DIY Bathroom Renovation: A Step-by-Step Guide

May 17, 2022May 26, 2022 Michael Caine

Most people begin and end their days in the bathroom, but this commonly used space is typically overlooked when contemplating home upgrades. When visitors come around, do you feel ashamed about your dated bathroom? Follow these seven stages to upgrading your bathroom, along with some DIY techniques to keep the cost down.

How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom?

According to Tony Tiling, the overall cost of a bathroom remodelling varies between €10,000 and €25,000, depending on whether the layout or plumbing locations are changed. Labor costs are projected to account for at least 20% of the average budget.

You can expect to save thousands of dollars by doing it yourself, especially when it comes to gutting the bathroom. Other bathroom renovation cost-cutting ideas include minimising the use of expensive materials like tile and refurbishing fixtures rather than buying new.

How to Make a Bathroom Renovation Plan

Choose Design Elements

Choose a design that meets your vision as well as your DIY skill set before you begin remodelling the bathroom. There are several approaches to this job, ranging from repainting and replacing the vanity to completely demolishing the room and beginning again.

Before you start your bathroom makeover, there are a few elements you must get right:

Color scheme: Do you want to go for a modern farmhouse look? Or are you seeking for something that will go with the rest of your home’s decor? To ensure that your new bathroom tiles don’t clash with your paint colour, find inspiration photographs for your concept ahead of time.
Will you replace your shower or tub with new fixtures? Are you replacing your sink? Replacing one or both of these fittings will extend the schedule and cost of your project.
Where will you put your towels and toiletries after the renovation? If you’re expanding a room by removing a closet, make sure you have shelving or cabinets to compensate for the lost storage space.
Are you familiar with where the electrical wires and plumbing lines are located? Keep these spots well marked to avoid damaging the hookups and incurring costly repairs.

Gather your resources

There are some useful equipment to have on hand for a bathroom makeover in addition to what you already have in your home repair arsenal.

Bathroom renovation tools and supplies you’ll need:

Mask of protection
Gloves
Goggles
Gun for caulking
Sealant silicone
Hammer
Measurement tape
Knife for spackle
Spackle
locator of studs
Drilling power
Pry bar
Bucket
Chisel
Wrench with adjustability
screwdriver, flathead
Hacksaw
Knife (utility)
Line with chalk
cord extension

We recommend the following optional tools:

If any water leaks when removing the toilet or another fixture, a wet-dry Shop-Vac comes in helpful.

A cordless drill allows you to move more freely while working and frees up your extension cable for other power instruments.

These tools can be rented for a small fee at most home improvement stores. You might even be able to borrow one from a helpful friend or family member.

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7 stages to renovating a bathroom

1. Remove all bathroom fixtures.

If you’re doing a partial or complete bathroom renovation, start by removing drywall and any fixtures you’ll be replacing. It’s not difficult to gut the bathroom yourself, but make sure to follow these instructions to avoid costly mistakes during the demolition phase.

Bathroom Renovation Tips:

To avoid any unpleasant spills, begin by turning off the water, draining, and removing the toilet.
Cover the tub and begin removing the bath tile down to the studs if you’re removing it. This is required in order to alter the plumbing to accommodate your new shower or tub.

Remove the insulation from your walls as needed. When working with insulation, avoid using a hammer. Instead, cut the panels out using a reciprocating saw. To avoid injury, put on a safety mask, gloves, and goggles.

Finally, take out the vanity, cabinets, mirror, flooring, and any other items that you intend to replace. When replacing tile flooring, remove the baseboards and reattach them when your new floor is installed.

Renting a container for your demolition trash will allow you to dispose of everything at once rather than driving to the dump, saving you time and money.

2. Install a new shower or bathtub

You can begin installing your new fixtures after you’ve gutted your bathroom. If your subfloor shows symptoms of rot or water damage, you should fix it before installing your new shower to avoid further damage.

When replacing a shower or tub, choose a pan or basin that complements your new design as well as the space where your present tub sits. Basins are often rectangular, square, or pentagonal in shape (one corner chopped off). When selecting a base shape, remember to consider the other characteristics of your bathroom, such as the location of the door.

If you have the space, you might even add a combination shower and bath tub. While many homeowners prefer walk-in showers, it is advised that at least one tub be kept in the house for resale value.

A DIY bathroom remodelling tip: Adding a walk-in shower to any home is a stunning, space-saving upgrade. Check out this article on how to convert a tub into a walk-in shower if you’re remodelling your bathroom and want to replace your bathtub with a shower stall.

3. Replace the Flooring

You can begin installing your new flooring after preparing your subfloor. While tile is the most popular choice for bathrooms, alternative flooring materials, such as laminate or vinyl, are less expensive and easier to work with.

If you’re going with tile, mark reference lines perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the wall with the longest continuous line with a mason’s chalk line. This will allow you to put your tiles in a straight line as you work your way around the room. More information on how to lay bathroom floor tiles may be found here.

4. Put up the drywall and start painting

The installation of your new drywall is the next phase in your bathroom renovation. Because you must trim the new drywall to fit around your shower walls, vanity, and other fixtures, this can take some time. However, once you begin nailing the boards together, you should be able to complete this task fast.

Here are some crucial DIY bathroom renovation suggestions to remember:

Cover seams and fill gaps with drywall mud and tape.
For the shower or tub wall, use cement board instead of drywall.
To protect the cement board from water damage, apply Redgard or another waterproofing membrane.

After you’ve reassembled your walls, you may begin to add colour to your bathroom. One of the simplest and most cost-effective methods to freshen things up and give your home a whole new look is to paint the walls. It’s ideal to use paint with a semi-gloss finish that’s easy to clean and mould and mildew resistant.

If you plan to retile your shower and tub area while you’re rehanging drywall and painting, now is the time to get started. Check out these helpful hints for tiling bathroom walls or installing a backsplash.

5. Install cabinets and a vanity

You can bring in the vanity, cabinets, and any other significant things left on your bathroom renovation punch list after you’ve finished with the walls.

First, put together the vanity, including the sink and faucet. After you’ve connected the drain to the faucet, you may go on to the other necessities, such as the mirror, cupboards, and shower or tub trim.

Don’t have the funds for a new vanity in your bathroom renovation? You can still save money by renovating the space. To get a brand-new look for less, refinish and paint your old bathroom cabinets and add new hardware.

6. Enhance Lighting

Configure the electrical fixtures and install your new lighting.

You’ll need to alter the wiring and possibly spackle around the existing holes in the wall if their dimensions are different from your current ones.

If your new vanity fills the area differently than your old one, this step may require repositioning the power outlets. You don’t want to be reaching down close to the toilet every day to plug in your hair dryer. This stage should be handled by an electrician, especially if you have never worked with home wiring previously.

7. Connect the Pipes

Except for one thing: the toilet, your bathroom resembles a bathroom at this point in the process. You could reinstall or replace your toilet earlier in the process, but doing it last will assist you prevent chipping it while working on other parts of the bathroom.

Do you have no idea how to replace a toilet? You may get a wonderful guide at Lowe’s.

Finish off your newly remodelled bathroom with some finishing touches.

Finally, you can start decorating by installing the trim around the room. The trim is the finishing touch on any bathroom renovation, as it adds the final touch of detail that makes the room feel finished. Personalize the space with window coverings, stylish storage containers, and wall art. Then relax in a warm bath or shower and appreciate the wonderful area you’ve created!