Why Remodel
Why remodel? There are basically 3 reasons why most people remodel:
- Things just wear out and need replacing.
- Something changes in life.
- Unplanned event.
A big reason why you remodel is things just wear out and need replacing.
Homes are not built to last forever. This is especially true for the inside of the house. Consider for a moment the amount of use a typical California family of 3 puts a house through. Here are some bathroom statistics that might surprise you:
| Typical Bathroom | ||||||
| Time | Toilet Flushes | Showers / Baths Taken | Faucet Used | Light Switch (on/off) | Exhaust Fan On (minutes) | Cabinet Drawer (opened/closed) |
| 1 Month | 630 | 135 | 900 | 720 | 1,800 | 360 |
| 1 Year | 7,560 | 1,620 | 10,800 | 8,640 | 21,600 | 4,320 |
| 10 Years | 75,600 | 16,200 | 108,000 | 86,400 | 216,000 | 43,200 |
Consider further what this actually means. Take the showers / baths taken for example. Those 16,200 showers / baths required the following additional operations:
Opening and closing the shower enclosure.- Turning on, off, and adjusting the hot and cold water.
- Adjusting the shower head.
- Your weight on the shower floor and drain or on the bathtub (stress).
- The amount of water on the tiled shower walls and floor; tub walls; and flooring outside.
- The amount of moisture that gets on everything and sits on it every time you bathe (walls, ceilings, floors, cabinets, lights, mirrors, switches, etc.).
All of the above items are used every time you take a shower or bath!
Why Remodel? Something changes in life.
A growing family! Maturing children, an injury that makes using a bathtub difficult, or a shower that needs a seat to more safely and comfortably bathe. You may also experience parents moving in. Allergies and breathing difficulties from mold and mildew. There are air borne pathogens originating from the walls, ceilings, carpet, etc.
Let’s look at an example that I frequently encounter in Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, and Irvine. The family has two children, a boy, and a girl. They share a bathroom that has 1 sink. Okay, I bet you already see where this is going! When the children were much younger this arrangement was no big deal. However, as they got older and become tweens and teens, bathroom routines become all-out war. When a young girl reaches maturity, she needs both her space and privacy. She is no longer comfortable sharing an “open” bathroom with her brother as she becomes more aware of her body and the changes taking place.
Bathroom Remodeling for More Space
Remodeling the bathroom to enjoy separate sinks, drawers, and cabinet space makes a huge difference. Dedicated toiletry areas and personal care item storage is really helpful. Defined makeup and grooming places make sharing a bathroom with her brother more of a minor inconvenience. The morning battles are almost completely eliminated. The entire family breaths easier and gets along much better. Stress is greatly reduced, and mom is no longer pulling her hair out in total frustration. I have more clients reach out to me a few months after we make these changes telling me how much easier life is and how much better everyone gets along. They are so grateful and wish they had done this years earlier. For more on bathroom remodeling, see How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost and Bathroom Remodel In Orange County.
Remodel due to an Unplanned event
This almost always involves an unexpected plumbing issue, bathroom smells, water damage, or a new recent physical limitation. Let’s look at each separately.
Plumbing issue requires remodeling a bathroom
While eating breakfast downstairs it starts raining while someone is taking a shower upstairs. The other common scenario is a slab leak or other water pipe leak originating in the wall. Both of these require work. The raining in the family room is typically an old and now damaged drain or shower pan that is now leaking – prompting a bathroom remodel. The slab leak and/or wall pipe leaking offers kitchen, bathroom, and/or interior remodeling opportunities along with a full house re-pipe.
Bathroom smells
Does your bathroom have a sour, rancid, or sewer smell? Do you keep the bathroom door closed because it smells so bad? These bathroom smells are typically hydrogen sulfide from bacteria. This bacterium is found in the ground, sewage, walls, floors, and contaminated water. In high amounts, this ammonia compound can cause adverse symptoms, organ damage, or even death.
