Redoing Your Bathroom: A Quick Guide

So you’ve decided to renovate your bathroom. You want to ensure your family’s safety in the coming years and are planning to install a more accessible solution for bathing. There are a lot of options on the market today, and a lot of things to look at. You need to decide budget, ensure you’re getting the right installer, and decide on what product(s) you’re looking for, what you want, and compare it to what you really need. How do you get it all done without stress?

At Aquassure our goal is to get you in the tub or shower that melds your wants with your needs and leaves you feeling safe and as stress free as possible. Very few people take renovation by the horns and relish every second of it, so we’ve found some questions and tips that can help make the experience easier to manage and give you a stepping off point.

1. Ask yourself this: What do I need to replace?

What makes you feel unsafe in your bathroom right now? Replacement of the tub or shower unit is the most common, but next that usually comes is the toilet (higher, easier to sit down on). We’ve had renovations where bad flooring needed to be replaced, unsafe carpeting, and even doors that needed to be widened. When planning on purchasing a walk-in or slide-in tub, be sure to consider your current water tank as well. With our tubs we recommend a minimum 50 gallon water tank. Make a laundry list of what you want done, and then…

2. Ask yourself this: Do I want to soak, do I want to shower, or do I want to do both?

When it gets right down to it everyone usually has an opinion about whether or not they would rather take a bath or a shower. Some people relish a good soak, while others prefer the get in, get out of a shower. Unless price is limiting you squarely to one product, take this moment to be fussy, and really consider what you want. If you aren’t the only bather using the bathroom, now is the time to sit down and discuss what both your expectations are. We have a solution for everyone! Take a look at the guide below:

Bath Only: The Active Living spa is your ideal product, featuring a full body soaking tub with easy sit and slide access, and grab bars for support and control.

Shower Only: We have over 400 models of showers available, in a variety of sizes and threshold options. Want glass doors? We can do that too.

Mixed: Walk-in tubs mix the best of both worlds together, giving you a sit down bath, a sit down shower, and a stand up shower. While you lose the ability to stretch out like a regular bathtub, you can soak or shower depending on your mood and needs. We can also do glass doors for our walk-in tubs.

Tub Cuts: We have these too! For those who want something at a lesser cost, tub cuts are a way to make your existing bathtub unit accessible. We have kits with door inserts, or without.

3. What about safety bars?

Safety bars (or grab bars) are an inexpensive way of improving the safety of your bathroom. Many people depend on counters and towel racks as provisional support when getting out of their tub or shower, or up off their toilet. If you start to slip or slide your instinct is to reach and grab for something, and not everything you reach for can support you. Installing safety bars in a few choice areas can be the difference between reaching for and ripping a towel rack off the wall, and reaching for and holding onto a secure bar that can withstand your weight and provide you with support when you need it. Safety bars come in a variety of sizes and finishes.

Where should I put them? Anywhere you regularly reach for to support yourself.

4. Budget

Set a number that you feel comfortable with for your renovation project. It’s usually going over your budget that is the first thing to cause stress. If you are a BC resident, you may be eligible for a HAFI grant, depending on your income, savings, and the value of your home.

5. Shop Around

We don’t mind if you shop around! It’s not an insult, and we won’t be offended if you do. In fact, shopping around is the best way to get to know your buying options, from variety to quality, and price. It will give you great ideas for your renovation and help you refine what to look for. Know your key questions in advance, breathe, and don’t be afraid to walk away from a situation that doesn’t feel right.

You’re going to want to inquire on things such as length of warranty, what does the warranty cover, and how would you go about making a claim. If you’re looking at getting jets, are the jets heated? A tub of hot water is quickly chilled by cold air jets. Are the seats warmed while you wait for the tub to fill and drain? What is the fill and drain time?

We prefer for our customers to be able to see the product firsthand, which is why we have a showroom with models for you to look at, feel and sit in. Seeing your potential purchase is always your best bet to personally check quality. See how strong the door is, check to see how thick the fiberglass and gel coat is, and how it’s reinforced. If at all possible, sit in the tub and decide if it fits your definition of comfort.

Gather price quotes, take notes, and then look back at your budget and contrast and compare. Can you do everything you wanted? What is necessary, and what are just perks you could cut down?

When you’ve narrowed down your choices, now is the time to start setting up your new renovation project. At Aquassure, we send someone to your home to measure your space and check the area. We’ll quote you on the project, including installation if needed. Once you place a deposit down, we’ll order the products in and set up an installation time and date once they arrive. From there it is installation and the final half of your invoice. We are here from beginning to end, ready for your questions and able to provide support throughout the entire process.

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