We've come a long way since colonial times when family members took turns bathing once a week in a large tub in the kitchen. Even just 70 years ago, a three-bedroom home with one bath was common. Then about 40 years ago, an additional half bath snuck into the average house. Today, new homes are built with a bare minimum of two full baths and it is certainly not uncommon to see three or more.
If you're tired of waiting in line to get in the shower or you have high-maintenance teenagers who camp out in the bathroom for hours on end, perhaps it's time that you carve out some space for another full bath.According to Remodeling magazine, the midrange cost of adding a full bath to your one or one-and-a-half bathroom house in 2003 was USD 15,519. The resale worth of that remodel is USD 15,418, an excellent average return of 95 percent.
Henry Ford once said you can select any color Model T so long as it was black. In the 1940s, you can select any color bathroom fixture, so long as it was white. The standard bath had a white cast iron tub, a white toilet, a white pedestal sink, and a white or white and black checked floor. These days, baths have been transformed. They aren't just rooms where you go to clean up, they're showpieces-no much less decorated than any other room in the home.
If you have a very tight budget, you are going to need to select elements for your new bathroom wisely. You can effortlessly invest USD 65 for a toilet, or USD 365. You can shell out USD 199 for a tub, or USD 5000 for a topof- the-line steam shower.You can pay USD 99 for a cultured marble vanity top, or 10 times that for polished granite. In fact, the average cost of an upscale bathroom addition with a whirlpool tub was USD 38,134 in 2003, according to Remodeling magazine. Its resale worth is USD 32,272, an average return of 84 percent. Everyone has a different vision of what the ideal bathroom should look like. But there are universal elements you have to consider when outfitting one. They are:
Tile. Most people want a ceramic tile floor simply because it looks solid, is simple to maintain, and is durable. That's the simple part. The tough component is finding the precise tile for your bathroom floor. Finding the right color tile is even more challenging than finding the best color of paint from one of those massive paint chip displays in your nearby home improvement store.
You must also make certain that the tile in your new bath is set properly. If not, grout can loosen and mold can invade your home, something you need to steer clear of at all expenses.According to bath designer A.J. Paron-Wildes "when you get married you spend money on a good photographer" so whenever you develop a bathroom addition, you should always "spend money on a good tile setter." If you determine to have a tile tub surround, be certain you install cement board behind it. That's because not having a rigid base on which to put the tile in moist areas can result in loose tiles and moisture issues. Mold in your walls could be a really expensive issue to fix.
Toilet. Most property owners these days install low-profile toilets that make the average-sized bathroom feel a little bigger. But you might not be able to go the home improvement retailer and just pick out any model that you like. That's because in many parts of the nation, low-flow toilets are mandated as water conservation measures. Low-flow toilets aren't produced equal. Talk with someone who went the low-end route with a water-saver toilet. Chances are good they'll have a few things to let you know about trying (and failing) to help keep them clean.
Tub. Tubs are produced of fiberglass, cast iron (the heaviest), and acrylic. There are pros and cons for each and there is no simple answer as to which one is greatest for every circumstance.While a fiberglass tub will be the least durable, if the bathroom is only lightly utilized, then it probably will meet your needs-as lengthy as you install it properly. Cast iron tubs will provide you with more durability than fiberglass and some say they've a sturdier look and really feel to them. Acrylic tubs are the hardiest simply because the color is solid throughout the material. If your bath will be heavily utilized, you should stick with the cast iron or acrylic models.
Vanity/sink. The two main choices for washing up in your new bathroom are a pedestal sink along with a sink set into a vanity. Everything else being equal, you need to consider storage in your investment and resale equation simply because people always want as much storage as feasible. That doesn't mean you must automatically rule out a pedestal sink. Instead, match it up with an oversized medicine cabinet, a big linen closet, or maybe even an additional storage cabinet in the bathroom.
If you decide on a conventional vanity, remember that the cabinet portion is really a piece of furniture and should be treated as such. Think practicality here-drawers versus doors-and which option best suits your family's needs.As for the vanity top, cultured marble is the most cost-effective, but more costly manmade materials like Corian, as well as natural materials like granite or quartz, give a solid appearance and are extremely durable. If you're on a tight budget, you'll also need to apply discipline with regards to choosing bathroom accessories. Here again, the options are nearly limitless. Some of the most well-liked include:
Heated floor. Twenty years ago, it seemed as if everyone wanted a heat lamp in the bathroom. But these days, particularly in northern climates, more individuals are clamoring for heated floors. There are two ways to heat a floor, either with piped water or electrical wires beneath the tile. The electrical method is by far the less costly route, but it can nonetheless add USD 1000 towards the price of a tile floor.
Heated bathroom floors eliminate the biggest complaint about tile floors-that they're cold on your feet.Having a wallmounted thermostat, you can select the degree of warmth. While electric heat is notoriously expensive for heating an entire house, heated bathroom floors only price about USD 1 per week in electrical energy.
Faucet. You can get faucets for USD 40 or USD 400. And while you may wish to spend a little more for the washerless designs, unless you are building a high-end bathroom, you may wish to put your money elsewhere. Remember, because you probably want your sink and bath faucets to complement each other, your USD 400 could quickly turn into USD 800! Concerned about resale worth when it comes to faucet finishes? Well, brass is out and nickel is in, so you realize what that indicates: A stainless steel faucet is fairly much timeless.
Bathroom fan. Subsequent to floors, a bathroom fan will be your most significant purchase.Why? Because if you do not install one, or you install one that is too small, your investment will probably be on its way to becoming a detriment towards the worth of your home, rather than an asset. Have you ever stepped into the tropical rainforest that is really a bathroom after any two teenagers in a row have showered in there? Then you realize exactly what we're talking about. The fastest way to reduce the value of your bath would be to allow excessive moisture to remain in your bathroom, causing the walls to drip, the cabinets to warp, and also the fixtures to pit.
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