[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It's around the house. And then of course the last one is the finish they put on there. The cheaper toilets have, uh, much more of a, a coarser finish on the porcelain. Or even the, the, you get up into the Totos and some of those other ones like that, they have a micro glaze over the top of it that makes it so you don't have to worry about cleaning as much.

[00:00:23] Eric Goranson: So literally you can go hit it once a month, every two months with a toilet brush because the glaze system on there is meant to be. a nonstick surface. So when it comes down to it, you know, if you were to go buy a 100 toilet and you were to go buy a 260 Toto and put them next to each other, that Toto is gonna save you money in the long run.

[00:00:46] Eric Goranson: When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know, but we've got you covered. This is Around the House. Welcome to the Around the House show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through [00:01:00] Information and education. Thanks for joining me today. Hope everybody's having a great weekend.

[00:01:05] Eric Goranson: Thanks for tuning in. Well today I wanted to talk about my bathroom remodeling secrets These are the things that if you're gonna go do your own bathroom remodel, even if you're hiring a contractor These are my tips and tricks for you To plan ahead and make sure that you get this thing done, right? And these are the things that I hope can help save you some money as well Because there's so many different things in a bathroom that if you get things out of order can cost you a ton of money When you're trying to plan this stuff out so something to consider So first guys I wanted to talk about one of the biggest things when you're talking about bathroom modeling and that is like we were talking about planning making sure that you've got that design and really All the rough utilities going in that you need.

[00:01:47] Eric Goranson: And you're like, ah, what are you talking about? I'm just, you're going to update my bathroom and remove it and replace it. And what else do I need? Well, here's the thing that, that makes it interesting. If you're going to be changing for like a [00:02:00] bathtub and going to a shower only, for instance, you know, a bathtub drain is inch and a half shower drain is two.

[00:02:07] Eric Goranson: So you want to make sure that you've got plenty there to change that drain out to two inch, so you're, you're good there. And I heard something about building code going to be changing for that. Uh, that you can do inch and a half, but, uh, you know, having two is a good way to go. So it's always about doing it right.

[00:02:22] Eric Goranson: And if you can exceed building code, even better. So having that two inches kind of nice to have for flow and not having things get, uh, you know, jammed up down the road. Now, the utilities that I'm talking about, though, is making sure that you have enough power and circuits in there, because so many times, you know, especially if something that was built in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s, maybe you just have one 110 outlet in there, and maybe you've got two sinks.

[00:02:48] Eric Goranson: So, something to think about. So, here are all the things that you might need additional power for. In that bathroom. It could be that you've got a smart toilet going in there. So you need to have that outlet [00:03:00] with the GFCI. That's down there next to the toilet. Now, if you're going to put in heated floor system, you'll probably need a dedicated 1 10 circuit for that.

[00:03:09] Eric Goranson: If you're putting in a steam shower system that can use, um, 1 or 2 dedicated circuits and 1 for a steam generator. So you might have to put in, you know, an additional 50 amps for the power into that. Thank you. First steam shower system. So it could be even more. Sometimes I've seen them depending on the system that you need two dedicated one, 10, 20 amp circuits, and then you need one for the steam generator, which is usually a 30 or 40, depending on the size amp circuit to 20 for that.

[00:03:40] Eric Goranson: So that can be very significant. So something to really pay attention to with that. So make sure you've got that. And, uh, if you're going to do a, um, Like an air modest system, which we'll talk about later, which is one of the drying systems. That's going to need its own as well as if you're thinking about putting in a heated tile rack, [00:04:00] which is important as well.

[00:04:00] Eric Goranson: So think about that heated tile rack. So really, if you had a smart toilet, heated floors. You could add 3, 4, even 5 dedicated circuits to this if it was a larger bathroom. So, these are things to think about because you want to do this while it's torn up, not come back and go, Oh, I want to add this later.

