Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations

Kitchens and bathrooms are the most visible areas of your home. They can also be the most satisfying to renovate.

Think about your family’s needs. What do you want to store in these rooms?

A minor remodel might refurbish cabinet doors and hardware, upgrade countertops, add a backsplash, and repaint.

Retile

A retiled kitchen bathroom is an investment that can add value to your home. However, it is a project that will take some time and effort to complete. It is also a messy undertaking, so it’s important to be well prepared.

You’ll need to purchase tiles, adhesive and grout for your retile project. The tiles come in a range of sizes and finishes. It’s best to opt for tiles that are neutral and timeless. Trendy or vibrant tiles will look dated quickly.

Tiling experts advise tiling the floor first rather than the wall, as this will ensure that your new tiles ‘hang’ correctly over the existing tiles. It may also be wise to locate and mark up any pipes that are located within your bathroom walls before tiling.

When marking up your tiles, make sure to use a chinagraph pencil. This is a pencil that’s specially designed for marking up hard, glossy surfaces such as tiles.

Replace Cabinets

Cabinets can account for more than half of the total cost of a kitchen or bathroom remodeling job, so you should carefully consider your choices. Choose a durable, water-resistant wood for cabinets that are exposed to steam and moisture. And if you’re installing new linen cabinets, avoid less-expensive cabinet boxes framed from medium-density fiberboard; these are more susceptible to damage from water and steam.

Empty the cabinet and remove the shelves or drawers before removing the bottom panel. Using a pry bar, gently pry the bottom panel away from the wall. If the panel is nailed or glued to the wall, use a block of wood between the pry bar and the wall to protect it from further damage.

Installing new cabinets requires accurate measurements, so make sure to double-check your measurements and cut the pieces correctly. It’s also a good time to take care of shut-off valves, p-traps and plumbing supply lines for the sink and drain.

Refinish the Floor

Refinishing your floor is another way to give a bathroom a facelift. Be careful, though: this is messy and time-consuming work. Refinishing requires sanding the surface of the hardwood and then applying several coats of polyurethane. The fumes are strong, and it’s important to keep your pets out of the area and to wear socks while walking around the house.

Almost any type of cleaner used in the bathroom is acidic and can eat away at hardwood floors. This is especially a problem in old homes with leaky pipes. Also, flooding is a real risk in any bathroom, and hardwood floors can’t seal against it.

Hardwood floors can add value to a home, but it’s not always possible or practical to install them in the bathrooms. Talking to a realtor about which updates will most likely increase your home’s value can help you decide. Generally speaking, midrange kitchen upgrades fetch a higher return on investment than upper-end bathroom remodels.

Redo the Grout

Tile is one of the most durable materials there is, but the grout that holds it all together can get grotty over time. Fortunately, it doesn’t always mean you have to pull up the tiles and start from scratch.

A little scrubbing or the use of one of the grout reviver products that are on the market can often save your existing grout. If the problem is serious, however, regrouting may be the only option.

To re-groute, start by wiping the wall with a damp sponge to remove any dirt or dust. Then, using a rubber grout float, scoop up a load of the new grout mixture and smear it over the gaps, being careful to fill the joints completely. Work quickly to minimize the amount of grout that dries on the tiles themselves before you have to clean it off. Then, wipe off any excess with a sponge that’s just damp – avoid a soaking wet sponge that could damage the fresh grout.



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