10+ Bathroom Renovation Mistakes That Can Ruin the Whole Design

The bathroom is one of the hardest places in an apartment to renovate. In a very limited space, you need to place a toilet, a sink, a bathtub, room for storage, and make it all look nice and comfortable. It’s a difficult task for even the most professional designers, and when you’re planning a renovation for the first time, it is almost impossible to avoid making a mistake. Here are the most popular mistakes and how to avoid them.

A towel warmer, connected to the central heating

In most people’s homes, towel warmers are connected to the central heating system. It seems like the simplest and cheapest solution, and it’s what most builders offer, since these towel warmers don’t require any additional cost.

But there’s a huge problem with such warmers: they only work when the heat is on, so when it’s off, the bathroom gets cold and humid.

Professionals recommend buying electric warmers because they are much safer. You can turn them on and off when you want, and they’ll never leak. If you want, you can buy a 2-in-1 warmer that uses central heating in winter and electricity in summer.

Skirts around the bathtub

By using skirts and sealants, people are usually trying to fix mistakes with the layout. For example, when the bathroom is a bit wider than the bathtub, so the rest needs to be covered with a plastic board. Or when the joint between the tub and the tiles requires a sealant.

Such solutions will often lead to conflicts with your neighbors. The water will eventually leak through the floor and create a water or moisture issue. Skirt boards are even more dangerous: they don’t leak right away, but start to leak over time.

In order to avoid these problems, it’s better to plan your bathroom with the exact size of the tub in mind. First, install the tub, and only then, put the tiles on top of it. This is the only way to achieve the proper sealing and the best aesthetics.

Rubber seals

When installing sinks, builders often use rubber seals to make sure the tiles and the sink are safe from leaking. After several years, these seals start to get yellow and look bad, and they start to leak anyway.

In order to avoid these problems, you can use tile-colored sealants. They don’t get dirty, and even if they start to leak, you can always put a new layer on.

Not enough ventilation

Even if the ventilation is good, it might not be enough for the bathroom. Due to poor air circulation, the room will always be humid, which can lead to the appearance of mold. On top of that, if you have wooden or chipboard furniture, it might start to deform.

A better solution is to install an extraction fan that you can turn on and off whenever you want.

Ribbed tiles on the walls

Tiles with a texture might seem very unusual and pleasant-looking when they are on the shelf in the store. But once they are on the walls, you will notice all the disadvantages right away. Washing these tiles is incredibly hard, and removing all the dirt is almost impossible. After some time, you will give up, and mold will appear.

It’s better to use smooth tiles that are much easier to wash and that reflect light much better — this will visually expand the space in the bathroom.

Smooth tiles on the floor

When it comes to floor tiles, it’s better to buy tiles with a texture. They are much safer because smooth tiles with water on them are very slippery. Even though they are easier to wash, safety should come first.

Also, bathroom floors are washed more often than the walls, so they won’t be as dirty anyway.

Only installing lighting on the ceiling

The absence of additional light sources can lead to 2 opposing problems. On the one hand, the top light might not be enough, and the corners will still be in the shadows of the furniture.

On the other, there might be too much light on the ceiling when you want to just relax in the bathtub. Of course, you can light some candles, but a more practical solution would be to get additional light sources. LED lights on the mirror or on some furniture can create a comfortable atmosphere and help you shave or do your makeup.

Visible pipes

Many apartment owners decide to allow the pipes to be visible, with safety in mind. If something starts to leak, it will be visible right away and easy to fix.

In reality, this solution ruins the entire look of the bathroom. Pipes that are made from modern materials and installed by professionals will work for decades without any leaks. Of course, you still need to think about the access panels for checking on the most important parts of the water system.

White access panels

The brave people that decide to hide the pipes in the walls, still worry about them, so they make huge access panels to be able to fix something when needed. These holes are often covered with metal or plastic doors that look really out of place.

A much better solution is to make a small hatch and cover it with the same tiles you use for the bathroom. It will be impossible to notice, and it’ll still look great.

Not having extra tiles

There’s always a chance that you’ll break a single tile and ruin the entire appearance of the room. And who wants to redecorate the whole room over a single crack? Well, it might just be that the tiles you used are out of stock and impossible to buy.

The best decision is to buy some extra tiles and keep them on the side just in case. It’s always better to keep extras.

Not using leak sensors

After investing a lot of money into your bathroom, the last thing you want to do is have to cover costs for your downstairs neighbors because you ruined their renovation. People often forget about leak sensors. They are not very expensive, and modern models can send notifications to your smartphone and block the water.

Of course, you don’t just need sensors, but also special valves on the pipes. This way, you won’t have to worry about anything, even when you are away from home.

Bonus: Glass instead of a shower curtain

Many people consider shower curtains to be an outdated solution, and glass — a great design choice. In fact, the good old curtain is not only the cheapest choice, but also the best way to protect the space from water. Glass doors have a lot of disadvantages that people complain about.

Small glass doesn’t protect you from the water, big glass make it uncomfortable to get into the bathtub. You can use a sliding door, but they break really often, and you have to wash the glass after every time you use it, or it looks messy.

For many people, curtains are way more comfortable. You can’t break it, it can’t hurt you, and you can always put it into the washing machine.

What bathroom renovation mistakes have you made?