Renovation Checklist

In an effort to simplify the undertaking of having our bathrooms renovated, my wife and I developed this checklist. The list itself has many purposes, but most importantly it allows us to weed out the good contractors and quotes from the bad, as well as give us a general idea of the work that must be undertaken to complete a renovation of this type. I've decided to post it as my second blog post in the hope that it will assist someone else who is trying to do not only a bathroom renovation but any remodeling or renovation type work:

Step 1 - Demolition

Assumption: You are retrofitting an existing space, if you are simply building from scratch than this step is kind of unnecessary, although, you could substitute it for a general clearing of the space that is going to be transformed.

This step is very important and needs to be done with caution and thoroughness. Our house is an older home and there are many quirks and quarks lurking behind the walls floors and ceilings. In order to properly perform the next step, you have to know exactly what you are dealing with, the only way to achieve that goal is to remove everything.

Demolition can be one of the more rewarding parts of a projects, as it lets you release some of your pent up frustration on something that you normally wouldn't touch. For our older home, we are tearing out everything, the toilet, the shower, the sink, the counter top and cupboards, the walls, the ceiling and even the floor. When all is said and done there is a completely raw and empty space. I like to think of this as the blank canvas upon which our creative forces will be unleashed.

If you are engaging a contractor to perform the renovation for you, get someone to perform the demolition first, before the contractor tries to sell you on your new bathroom, (this might entail getting quotes for the demolition first) this way they can see what the electrical and plumbing situations are and can quote appropriately. I hate it when contractors have to go over quote / skimp on quality because of an unknown that was hiding until they could actually see it.

Step 2 - Design

Wait a second, why did we not perform the design before ripping everything out? Well, we did, sort of. We had a very general idea of what we wanted done, but having lived through a number of these remodeling efforts before we know that even the best laid plans before hand can be derailed by something structural that was unknown at the original design time.

OK - Anything can be overcome for the right amount of money, but I don't have endless sums to waste, so I prefer to see what I'm dealing with before hand and design accordingly. I used my latest demolition to see that what a contractor told me was "impossible" when the wall was still a wall, was actually quite a simple fix with the right drill bit and some basic plumbing.

Design it all, the definition of the room, the location of plumbing and electrical fixtures, the type of floor, the cabinets and vanities, the location of mirrors and paintings, the paint colour, the tiles and patterns, everything. You should create two views, one that mimics an architecture plan, basically a to-scale overhead view, and second some "artist" renderings, basically what you envision it looking like, especially if you want any fancy patterns or designs in the paint or tile work. (this can be difficult if you are like me and can't draw worth a lick, but after 3 or 4 attempts, I was at least relatively satisfied that the drawing looked something like what I want to convey to the person actually doing the work)

One of the biggest benefits of this step is at the end you have the exact measurements for everything in the room, so that you can execute the next step with much more expedience and accuracy.

Step 3 - Shopping

This step is actually persistent throughout the rest of the project. However, there is definitely an order of operations that must be accomplished here. Basically, whatever is a key detail or integral part of a particular step, needs to be purchased and delivered before that step can occur.

You can sometimes get anyway with not having the exact item at your house to proceed with Step 4, but you'll have to be slightly lucky. For example, if you don't have your bathtub delivered yet and you can use the detailed specs and measurements of the one you purchased to rough in the drains and pipes, however, if the one that is delivered isn't exactly to spec you are going to have a slight issue. Not a big one, it can be resolved but will need some manipulation from whomever is doing the install.

Step 4 - Plumbing and Electrical

Any new lighting fixtures, fans and switches, pipes and drains all should to be installed while the walls are off. This maximizes the accessibility for the person performing the work and allows for unimpeded access to the bowels of your house, which will be sealed off once the walls go up.

Step 5 - Sub-floor

Screw it, literally. No one likes a squeeky floor, and there is very little you can do about it once the finishing touches have been applied. Your sub floor should be screwed down, not nailed, and to make sure it never bothers you again you should serious consider putting in a screw at a minimum of every 4 inches.

Our kitchen floor used to make all sorts of noises and when we had it redone, the installer used an automatic screw driver (looked like a machine gun, only for screws) and put in ~4200 screws into 600sq feet. (That's about 7 screws per square foot) Needless to say, it hasn't made a peep since.

Step 6 - Tub / Shower base

Pretty straight forward, put them where they are supposed to be and hook up the plumbing to them. Could even be done before step 5 depending on your install, in our case this is the correct timing. Some tubs, don't have a floor under them, instead the rest directly on the joists, where as others, like a claw foot, should be performed even later, after step 9.

Step 7 - Walls

There are many choices for what to use as the walls in your bathroom, for the simplicity of our job we are using bathroom friendly wallboard. It is relatively cheap and mostly water / mold resistant. For this material you will need to tape and plaster the seams, sand and touch up accordingly. This is truly a art that takes practice if you are going to do it yourself. The best advice that I ever heard regarding this activity if you are going to do it yourself is to first practice in a closet. No matter how much you screw up, not many people will see it, and it is normally shielded by whatever is in the closet. Personally, this is one area that I like to hire people to do.

Step 8 - Paint

In previous jobs, I have left this step till the end, but I think it is a better fit here. The majority of the room should be painted before anything fancy goes in. That means one or two coats of primer, and then your desired colours. Don't waste your time painting areas that are going to be covered up by tiles, but make sure that everywhere that will be exposed to the world is covered with at least two coats of paints.

Step 9 - Tiles, tiles, everywhere

The floors, the backsplashes, inside the shower or tub enclosures, or even that "mop rail", like a chair rail, only 4 to 6 inches off the floor to contain water / allow for easy mopping. This step is also not difficult, but requires patience and diligence to ensure a professional look. Also, if you are installing any fancy patterns or cuts, someone who does it for a living is definitely better suited to easily perform the work.

Step 10 - Toilet, sink / vanity / faucets , and bath / shower doors or curtains.

A fancy game of connect the dots. Some basically plumbing is required to install the toilet and sink / vanity / faucets based upon the rough ins you had done earlier, and if you've tiled all around your shower / bath, you'll need a special drill bit to install any shower doors or curtain rods.

Step 11 - Finishing work

Caulk around anything where you don't want water to get into. Use a small bead and smooth it out with your finger. You can use an sharp edge to clean up any mess you make, just be careful not to scratch anything. Install your lights fixtures and put on the covers to all the sockets and switches that are in the room, clean the floor thoroughly and make sure you seal the grout (helps prevent dirt and mold form gathering). Touch up the paint as necessary (there shouldn't be much assuming you were careful in the final steps) Install any shelves, racks or mirrors that match your design layout.

Step 12 - Decorate and accessorize

Art, towels, face cloths, plants, soap dishes, furniture, hampers, whatever suits your fancy.