If you’re planning a bathroom remodel, you’ve probably already heard about changes in the building codes and wondering what impact they’ll have on your plans.

For instance, most local codes now require that bathroom lighting be predominantly fluorescent, to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases. While you’re all in favor of saving the planet, you tend to associate fluorescent lighting with institutional, if not downright ugly, settings, and that’s not what you want for your home.

Fortunately, lighting designers have risen to the occasion with attractive fixtures to fit any décor and setting, including wall sconces and vanity lighting. You’re no longer stuck with that unflattering bluish tinge you may have come to associate with fluorescent lights, either; they’re now available in full spectrum and other natural-looking color ranges. Visit showrooms and consult with your design professional to get just the effect you want.

You may also be worrying about the requirement for low-volume flush toilets, especially if you or your friends have experience with the early-generation fixtures, which by general admission were not ready for prime time — they clogged frequently, and often required multiple flushes to do the job, thereby negating whatever water-saving benefits they were supposed to deliver.

Once again, the technology has improved, and there are plenty of 1.6-gallon toilets that are winning rave reviews, like the Toto Ultramax shown here. Some offer a power-assisted flushing mechanism, which is highly efficient but often startlingly noisy, while others work by gravity alone. You’re going to be living with the toilet you choose for a long time, so don’t be hasty — spend plenty of time looking at, and flushing, the ones you’re considering, and go online to see what people who’ve installed them have to say.

Finally, we’ve all been in a nice hot shower when someone elsewhere in the house flushes a toilet or starts the dishwasher, causing you a sudden burst of scalding or freezing water. Most local building codes now require pressure-balancing valves to minimize this problem by maintaining a stable flow of hot and cold water when the pressure of either fluctuates.

The Grohe TurboStat shown here is a high-tech gadget that takes it a step further, ensuring that the water stays at a uniform temperature for the duration of your shower. If you put one in, you’ll probably be glad you did.

Free Estimate

From initial estimate to final walk through our bathroom remodeling contractors are available for your questions and concerns. Click Here to Get Your Free Estimate.

Technorati Tags: bathroom remodel, building codes, bathroom remodel codes

Please bookmark and share

Related Posts

• Most Popular Styles in Fences
• Top 10 Remodeling No-Nos that the City Eventually Catches Up With
• 10 Things Homeowners Get Rid of Most during Landscape Remodeling