Deciding to do a kitchen or bathroom remodel at your home can be very exciting. In fact, your head is likely spinning with all the different design possibilities. However, there are a few key things you want to take into consideration to ensure that your remodel goes smoothly.
Know Your Current Plumbing Layout
Before you rush into planning what your new layout will be, it’s extremely helpful to start with an existing layout. It’s ideal to have an in-depth map of the locations of your pipes, fixtures, and drain lines. This can do wonders for helping with the planning process as you can identify any potential obstacles that you may have and make better-informed decisions about how to effectively change the layout without running into extensive reconfiguration issues.
Talk With Plumbing Professionals
In the world of DIY, many homeowners find motivation to try and do projects on their own. While this can be beneficial for saving a couple of bucks on a smaller project and learning along the way, it’s not typically a great idea on larger projects like remodeling. A professional will have a plan in place as well as multiple design options. This can help you navigate the process much easier and ensure that your project stays within your budget and within your timeline.
Code Requirements
When it comes to remodeling, there are different plumbing codes and regulations that you need to follow. This is where having a professional doing the work for you makes a world of difference. They can take care of submitting blueprints, filing for permits, and taking care of code inspections. It’s never a good idea to ignore plumbing codes as you could find yourself having to rip everything out that you just put in because it doesn’t meet current code standards.
Keep Functionality in Mind
When designing any sort of layout for your kitchen or bathroom remodeling project, you need to keep functionality in mind. It can be helpful to think about the current design that you’re using and identify any areas where you’re backtracking or just dealing with blatant inefficiency during use. For example, it can be helpful to have your kitchen sink in a location that’s right near your dishwasher and countertop where you’re going to be using it the most.
Decide What Appliances You Want
Specifically, when you’re designing your new kitchen, it’s important to be mindful of which appliances are going to need water lines. If you plan on having a fridge with an automatic ice maker or a water dispenser, then it’s going to need a water supply line. The same holds for your dishwasher. Appliances should be put in a location where you can easily run these water lines based on your existing plumbing layout.
Pipe Upgrades
Whenever you’re going through an extensive remodeling process, you’re going to have a lot of the walls open to expose your plumbing. This makes it the ideal time to update any outdated plumbing to prevent having to reopen your walls again in the future. A professional should be able to assess the state of your current plumbing lines and let you know if upgrading is the right choice. While it will cost you more now to upgrade all your lines, the process is going to be cheaper than if you were to have it done after all your walls are closed back up.
Consider Ventilation Needs
Unfortunately, in some older homes’ ventilation wasn’t the utmost concern for bathrooms and kitchens. As part of your remodeling process, you want to ensure that you’re considering ventilation needs like exhaust fans to help get rid of excess moisture. This will go a long way in preventing mold and mildew growth to ensure the longevity of your new bathroom or kitchen.
Make Future Maintenance a Breeze
When designing your new layout, it’s imperative to keep your future maintenance needs at the back of your mind. Having easy access to things like shut-off valves, service points, and clean-outs can make maintaining your system so much easier. You don’t want to find out later down the road that you forgot to put in an access panel and must cut into your drywall to get to your valves or drain.
Be Mindful of Sink Design
One of the biggest focal points of any kitchen is its sink. Apart from being the focal point, it’s also one of the most heavily used fixtures in your kitchen. It’s vital to consider the sink’s configuration, depth, and overall size. For example, undermount sinks tend to be extremely functional when it comes to countertop cleanup, and they provide more of a sleek, modern appearance.
Consider Faucet Features
Faucets have come a long way over the recent decades. Many faucets come with an abundance of features to make use more convenient. Some of these include things like pull-down and pull-up sprayers for more convenient food clean-up, touch-sense designs, and so much more. Apart from these convenience features, there’s also a ton of different designs and styles for you to choose from. It’s always helpful to take the style and color of all your fixtures into account when remodeling.
Consider a Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals can be extremely convenient features that can help you deal with excess food waste. When deciding on fixtures for your new kitchen, you’ll want to consider having a garbage disposal put in your main kitchen sink. It’s vital to make this decision ahead of time as your plumbing and electrical will need to be altered to accommodate the new fixture.
Water Efficiency
One factor you never want to overlook during your kitchen or bathroom remodeling project is water-efficient fixtures and appliances. By investing in these items that use less water, you can essentially reduce your water bills going into the future. Some examples of water-efficient items include low-flow shower heads, low-flow toilets, and touchless faucets.
Consider Water Heater Demands
Regardless of whether you have a tank or tankless water heater, it will have a limited capacity. With a tank water heater, this capacity will be in gallons. With a tankless water heater, its capacity will be noted in gallons per minute. Whenever you decide to do renovations to any wet room in your home, it’s important to consider any additional demands you’ll be placing on your water heater.
For example, if you’re upgrading a half bath to a full bathroom, you introduce the idea of being able to run multiple showers at once. Or if you add a dishwasher to your kitchen, you can up your water demand. It’s vital to ensure that you’re upgrading your water heater to handle whatever new demand you’re placing on it. Otherwise, you may run out of hot water or deal with lukewarm water.
Reliable Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Service
Bamboo Plumbing offers reliable kitchen and bathroom remodeling services in Hollywood, FL. We can also assist with all your drain, water heater, and plumbing needs. Simply call us today to schedule your next service consultation.
