What makes a bathroom remodel more Austintaceous in a laid back Central Texas city like ours?  What propels a bathroom upgrade to stand alone in Austin like the proud lone star representing our beloved state?  What enhanced characteristics are shared but also contribute to all completed bathroom transformation projects making them exclusive and individual?  Personality with pride is the only way to sum up all the major characteristics adding up to create a great Austin bathroom remodel.  There is a feeling within the new bath that only the great wide open spaces of Texas suggest denying the discomfort of confinement. We all express our individuality living here in Austin.  We meld together our backgrounds and cultural differences to form a diverse but unique city with style.  Certainly style is what is needed to compliment that pride that Texans feel so strongly. 

     Just look at the different types of housing represented throughout this city and it's surrounding areas.  Smaller homes, cottages, sprawling historical townhomes surrounded by architecturally pleasing fences, rustic ranch homes, Macmansions, and sleek high rise condominiums are just a few examples of the structures that define Austin's diverse housing landscape. Economic situations along with personal preference formulates where we choose to live in a town with such diversity.

     Committing to a bathroom remodel means taking many factors into account in the planning stages.  No matter which type of the structures listed above you're dealing with,  you must lean toward making the new bathroom upgrade blend with your existing home's design existing in harmony with it's surroundings.  All efforts must be made to prevent it from appearing as a "dirt dobber" design.  Putting an ultra modern updated bath into a dated urban cottage really doesn't blend well.  The types of architecture dealt with will clash and one will override the other taking away the prospect of a blending project to your home.

     Certainly there are many bathroom upgrades available when planning a bathroom transformation.  The replacement of the tub with a new walk in shower from a custom tub to shower conversion can create a bold  look but will run you around $11,000.  There are no spending limits for bathroom remodels.   You can plan on spending around $12,000 to $15,000 for a hall bath remodel.   The price tag can approach or exceed $35,000 for a complete master suite remodel.  The type of fixtures and building components chosen along with the labor will compose the overall cost of the remodeling project. The price for a custom walk in shower will begin at around $13,000 by itself depending on the size.

     Updated Austin, Texas bathroom remodels consist of a blending of hardwoods used to create fine cabinetry, granite tops, oil rubbed bronze fixtures, faucets, and hardware accessories just to name a few.  Simply changing the bathroom cabinets can create the look of a new space. They come with matching light fixtures.  They have walk in showers with elegant frameless door enclosures and artfully framed beveled mirrors.  These bathrooms can be accented using glass blocks, glass and travertine tiles, pebbled backsplashes, and seats within the walk in shower design where shampoo niches can often be found.  Colors remain natural and vanilla but are accentuated using a light to dark contrast between the richly stained woods and the natural stone tiles. 

    Young Austin homeowners are always looking for ways to bring their existing older home's bathrooms up to date.  They can't afford a major remodel while providing for a new family.  Bathroom remodels for these smaller baths can incorporate a number of the items listed above in moderation to fit any budget.  Using beautiful ceramic tiles in an interesting design, updating plumbing fixtures, and the use of neutral colors can create a small bathroom with a "wow" factor. It is quite possible to produce a small but charmingly remodeled bath on a budget.  A project that is affordable plus the fact that it will add resale value to your home cannot be denied.  Check out all the options before committing to a plan and then stick to it.  Always hire a local and professional builder.  Remember that producing change orders because no one thought of "that" can be expensive. Create the style for your Austin bathroom remodel that best gives you that feeling of pride!

         When considering bathroom remodeling in Austin, Texas there are many things to take into account. Fine bathroom makeovers  certainly aren't as simple as they appear nor are they as easy as the big box building material store employees make it sound.  It takes years of experience to limit the pitfalls that can show up during the remodeling or construction process.  First you'll need a design that fits your lifestyle and budget.  Many people get overzealous at this point without considering the overall space in which they have to work or the budget they need to consider.  How much does a bathroom upgrade generally cost?   What are some cost effective measures that can be taken to get the most bang for your buck?  In this present economy many Texas homeowners are choosing to remain in their current homes,.  The two most popular and rewarding rooms to remodel are still the kitchen and bathroom.  Remodeling these two rooms alone has the greatest influence toward increasing the resale value of your present home.  Some local homeowners are remodeling for the future so that accessibility derived from special needs affecting their personal lifestyle never comes into play.

     What about the costs involved for a bathroom transformation?  In general, a typical bathroom remodel in the Austin area can run you about $16,000.  However a large master bathroom makeover can push up your budget to around $26,000 as an average.  Don't forget that these are average costs and the client is limited only by their bank account totals.  Just the conversion of a tub into a walk in shower design can set you back around $9,000 as a good medium price range.  But what makes the costs appear so expensive?  Basically time, the difficulty of the job and the actual labor costs performed by all the trades involved plus the expenses for purchasing the products chosen to complete the project.

