by Leitreanna Brown, Events Coordinator, Bath Fitter, Duncan, South Carolina
Personally, I have always wanted an old home. Since I was a teenager, I have enjoyed driving by old homes just imagining what the home looked like during various past decades of the home’s life. There is a lot to love about old houses. Often they were built from sturdy materials that would cost a fortune today. They might come with beautiful craftsmanship and stunning details such as beautiful wood molding, hardwood floors and leaded glass windows. Compared to newer construction, buying an old home and remodeling can give you a lot of space for less money.
However, there are down sides to an older home. Unfortunately, the technology of older homes has not stood the test of time. Electricity and indoor plumbing has been a challenge since these features utilized materials and methods that are antiquated and potentially problematic. What lies beneath the surface of a beautiful and solid structure can be ticking time bombs like potentially hazardous and unseen leaks in your bathroom.
The average size of a bathroom in an older home is about 5ft square. Remodeling a bath or shower in such small quarters is as equally challenging. Homes that added bathrooms after the initial construction have oddly shaped bathrooms where the tub is the main feature of the bathroom and shower kits have been added to the system. The porcelain tub/shower kit combinations are handy but impossible to find parts. The porcelain tubs are ornate and sturdy which means they have lasted for many years. However, just as these tubs were well known for being a treasure to the homeowner, they are also an eye sore being difficult and nearly impossible to clean.
I enjoy a tub bath. Soaking in a bathtub with candles burning and music playing is a joy. In comparison, a tub utilized as a daily routine that is difficult and nearly impossible to keep clean really takes away the porcelain tub glamour. After spending some reading time basking in the bubbles of my porcelain tub, I dread getting out and then being overcome by the smell of bleach while cleaning it. I always smell the cleaning supplies 2 hours later as it burns in my nose.
The alternatives are often as taxing to the home owner’s patience as the old porcelain tub or antiquated bathroom systems. I have been in homes where the homeowners have obviously put lipstick on a pig instead of actually rehabilitating the bathroom problems. The cast iron drain pipes are the tell-tale sign that updates need to happen rather quickly. In addition, the walls around bathing areas often show the signs of water damage even to the point of showing up in the basement area. The knee jerk reaction is to gut the bathroom. The emotional blows that come with gutting a bathroom is DISRUPTION TO HOME, COST, and THE LOOK OF NEW SYSTEMS COMPARED TO ANTIQUE HOME APPEAL. Facing these three blows is like facing three strikes and you are out so it is easy to see why owners resort to patchwork home repair.
Luckily, there are options. You do not need to completely gut your bathroom and disrupt your home for weeks on end while the costs ring up more and more. You do not need to remove your porcelain tub unless you choose to do so. You do not need to choose a modern look for your home abandoning the charming allure of your older home style. Technology has risen to the rescue. There are acrylics that can be molded to make a waterproof system that still have the same look as the classic home. Looking at the remodeling company as the solution instead of the one-time treatment is quite a relief to the homeowner. Bathroom remodeling companies that come in and out quickly, that evaluate your entire bathroom situation and give you the facts and solutions in a nutshell, and offer a warranty for their work and their product is not an impossible find. Overlays for the porcelain tub keeps the bath water hot longer and solves the problem with cleaning. Having someone out that knows about these solutions for your bathroom helps you understand your options. You will enjoy the process instead of dreading it. Isn’t it time you treat yourself to a beautiful bathroom that you have always wanted?
The final thought about having a bathroom remodeling company or any contractor or home repair company come to your home is please be careful about who you have come out. Do your research. Get reviews about these companies and make sure you get a review of the exact business you are dealing with. Look for coupons and discounts. Research if they have warranties and see what affects these warranties. Finally, get a review of the product materials. Make sure you do your homework.
Go ahead and wash your blues away. Fearing unseen leaks in your bathroom that rack up repair bills. What lies beneath your home and walls in your bathroom can be evaluated and solved.