[00:04:19] Eric Goranson: Give yourself the option. I always say when you're doing that toilet, when you're putting in the, you know, doing the electrical in there, make sure you add that outlet behind the toilet. So down the road, if you ever need it. Uh, or if you ever want to add it, it's very simple, so you can just plug it in and it's just an outlet, so if it's hiding down there next to the toilet, it's not a big deal, but, um, that is some added value while you're doing it, so even if you're not planning on doing it, take a minute, add the, add the outlet over there, it can work really well for you, and then like I said, if you've got two different bathroom vanities, you know, so if you've got a, you know, a master bathroom or a hall bathroom that has two sinks, make sure you've got outlets on either side of that, that way you can add that in there.

[00:04:57] Eric Goranson: Thank you. And, uh, it just makes it so much [00:05:00] better. And especially if you've got like a, a, uh, main bathroom and you got kids sharing that same bathroom, having two sets of outlets is really handy, especially these days with, you know, electric toothbrushes and things like that. The last thing you want to do is to have a, uh, some kind of a power strip in a bathroom.

[00:05:15] Eric Goranson: So you want to make sure that you've got that dialed in. So that's something to think about. And you know, the heated tile floor is something to plan on. I mean, if you've got a space that's already cold, cause maybe they didn't put an outlet in there for your HVAC system. Having that in there is really handy.

[00:05:28] Eric Goranson: So, uh, heated tile floor is one of those things that if you want to have that comfy warm spot in that bathroom and you want to help dry it out because that will help try it out. That's a good way to go. So just think about those things and it's really not that expensive. Once you get the power to it, the, the tile system is really, you know, materials wise on average under a grand to do that.

[00:05:50] Eric Goranson: So, uh, it's pretty quick and easy once you're doing it, but. You just need to plan ahead for that power. So make sure you got that dialed in. And then the other thing is here is when you're going [00:06:00] through and designing for this, um, really I want you to, let's talk about ventilation for a minute because this is a big thing.

[00:06:06] Eric Goranson: And this is something that, again, getting into that, really getting into this materials list here of what you need to be thinking about. Ventilation is key for a bathroom. So I want to see a high CFM, like 120 CFM and up. In that bathroom, especially if you've got a shower bathtub in there and then making sure that you've got what I call makeup air, uh, for that.

[00:06:26] Eric Goranson: So if you have 120 CFM fan going and you have just a little tiny half inch gap underneath the bathroom door. You're probably going to want to cut that bathroom door down a little bit to let more air in there. And here's what happens to, and this is something to consider, and this is something I'm going to do in my house.

[00:06:43] Eric Goranson: I just haven't done it yet because I haven't gone back in that room to, to do a few more little things with it. But one of the big things that you can do while you're doing this is to add in a make up air pulling out of another bedroom, or another space, or another closet, or something like that, grabbing air into that space.

[00:06:58] Eric Goranson: Because one of the things that I [00:07:00] noticed when I was working on, Uh, the bathroom after I got mine down with my big CFM fan, if I have a heated tile floor tile floor, I get air coming underneath the doorway. And so the first 24 inches by that space gets cool because it's. The air is going over and it's cooling the floor right there.

[00:07:17] Eric Goranson: So if you can add another space closer over the shower to get some cross ventilation. So you're pulling air out of the shower from the one side of the bathroom over there, you get a nice cross flow ventilation. And by doing that, that really helps move out the moisture in the space. So really plan for that.

[00:07:34] Eric Goranson: And of course that vent has to go all the way to the outside of the building. So. Through the attic space out through the roof out through a soffit out through a wall, wherever it's going to go. It just needs to exit all the way out of the building. And in my area, we always insulate those because the last thing I want to do is have hot, moist air collecting in a cold metal duct.

[00:07:52] Eric Goranson: And, uh, if that's going outside, guess what happens, uh, you can get water collecting in there that can rust that out, or it can leak back and drip on the floor. So, [00:08:00] make sure that you've got the right amount of ducting and of course, the right amount of insulated duct. So, you don't have to worry about that when it's going through an unconditioned space and that's really for us.

