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BATHROOM
You can have a good bathroom that’s functional, safe and durable but luxurious and stunning as well. We renovate bathrooms to meet our clients’ preferences and to add value to the home. Using the right appliances can result in water and electricity savings. This needs careful planning and design.
The basics of a typical bathroom is a sink, a toilet and a bathtub. As people age, they may find it difficult to enter and exit a bathtub safely. They may opt to replace the bathtub with a shower that has space for a seat. If we have the space and the budget, you may wish to include a bathtub and a shower and a bidet. Double sink, an elongated vanity and two medicine cabinets keep couples happily married. Some like to add a sauna in the bathroom with dry heat and some prefer a steam room that softens and moisturizes the skin with humidity.
It is easy to lose track of how much you will spend on a bathroom remodel. Don’t do that! In most cases you need not spend lavish amounts to have a custom built vanity, if you do not need it. We can help you buy high quality, ready made products that are cost effective, be it a modern floating vanity or an antique French Louis XV style vanity.
Cabinets and drawers must offer enough space to store extra toothpaste, shampoo, shaver and toiletries. Where will you store your linen? Manage the space you have judiciously. Set realistic expectations. Make it pretty, but make it functional.
And wherever you may be, there is a pesky little set of rules that we must follow. For example the BC Building Code (BCBC) is a provincial regulation in Canada that governs how new construction, building alterations, repairs and demolitions are completed. The code dictates the minimum requirements for health, safety, accessibility, fire and structural protections, energy and water efficiency and even ventilation requirements. If you fail to follow these regulations, you may be asked to demolish what has been done and redo the work. Your plumbing fixtures must conform to CAN/CSA-B45 Series rules. The vitreous china fixtures must conform to ASME A112.19.2/CSA B45.1. Always consult a professional and build in accordance with the building code in your area. In December 2020, the highest French appellate court ordered the British developer, Patrick Diter, was ordered to demolish his US$70 million, 32,000 sq ft custom-built mansion in France. He did not have the right permits!
Aside from building codes, please choose all materials carefully to ensure they are safe, easy to clean, and comfortable to use. Your choice of cabinets and countertops, shower enclosures, bathtubs, sinks and the flooring will impact if and for how long you can enjoy your new bathroom. If you install a 21 inch high soaker tub, you may have difficulty safely climbing in and out. Should you need, we can supply wheelchair accessible bathtubs or walk-in tubs for people with mobility issues. You can add jetted air or water tubs. Grab bars can improve safety.
We do not recommend the types of shower with no enclosure in a retrofit, where the water is allowed to run through a drain installed in the floor on the side of the shower stall. It is easy to waterproof the entire bathroom in a new construction and far more difficult, and expensive, to do such a construction in a remodelling project.
Like all rooms in the house, bathrooms need well designed lighting. You can use track lighting, frosted glass fixtures and reverse lit cabinet lights for ambient lighting. Perimeter lighting can offer a soft ambient glow. You need to provide brighter lights to illuminate the vanity where cosmetics are carefully applied. Recessed downlights are excellent for bathroom use and provide an attractive light distribution.
The basics of a typical bathroom is a sink, a toilet and a bathtub. As people age, they may find it difficult to enter and exit a bathtub safely. They may opt to replace the bathtub with a shower that has space for a seat. If we have the space and the budget, you may wish to include a bathtub and a shower and a bidet. Double sink, an elongated vanity and two medicine cabinets keep couples happily married. Some like to add a sauna in the bathroom with dry heat and some prefer a steam room that softens and moisturizes the skin with humidity.
It is easy to lose track of how much you will spend on a bathroom remodel. Don’t do that! In most cases you need not spend lavish amounts to have a custom built vanity, if you do not need it. We can help you buy high quality, ready made products that are cost effective, be it a modern floating vanity or an antique French Louis XV style vanity.
Cabinets and drawers must offer enough space to store extra toothpaste, shampoo, shaver and toiletries. Where will you store your linen? Manage the space you have judiciously. Set realistic expectations. Make it pretty, but make it functional.
And wherever you may be, there is a pesky little set of rules that we must follow. For example the BC Building Code (BCBC) is a provincial regulation in Canada that governs how new construction, building alterations, repairs and demolitions are completed. The code dictates the minimum requirements for health, safety, accessibility, fire and structural protections, energy and water efficiency and even ventilation requirements. If you fail to follow these regulations, you may be asked to demolish what has been done and redo the work. Your plumbing fixtures must conform to CAN/CSA-B45 Series rules. The vitreous china fixtures must conform to ASME A112.19.2/CSA B45.1. Always consult a professional and build in accordance with the building code in your area. In December 2020, the highest French appellate court ordered the British developer, Patrick Diter, was ordered to demolish his US$70 million, 32,000 sq ft custom-built mansion in France. He did not have the right permits!
Aside from building codes, please choose all materials carefully to ensure they are safe, easy to clean, and comfortable to use. Your choice of cabinets and countertops, shower enclosures, bathtubs, sinks and the flooring will impact if and for how long you can enjoy your new bathroom. If you install a 21 inch high soaker tub, you may have difficulty safely climbing in and out. Should you need, we can supply wheelchair accessible bathtubs or walk-in tubs for people with mobility issues. You can add jetted air or water tubs. Grab bars can improve safety.
We do not recommend the types of shower with no enclosure in a retrofit, where the water is allowed to run through a drain installed in the floor on the side of the shower stall. It is easy to waterproof the entire bathroom in a new construction and far more difficult, and expensive, to do such a construction in a remodelling project.
Like all rooms in the house, bathrooms need well designed lighting. You can use track lighting, frosted glass fixtures and reverse lit cabinet lights for ambient lighting. Perimeter lighting can offer a soft ambient glow. You need to provide brighter lights to illuminate the vanity where cosmetics are carefully applied. Recessed downlights are excellent for bathroom use and provide an attractive light distribution.