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Since our kitchen renovation is going so well, we have decided to go ahead and get the last room in the house taken care of. If you have had your master bath renovated, what are you glad that you had done, what do you wish that you had done, and what did you do that you consider a waste of money?
I know that I want a heated floor, a ceiling light, and river stone (or whatever it is called) in the shower. A friend recommended a steam shower, but I am not sure that I care about that. Another friend recommended heated towel holders and to have a specially made shower with places for shampoo, etc. Our current shower is small but it does have two seats in it.
We have a huge tub that will not be replaced, and we have two separate vanities. Not sure about how much tile to have.
My sister regrets the "river stone" in her shower. Does not clean easily and has resulted in some issues with foot / toe discomfort. Not a great product...
If you do get "niches" put in the shower PLEASE make sure that you have a pro that has experience working with the proper kind of pre-formed rough-in that work with full water proofing systems. I have seen absolute horror shows happen when people that do not know what they are doing turn the whole house into a soaking wet mold factory by screwing up a big shower. Tile Shower Shampoo Niche - Soap Dish and Shampoo Recess | Tile Your World
As to "waste of money" I generally put heated towel bars in that category. Unless you really do live in some drafty old mansion a good heated floor is a MUCH better use of your electricity. On that point, again, do not take some crazy "I don't need to read the directions" cowboy of a tile setter's word that he knows how to get such systems working, get referrals. Ideally not just from satisfied clients BUT ALSO from the manufacturer / distributor who takes time to be sure the systems they make / sell are installed by people that understand the potential for lethal electric current to create massively unsafe situation / huge product liability. Needless to say this is not a case where "no name made in randmon Asian country" is good for cutting corners. Although heated floors can be a bit of an energy hog, with judicious use of timers and proper HVAC layout the heat is not wasted / working against the A/C.
In a whole other category are steam showers -- these are not just BIG energy users but due to how they "cook down" the water even otherwise crystal clear water will result in BIG headaches as the scale builds up. Best to enjoy at a "spa" you visit on vacation and not have the expense of maintenance / utility use hanging over your enjoyment.
The biggest "thumbs up" I think most folks have for well thought out bath remodels is also an area that is CHEAP to do when the walls are opened up -- thick solid wood BLOCKING for toilet tissue dispensers, rob hooks, towel bars and "access rails" that can really be a lifesaver as you age or if someone in your household gets even a temporary injury.
Another area that is rapidly being appreciated as well worth the upgrade are the remote style fans from Panasonic and FanTech. They really are KEY to exhausting the humid air that results from massive showers and tubs in an efficient way while blocking any drafts and not being a noisy nightmare that no one wants to switch on. More costly that the common "fart fan" but worth it -- Expansion Grilles
Finally something that I am seeing more of in the nicer homes are the "designer" shower drain channels. These are really inspired by not just the LOOK but the huge volume of water that multi-head showers can flow, which otherwise can overwhelm regular sized drains and leave one's (or a couple's ...) feet soaking in a murky soup of soap, hair care products and other unmentionables (yuck...) ... California Faucets - CeraLine<sup>™</sup> Channel Drain
Last edited by chet everett; 07-13-2012 at 07:56 PM..
We like our timer switches on the bathroom fans over the shower stall and in the stool room. They can be set to turn the fans off in 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes so we can just press a button and leave.
We put in wood blocking as mentioned by the previous poster and they were ready for the installation of grab bars when it was time for a knee replacement surgery. Check out sites that list ideas for ADA bathrooms. We want to "age in place" in this home and those features don't have to look institutional at all. I appreciated the accessibility even though I was on a walker for only a couple of weeks.
Another nice thing to have is multiple light levels. We have a lower wattage ceiling fixture (so we aren't blinded when we walk in there at night), a separate switch for brighter lighting at eye level next to, and above, each vanity for "face work" and a light each in the shower stall and stool room.
Other features in our shower we liked were a second hand-held shower head reachable (both it and its controls) from the built in (heated) seat, heated floors and a niche to hold toiletries. We had granite matching the vanity counters put on the shower sill and the shower seat so I didn't have grout lines there to clean (or to imprint a grid upon the fanny).
We considered, but decided against, a steam shower and the heated towel racks and don't miss having either.