[00:08:10] Eric Goranson: People out in the northern climates, but, you know, something, if you've got a cool attic space and you've got hot moisture, like you were in Florida, that can also create a similar issue, uh, just because it's just like that summertime, uh. You know, glass of lemonade on the table. It's going to, you know, shed water off the outside and grab that out of the relative humidity.

[00:08:29] Eric Goranson: So making sure you've got that as big and then, of course, most building code requires it, but having a temper, a timer that will run for at least 20 minutes. Guys, if that 20 minutes will help move that out and then, uh, we'll talk about this later. We talked about it here, but, um, having a system to air dry that shower.

[00:08:46] Eric Goranson: The air modest system is my favorite. And, uh, if you're tired of squeegeeing, this is the time for plan for that because, uh, that way you'd if you want to keep the shower cleaner. That is an easy way to do it. And the nice thing is, is you don't have to [00:09:00] have that squeegee in the shower to, uh, clean off that glass.

[00:09:03] Eric Goranson: And, uh, that's a big one right there. Now when we come back, there is one thing that I want you to, um, want you to think about here. It's kind of a really big deal, and I think this is one of those things that, uh, before you start the bathroom model, I want you to really focus on this one, because I think this is really important.

[00:09:21] Eric Goranson: And it's going to save the projects you did early on. And I don't want to see you have it get ruined. So when we come back, we're going to talk about that because this is one of those things that can destroy the project afterwards. If you don't do it right first, we'll do that just as soon as around the house.

[00:09:34] Eric Goranson: Returns.

[00:09:45] Eric Goranson: Welcome

[00:09:48] Eric Goranson: back to the round the[00:10:00]

[00:10:11] Eric Goranson: house show. This is where we hope to get the most out of your home through information on education. Thank. Thanks for joining me today. We've been talking around, uh, well, my bathroom remodeling secrets to help save you money. And keep that plan going because, uh, this is one of those things that I want this to be really that quintessential help for you to get this project knocked out, whether you're hiring it or, uh, you know, maybe you're going to tackle it yourself or you've got your favorite contractor coming to do it.

[00:10:37] Eric Goranson: All these rules still apply. Well, we were talking about bathroom ventilation in the last segment. And of course, all the utilities that need to go into a project like this. But really, one of the things here that I really want to think about when we're thinking about all this stuff is just where it's going to be in 5 to 10 years, for instance.

[00:10:56] Eric Goranson: So one of the things if you've got kids that I see is a big [00:11:00] mistake when going through the thought processes. I've had people say, Hey, I'm going to take this, uh, this bathroom and design it for my kids today and you know, they're five and seven and I want lower vanities and all that stuff. And although that is okay, you just need to remember that, um, if you design it for smaller children for a handful of years, they're smaller children and then forever.

[00:11:24] Eric Goranson: They're going to be older. So the problem is, is you're designing very much on the short sided for a 2 to 4 year cycle versus how it's going to be in 5 to 10 years. So really think ahead about, um, you know, where you're going to be 10 years from now, because if you design this bathroom correctly, you can get decades out of this out of this system if you've done it and designed it right.

[00:11:46] Eric Goranson: So you really want to think about, okay, can I make this last for 20 years? If I think about what the kids are doing in 5. That's just a short term part of that. And the last thing I want you to do is have to go back in five years and go, well, time to do another big remodel. [00:12:00] Cause bathroom remodels are expensive.

[00:12:02] Eric Goranson: Just a traditional hall bathroom. You can spend 60 to 70, 000 really quickly on a basic remodel. If you're hiring a contractor to come in and do it. It can be a little bit less and a whole lot more, depending on what you put inside of that thing. So, just think about what's heading forward, but the big picture, not just the short term.

[00:12:20] Eric Goranson: Because so many times people get hung up on those little bit of details. So, that's something just to, just to kind of get dialed in. Now, I want to talk materials here for a minute. Because... Before we get into dealing with, um, you know, waterproof systems and things like that, I really want to talk about this for a minute because these are the myths that we see out there in the home improvement world.

