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mattweyandrepairs

Dollars and Sense: Three Insights for a Budget-Friendly Bathroom Renovation!

Your bathroom looked amazing in the 1960s, especially that rose color tile! But, it’s time to transform your bathroom to look like it’s from this millennia! Now, after getting the quote to transform your bathroom, you’re having second thoughts on how bad it really looks! Also, don’t they say, “Given enough time, everything comes back into fashion!”


Below are three insights on ways to reduce the cost of your bathroom renovation:


To start, NO tile work! Tile work is labor intensive and that translate into a much higher cost! Especially, if the bathroom is on the second floor and there isn’t a good space to set up a tile saw near the bathroom. Running up and down the stairs is a great way to get in shape but it’s horrible for the budget!


There is the traditional alternative of a prefab white tub/shower and surround. We prefer the Kohler Sterling line of products when going this direction. They are manufactured with a webbing that makes them sturdier than most other options. Now if your heart was set on a natural stone/tile look, you do have options! FLEXSTONE has over 20 color variations to select from. Also, there are some options where the surround is designed to look like tile! Either option, will save you THOUSANDS of dollars when compared to tile!


My bathroom is like 5’ by 10’ and once you subtract the tub it’s only like 35 sq ft of flooring, how expensive can that really be? Well, it’s usually the most expensive per sq ft area to install flooring. The expensive part isn’t the actual installing of the flooring, it’s all the work required to install the new floor. With needing to remove the existing floor, it’s underlayment, pulling what feels like a million staples or screws, installing new underlayment, etc. makes up the lion share of the work. The question to ask is, “Can we make a floor selection to avoid or limit all of this prep work?”


A rigid core vinyl plank flooring can be installed over tile and other finish flooring imperfections. Going this route may require the toilet flange to have a spacer installed but this is a minimal expense.  Also, if you’re heart is set on sheet vinyl, there are some circumstances where installing a new layer of underlayment over the existing finish floor is an option. The complication this can create is the increased thickness of the floor resulting in a larger transition leading into the bathroom and needing to trim the bottom of the door. Either option will reduce the prep work required and that will result in you saving money!


Lastly, your vanity selection is a great opportunity to make some budget friendly decisions. The question to ask yourself is, “Is there anything wrong with the box part of the vanity?” If not, then replacing the top and faucet can bring it into this millennia! If there is nothing wrong with the doors and drawers but it’s just beat up or dated, painting is a budget friendly option! The paint we would recommend is dependent on the material type of the vanity. In general, we typically use Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. It’s a water-based enamel paint that resists yellowing and has a hard finish that withstands wear and tear of frequent use. The key to longevity with a painted vanity is proper prep. The surfaces getting painted will need to be lightly sanded, cleaned, and primed prior to painting. Don’t forget you can always use some stencils to provide a bit of personality to it!




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