DIY Bathroom Remodeling Tips | This Old House

Read This Before You Redo a Bath

2No-Regret Tile Floors

Photo by Don Penny/Time Inc. Digital Studio

If you want an easy-care floor: Go for porcelain or glazed tiles, and avoid porous natural stone tiles like limestone. Unless sealed vigilantly, they'll absorb drips and spills and become stained over time.

If you want a nonslip floor: Choose tiles with textured surfaces, matte finishes, or sand-containing glazes. Another option: small tiles with lots of grout lines, which offer better "grip" than large tiles.

3The Best Caulk to Use

Go for an acrylic or hybrid formula you can remove without the use of harsh chemicals so that replacement is easier. And make sure it contains a mildewcide that offers protection for five years or longer.

4How Much Room Do You Need for a Half Bath?

Theoretically, you can fit a sink and toilet into an 11-square-foot spot and still meet national building codes. But for comfort's sake, look for an area that's 3 to 4 feet wide and 6 to 8 feet long. Check local codes for additional requirements, and be sure to check out TOH's details on dimensions and clearances.

6The Right Height for Accessories

Illustration by Eric Larsen

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how high to hang towel bars and robe hooks. Designers use the dimensions above as a starting point. Decide where to put things early on so that you can add extra blocking where needed before finishing the walls. If you can, mark potential spots with painter's tape first, then adjust for comfort.

7Make Niches for Toiletries

Unlike clunky over-the-showerhead organizers, a recessed cubby in a tub or shower surround gives shampoo and soap a permanent home and doesn't take up stall space. Size it to minimize tile cuts, and line the bottom with a leftover piece of stone or solid-surface countertop, not tile, so that you won't have to scrape away scum from grout lines. If you have kids, add an extra cubby around knee height so that they can suds up on their own.

8Get a Top-Tier Toilet

Don't settle for a wimpy flusher. Maximum Performance testing (MaP) gauges a toilet's ability to get the job done with just one push of the handle. Look for a loo with a MaP score of 500 or higher; this group includes many WaterSense-rated toilets, high-efficiency models that use as little as half of the 1.6-gallon-per-flush legal limit. Go to map-testing.com for more info.

9Sinks, Storage, and Workspace

Photo by Dominic Blackmore/IPC Images

Every sink style has its trade-offs. Go for the one that best suits your needs.

Pedestal SinkThis slim silhouette is a favorite in diminutive powder rooms and small-scale baths, but offers zero hidden storage and negligible deck space.

12Countertop Choices: A Cheat Sheet

Natural Stone

Best for: High-end baths cared for by vigilant homeowners.

Pros: Natural beauty in every slab; allows for undermount sink; polished granite is highly stain and scratch resistant.

Cons: Must be sealed regularly; porous types, such as marble and limestone, will stain and etch if spilled toiletries and cleaners aren't wiped up fast; honed surfaces can show water and oil marks.

Price: $$-$$$

15Light a Vanity Right

Illustration by Eric Larsen

Flank the mirror with fixtures placed at eye level (around 66 inches), ideally spaced 36 to 40 inches apart. Try to see fixtures in action before you buy to make sure the amount and quality of light is sufficient. If there's no room for side sconces, install a long fixture on the wall above the mirror. Don't rely on a recessed ceiling fixture (think Dracula face).

16The Best Grout to Use

Bostik's TruColor premixed grout is pricey and sets quickly, but the nonporous urethane formula resists cracks, won't stain, and needs no sealing.

About $85 for a 9-pound bucket; csnstores.com

17Wake Up to a Warm Floor

Radiant heat beneath tiles makes them toasty underfoot. But you don't need to have it throughout your house; you can simply add an electric mat to boost a bath's existing heating system. It can take as long as 45 minutes to warm up, so put it on a programmable thermostat to chase away the chill by the time your alarm clock goes off.

18Don't Run Out of Hot Water

Photo by Dave King/Getty Images

Adding a soaker tub or multi-head shower? You may need a bigger water heater. Tank-style heaters are labeled with a first hour rating (FHR), a measure of how much hot water it produces in an hour. To help determine your FHR, use the list below to calculate your family's hot-water consumption in the bath each morning. Visit the U.S. Department of Energy for more info on FHR.

Showering: 12 gallons per personBathing: 9 gallons a personShampooing hair: 4 gallons a personWashing hands and face: 4 gallons a personShaving: 2 gallons a person

19Design for Accessibility

Photo by Emeraldlight/Alamy

Handheld showers and easy-to-grip lever faucets suit people of all abilities and can be put in any time. But plan permanent features early on. Grab bars should be secured to blocking between wall studs and placed 33 to 36 inches off the floor. Other things to consider: a barrier-free shower, a wider doorway, and a lower sink height. Visit the National Kitchen and Bath Association's website for more guidelines.

22How to Get Replacement Parts for Free

If you have trouble with any part of a brand-name plumbing fixtureno matter what may have caused itcall the manufacturer's toll-free number and explain the problem. Most will rush you replacement parts at no charge.

23What Should Go Under a Tile Floor

Illustration by Eric Larsen

Don't lay tile over plywood, which can swell with moisture and break the tile bond. If you're not pouring a new floor, mortar and screw -inch backerboard over a level subfloor, then lay tile on top. Another option: Put in a DITRA flexible underlayment, which helps prevent cracks in ceramic and stone tile by evenly distributing the weight they carry.

24Pick the Proper Vent

Photo by Keller & Keller Photography

A fan is a must, but don't let it be an afterthought.

For a master bath: Splurge on an ultraquiet unit that won't wake up your mate during night trips. Make sure it has enough power for back-to-back showers, and put it on a timer so that you can let it run for 20 minutes to banish steam after you're done.

For a family or guest bath: A model with mid-range noise level and power will save you a few bucks. Or, spend a bit more for one with a humidity sensor so that you don't have to rely on kids or guests to turn it on.

For a powder room: Install a loud fan for maximum sound privacy near public areas. Opt for one with a built-in light, or wire it to a light switch so that it will turn on automatically.

25Three Ways to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing

Illustration by Eric Larsen

1. Arrange your bathroom so that there are no fixtures, and therefore no plumbing, on exterior walls.

2. Bring pipes up through the floor instead of the wall if it's a first-floor bathroom.

3. Run pipes in the wall on the interior side of the insulation. If codes allow, use flexible PEX tubing, which doesn't crack at low temps.

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DIY Bathroom Remodeling Tips | This Old House