Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We're in the early stages of planning a bathroom remodel.
The current master bath was re-done in the mid-late 90's. The style is dated...but not obnoxiously so. At the time it would have been considered conservative.
At that time, the owners used very good quality materials and fixtures, and the workmanship is excellent.
So good in fact that IMHO, in this age of (not so) cheap junk from China, I actually wonder about gutting the room and replacing with expensive but not nearly so good quality versus making some careful re-use decisions. We are happy with the overall layout of the room, very much so.
For instance there's a border course of tile on the walls in mauve and aqua that could be easily removed and replaced with something current (the rest of the tile is neutral).
The existing custom vanity could easily be refinished and a new top popped on. The existing sink vessels are fantastic.
I'd love to re-use some of the fixtures.
has anyone made these sorts of tradeoffs and learned anything instructive?
The current master bath was re-done in the mid-late 90's.
At that time, the owners used very good quality materials and fixtures, and the workmanship is excellent.
So good in fact that IMHO, in this age of (not so) cheap junk from China, I actually wonder about gutting the room and replacing with expensive but not nearly so good quality versus making some careful re-use decisions.
The style is dated...but not obnoxiously so. At the time it would have been considered conservative.
My sister's house is much older. Her bathroom had an original claw foot bathtub and pedestal sink in perfect condition. She chose to keep the fixtures because they were beautiful and better quality than anything she could buy today. She had the entire bathroom retiled with period size tile in modern colors. It's outstanding. A gutted renovation wouldn't have been as nice.
If it is in good condition and you are happy with what it can look like, by all means reuse it. If you are thinking of replacing it simply because it is nearing 20 years old, I can save you some time. Just send your extra money to me.
In our case we gutted the whole room with the exception of the toilet and then we tiled the floor, installed new cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, window treatment and added a large mirror on the wall over the sink area to add depth. Then we painted what was left.
That's the builder quality stuff you get from Home Depot. Go to a kitchen and bath supplier, and you'll see all the high-end stuff you want. And it will cost.
> has anyone made these sorts of tradeoffs and learned anything instructive?
One important disadvantage of the old stuff (toilets especially) is high water consumption.
We found the new toilets are higer water users, you have to flush them twice for efficiency.
I used to think that too about the new toilet that I put in my bathroom remodel. My sister finally pointed out to me that new toilets are 'two-stage'. For "number one" a simple activation of the toilet handle was sufficient. For "number two" you must hold the toilet handle down in order to achieve a full-force flush. You'll know when to let go either by visual inspection or, if the lid is down, by when the sound of the flush changes.
I just did a full remodel and the only things from China are the countertop (engineered stone) and the blinds. Tile is from Spain and Italy, shower receiver USA, shower doors USA, vanity and cabinet USA (the hardware is I think a German brand, made in Spain), toilet USA, faucet/shower trim USA.
But if you like the layout, and the floor tile, and the fixtures, it seems like a full gut remodel would be overdoing it. I pretty much hated everything. (some original 1960, modified in bad ways -- like painting tiles-- by the previous owner, and a 1980s builder-grade 30" vanity, with painted tile stuck on it, replacing the original 36" guessing from the plumbing location. Also some stupid plumbing mods in the shower, added spray heads that didn't work and collected mold)
What is it you want to replace, besides the vanity top and border tiles?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
