Bathroom Renovations near you

A refresh keeps the fixtures where they are and replaces surfaces and fittings: a new vanity, toilet, faucet, lighting, paint and perhaps flooring. A tub-to-shower conversion or a new shower means opening walls, adjusting the drain and rebuilding the waterproofing. A full remodel strips the room to the studs and subfloor, often moves fixtures and may change the size of the room. The further you go down that list, the more trades, inspections, drying and curing time the project needs.

Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water gets through grout lines and hairline cracks every time the shower runs, so what keeps the walls and floor dry is the layer behind the tile. In a shower, that means a moisture-resistant backer such as cement board, covered by a waterproof membrane, either a sheet product or a liquid-applied coating, that runs continuously from the drain up the walls, with every seam, corner, niche and valve opening sealed. Many installers flood-test the shower floor before any tile goes down.

A curbless shower is popular for both its looks and its accessibility, but it asks more of the floor. The shower area has to slope to the drain while the rest of the bathroom floor stays level, which often means recessing the subfloor between the joists or using a linear drain along one wall. On a wood-framed floor, lowering or notching joists is structural work: have the contractor confirm how it will be done, and by whom, before you settle on the design.

A renovation is the easiest moment to make a bathroom simpler to use later, because the walls are already open. Solid blocking behind the drywall around the toilet, tub and shower lets you add grab bars whenever they're needed, and a curbless shower with a handheld showerhead and a seat works for someone using a walker or wheelchair as well as for young children. CMHC's list of accessibility modifications also includes slip-resistant flooring or a slip-resistant coating on tile, a shallow sink usable standing or seated, D-shaped handles on cabinets and drawers, a raised toilet seat, and grab bars and a safety mat in the tub.

Replacing a vanity, a toilet or tile in the same place often doesn't need a permit, but many municipalities require one as soon as you move or add fixtures, run new drains or vents, alter the structure or add a bathroom. Check with your municipality before demolition, because inspections have to happen while the walls are still open.

Plumbing and electrical work in a bathroom belongs with licensed trades. In Quebec, plumbing contractors are qualified by the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) and electrical contractors by the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ), and the renovation contractor needs an RBQ licence with the right subclasses. The electrician will make sure the outlets, lighting, heated floor and fan meet the electrical code's requirements for rooms with water.

Every shower releases a lot of moisture into a small room. An exhaust fan ducted to the outdoors removes it before it can condense on cold surfaces, peel paint, stain the ceiling and feed mould. A fan that dumps air into the attic simply moves the problem to a place where you won't see it until the roof sheathing is damaged. Ask for a quiet fan sized for the room, with a short, sealed and insulated duct to an exterior hood with a damper.

Once the room is finished, use it: run the fan during every shower and for a while afterwards, or choose a model with a humidity sensor or timer so it runs on its own. Keep an eye on the caulking where the tub or shower meets the walls and floor, and redo it as soon as it cracks or pulls away.