Tile and fixtures offer a plethora of options when it is time to update your bath, but make sure you are not just following trends but the advice of a qualified professional. Failing to do so can cost you dearly.
Places like The Tile Shop can provide the perfect visuals to wrap your project in all the trending styles, but first, we need to discuss what’s going on underneath.
“The shower system is very technical, and it can cause a lot of damage if not built properly,” says Rob Black, the Owner of Conroe Bath Pro, a local contractor. “People make a big mistake when they are shopping by price. A cheap shower that leaks is far more expensive than a properly built one.”
You don’t want to go through the expense and inconvenience of a remodel just to have a leak in three to five years and have to do it again. According to Black, “If you can see the edges of your tile or you don’t have caulk on all corners, then you don’t have a quality shower. If you keep getting mildew in the corners then water is leaking behind the tile. It may be leaking into the walls.”
So before you get ahead of yourself choosing the pretty wrapping, first make sure you choose a quality contractor and make sure a warranty comes with the products and workmanship. This is true even if you are building new. Black says, “If you are building a house, insist on a name-brand name shower system or even select the contractor to install the shower and tile throughout the house."
“What is behind the tile, is far more important than the tile itself. The most expensive shower is the one that leaks and has to be rebuilt, which happens way too often. If your contractor isn’t using shower systems from Schluter, Laticrete, Wedi, or HydroBlok, then you don’t have a warranty,” says Black. ”These manufacturers provide up to a lifetime warranty against leaks, and they take much less time to install, which offsets the higher material costs. Unfortunately, most contractors and almost all of the builders are installing cement backer boards and not sealing them properly. Look for contractors who are members of the National Tile Contractors Association and look at their Google Reviews.”
Once you’ve done that, it's time for the fun stuff. Here are some of the trends in bathroom remodels.
Black says, “The trend in bathrooms is larger tile with fewer grout lines. Porcelain tile looks just like high-end stone and comes in common sizes of 24” x 48", yet the cost per square foot is the same as smaller tiles. These larger tiles make it easier to clean and maintain the shower. Porcelain is completely waterproof, unlike natural stone, and is harder than steel.”
The larger tiles require perfectly flat walls and a little more planning for the layout, so again, hiring the cheapest contractor may not save you money in the end.
To be on trend, any new shower must have large niches for storing your products. Black says another common trend is to remove the bathtub in the master bathroom and build a large walk-in shower with little or no glass to clean. It creates a larger more open feel to the space.
“We make these showers with a very low curb or even curbless so they are easier to access, and there’s often benches with sliding shower heads. This allows older clients to stay in their homes much longer, or it makes it a convenient place to wash your dog.”
If an elderly client can stay in their home rather than move to an assisted living facility for even a few more months, the savings can actually pay for the renovations. Adding heat is a luxury you might not think of at first, but you should consider it. Black says it's something that people ultimately really enjoy.
“We’ve added heated floors and benches, heated towel racks, and heated jacuzzi tubs inside the shower, making the floor waterproof and sloped to the drain. While most people can’t imagine why they would want a heated floor in Texas, the clients that have installed them rave about stepping on a warm floor in the morning.” Not to mention the heated seats for your derriere.