Many times when people are considering remodeling a room in their Bowie home, especially a bathroom, they begin with dreams of just piecing together a couple of new things over the old. On a bathroom remodel, for example, they may want to leave the shower and toilet and simply redo the vanity and cabinetry. However, unless a home is relatively new, many contractors recommend gutting the bathroom before attempting to remodel. There are several reasons why.
Flooring
Bathroom floors are the floors in a home most likely to be structurally unsound. Wooden subflooring becomes weak when it gets wet, and bathrooms have a tendency to be the wettest room in the house. In addition, joists are often “modified” to make way for plumbing. Sometimes they have been cut into in such a way that they too are weak. In addition to sagging or bouncing, such flooring will cause new tile to crack because it cannot provide enough support.
Plumbing
By gutting the bathroom during a remodel, any plumbing issues can be quickly addressed. If there are old or corroded pipes, they can be replaced. There is nothing worse than completing a bathroom remodel only to have a corroded pipe burst just a few weeks later.
Mold
Mold does not have to be visible in order to be present. If any feature of the original bathroom was not installed properly, there is more than likely mold behind one or more walls of the bathroom. As was mentioned, bathrooms are normally pretty wet places. This makes a perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. The mold or mildew that gets noticed, usually in corners of the shower or tub, gets cleaned. The mold that is hidden behind tile or grout, however, has a chance to grow out of control.
Venting
Vent lines enable drains to drain properly. If they have not been run properly, drains will tend to stop up more frequently. If it is a line to a toilet, the toilet will often clog. These drains will also make an unnatural gurgling sound.
A bathroom remodel is the perfect time to address all of these potential issues in a bathroom in one fell swoop. If you live in the Bowie area and are considering a remodel of your bathroom, talk with a Bowie remodeling professional to see if you might benefit from a full gut of the bathroom before you begin to remodel. These are definitely issues that you will want to address before they cause problems for your brand new bathroom.
Remodel Bathroom Bowie – If you’re seeking to remodel your bathroom in Bowie, consult American Bath, Inc., the leading bathroom remodelers in Bowie. Providing professional bathroom remodeling and repair to Montgomery and Prince Georges counties since 1987, American Bath brings innovation, savings, and quality to your bathroom design. Visit us online at http://www.americanbath.net/ or call 240.821.6367 for a free estimate today.
Bathroom Remodel
