[N/A] Remodeling Suggestions and Advice

ARFlyer

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So my home bathrooms are circa 1982 and starting to show their age. Additionally, the guest bathroom is large enough to play a round of squash while the master is like being on a cruise ship. Plus now that my girlfriend is possibly moving in necessitates a remodel.

My preliminary plan is to completely gut both bathrooms and move the shared wall to resize the rooms. I would like a walk in shower in both along with a whirlpool tub in the master. However, I’m having a hard time making everything fit and not look like a can of biscuits waiting to explode.

I’m currently in the bidding process and I’m wishing I could blackmail @timwinters into contracting it...:D

So I attached my rough bathroom floor plan below. Let me know what y’all think and if you have any other advice.

The total size is about 13.5’ x 10.3’ +/- a few inches. The grid paper squares represent 4”.
 

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Looks like a decent use of space to me. Are you moving any 1) drains (toilet, sink, shower/tub), 2) water supply lines? Is it a slab floor? If you're tearing up the slab anyway, move whatever around. If not, you're stuck with floor drains being where they are. Water supply lines can be routed through walls though sometimes the slab is better if you're tearing it up anyway.
 
Top one: Open the door the other way - extend the vanity to the right, and put in a double sink.
 
Top one: Open the door the other way - extend the vanity to the right, and put in a double sink.

Yes. If you can reverse the door swing that's a good idea.
 
How is the hot water supply? If you want a 20+minute hot shower, does your existing system support that?

And don’t forget a system that gives you all the pressure you want, but still keeps the consumption rate low.
 
Looks like a decent use of space to me. Are you moving any 1) drains (toilet, sink, shower/tub), 2) water supply lines? Is it a slab floor? If you're tearing up the slab anyway, move whatever around. If not, you're stuck with floor drains being where they are. Water supply lines can be routed through walls though sometimes the slab is better if you're tearing it up anyway.

Most of the pluming will need relocation. The room sits above a 6’ crawl space as the house is built on a slope.

Top one: Open the door the other way - extend the vanity to the right, and put in a double sink.

I like that idea.

And give a little more room for the throne. I hate a cramped throne.

True. The plans currently show the absolute minimum distance required by code.
 
And give a little more room for the throne. I hate a cramped throne.
And consider the Japanese functions, just in case, you know, there is another run on toilet paper.
 
How is the hot water supply? If you want a 20+minute hot shower, does your existing system support that?

And don’t forget a system that gives you all the pressure you want, but still keeps the consumption rate low.

The hot water tank for the bedroom side of the house is original 1982. It’s only held together by some miracle of quality craftsmanship and stagnate use for 25 years.

The house was left abandoned by my family for about 25 years as my great aunt and uncle passed away before they could move in. Then it’s had light use as a guest house for family.
 
I would reconsider the whirlpool tub. Keeping the whirlpool plumbing clean is a real hassle if anyone ever uses soap or bath oil in it. It's also too shallow to make for a satisfying soak.

If you want a whirlpool experience get a standalone one and put it outside, or join a facility that has one.
 
It will cost 50% more and take 2x as long as your budget/schedule. Always.
 
A couple points from when we remodeled a number of rooms in our house 24 years ago...

As suggested above, put in dual sinks in the master bath. We did and I've been grateful ever since.

A pocket door works well. Part of our remodel was removing a non-load bearing wall between the kitchen and what was the breakfast room. It had a pocket door that was the best operating pocket door I had ever seen. It is now the door to the toilet in the master bathroom. The house was originally built in 1972 and that door continues to work great to this day.

Make sure that whoever does the shower does a good job sealing the pan. We had to have ours re-built several years ago due to leakage. It wasn't a simple tear out and replace job when it was fixed.

Have fun and have a bigger budget than you planned. As noted above, remodels always take more time and money than allocated.
 
And consider the Japanese functions, just in case, you know, there is another run on toilet paper.

That one went over my head, and is still hovering. I don’t get it, but I’m an Aggie. Oh, wait...
 
I would reconsider the whirlpool tub. Keeping the whirlpool plumbing clean is a real hassle if anyone ever uses soap or bath oil in it. It's also too shallow to make for a satisfying soak.

If you want a whirlpool experience get a standalone one and put it outside, or join a facility that has one.
I agree with this.
If I ever remodel, I might follow the Japanese tradition where you clean yourself with handheld shower and small bucket, then use the large tub for the long relaxing onsen style soak.
 
That one went over my head, and is still hovering. I don’t get it, but I’m an Aggie. Oh, wait...
Yeah us Aggies are a unique bunch. Back when word processing was replacing typing, I was a underclassman at A&M and thought it was the beat thing for typing up my reports and essays. At least until the screen was no longer useable because it was covered in White Out.

Back to the toilet suggestion. Maybe this helps

 
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