Checking for Damage Before Remodeling Bathroom

It’s no secret that the most expensive place in the house to remodel is the bathroom.  This is especially true when the bathroom remodel includes damage.  Bathrooms are typically small, humid and the plumbing can create infrastructure problems; especially in older homes.  The real downside in a bathroom remodel is when you have no idea the problem exists until you’ve already hired the contractors.  When considering a bathroom remodel, you need to know what to expect.

First, don’t cover anything up.  A lot of the time, people will cover up damaged tile with acrylic paneling.  Most of the time the issue they’re covering up is water and humidity damage.  Covering this up only creating more problems as its now the perfect place to foster mold growth.  Mold does best in a warm, dark place.  Covering damaged tile will only give mold the perfect place to thrive.  It will create even more problems in a bathroom remodel later if this isn’t handled.  Older bathrooms have carpet a lot of the time, this is also a great place for mold.  Knowing about it beforehand will definitely keep you budget down for a bathroom remodel.  Another problem in older bathrooms is the drywall.  Drywall just cannot deal with the humidity and moisture in a bathroom, removing it and replacing it is the only feasible option.

Once you start removing all the fixtures in the room for your bathroom remodel, this is really the time you’ll find out how many problems there are.  Removing the bathtub will often reveal damage to the wall and floor around and behind it.  If you decide to do all the demolition work yourself, be sure to call in a mold expert before you actually get started on the bathroom remodel.    The floor beneath the tub can often be warped or damaged.  If there is damage, check the room beneath the bathroom to check the state of the damage.   This is also a time to call in an expert before the bathroom remodel.  If there’s problems with the underlying joists or floor beams, that will need to be fixed.

Many older homes have old fixtures that can present problems in a bathroom remodel.  If the fixtures haven’t been updated in the last 20 years or so, there will likely be plumbing issues.  Lead pipe may need to be replaced to bring the bathroom up to code.  If the bathroom has cast iron plumbing this can be very expensive to repair or tie into during the bathroom remodel.

These are the most common problems you can encounter before a bathroom remodel.  Being aware of it and handling a lot of the repair work before the remodeling work begins will save you money in the long run.  If you know what to expect and how to properly fix it, you can make your bathroom remodel very affordable and easy to deal with.  Don’t cut any corners on fixing the damage and you’ll have an end result you are thrilled about for years to come.