Water damage and why you remodel
Although the client has noticed some brown or tan discoloration outside the shower or bathtub on the baseboard and/or wall, it does not seem like a big deal. However, over time, that small area now looks bad. The drywall is falling off and the baseboard is coming apart. Upon further examination, it’s discovered that the shower pan has been leaking for years. The damage extends well beyond that “small area on the wall”.
Bathroom ventilation
Another frequent situation is bathrooms with no exhaust fan or the current exhaust fan is undersized for the space. A window alone is not adequate. The client has tried painting over all that black stuff on the shower ceiling, but it keeps coming back. Now the paint on the ceiling is peeling. That black stuff is typically mold and it’s spread throughout the drywall. It can also be in the framing (walls, ceiling, and floors). Paint will not cover it up or stick to it (hence the now peeling paint).
All that drywall must be removed. A new, correctly sized fan must be installed. This fan must take into consideration the size of the bathroom and how the client baths (hot and steamy or warm showers). If there is no widow, space permitting, one should be added. The best exhaust fans are those made by Panasonic. See Panasonic Exhaust Fans.
Physical limitations and remodeling
This usually is the result of planned or unplanned aging in place. Planned aging in place are clients who want to prepare for their mature years while they are still in good health. Unplanned aging in place typically occurs when getting into and out of the bathtub to take a shower is getting far too difficult, unsafe, or the client has recently been injured getting in or out of the bathtub (the injuries are usually painful and serious).
As a matter of fact, the most dangerous room in your house is your bathroom. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year about 235,000 people over age 15 visit emergency rooms because of injuries suffered in the bathroom, and almost 14 percent are hospitalized. More than a third (over 78,000) of the injuries happen while bathing or showering. About 31% of these are head injuries while about 20% are back injuries (combined that’s 51% are head and back injuries). Moreover, 64% of these injuries are sustained by women.
In these situations, the bathroom typically is reconfigured to make everything easier and safer. This can include:
- Walk-in or low threshold showers
- Larger seats
- Hand showers
- Larger shower doors
- Hand bars
- Chair height toilet with a washlet
- Automatic night light
- Taller cabinets
- Better lighting
- Easier to use fixtures.
For more on aging in place, see Aging In Place and Universal Design.
Anything Else on Why I Should Remodel?
Aside from the returns a home remodel can provide, what about how important and satisfying it is to simply enjoy your home while you are living in it? Your home is where memories are made and treasured. Kitchen remodeling can rejuvenate this centerpiece of the family living environment. Discover the features and benefits of DAD’s exclusive kitchen remodeling at Kitchen Remodeling and How Much Does It Cost To Remodel A Kitchen. Likewise, bathroom remodeling provides its own benefits, allowing the creation of a place of peace and quiet for relaxed pampering. Lastly, full home remodeling offers incredible advantages over the alternative of moving.
Always Hire a Reliable and Dependable Contractor to Remodel your Home
Always work with a trustworthy contractor like DAD’s Construction. We are experts in bathroom, kitchen, and full interior remodeling. We remodel and manage projects in an efficient manner. DAD’s Construction will do everything to minimize the possibility of change orders. Our team will make sure we have all the necessary information to prepare a proposal that meets your requirements.
Rest assured that we will provide you with a detailed, by line-item contract. We will make sure that the contents of this agreement are properly and clearly communicated to you. If you have questions or need updates regarding your project, we will always answer your inquiries.
For over 45 years, DAD’s Construction has been helping Orange County homeowners remodel and renovate their homes to better serve their needs, enhance their lifestyles, and make them fall in love with their homes all over again. With DAD’s, you get a home designed to make you happy and your project will run smoothly and be both pleasant and satisfying.
DAD’s takes special pride in the thoughtfulness, responsiveness, and innovation of our design work. DAD’s uses high quality materials, products, and craftsmanship. The personal service we provide our clients is second to none. Turning spare rooms into cozy personal spaces…adding or remodeling a bathroom or kitchen…or remodeling an entire home, gives you the space and feel you are looking for. We can turn the house you have into the home you want; a home designed and remodeled to make you happy.
