Vance & Sayla's Master Bathroom Renovation

Vance and Sayla hired Andy and his HA Construction crew to update/replace the windows in their East Springfield home. Through a little bit of small talk, Sayla mentioned she’d like to redo her master bathroom someday, so Andy took a look, gave her an estimate and, ta-da… new project in the works!

Didn’t  it turn out stunning? This master bathroom has the shower that everyone dreams of, complete with dual shower heads, a rain shower head and built in seats! You might as well be bathing under a waterfall!

And how about that tile floor? Beautiful 12x24 inch tile brings all of the elements of the bathroom – the shower, the cabinetry, the fixtures – all together for a cohesive, modern look.

Carpet in the Bathroom | N-to-the-O!!

First glance, there is something seemingly odd about this house for sale in the UK with an online listing that recently went viral on the Internet. For most, the virility was tightly connected to the color choice for the entire home (that’s a whole other blog post in itself), but something that stuck out to us was the garishly long carpet in the bathroom!

Now, some are avid supporters of carpet in the bathroom, and we admit that there are some advantages to it. First, it’s cheaper than putting in heated floors – carpet feels awfully nice under your feet when you step out of the shower on a cold winter day. You’ve got us there. Not to mention the fact that tile can be slippery when wet, but carpet isn’t.

Therein lies one of the major problems, however: wet carpet. Carpet and moisture are not very good friends. In fact, their relationship is pretty damaging. Rhoda’s blog post about her carpeted bathroom on Southern Hospitality shows why; check out that second image and the bottom of the carpet. Do you see all the water rings?

And that is a particularly “best case” scenario. Most often, one can find mold growing in a carpeted bathroom because the moisture never fully dissipates.  This is not only bad for the people that live in your home, but moisture collection can cause the carpet pad and even the sub-flooring to decay.

Let’s not forget about the germs – it’s just a matter of fact. Lots of germs escape from the toilet due to flushing or, in actuality, bad aim. But, consider for a moment what would happen if your toilet overflowed. How much easier that mess would be to clean up if you had anything other than carpet on the bathroom floor. Not to mention the fact that you could be certain the floor was clean and sanitary with tile or laminate, but no matter how your tried, you couldn’t guarantee that the carpet was clean unless you ripped it out and replaced it.

According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the 2007 edition of the International Building Code states that carpet cannot be in commercial bathrooms. Now, while bathrooms in businesses clearly see more traffic than the bathroom in your home, that code is a clear indicator of how damaging a carpeted bathroom can be. While there may be some advantages, it is the opinion of HA Construction that the disadvantages far outweigh them.

There are many more affordable options for your bathroom floor – contact us and we’ll help you find the right one for you.

Bathroom Renovation: Part 4 - Choosing Tile

Second to the bathroom layout are the tile and colors you choose to decorate it. Whether you paint the walls and just tile the floor, or put tile from floor to ceiling, what you select will set the mood for your bathroom before anything else.

Types of Tile
The possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing what makes up your tile. You can stick to one style or combine several for a look that compliments you perfectly. Examine the following options to see which best fits your budget and design:

• Ceramic Tile – Has a brick type interior and backing with ceramic overlay and is the most common selection because it is versatile and budget friendly
• Homogenous – More universal selection because it’s the same color all around, in matt or polished finish
• Stone – The best options are tumbled stone and terracotta, which need to be sealed due to their soft surfaces
• Granite – Among the most durable selections, it has a higher cost and texture is a must
• Marble – Go with the sanded style for floors
• Glass – Generally done in a mosaic pattern and paired with ceramic for a retro-inspired style with a modern price tag
• Stainless Steel – New to the market, providing sleek, modern look
• Enameled Porcelain – Often has a metallic glaze and is also relatively new to the market

Bathroom Tile Color and Shape
Generally, unless you’re going for an over-the-top new design, you’ll want to stick with tile color in warm tones (earthy colors) to provide a relaxing feel to your bathroom’s atmosphere. Brown, beige and gray are all very popular and relevant color choices. Whatever you select needs to go with everything else in the bathroom – it’s easy to change paint color, curtain fabric or fixtures than it is to change the tile.

If you want to make a statement, consider adding a pop of color with glass mosaic tiles in a border around the room – maybe in blue or green. Just remember to stay close to the same color palette and, as with any room, light colors make small bathrooms look bigger (dark colors are more confining).

While, for the most part, tiles are square, you can also play with tile patterns and mosaics on floors and walls by using octagons, diamonds and rectangular shapes. It all depends on your style and budget.

Bathroom Tile Size
Most importantly in this category, however, is the size of your tile. The most common size selections are 4x4 inches, 8x8 inches and 12x12 inches. Each size has its benefits and drawbacks, depending on the size and layout of your bathroom.

If your bathroom is small, and you go with the 4x4 tiles in a small bathroom, using a grout that doesn’t match the tile color exactly, then the grout lines can be overwhelming to the eye and make the room confining. Medium to large tiles are common in all sized bathrooms. In fact, the majority of bathroom floors have 12x12 tiles, though it’s important to note that you should use 2x2 or smaller mosaic tiles in the shower floor so that they conform to the drain.

Andy of HA Construction notes that the most common trend he’s seeing in tile design today is the use of 16x16 or 20x20 sized tiles, placed in a brick or multi-dimensional slate pattern with thin grout lines.

Remember to take into account space between fixtures such as the tub, shower, toilet and cabinetry/sink. If you want to use 12x12 tiles and your toilet and sink cabinet sit only four inches apart, then big tiles are likely not the best option for providing a symmetrical flow to the room.

Cold Feet = Heated Floors
The final major consideration is the unavoidable fact that tile floors are cold, usually throughout the year. Let’s face it, no one wants to step out of a wonderfully relaxing warm bath onto cold tiles. So, if your budget allows, consider installing heated floors in your bathroom.

Under-tile heating systems come in two styles: mat rolls and cable wiring. The costs for installation vary depending on the style you choose, the size of the bathroom and the layout (i.e. whether it’s difficult to install). If you used a radiator to keep your bathroom floor warm before, heated floors are not only safer, but can save you money in operating costs, too.

The right tile for your bathroom’s functionality and design depends on your style and budget. HA Construction can provide you with several viable options to choose from so that you can find the best fit with optimal visual appeal. Just remember to choose something with texture – water and an overly smooth tile floor don’t mix very well.

Part 1: Layout Design
Part 2: Bathtubs
Part 3: Showers
Part 5: The Toilet and the Sink