[00:12:43] Eric Goranson: For instance, if you go into the home centers and there's nothing wrong with the home centers, but if you go in there and buy a toilet, for instance. If you walk into your, your big box store, you're automatically looking at about the lower 30 percent of the toilet market. So you're [00:13:00] looking at the very bottom end of quality.

[00:13:03] Eric Goranson: And of course, the cheapest price, because so much of this stuff that you see in the stores is value priced based. So that's why they have their knockoff, no brand, you know, no brand toilets through the house brand. That's why you've got many of the big manufacturers putting their lowest price toilets in there.

[00:13:22] Eric Goranson: And to be honest, in my opinion, to get a good toilet, you need to spend 250 to 300. To get in there and my favorite is, uh, if you're going to go out and go buy on a toilet and you want to have something that's going to be reliable. I just say, go grab something from Toto, you know, whether it's the Drake or 1 of the models like that, just grab something reliable and here's the difference.

[00:13:45] Eric Goranson: And a lot of people go, oh, toilets who cares? It's a toilet. It's all comes down to the design of that toilet. You remember back, you know, and I, I remember this because, uh, I was starting design at this point when we went from the 3. 5 gallon flush of the 3 gallon [00:14:00] flush down to the 1. 5, 1. 6 went into the had to be under 1.

[00:14:04] Eric Goranson: 6 gallons. The problem we had with that is that toilets were not designed well, they did not figure out how to do this. And so the mandate came out well, before the toilet companies had really thought about what the flow float toilet could do in the US. And so, for about decade, we had a black market of people not wanting to change the toilets out because it didn't work well in time.

[00:14:26] Eric Goranson: We figured out how to do it is is very well down to a gallon flush, which is huge. It's a big savings, especially if you're paying for water, but the really big issue was that we would see people. You know, spending okay, I'm gonna get my 1. 6 gallon toilet, but I'm gonna go spend 99 on the house brand. And the problem with that was that you got a toilet that just wasn't designed.

[00:14:46] Eric Goranson: Well, the differences are there's a lot of differences. 1. It's the trap size. So the hole that goes down into your into your sewer system to is how they've designed the water flow to really be able to move [00:15:00] around there. 3 is how they've designed. And how they've put the porcelain that glazing all the way through the trap system so many of those cheaper toilets, they just do kind of the opening.

[00:15:10] Eric Goranson: But if you were to actually cut them open, you'll see that it's raw ceramic down in there. And there's like little nubs and things like that. That's the stuff that grabs toilet paper and other things. It starts the clogging process. So that's another one right there. Then, of course, it's just the whole design.

[00:15:26] Eric Goranson: And then, of course, the last one is the finish they put on there. The cheaper toilets have, uh, much more of a coarser finish on the porcelain. Or even the, the, you get up into the totos and some of those other ones like that, they have a micro glaze over the top of it. That makes it so you don't have to worry about cleaning it as much.

[00:15:43] Eric Goranson: So literally you can go hit it once a month, every two months with a toilet brush because the glaze system on there is meant to be a nonstick surface. So, when it comes down to it, you know, if you were to go buy a, a 100 toilet and you were to go buy a [00:16:00] 260 Toto and put them next to each other, that Toto is going to save you money in the long run, because 1, it's going to use less water.

[00:16:08] Eric Goranson: You don't have to flush it twice. Two, it's going to take less cleaning. So you're not going to be in there with all the chemicals and doing that. And then three, it's going to be much more reliable because they're just putting better parts in it. So really that's one of the things that I want you to start looking at when you're looking at fixtures, you know, and things like that.

[00:16:26] Eric Goranson: So those are important ones. So pay attention to that. Now, the next one here. Is is important as well. And this is looking at tile. You know, tile is not all the same. If you go into the home centers again, you're looking at the lowest grade of tile out there for many people. That is the again. It's their own price.

[00:16:45] Eric Goranson: So it's probably the bottom 15 percent of tile in the market out there is what you see at the home centers. Now, there are, there are name brands there. There are not name brands there, depending on what you're looking at. And there's some great companies, but generally speaking, that is the [00:17:00] lowest price point of these people.

