A bathroom remodel is a great way to add value to your home but there are some steps that you will want to take to make sure everything goes smoothly. The first question you need to ask when doing a bathroom remodel is if you are going to take this on yourself (DIY), or are you going to hire a professional? In this post we are going to concentrate on hiring a professional and three main categories involved in the renovation process.

The Contractor

It goes without saying but the most critical part about your bathroom remodel is hiring the right contractor to complete the work. The big questions are how do you know who to hire and who to trust. There are a few simple questions you can ask. Are they licensed to work in your state?

You want to ask for a copy and if possible, verify the license number. If you live on a state line, don’t just assume that the contractor is licensed in both states.

Do they have insurance?

This should be a very simple item for a reputable contractor to show proof of. If they do not have insurance, this can be a red flag. If something happens during the remodel, you might be liable for any damages or injuries.

How Did You Hear About Them?

Word of mouth is almost always going to be the best test. Do you know anyone who they have completed a project for? How did that project go? Any surprises? Reviews can be helpful but unfortunately, we live in a day and age where reviews are easy to manipulate, both good and bad.

The Project

Once you have decided on a contractor for the bathroom remodel, you will want to work with them on expectations for how the renovation will go. These include:

Completion Date

When do they expect the project to be done. This will vary depending on how big or small a renovation you are doing. Some projects can be completed in a day. Others may take a week. An experienced professional should be able to walk you through what is involved in the project and give you a timeframe for completion. There is always a possibility for unexpected challenges to arise during the project that might be out of their control, but for the most part they should be able to provide a fairly accurate completion date. This is also a good time to ask about the livability of the home during the renovation. Will you be able to stay in the home or do you need to be out? Are you okay with 4 people coming into your home at 7am each morning and making all kinds of noise? Are there any dangers to you being in the home during construction? In general, if you are only concentrating on one bathroom and you have another one, you can stay in your home but you might want to make other arrangements. Having a good timeline can really help.

Unexpected Delays During a Bathroom Remodel

While we all want projects to go perfectly, they sometimes don’t. It is just a part of life. Asking your contractor how they handle delays can help expectations. Do they have time built into the project? Will they leave your project for another one if there are delays? Delays can be caused by both seen and unforeseen issues. If you project is scheduled the same day a category 5 hurricane is going to hit your area, there isn’t much your contractor can do and would classify as an unforeseen delay. If you are using custom made materials (tiles, vanities and so forth) there is a higher possibility that there might be delays in those materials coming in. That would classify as a foreseen delay, one that you hope goes as planned but should not be surprised if there is a delay in getting them.

Unexpected Issues During a Bathroom Remodel

This is the hardest one to plan for and it can cause both financial strain as well as adding to the timeline. During a bathroom remodel, unexpected issues are a common – especially ones that involve areas where water is present. You can never be 100% certain what you are going to find behind old tiles, tubs, vanities and so forth. Have the floor boards been compromised? Is there black mold growing? Are there any plumbing, electrical or structural issues that need to be dealt with? Using a local contractor can help you navigate common issues in your area and help to predict what they might find. Asking your contractor if they have a contingency plan for what might arise can help lessen surprises during the project.

The Materials

You now have a contractor and have gone over what to expect with the project. Something that can be overlooked are the materials that will be used. Generally, you will sit down with the contractor and/or designer to walk through all aspects of the project. You will choose tiles, countertops, faucets, a tub, paint color and so forth. Here is where you can ask questions about availability. Asking if a material will need to be custom ordered or if it is a stocked item at their supply house can reduce the chances the project will be delayed. We are not saying you should always use stocked items, just know that you might need to build in a little extra time if you are ordering custom made items. An overlooked item in bathroom renovations can be the exhaust fan and it is one of the most critical items. Too often the exhaust fan is an afterthought and, in some areas, not even installed. You are probably paying thousands of dollars for your renovation so you will want to protect it from mold, mildew, smells and other usage related issues. Too often we see contractors installing low-cost fans just to meet the requirement. No always, but it is common. Being an advocate for yourself can go a long way. It is beneficial to have a respectful conversation with your contractor to ensure the exhaust fan is large enough to handle the bathroom usage, quite enough that it will not be distracting, is energy efficient and has the functions (light, humidity sensor, heat…) that you require. Having this conversation upfront can ensure the experience is a good one. In actuality the contractor will be happy to have them with you as the last thing they want to have to do is come back because the exhaust fan of all things is not up to your standards.

