick to respond to our questions and observations.

We are fortunate indeed to be part of this vital and growing home improvement industry.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Marcia L. Johnson

Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier

Senior Copy Editor: Tina Sims

Editorial Program Assistant: Holly Gastineau-Grimes

Technical Editor: Pam Price

Senior Permissions Editor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Editorial Assistant: Elizabeth Rea

Cover Photo: ”Corbis

Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com

Production

Project Coordinator: Erin Smith

Layout and Graphics: Seth Conley,Stephanie D. Jumper, Linsey Osborn, Mary Gillot Virgin

Special Art: Lisa Reed

Proofreaders: TECHBOOKS Production Services, Brian H. Walls

Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services

Special Help: Jill Burke, Traci Cumbay, E. Neil Johnson, Heather Ryan, Alissa Schwipps

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Brice Gosnell, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Part I : Bathroom Spaces: Ahhh, the Possibilities

Chapter 1: Reinventing Your Bathroom with a Splash

Everybody’s Doing It in the Bathroom

Receiving Your Just Reward

Planning the Perfect Bathroom

Getting Started

Chapter 2: Designing the Bathroom That’s Right for You

Bathrooms for All Seasons and Reasons

Gaining Easy Accesses: Universal Design

Reviewing NKBA Planning Guidelines

Planning Your New Bathroom

Chapter 3: Warning: Bathroom Work Zone Ahead

Walking Through the Stages of a Typical Bathroom Remodeling Project

Bracing Yourself for the Destruction

Beating the Clock: A Timeline of What to Expect

Chapter 4: Tooling Around

Peeking Inside the Well-Stocked Toolbox

Visiting Your Friendly Rental Center

Chapter 5: Selecting Surface Materials 101

Shopping till You Drop

Discovering the Many Faces of Wallboard

Wrapping Your Room in Wallcoverings

Tapping the Power of Paneling

Opening up Spaces with Glass Block

Introducing Glass’s Second Cousin, Acrylic

Tooling Around with Ceramic Tile

Considering the Solid Characteristics of Solid Surfaces

Floor Surfaces and Underlayment

Vinyl Flooring

Laminate Flooring

Cork

Part II : Take Control: Planning the Project

Chapter 6: Establishing a Budget, Finding the $

Adding Up the Costs

Deciding If It’s Worth It

Creating a Budget

Exploring Some Financing Options

Completing Your Project in Stages

Chapter 7: Doing It Yourself or Hiring a Pro

Figuring Out What You Can Do Yourself

Acting as Your Own Contractor

Sharing the Workload with the Pros

Kicking Back While the Pros Do the Work

Recognizing a Good Contract

Making It Legal: Remembering Building Codes

Discovering Some Coping and Scheduling Strategies

Chapter 8: Behind the Scenes of Your Bathroom

Going with the Flow

Making Pipe Connections that Matter Most

Plugging in the Power

Banishing Those Nasty Odors with Ventilation

Part III : Fabulous Fixtures, Vanities, and Faucets

Chapter 9: Go Flush! Selecting and Installing a Toilet

Taking a Tour of the Toilets

Roughing Dimension: Measuring Your Options

Dethroning the Throne

Preparing the Floor for a New Toilet

Installing a New Toilet

Bathing in a Bidet: Personal Hygiene

Chapter 10: Rub a Dub Dub! All About Tubs

Selecting a Bathtub

Sudsing It Up in Tubs for All Seasons

Bidding Good Riddance to an Old Tub

Putting in a New Tub

When Removing a Bathtub is Mission Impossible: Two Alternatives

Your Bathtub’s Walls Inside and Out

Adding a Tub Door

Flippin’ over Faucets

Chapter 11: Showered with Possibilities

Standing Room Only: Selecting a Shower Unit

Installing a Shower Enclosure

Installing a Glass Block System

Installing a Shower Door

Fixtures and Faucets for a Shower

Installing Grab Bars

Chapter 12: Bowled Over: Basins, Cabinets, Countertops, and Faucets

Looking at Types and Styles of Basins

Picking a Pedestal Sink

Installing a Cast-Iron Wall-Hung Sink

You’re So Vain: Vanity Cabinets and Furniture

Much Ado about Medicine Cabinets

Getting a Handle on Types of Faucets and Controls

Part IV : Winning Ways with Walls, Windows, and More

Chapter 13: Walls and Ceilings Finished to Perfection

Taking On Surface Preparation