[00:17:01] Eric Goranson: And the problem is, is when you're looking at tile that is lower end like that. And this is where you got to be a little bit careful. That lower end tile is going to be a little more warped. It's going to be a little more out of square. It's going to be a little bit more, you know, out of shape, and it's not going to have the exact same detail.

[00:17:23] Eric Goranson: So the problem is, is those are automatically harder to install because you've got stuff that's not gauged. It's not all the same. And, uh, I've even seen some companies would, um, throw in their, their seconds into those Home Depot lots. Where they would sell their higher end stuff over to the retailers. So just think about that a little bit of how that works.

[00:17:44] Eric Goranson: You know, you're buying something cheaper that's harder to work with. So maybe if you really want that job to look nice, head over to your local. Flooring retailer, that is a, um, you know, where, where your tile setters go and, uh, you know, your local tile shop or your local flooring [00:18:00] store. You know, I say support local when you can, but if you're getting a better material over there for a similar price, it's something to think about.

[00:18:09] Eric Goranson: Because it's just going to be easier for you down the road and you've got a little better selection to, you know, when you're in the home center, they'll have 2 of this 1 of that. But if you walk over to your local tile store, you're going to be a little bit better off with selection wise and then they can order all in and you're going to get the same dialogue.

[00:18:24] Eric Goranson: It's just something to think. More about, all right, when we come back, we're going to talk about the one thing you should do before you start this process. We'll do that just as soon as around the house.[00:19:00]

[00:19:11] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the around the house show. This is where we hope you get the most out of your home through information and education. If you want to find out more about the show here, head over to around the house, online. com. And that's where we're going to be able to help you with your latest project.

[00:19:25] Eric Goranson: And, uh, we've got everything from my about 200 videos over there for around the house, Northwest, my, uh, weekly television show to the podcast and including our premium membership on the podcast where you get to hear exclusive episodes and, uh, stories like the one that's up right now. It's about my history.

[00:19:40] Eric Goranson: How did I learn all the things that I learned? What were my, uh, my easy days? What were the hard days? What got me to this point? And how did I stumble into this career here? Of being a home improvement expert and construction expert across the industry. Well, we've been talking about bathroom remodeling secrets today here of my [00:20:00] secrets to really get you dialed in to tackle this project.

[00:20:03] Eric Goranson: And this is probably the most important 1 that I see out there for people that are not paying attention to the water. Before you start that remodeling process, go get a water sample. And send it off and see what's going on in your water. This is a big one guys. So many people I go into their home as a, as a designer and I see hard water stains.

[00:20:26] Eric Goranson: Mineral deposits, and it's all over everything and we're going to put all these brand new pieces in there that in 6 months are going to be the exact same thing. So, before you tackle that project, I want you to get a water sample and get it over to your water lab or, you know, or your local company that does water filtration and see what's in your water and That it's got stuff in it.

[00:20:59] Eric Goranson: It could be [00:21:00] whatever it is. I want you to get that dialed in before you start the project because those minerals will, will ruin a, a steam generator. You know, they will build up in there. It's going to ruin the water heater, ruins your plumbing. It runs, blows up the tile. It does all these things and stains that brand new tub or shower pan.

[00:21:20] Eric Goranson: Just take some time, get your water conditioned. So you don't have to worry about that buildup on anything. And that way, when you do this remodel, a lot of those things like the glass is probably etched on that old project. You're going to be throwing away and to be honest, you're not going to be able to buy glass.

[00:21:37] Eric Goranson: I mean, they have coatings for glass now, but if you've got unconditioned water, you're just going to fight it and you're not going to win. So get that, spend the time, get that dialed in. So that way you're good to go. Cause I really want to make sure that you protect your investment. And the best way to do that is to make sure that, you know, if you got to spend 1000 or 2 bucks to get that water dialed in, it's going to be healthier for you.

