Tips & Tricks for Remodeling Your Bathroom

A bathroom remodel requires careful planning and mapping out your strategy ahead of time. As you plan, you’ll see you can cut corners in some areas and go all out in others. One way to add value and pizzazz to a bathroom is by using stone countertops in a place of linoleum countertops and vanities.

Here are some tips, tricks and tactics for your remodel, and some advice on choosing stone countertops.

Bathroom Remodel Strategy

Before you pull up the floor or tile, have your plan ready for what you will do and stick to it. If you feel you are lacking in planning ability, it may be better to hire a consultant, such as an interior designer or contractor. Even though it’s an added expense, it can save you money on wasted materials and time.

Some tips for bathroom remodels include:

1. Rip up the underlayment when you pull up bathroom tile or flooring. It’s easier and relatively inexpensive to put new plywood underlayment in.
2. Instead of doing the entire bathroom in expensive mosaic or ceramic tile, just buy a few sheets for accents.
3. Use a curved shower rod to add space in the shower.
4. Select softer neutral colors for surfaces and fixtures (keep those future buyers in mind), but then go wild with the shower curtain, towels, throw rugs, wall colors and other accents.

Why Stone Countertops?

Choosing stone for your bathroom countertop has a number of advantages. Besides its natural, organic beauty, it’s durable, heat resistant and easy to maintain once it’s sealed. Many colors and textures are available. It’s not inexpensive, and – better yet – it can add value to your remodel.

Elegant marble is available in whites, pinks, blues, black and brown. More expensive than other stone, it stains easily if not treated and maintained with a penetrating silicone sealer.

Soapstone, most often found in gray, resists heat well but is relatively soft. Nevertheless, it does not stain easily, and it requires little maintenance other than occasional applications of mineral oil.

Granite’s shimmering crystals of mica, feldspar and quartz contribute to its distinctive beauty and appeal. Granite is also extremely durable, is bacteria resistant, and, if properly sealed, is stain resistant. It’s also hard to scratch. It’s a higher end material, but worth the cost.

Other stone materials often used for countertops include stone like sandstone, limestone and slate.

For more on using stone countertops in a bathroom remodel, contact Arch City Granite & Marble Inc. We serve Metropolitan St. Louis.