Prime-Time Painting

Working with Wallpaper

Adding Beadboard Wainscoting

Hanging a Laminated Plank Ceiling

Chapter 14: Floored by the Choices

Selecting Your New Flooring Material

What Lies Beneath: Checking Out the Subfloor

Using the Existing Floor as a Base

Preparing the Subfloor

Getting Down to Business: Laying Your New Floor

Chapter 15: Getting Creative with Doors and Windows

Using Specialty Doors and Hardware

Adding Style and Fresh Air with Windows

Chapter 16: Let There Be Light!

Turning the Spotlight on Different Types of Lighting

Shining the Light from Above

Using Wall Lighting

Part V : The Part of Tens

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Increase Storage Space in a Bathroom

Putting a Corner to Good Use with a Cabinet

Using Ready-Made Storage Units

Building Cubbyhole Shelves

Showing Off Towels Like a Designer

Getting a Peg Up

Customizing the Vanity Interior

Boosting Hanging Space with a Coat Tree

Going High Tech for Low Price

Getting Bulky Stuff Out

Corralling the Kids’ Stuff

Chapter 18: Ten Easy Bathroom Decorating Ideas

Making a Small Bathroom Feel Larger

Using Color in Things You Can Change

Adding Old-Fashioned Charm

Creating a Custom Wallpaper

Applying a Decorative Finish to Plain Walls

Adding an Etched Glass Window Film

Accentuating the Positive

Showing Off in the Powder Room

Taking Cues from the Pros

Remembering that Less Is Better

Chapter 19: Ten Great Remodeling Web Sites

National Kitchen & Bath Association

Internet Wallpaper Store

ebuild

Kohler

American Standard

GELighting.com

Baldwin Hardware

Dutch Boy

Armstrong

The Bathroom Diaries

: Color Insert

Introduction

We’re a nation of countless bathrooms that are on the brink of being torn apart, redesigned, and remodeled. Bathrooms are big! The bathroom has gone from being a convenience to a luxury, and everyone wants one of his or her own, even in the most modest of homes. Welcome to Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies, where we tell you how to transform your air-conditioned bathroom from blah to beautiful and inefficient to well designed.

Now we realize all bathrooms are not created equal, and some folks want to create their ultimate home spa, while others just want to replace their old fixtures with new ones. Some bathrooms will be gutted and pillaged and totally transformed, but others will be given a kinder, gentler makeover. Whatever the status and condition of your bathroom, we explain how to plan its design, how to manage the remodeling process, how to do the work yourself, and when to hire a professional.

You may be asking yourself, “Can I remodel my bathroom without spending every penny I have, destroying the harmony and balance of my happy household, and breaking the spirit of everyone involved?” The answer is yes, but it’s a qualified yes that hinges on how you plan the project and prepare for the inconvenience and invasion. Sure, a sense of humor is a big help, but remodeling the most important room in the house is not a cakewalk, and don’t let anyone tell you it is. But is it worth it? You bet, because every time you walk into your newly remodeled bathroom, the adversity and adventure fade further into memory. Like a woman we met online once told us, remodeling her bathroom was like having her first child. It seemed to take forever, she couldn’t imagine the pain she endured, but the end result was truly worth it.

Undoubtedly, you’ll enjoy the immediate payback and pleasure of using a sparkling new shower valve with body-tingling spray heads, but you’ll also raise the resale value of your house. Even a modest makeover in a bathroom adds value, but an honest-to-goodness remodeled bathroom is an investment worth making. Every survey we see puts a remodeled bathroom at the top of the list of payback improvements, so you can justify the investment and enjoy using it.

Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies provides you with suggestions to guide you through the maze of decisions and options and helps you design a new bathroom that’s right for you. Whether you’re sprucing up a powder room, making over the kid’s bathroom, or creating your ultimate spa and retreat, turn the pages for help.

