I was recently watching a TV special on the Home and Garden TV Network (HGTV) about Mike Holmes of “Holmes on Homes” and his Canadian renovation crew, who on their own accord went down to New Orleans to help with the restoration of the Lower Ninth Ward which was the area that got hit by the brunt of Hurricane Katrina. What really struck me was that after three years the few people that had moved back were still fighting to get street lights turned back on and general conveniences like Read the rest of this entry »

For those that have the means, now is the perfect time to do some bathroom remodeling. Everyone is talking about the doom and gloom economy but just like when the stock market crashed in the early part of the nineteenth century, there were those that saw an opportunity and there were those that simply gave in and got left behind. Read the rest of this entry »

Building codes were first established to ensure safety through the standardization of materials and installation training when performing home renovations. As it turns out when you are renovating your bathroom you will probably touch on many different areas of production, including wiring, plumbing and possibly structural work. This may require you to get hold of a permit or get an inspection before you can proceed with your remodelling project. In the beginning stages of formulating your strategy contact your municipal planning department to get any necessary documentation and information about local electrical and plumbing codes. If on the other hand you are simply replacing a fixture you will Read the rest of this entry »

Bathroom demolition candidates start your engines! Grab that hammer, utility knife, flat bar, reciprocating saw and power drill for removing drywall screws. Get ready to pry out nails and drill out screws and I hope your slashing and cutting skills are up to par with that reciprocating saw because we are about to get down and dirty in your bathroom renovation. But before you begin you’d better Read the rest of this entry »

So you are just about to tear down the drywall and demolish the plaster with your hammer but wait did you shut off the power and remove the cover plates from the light switches and plug ins! Better yet, do you know what dangers lie behind and run through those walls you are about to haphazardly rip apart without a second thought about the consequences of your actions? The walls that run along your bathroom are laden with an arrangement of wires, ductwork (for heating and ventilation) and plumbing. And unfortunately the only way Read the rest of this entry »

Bathroom walls come in two different assortments: walls that simply divide the interior spaces in your home into partitions (or rooms) dutifully named “partition walls” and walls that bear the brunt of holding up the entire structure of your home, dubbed “bearing walls”. Bearing walls help distribute the weight of upper stories of your home all the way down to the ground providing stability. It is very important that you identify whether or not the wall that you want to move or change is a bearing wall or simply a partition wall, because removing a bearing wall can Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently talking to a plumber friend, who just happens to be dating my daughter. I was curious about the interesting and weird things that plumbers find when unclogging home toilets so I asked Matthew. He started out by saying, “If it can fit, it can be flushed down your toilet, there-in lies the problem. You get your usual things like Read the rest of this entry »

Demolition is the first construction stage (or deconstruction stage depending on how you look at it) of your bathroom remodeling project. Many people relish this step because you can really have some fun here by letting out all your pent up frustrations. Knocking things apart can really be fun and therapeutic. Here tasks are measurable and usually move along rapidly so you can quickly get a sense of accomplishment before you even begin. Prior to you letting out your wild child though, it’s usually a good idea to see whether or not you actually want to keep anything before you send it off to the point of no return. Even a loosely laid out plan with some forethought can save you Read the rest of this entry »

The materials that you choose to finish your bathroom with and the ensuing style that emerges from this go hand in hand; you cannot have one without the other. Style is not only the way something looks; it is also the way that your bathroom feels. The great thing about style is that it is so personal. You can mix and match to your hearts content and you can also mix and match finish materials as well, Read the rest of this entry »

So you have done your project planning, estimated your costs and set up a tentative timeline for your bathroom renovation project. Now you must decide if to hire or not to hire a professional to help you finish the job. Needless to say you should have already consulted with architects and bathroom designers when you were first formulating your plans. Just be aware, that there is no guarantee that doing most of the work yourself will actually save you money, especially if you place a cost value on your time and inexperience. Either way, there are two types of professionals that you should consult with when doing a bathroom remodel: design professionals and construction professionals. Read the rest of this entry »