1.) Choose the Right Contractor:

Selecting the right contractor for a bathroom remodeling project in Charlotte, NC  is the crucial first step and can make the difference between a successful enjoyable process and a never ending nightmare of regret. Make sure the bathroom contractor you select is qualified and capable. Apples to Apples estimates often differ since outstanding quality and customer service costs more to provide you then low attention to detail and no customer service.

Remember often times in life you get what you pay for. Be sure to compare more then just Scope of Work when comparing estimates and investigate and verify their Better Business record.

2.) Proper Prior Planning:

Sound familiar from college? Well it applies to everything including bathroom remodeling. There is a lot of coordinating to be done in typically small spaces when bathroom remodeling. Sure a good contractor will do most if not all the coordinating for you but it is a good idea to go over the steps yourself prior to construction.

Planning the process yourself will not only allow you to be more educated about it, but also make you more informed and better capable of making good decisions with regards to your bathroom remodeling project.

3.) Functional Work Triangles:

Work triangles typically apply to kitchen remodeling but also have value when Bathroom remodeling. “Work triangles” refer to the distance between the functional amenities of your bathroom such as toilet, lavatory sink, showers and tubs, and storage. Creating the right amount of space between these items can make your bathroom functional and comfortable as well as create a feeling of openness and space.

4.) Choose the Right Materials:

With the increased popularity of the big box stores came a gambit of new choices, consequently making selecting materials a nerve racking experience for some remodeling novices. A good contractor will help you select the right stuff for the right spot keeping esthetic appeal, texture, durability and cost in mind.

By properly installing the right materials, they should last the lifetime of your home. The right materials can make all the difference in the world and its painfully obvious when you select the wrong ones.

5.) Waterproofing and Concrete.

By properly waterproofing the concrete board it will create a durable long lasting medium for the tile setting. Reputable contractors only remodel bathrooms using moisture resistant drywall for dry painted surfaces, and concrete board for any areas to be tiled or exposed to wet conditions. However hanging cement board alone is not enough.

The joints and corners need to be taped and finished with ASTM approved mortar in a similar fashion as one finishes drywall. Doing this waterproofs the system allowing your walls to not rely solely on the finished tile for water proofing characteristics and, creates a second moisture barrier.

This simple, low cost step will add decades of time to your bathrooms life span. Ask your proposed contractors how they intend to waterproof the cement board. If they leave this step out of the answer, or say, “the tile is the waterproof system.” move onto the next guy.

6.) Get Great Lighting:

Proper lighting is essential for bathrooms. The right lighting can dramatically improve the appearance and function of your newly remodeled bathrooms. Utilizing a diverse selection of lighting such as 6 inch can lights, 4 inch cans lights, flush mounted lighting, wall sconces, under cabinet lighting, and vanity lights truly livens the space and adds a sense of elegance only great lighting can. The more lights and type of lights you use the more dramatic the aesthetic appeal.

7.) Select the Right Trim:

A bathrooms trim is very important. Types of bathroom trim include; baseboard, casing, chair rail, wainscoting, crown molding, and around mirror trim. The correct combination of trim separates good bathrooms from great bathrooms. There is a fallacy that all of a home’s trim must match. It just isn’t true. Upgrading a bathroom’s trim package can provide huge design dividends while remodeling a bath room and separate it as the most elegant room in the house, which it should be.

8.) Hardware and Fixture Fluency:

Not many things can destroy a bathroom remodel like mismatched hardware and fixtures. There are several finishes to choose from when considering which one is best for your project such as, chrome, brass, brass and chrome, nickel, brushed nickel, stainless steel, brushed stainless steel, antiqued bronze, brushed bronze, and oil rubbed bronze. It is imperative that all items in your bathroom have similar finishes. Disregarding this will confuse the eye, create an un-unified look and take away from your bathrooms appeal.

9.) Remember the Small Stuff:

The small stuff is commonly overlooked then thrown together in the end. One of the largest consumer complaints with regards to bathroom remodeling is that the contractors did not include, or forgot to hang the towel bars, robe hooks, toilet paper dispenser, and soap dishes. Excluding these items results in them being thrown together in an often times dysfunctional manner.

Including the small stuff in the initial prior planning process allows you to select and order the proper pieces for your project with matching finishes to you hardware and fixtures. Keep in mind brushed nickel from Moen does not always match the brushed nickel finish from Kohler and other manufacturers. Ordering all your stuff from the same brand at the same time in the beginning shortens total time for your remodel, assures finish matching, and adds value to your home’s bathroom.

10.) Don’t over Due It:

Bathrooms are typically limited by space regardless of their size. Cramming too many things into to your bathroom will not increase its beauty or function. Instead concentrate on selecting high quality products, proper design, and excellent installation. Quality over quantity is mode of best approach. There are thousands of great products available for bathrooms, try not to fit them all into your bathroom at once.

Also avoid too many accents in tile work. Often time’s people are taken away by the beauty of a mosaic pattern or tile trim detail and throw it up everywhere resulting in a busy almost dizzying effect. Focus on material cohesiveness and minimalist design and you’ll be amazed what you can come up with, without breaking the bank.

www.LKNcabinets.com and LKN Cabinets and Remodeling serves the entire Charlotte NC area