Don’t Skip the Plumbing When Remodeling Your Bathroom

One of the best ways to make your home more valuable, modern or even more customized to suit your style is to do a bathroom remodel.

Bathroom renovations are a popular home improvement project because they make such a significant impact on a home, and as the saying goes, along with kitchens, bathrooms are what sell homes. So if you want to make your home better or you have a dated bathroom, it’s an investment worth making.

While the after photos of a successful remodel make it look like the process is easy, the truth about bathroom remodels is they can go very wrong if they aren’t done right. Many people underestimate the amount of planning that’s going to be required and the amount and cost of work necessary to make it a good investment instead of a waste of money.

One of the most significant issues is people tend to focus only on what’s on the surface, like the tile, the cabinets, new mirrors, faucets, fixtures and paint colour. However bathrooms are not just about looks, they are mainly about the function, and if you overlook details like the structure and the plumbing, you might end up regretting the whole remodel.

Here are our reasons it’s crucial to include plumbing in your plan to switch up your bathroom.

Plumbing is a critical consideration that needs to be made in your bathroom makeover because it deals with the underlying structure of your home.

According to Fix It Right Plumbing, plumbing can be a huge determining factor in the aesthetic choices you make in your remodel. If the plumbing is overlooked, you can end up creating problems with pipes, water pressure and even the hot water supply.

Start with finding out how plumbers charge for their service then talk to a plumber who can assess your bathroom and determine the best way to attack the project.

The Importance of Structure

The layout of the bathroom that you see is determined by a system of pipes and valves not visible but critical to the structure of the home and functionality of the bathroom facilities.

If your sink, shower, tub and toilet are laid out a certain way, shifting things around won’t be as simple as moving them into new positions. Some shifts and changes have to be made below the floor level and often it means having to move the underlying pipes and structures which can be connected to other rooms in your home, and changes may be required in those areas too.

A wrongly positioned pipe can mean flooding in your foundation, moisture build-up, and other complications. Moving fixtures isn’t recommended because of the cost and the challenges it will bring to the project.

Plumbing Maintenance & Replacements

A bathroom going through a remodel is not brand new, and putting new fixtures without checking the plumbing can lead to problems down the line. With older bathrooms, there’s a chance that the pipes might have been damaged or that new pipes might be needed to replace older materials or put in a more modern plumbing system. If you skip over the plumbing, you might miss this part and put a beautiful new bathroom on top of an old but damaged system.

Waterproofing

A bathroom serves an essential function in your home, and because it’s a room that comes into contact with water and steam, waterproofing is a crucial step. This step also requires the help of a plumber to make sure everything is done right. If the waterproofing is insufficient, it makes the whole remodel useless because the moisture will ultimately damage all the expensive work and fixtures that have been put in.

When you’re doing a bathroom makeover, it’s easy to get excited about all the beautiful things that will transform it into a Pinterest-worthy room. Still, there are vital steps that we can’t skip and overlook because they have a massive impact on the outcome of the remodel and even its longevity.

Early in the process, a plumber will let you know if the renovation ideas align with the plumbing structure of the room and your home. Including plumbing in the planning of the project is a decision you won’t regret. You’ll get to add value to your home, appreciate having a new space and most importantly, not giving your wallet an unnecessary hit from a bad outcome.