Bathroom beauty

Upgrading your bathroom is an important step to take when you consider renovating your house to a higher standard. Given these times, you are in a great position to make some upgrades to add value to your home while the market is quiet.

Heres a How To guide to help you beautify your bathroom:

Tapware

A change in tapware can make a massive improvement, not just in style, but also in performance. In contrast to the kitchen, your bathroom offers far more opportunities to get adventurous with tapware - in the vanity, the bath and the shower.

Single mixer taps on your vanity are a great way of improving performance. No longer do you have to worry about the hot getting too hot when washing your hands! However, you need to make sure you have a vanity that is able to cater for a single mixer tap. If youre planning on a straight swap from two taps to a single mixer, youll be left with an extra hole in your vanity and will need to add a new top. In your bath, you also have the option of swapping from two taps to a single mixer but, once again, youll need to look at what options you have available here. If the taps sprout from the edge of your bath, youll need to replace the bath. If they come out from the wall, a bit of creative work by a plumber will be able to rectify the situation.

Bathroom upgrade .

A second option in your bath is to have the spout at one end, with a mixer handle mounted on the wall alongside the bath so you can adjust it as you are laying back enjoying your soak. If you do like this as an option, you will again require the service of a plumber may need building consent to move the plumbing fixtures. Check with your local council or authority if you are concerned about this.

Finally, the shower is an area where many of us spend a lot of time. This is one bathroom zone where a tap/ shower head upgrade is a real boon! Dispose of that aging shower head and install something with more style, panache and performance - something that will allow you to stand under the shower and relax rather than searching for that pitiful dribble. Your options here are numerous, with showerheads that do everything from sprinkle water right through to misting, pulsing and even massaging.

The addition of a sliding, removable shower head also allows it to be adjusted for all heights as well as being easier to give yourself a full body rinse. Make sure you have one thats right for your water system, depending on whether you are on mains pressure or not. Talk to a staff member at Mitre 10 to make sure youve got one thats right for you.

Vanity

The installation of a new vanity can greatly lift the style of your bathroom, as well as offering further advantages such as increased storage. Although not a major renovation job, you will need to ensure you have the necessary skills - and perhaps access to a tradesperson. You will have to remove your old vanity and then either patch what needs repairing or install the new unit over the removal zone.

Youll also need to be able to install new tapware as well as disconnecting and reconnecting the drain. In most cases, youre unlikely to get away with a straight swap and there will be some remedial pipe work needed to get the job done right. When considering vanities, look at what you need. There are units to suit almost every style and budget. Some are freestanding on legs, while some run right to the floor. Some have moulded acrylic tops, while others have more exotic options such as glass sinks along with all sorts of finishing choices.

Stas

Shower and bath

If youre looking at a more involved upgrade, your shower and bath are two vital components. They are likely to have a huge impact on the appearance and performance of your bathroom, so keep in mind that this is quite a major renovation project. Make sure you have the time, money and access to the required skills to get it done right.

Like vanities, there are all types of baths and showers available. Baths can be installed as standard or designed as corner baths; some with spa bath functions, so you can lie back and enjoy the bubbles. They even come in different depths, with large, deep baths available for those with more luxurious taste. Showers have even more varieties available, from curved corner showers to standalone glass - walled models. Alternatively, tiled wet areas can be built in as part of the bathroom construction. It all depends on taste, budget and functionality, but you can certainly find what you need in the Mitre 10 bathroom department.

Ventilation

Heat and steam is a natural by - product of hot water in a bathroom and it can play havoc with the paintwork and finish, not to mention the extreme annoyance of trying to use a mirror when its misted over.
There are two ways of getting around this - either preventing the steam occurring in the first place, or drawing it out of your bathroom and expelling it externally.

Preventing the steam occurring can be achieved by having a dome fitted to the top of your shower. This works by preventing the hot, moist air in the shower mixing with cold air outside - which causes the steam - and really does do an outstanding job.

The second option is by installing something like an Aerlite extraction fan or combination fan/light/heat unit. These will need a hole cut in the ceiling and then vented to the outside of the house, usually through the soffit. It will also need to be wired in by a registered electrician, but the benefits are huge. The fan unit will draw the steam off, keeping your bathroom clear and moisture - free, while the combination unit is fitted with a light bulb as well as heat bulbs. Theres little that can beat climbing out of the shower and standing under a heat lamp as you get dry. Bliss!

Flooring

Because of the environment, you can be a little limited when it comes to your choice of flooring for a bathroom. Carpet will quickly deteriorate, while laminated timber flooring can suffer quickly by soaking up the moisture and bulging or bowing.

Unless you are going for a polished concrete floor, you are really only left with two options - tiles or vinyl. Tiles used to be the more pricey option but they have come down vastly in price, making them an alternative even for those on a tight budget. They come in a huge range of sizes, colours and finishes and can be used as something understatedly or as a bold feature. They can also be installed by a competent DIYer, as long as he or she is prepared to complete the necessary preparation work first.

A further advantage is that tiles can be used throughout the bathroom - not just on the floor. Consider also putting a single course of tiles around the room at the base of the wall, tiling halfway up the wall to create a feature, or, if you are feeling like a real change, tiling the full height of the wall to give a really bold and luxurious appearance.

Vinyl, on the other hand, requires a tradesperson to install but it can provide further design options. Vinyl is available in all sorts of finishes from faux tiles through to a timber floor design or one of a vast range of patterns and colours to suit your bathrooms decor.

Accessories

The finishing touches to your bathroom upgrade can really put the icing on the job. Fitting shelves inside your shower, matching soap dispensers, toothbrush holders and colour coordinated towels and flannels can complete the job. Other items, such as heated towel rails can also be beneficial to your bathroom in terms of comfort and at a small cost to your power bill.
If youre planning a decent bathroom upgrade, add a little more to your budget and keep it to one side so at the end you can finish off the job properly and add a touch of luxury to a room that deserves it.