Cheap and Easy Ways to Better Your Bathroom

4/29/2010

(MS) -- For many new homeowners, remodeling their home's interior is near the top of their priority list. While a complete overhaul might not be on their minds, a room or two here and there is probably something they intend to do sooner or later.

But, as veteran homeowners can attest, such remodeling jobs usually don't come cheap, and oftentimes unforeseen problems (a leaky roof, the kids need braces, etc.) have a way of taking precedence.

While remodeling a room might not be in your immediate future, you can make some minor adjustments that can make a room more appealing and maybe even save you some money. Take, for example, the bathroom. The following do-it-yourself bathroom tips might not give the room an entirely new look, but they can change how you feel about the room and they won't break the bank.

Replace the bathroom fan.

Many people feel their bathrooms attract mildew. While all bathrooms are susceptible to mildew, an ineffective bathroom fan can make your mildew problem even worse. If you find yourself with an overwhelming mildew problem, your bathroom fan is probably too small. Jot down your bathroom's square footage and then head to a hardware store for a new fan that will suit your needs. Fans aren't expensive, and installation is often easy, especially if you purchase an upgrade kit as well.

Fix the toilet.

Many people cannot understand why their water bill is so high each month. It might be thanks to a defective flapper on your toilet. The flapper is the rubber device that seals the drain at the base of your toilet's tank. A new flapper is only a couple of dollars and will only take a minute or so to install.

Install new sink fixtures.

Older sink fixtures can make a bathroom appear dingy and antiquated. Replace your old handles and faucets with new ones to give your bathroom a more modern look.

Reuse, recycle, refinish.

A very cost effective method to refurbish all or part of a bathroom is a process called refinishing. Refinishing involves spraying durable, specialized coatings on bath tubs, showers, shower surrounds, sinks and vanities to give them a completely revitalized appearance.

"The refinishing process can also be applied to tile walls and even floors. Refinishing gives a remarkably fresh and updated look to even the most outdated or worn bathroom, and the customer can choose almost any color desired." says Jamie White, vice president of Renew Finishing System of Bowling Green.

Mr. White points out that refinishing costs a fraction of the expense to remove and replace bathroom fixtures and it is completed with minimal disruption and mess. Even damaged porcelain and fiberglass can be repaired in most instances and then refinished, he said.

"By refinishing, not only may customers save up to 70% or 80% of traditional remodeling costs, but most bathroom refinishing applications can be done in a matter of hours avoiding the sometimes days of living in the construction mess involved with remodeling". Mr. White said.

"In fact, our customers can select an environmentally friendly coating process called Instant Cure which allows for immediate use of the refinished surface at the conclusion of the process. A customer could literally use a refinished shower as our technician is pulling out of the driveway having started the job only a few hours earlier." he said.