About This Book

This book isn’t a novel, so you don’t have to read the pages in order. It’s designed so that you can flip through the book and start wherever you like. Don’t think about this for your book club, because while we think the content is tantalizing, it’s probably not a good choice for a discussion group. Unless, of course, the members are all tired of their old bathrooms and want to remodel them. Then this book will be a winner.

The Table of Contents at the front of the book is useful to find the topic that interests you, whether it’s about demolishing the old bathroom to make room for a new one, or finding a reliable and skilled contractor to do the job. Or, you can search the Index for a particular topic or phase of remodeling a bathroom that interests you. Maybe you like to jump around and discover how to install ceramic tile one day and tune into carving out storage space the next day. No matter how you find the information, you can read it and weep (just kidding) or read it and put the book back on the shelf. We wrote it so that you can move around and start and stop wherever you like.

You can find a lot of information within the pages of the book, from advice about specific clearance space around a toilet, to guidelines for choosing cabinets and countertops, to an overview perspective so you understand the scope and breadth of the job. You can read a lot of nuts-and-bolts instructions about removing a toilet and installing a new one or use the advice about hiring a professional to do the job.

Here are some other things you can find in this book:

Key points to think about before you decide to do the work yourself or hire a remodeling contractor

What’s involved in laying out cabinets and fixtures

What you need to create a floor plan that works for you

Key features for an accessible bathroom using universal design concepts

What’s involved in installing different kinds of faucets and valves

The various options for bathroom fittings and accessories

The best way to plan lighting for different size bathrooms

Guidelines for creating the correct amount of ventilation in different size bathrooms

How to use Web sites to plan and design your bathroom

Conventions Used in This Book

The following conventions are used throughout the text to make things consistent and easy to understand:

New terms appear in italic and are closely followed by an easy-to- understand definition.

Bold is used to highlight the action parts of numbered steps or the keywords in bulleted lists.

All Web addresses appear in mono font.

Foolish Assumptions

In this book we make several assumptions about you, the reader. You want to make your home more livable and enjoyable by updating, expanding, or improving the bathroom. You’re interested in finding out how to begin the process of appraising your present bathroom so you can create a new and improved one. You don’t want to be pressured into selecting materials and fixtures, because you want to see everything that’s available and know all your options. You want to know what’s involved in demolishing the walls and removing the fixtures and cabinets and how to install new ones so you can decide whether you want to do some of the work yourself. You’re ready to act, move, and make things happen.

Remodeling a bathroom is not for the faint of heart. It’s action oriented and requires extra energy and stamina. You realize it’s a challenge and are willing to take it on.

How This Book Is Organized

Like all the Dummies books that have come before it, Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies is organized to provide lots of useful information that is easily accessible. We divided the book into five main parts.

Part I: Bathroom Spaces: Ahhh, the Possibilities

Remodeling a bathroom didn’t used to be so complicated. The plumbing lines in the floor and electrical wires behind the walls have always been there, but the choices in fixtures, faucets, and materials were never so daunting. Part I lays out an overview of remodeling a bathroom to give you the big picture of what’s involved. This section explains the different types of bathrooms to help you define what your bathroom project will involve. Whether you’re doing some easy-on-the budget fix-ups or a blow-out-the-room transformation, we help you define what’s right for you.

This section explains the step-by-step process of remodeling a bathroom so you’re prepared for what to expect — physically, emotionally, and financially — and provides guidelines for designing a floor plan to take advantage of every inch of space. Use it as a road map for overall guidance and as a reference for making the details count.

Part II: Taking Control: Planning the Project

Part II deals with being in control of the project from the initial conception of the plan to the day you walk into the completed new bathroom. Many behind-the-scene decisions are needed to pull off a perfect bathroom, and knowing them in advance gives you an advantage.

In this part we explain how to estimate how much it costs and how to budget your funds. One of the first decisions you make when remodeling a bathroom (or any room) is whether you should do the work yourself or hire a contractor, and we give you the knowledge to make the call. We explain how to find a good contractor to do some or all the work, depending on the complexity of the project and your level of skills and time commitment. In this part, you find out the basics of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems so that you can manage the project or do the work yourself, or a little of both.