I agree on heated floors, they are a really efficient means of radiant heating. Make sure you get a flooring material that will enhance the heating effect by absorbing heat and releasing it slowly. Some flooring products have been known to generate hot and cold zones on the floor because they don't absorb and distribute the heat evenly. Some materials, soapstone is one, are very good at storing and slowly releasing heat evenly across the tile.
Heated towel bars, meh. Personally, I love hooks over towel bars. Its easier to put the towel on the hook and there is less stress on the wall fasteners. You can also hang robes and clothing on the hooks. For heated towels, use the floor. Place a basket with rolled up towels on the floor and it will pick up the heat. If you have the space and like the idea, you could even have a box made from left-over flooring material that could serve as a towel holder.
Now, if you are a family that washes your towels after each use--then you probably don't need any bars or hooks at all, just some place to dump the wet towels when you are finished. I have friends who had a laundry shoot installed which they love. A built-in hamper would be another option.
We renovated our master bath last year. Things I love are the heated floor, fairly large shower with bench, shampoo niche, shower head plus handheld on wall arm that basically becomes a second shower head with separate controls, exhaust fan on timer, different lighting on separate switches/dimmers, my absolute favorite is my new Bain ultra tub.
Good luck with your bathroom!
I will make a recommendation regarding tubs. I has the "pleasure" once of having a jetted tub once. It was great, but inexpensive and it used a piped system. I was traveling continuously for a few months on a project assignment, and when I returned home the tub was full of red bacteria. I used a number of very powerful chemicals to clean it and they would work temporarily, but the mold would always grow back pretty quickly. This is not uncommon for piped jets that are left to sit for periods of time between uses. I did a report for one of my NKBA classes where I researched bacterial loads in jetted tubs. The results would have turned your stomach. I will never use a public sauna again--apparently people get away with all sorts of bad behavior in those things.
If you buy a jetted tub, make sure you ask a lot of questions about how the water gets flushed from the system after each use and how it gets cleaned. In my research I only found one company who's design I really liked, and that was Sanijet; however, I did not build a comprehensive list, so there may be other good designs out there.
Thanks for all of the replies. We are not getting a new tub since we have a huge tub that is never used. I think we are going to keep it simple. We need two vanities since this is what we currenty have, a heated floor, more lighting, and built-ins in the shower. That probably will do it for us.
I like the heated floors, but keep in mind they take time to heat up, so you need to turn it on before you get in the shower.
For the shower floor, instead of river stones, use small 1x1 tiles to prevent slipping - don't use large tiles.
Shower niches are the cat's meow - keeps all your stuff off the shower floor. Measure your large items, like Costco shampoos, to make sure the niches are tall/wide enough. You can use glass or granite to trim off the niche shelving for a nice look.
Ditto on shower benches - love them.
I like a lot of lighting so I always add waterproofed recessed lighting in the shower.
I also love Panasonic whisper fans - they suck all the moisture out but don't sound like an airplane taking off when they are on. Pay attention to the size room they are for.
If you get glass shower doors, I would put an embargo on using bar soap. Liquid soap only. Bar soap only if it is a glycerin soap that doesn't produce any soap scum. Also pay attention to the way the doors will open and where you are going to put the towel rods. (Ask me why I tell you this . ) Get one of those OXO squeegees with a suction holder.
Have the tile contractor measure for the amount of tiles you need, if you are doing the buying. Don't forget to buy the trim pieces - the bullnose trims around the tile for the shower and tub and anywhere else.
For a nice look, use coordinating tiles - the largest for the floor, middle size for the walls, small for the shower floor, decorative pieces as you like.
I have a Kohler jetted tub and it doesn't appear to have the mold problem if I don't use it for a long time. However, one night it turned itself on in the middle of the night! Had I not been home, it would have run dry and burned up the motor and maybe the house. Kohler advised it DID come with a remote (how stupid can they get to have a remote!). So they sent the remote which they claim came with the original tub and directions on how to reprogram. So, IF you get a jet tub, be certain it does not come with any remote which can be triggered by someone's garage door opener or have your electician install some sort of cut off switch so when it is not in use, you can totally kill the power to it.
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. ) Get one of those OXO squeegees with a suction holder.