     If you are benefited by having a larger space to deal with there will be increased costs due to the larger area to finish -as in more tiles for a bigger area and the labor to install them.  Your costs may go down per square foot but you are certainly dealing with more square feet and increased costs.  You need to consider that plumbers, electricians, tile setters, framers, drywall workers, carpenters, and insulation installers, just to name a few trades, will be involved in your bathroom remodel.  Now how about the demolition that will be involved before the actual construction begins?  Sometimes the preparations behind the scenes take longer than building the new bathroom remodel itself.  Perhaps there isn't enough water volume to supply your chosen bathroom fixtures requiring a pipe to be upgraded or there just isn't sufficient fall for a gravity drain to work naturally that necessitates a lift pump system be installed.  What are the new electrical requirements and layout and do these require dedicated or GFI circuits and will the existing electrical panel handle the new circuit breakers? 

     So how about those premium products purchased that will complete the new bathroom design.  You've chosen quality plumbing fixtures like Kohler or Grohe setting them into granite counters atop fine cabinetry composed of luxurious hardwoods.  Let's say your tile choices include glass and marble instead of ceramic or porcelain and you choose to accent your bath with a glass block design.  All these premium finishing choices will drive up your project's bottom line well above the averaged costs mentioned above as a rule of thumb. 

     Who do you choose to help you with your dream?  It is true that a professional remodeling contractor with years of experience will cost you more than a handyman illegally playing among the trades at your peril but then again there are those professional guarantees to  consider.  The professional verses the handyman is more likely to seek your overall satisfaction that will follow him into his next job.  A true building professional can also orchestrate the job's smooth flow limiting the down time of a most useful room.  Subcontractors will not be covered up and each skilled  trade is brought onto the sight as needed in an orderly fashion.  Professionals normally have insurance to cover on the job accidents to protect the homeowners from having legal action brought against them personally.  Be sure you ask for a certificate of insurance from your chosen professional contractor so that you aren't held personally liable for medical experiences covering a worker's accident while on your property.

Custom Tub To Shower Conversions

     Remodeling your existing master bath to obtain an often dreamed of larger shower doesn't always mean adding square footage to your existing bathroom.  Whether your doing a tub to shower conversion, utilizing the existing uncomfortable tub and shower spaces together, or merely enlarging your existing shower you can reach a more comfortable feeling by changing your existing layout and utilizing your existing bathroom's square footage.  Fine bathroom upgrades usually involve an efficiency of space usage plus getting rid of any unused or abused space like inefficient closets or wasted storage areas.  This situation can be addressed in the  design of your future fine cabinetry.

     A tub to shower conversion for a custom walk in shower can provide easier access helping with mobility issues.   There's no stepping over the side of the tub.  The custom walk in shower in Austin, Texas access can be made into a raised threshold type used in a wheelchair roll in situation that solves accessible ADA issues or it can involve a small 4-6 inch step over a newly formed curb.  Either way the access is located at the greatest distance from the wet wall and within the wall that is perpendicular to the wet wall.  A hand held shower that is clip mounted on an adjustable vertical rod will be sufficient for almost all situations.  A seat may be able to be installed within the perpendicular wall nearest the wet wall if at least a twelve inch offset is available.

     If you have the luxury of combining the tub and nearby shower areas into one large custom walk in shower design your problem will be taking full advantage of the larger spatial situation.  A huge shower area is just that if it isn't efficient at using the new enlarged space. Remember that multiple heads like rain and body sprays require more water volume and this can only be accomplished by replumbing the water supply lines increasing their diameters from the 1/2" pipes commonly supplying baths.  Seats can also be incorporated into the design process and must be no taller than eighteen inches high.  Tiled niches recessed into the existing wall studs are a great place for shampoos and body washes.  Corner shelves are a good idea if they are out of the way.  Hooks and hangers for towels and wash cloths must be installed for efficiency and not be in the way of traffic or in a place to harm yourself once your eyes are closed fighting soap invasion.  Glass block designs can be used as a means of obtaining natural light through shower demising walls with individual installations or as a complete splash wall dividing the wet area from the rest of the bathroom.  This type of wall can be either straight or curved according to your preference.

     Redoing or enlarging your existing shower can also give you a feeling of comfort.  You can incorporate any entance situation from walk in to roll in thresholds and you are only limited by space.  You will still have the feeling of a satisfactory bathroom remodel once everything is clean and new even if your new shower is the same size you started with.

     Shower pans are a concern with fiberglass being superior to that of vinyl fabric.  Fiberglass pans usually never fail and must be used in all second story bathroom upgrades.  The fiberglass normally will stay together even if the house settles or the floors buckle.  Any type of metal pan is obsolete and will almost always fail at the corners. 

     A reputable cement impregnated tile backer board is preferable to any green or moisture resistant drywall products.  Lighting issues should be addressed if the use of a solid shower demising wall makes it too dark within the new shower.  This situation can be solved by installing a covered shower can light within the ceiling immediately above the bathing area.  One other concern is humidity and this can be solved by installing a large enough vented outside ceiling exhaust fan just outside and above the shower entrance within the ceiling.  Using glass enclosures is a choice with any design and installing an additional wet trap floor drain within the bathroom just beyond the shower entrance is always an option.