Part III: Fabulous Fixtures, Vanities, and Faucets

Part III takes you into the wonderful world of the stuff bathrooms are made of — toilets, bathtubs, whirlpools, showers, sinks, faucets, cabinets, and countertops — with advice about choosing, finding, and installing them. You may be stymied by the choices, but with knowledge comes wisdom to choose them with confidence and insight. The more you know about fixtures and materials, the more informed your decisions will be.

And don’t forget the new status you’ll achieve with that knowledge. At cocktail parties, you’ll be sought after as an expert on solid surfaces and sink installations. At Little League games, you’ll be the resource who people turn to for advice about what toilet to buy. The knowledge you acquire may be the first step into a career as a bathroom consultant. It could happen.

Part IV: Winning Ways with Walls, Windows, and More

Part IV takes you through the process of simple decorating techniques to more complicated installations, all using strategies to help you determine what’s best for your bathroom. The walls and floors are the largest surfaces in a bathroom, so covering and finishing them are important. In this part, we explain how to install floors — ceramic tile, vinyls, and laminate — and suggest a variety of windows and wall coverings for any style room. We explain the importance of lighting and ventilation in a bathroom and suggest specialty doors to save floor space.

Part V: The Part of Tens

The famous Part of Tens unique to For Dummies books is designed for finding useful information fast. Read these “quick hits” about remodeling a bathroom and apply them to your room: how to create storage space in any bathroom, some really inexpensive and easy decorating ideas, and a list of really useful Web sites for remodeling a bathroom. If you like good ideas laid out in a fast format, you’ll like the Part of Tens.

Icons Used in This Book

This icon marks the parts of the bathroom remodeling project that you really should leave to the professionals.

This icon sits next to key details you need to keep in mind in order to design and create the best bathroom you can. It’s a helpful reminder to do certain things we think are important.

If you’re the kind of person who always asks, “Why?” you’ll like these icons because they point out how something works.

Text marked with this bull’s-eye icon gives a helpful pointer, a shortcut, or a timesaving secret.

This is an icon to watch out for. It means to really pay attention to what you’re doing so you don’t do more damage than good. Heads up when you see this one.

Part I

Bathroom Spaces: Ahhh, the Possibilities

In this part . . .

Remodeling a bathroom can be daunting and demanding, but the end game is a well-designed room that’s comfortable and convenient to use. In this part, we tell you how to be in the driver’s seat from day one and plan and design a bathroom that suits your needs and your budget. You can find out what features and fixtures to look for to make your dream bathroom come true. We discuss the types of bathrooms to consider so you approach the project with an overview and then bring it closer to home (yours) with details and design concepts.

You find out how to come up with a new floor plan and what to expect during the remodeling process. You also get a list of tools you’ll need to make the work go smoother. Finally, we tell you about the floor and wall materials that you can choose from.

Chapter 1

Reinventing Your Bathroom with a Splash

In This Chapter

Discovering the popularity of bathroom remodeling

Quantifying the financial payback of a new and improved bathroom

Developing a plan for your bathroom makeover

Taking your time to make it perfect

On emotional, practical, spiritual, and financial levels, a remodeled bathroom can be a very good thing. Maybe you’re thinking that colorful new wall tiles will lift your spirits when you walk in there each morning or after a hard day at the office. Perhaps that shiny, new shower will recharge you, or a relaxing whirlpool bath in the new tub will wash away the day’s problems. And the improvements are sure to enhance the value of your house. You’ll probably appreciate your brand-new bathroom for years to come. You have to spend time there anyway, so you may as well surround yourself in beauty and luxury.

If that idea appeals to you, welcome to the world of bathroom remodeling. We hold your hand, nudge you along, and help you make good choices as you rethink and design your new bathroom. At first, you spend a lot of time just noodling, or thinking about how to reinvent an old bathroom to create a new and improved one. But all that brainpower won’t go to waste. You’ll receive an immediate payback every time you use the new accoutrements in your bathroom and a long-term payback when you sell your house. You can’t ask for more than that.