Summary

Hiring the right contractor who is willing to work with you through the entire renovation process from setting a timeline to choosing materials will reduce surprises during the project and make for an enjoyable experience and a beautiful bathroom. For more information on how to choose a bathroom exhaust fan, read through Air King’s blog post on the subject. For more information about Air King bathroom exhaust fans, visit airkinglimited.com.

Maintain Your Indoor Air Quality While Cleaning Your Home

Cleaning your home is something we all do. Some of us more than others, but it is a fact of life that our homes need cleaning. In general, cleaning and indoor air quality do not go together. The chemicals, scents and additives in many cleaning products are not conducive to good indoor air quality. Yes, your room might smell like lemons and flowers, but that typically comes with off gassing and other particulates being added to your air. There is hope however and we will take a look at what can be done to eliminate or at least lessen the negative effects of cleaning your home. Sorry, you will still need to clean, but let’s do it with less negative impact on your indoor air quality.

Use Natural Cleaners

There are a lot of cleaners on the market that claim to be natural. When we refer to natural cleaners, we are looking for ones that do not have dyes or perfumes added. That is generally where the “bad” stuff is located. There are three challenges to natural cleaners however. First, they are generally more and sometimes significantly more expensive than traditional cleaners. This can cause many people to move towards more traditional cleaners. Second, many just don’t clean or disinfect as well as traditional cleaners. Third, it is hard to determine which ones are actually natural. It seems like everyone says their products are all natural, yet when you look into it, you see a whole list of additives or you find out that what makes it a “green’ cleaner is they put it in a recycled bottle.

Ventilate While You Clean

One of the best strategies you can have no matter what type of cleaners you are using is to ventilate as you clean. Most homes will have at least one exhaust fan (bathroom exhaust fan or kitchen range hood). Utilizing an exhaust fan as you clean will help to remove the particulates being released into the air. Going room by room, here is how that would look:

Bathroom

Turn on the exhaust fan and leave it running for about 30 minutes after you are done cleaning. That will help to remove the initial release of chemicals during cleaning and any residuals after. If you don’t have an exhaust fan in the bathroom, open a window if the weather allows.

Kitchen

If your range hood vents to the outdoors, turn it on. As with the bathroom, this will remove the initial and residual release of chemicals. If you do not have a range hood that exhausts to the outside (many just recirculate the air back into the kitchen), open a window or door if possible. Something to keep in mind is the range hood can be very effective for removing particulates from cleaning the range, but also the floors, counters and other areas of the kitchen. We can sometimes think the range hood is only for the cooking surface, but it is also very effective for the other areas of the kitchen as well.

Laundry Room

This is a tougher one as many laundry rooms do not have ventilation fans in them. While we recommend that one be installed, we also understand that the costs and logistics of doing so, might be a deterrent. If an exhaust fan is not possible, opening a door or window if possible will help.

Other areas of the home

Many of us think, laundry room, bathroom and kitchen in terms of cleaning, but the rest of the home needs cleaning as well. That might be using a hardwood or tile cleaner on the floors, shampoo on the carpet, furniture polish and so forth. All of these can give off particulates. Opening a window or door if possible is a good first step, but have you considered the exhaust fans? Generally, these areas are in close proximity to an exhaust fan. Think about turning your range hood on when you are cleaning the living room right next to the kitchen. Turning the exhaust fan in the powder room on when you are cleaning the hallway. What about the exhaust fan in the master bathroom while you are cleaning the bedroom? The goal is to get the bad stuff out of the house and using exhaust fans is a very effective way to do so.

BONUS NOTE: Some will say to utilize a portable fan like a box fan while you are cleaning. While this would be effective to remove the particulates from the room, the issue is where are they going? If you are able to put the fan in the window and have it blow outside, that is very effective as you basically just created a very large exhaust fan. Even if you have the outside air coming in, you are at least diluting the particulates and making the air better to breath. The trouble comes when you are just pushing the particulates to other rooms of the home. Now instead of negatively affecting the indoor air quality of just one room, you are contaminating multiple rooms. Fans can be affective, just keep in mind where the air is moving and are you providing a way for the air to exit the dwelling.

The goal of this post is to get you thinking about what you can do (small or large) to better your indoor air quality while cleaning your home. Some of the items are very simple, some more involved. Ask yourself, what can you commit to do to make sure the air you are breathing is the best it can be. For more information about exhaust fans and range hoods, visit airkinglimited.com.