It’s easy to see the appeal of a DIY bathroom renovation. Who doesn’t want to save some money, especially in today’s economy? And with thousands of instructional videos online, swapping out your shower or tub may seem like a piece of cake. What could go wrong?
But take it from the experts: quite a lot. Common mistakes can drive your DIY bathroom remodel cost higher than what you’d have paid professionals in the first place.
When a DIY Bathroom Remodel Goes Wrong
Making major changes to a bathroom isn’t like repainting a wall or changing your window treatments. If you’re planning a DIY shower renovation or bathtub replacement, the complexities of plumbing and waterproofing can turn a simple looking project into a major disaster. And water damage is expensive to repair.
The worst kind of water damage is the slow kind. If you notice a leak right away, you can shut off the water and call a plumber before it spreads. But slow leaks can travel far into walls and subfloors before anyone notices a problem.
By the time it’s discovered, you may be dealing with rot, mold, and mildew that extend well beyond your bathroom. Even a DIY small bathroom renovation can spiral into a massive headache.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, where rain and humidity are a fact of life, moisture problems don’t stay small for long. A bathroom that isn’t properly vented and waterproofed has even less room for error in our climate.
The mistakes that lead to slow leaks and costly mold remediation are easy for homeowners to make when they attempt a DIY bathroom renovation. Poor venting, mismatched pipe materials, bad soldering, overtightened fittings, and drain slopes that are even slightly off can all cause leaks that compound over time.
Avoiding these mistakes in your DIY bathroom redo takes more plumbing knowledge than a typical Youtube video or website article can cover. That learning curve costs time and effort, on top of your upfront and long-term expenses.
Ultimately, if you’re envisioning DIY bathroom updates that include a tub or shower replacement, calling in the professionals is likely to save you a lot of stress and money.
Experienced technicians, with access to all the right materials, tools, and know-how, will also save you time. A DIY bathroom remodel often takes far longer than expected, and a weekend project can easily could drag on for months. Our experts can typically complete the same job in 1-2 days.
DIY Bathroom Updates You Can Do on Your Own
So does that mean DIY bathroom renovation is off the table entirely? Not quite. While we strongly recommend leaving major plumbing and fixture work to the professionals, there are DIY bathroom remodel on a budget ideas most homeowners can tackle themselves!
If your frustration with your bathroom is mostly aesthetic, a fresh coat of moisture-resistant paint or new wallpaper can breathe new life into the space. Updating cabinet knobs and drawer pulls or addingstorage and organization accessories like shelving and baskets, are simple low-risk ways to complete a DIY bathroom makeover without touching your plumbing.
We hope this helps explain why a DIY bathroom remodel isn’t always the best call. If you have your heart set on a new bathtub or shower, it’s safest to trust installation to the pros. And if you’re on a tight budget and don’t think you can afford it, don’t give up.
Five Star Bath Solutions Northwest specializes in fast, affordable, low maintenance tub and shower renovations for homeowners across the region. We’d love to show you how we can help. Use the form below to get in touch with us for your free consultation. A DIY bathroom renovation could cost you far more than you think, but a professional tub or shower installation from our experienced technicians could cost much less.
