Archive for the ‘Bathroom Rehab’ Category

What To Do If You Find Mold When Remodeling Your Bathroom

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Each year, thousands of homeowners make the decision to have their bathrooms remodeled.  Many of those homeowners enjoy doing their remodeling, but there are others who feel as if they opened up a can of worms. Those homeowners are likely the unlucky bunch who found mold in their bathroom.  If you were remodeling your bathroom and you find mold, do you know what to do?  Unfortunately, a large number of individuals would not.


Before you familiarize yourself with what you should do if you find mold in your bathroom, it is important to examine what mold is. Mold is scientifically described as being a microscopic fungus.  This fungus not only looks unattractive, but it can be dangerous.  While some types of mold are considered relatively harmless, there are other types of mold that are considered toxic.  Unfortunately, due to the moisture that can be found inside most bathrooms, black, toxic mold can be found in thousands of bathrooms in the United States.  If you start to remodel your bathroom and you find mold under your toilet or even under you floor tiles, there is a good chance that you may have black mold on your hands.


As previously mentioned, black mold is often defined as being a toxic mold. This is because it is one of the most dangerous types of all molds.  In addition to having respiratory problems, you may develop headaches, skin rashes, fevers, and other flu-like symptoms.  Although your first impulse may be to remove the mold yourself, you may want to rethink your decision to do so.  When mold is improperly removed, mold spores can spread throughout the rest of your home. That is why it may be good to call upon a professional.  That professional will likely be a mold removal specialist or an air quality control specialist. 


Although it can be quite expensive to have your mold tested and removed, you will want to do so.  If your mold is not taken care of, professionally, it can begin to spread and even move into other parts of your home. Once you have had all of your mold removed from your bathroom, no matter what type of mold it is, you will want to take steps to prevent another mold outbreak from occurring in the future. You can easily do this by incorporating a few extra projects into your bathroom remodeling plan.  It may be a good idea to make sure that your bathroom has a fan installed in it. 


If you do not already have a bathroom fan installed in your bathroom, you will want to get one right away. It has been noted that working bathroom fans help to eliminate the moisture that mold, particularly black mold, thrives off of. No matter what type of bathroom fan you would like to purchase, whether it be a traditional bathroom fan or a decorative one, you should be able to find whatever you are looking for online or at one of your local home improvement stores.


Regardless of where you purchase a bathroom fan from, you are advised to purchase one, even if you don’t already have a mold problem.  Bathroom remodeling projects, even relatively small projects, can get quite costly. For that reasons, you will want to make sure that you do everything to protect your newly remodeled bathroom from being attacked by mold 

Increase You Home Value With Bathroom Improvements

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

Today’s bathrooms are wonderful. Showers that “rain” on you, warm air hydrotherapy bathtubs, sinks that look like water worn boulders. You can pamper yourself now and smile on your way to the bank when you sell because homes with good kitchens and bathrooms are in demand. The only caveat is don’t make it so grand that it’s above your neighborhood’s standards. It’s hard to get your money out when yours is the most expensive house in the neighborhood.


Explore and Plan


The scope and style of your bath update needs to fit the style and price range of your home and your family, and you’ll face space constraints. One way to approach the project is to canvass various places that sell bathroom fixtures, see what you like, comparison shop, and then see if there’s an outlet for your price range with a good design staff to help you on a “freebie” basis if you buy from them.


Lowe’s and Home Depot are useful if you are very price conscious. They carry brands we’re all familiar with. It can be fun to explore some of the avant-garde fixtures in some of the high end outlets, and then see if something similar can be achieved for less. And if the budget (and the neighborhood) can take it, go for a truly luxurious spa of a bath.


Simplicity is prized today. I think it may be because life tends to be so rushed and complicated. Simplicity does not mean boring. Far from it. The simple can pamper and provide great visual appeal.


Put together a plan within your budget and you are on your way. Improved bathrooms can actually add tens of thousands of dollars in equity to your home.