[00:21:58] Eric Goranson: It's going to make sure that, uh, [00:22:00] your other bathrooms aren't getting any additional build up and it's going to help things like your water heater, your ice maker and anything else like that in the house that's going. So, um, just keep those mineral deposits under control. And, uh, that's going to be a big difference on making sure that your project looks good all year long and, uh, it'll keep easy on the cleaning too.

[00:22:21] Eric Goranson: So there's a key right there. So make sure you get that taken care of now when we're talking about tiling, you know, we're just talking about that. I want you to really do your research on. The system that you're using now, a couple of things, and I'm talking about the tiling system. So if you're doing a tile floor, tile walls, tile shower, whatever you're doing, spend the time to get it dialed in correctly.

[00:22:41] Eric Goranson: And this is what I'm worried about. I want to make sure that, um, you know, I tell you what, I even see this out of some of the pros and, and I'm talking about contractors that really don't know their tile game very well is that I'll see the Frankenstein showers as I call them. So you'll see three different systems of waterproofing.

[00:22:59] Eric Goranson: [00:23:00] That are all mixed together because it's what somebody had in the back of their truck and it's, well, that's how I do it. The problem is, is you don't end up having a warranty with that because you Frankenstein everything together. So, I want to make sure that if you're going to be doing the water system, waterproofing system in your shower, that you're doing it correctly.

[00:23:16] Eric Goranson: If you're going to go. Weedy, great. Follow the Weedy system all the way through so you get a warranty on that. If you're going to go Schluter, same thing. If you're going to go Ardex, same thing. Stick with the system and go start to finish with it. That way you've got it. And that's going to be really key right there.

[00:23:33] Eric Goranson: And that's where I think a lot of mistakes get made because they go down to their home center, they get the, the, the low quality stuff off the shelf. And again, nothing against the home centers, but really. Their stuff in there is okay at best. That is kind of the entry level stuff. So if you want stuff, that's going to be easier to work with.

[00:23:53] Eric Goranson: If you want stuff, that's going to be just. More considering to be more reliable, you know, if you want more [00:24:00] reliable, that's where you go, because you're going to get the better stuff at the tile store. So pay attention to that. You'll be okay, but really follow that and then follow the best practices. Most of these guys, no matter what you're doing, if you're doing your first tile project, almost every company, I don't know of one that doesn't.

[00:24:18] Eric Goranson: So I'll just say almost have great videos that are made by them. On YouTube, so if you're going to use art X, they've got some great videos over there to see what's going on. So you can see how to make mix it up, how to work with it, how to apply it. Um, I tell you what, the last place I go see is some of the, the influencer.

[00:24:38] Eric Goranson: Uh, tile videos out there. There are some great people like that tile chick, Shannon. She knows what she's talking about. But as soon as you get into some of the more general handyman type stuff, you're gonna see the worst practices out there. So, uh, if you're going to be working on a YouTube video to help guide you through the [00:25:00] tile setting process, look for one that is made by a manufacturer or a manufacturer's representative.

[00:25:07] Eric Goranson: Or somebody that is a tile expert in the field. So that is the place to go find it. You'll be better off. You'll be a lot happier and it's going to be a much better system. So make sure you take your time and it's going to work out for you, but just slow down, study this because there are so many times, I mean, we had mistakes in my shower here.

[00:25:28] Eric Goranson: I had all the reps here and we caught other companies mistakes in their, in their, um, instructions for installation. Like we were, I had William over here with Ardex. He was helping me on my project. And one of the manufacturers. Their new specs came out were quite frankly wrong. They missed a step where they should have used a primer on the back of the material before we put the, the, the, um, thin set on it to hang it.

[00:25:57] Eric Goranson: Oh my gosh. Happy. We caught that. Cause we could have had a [00:26:00] failure and I was following the direction. So even at that, when I had a room full of, of experts, mistakes happen. So you want to be able to get, you know, the best information you can. And, uh, don't fall victim to, um, some of the influencers out there.

[00:26:16] Eric Goranson: Cause I tell you what. I can watch those videos and go, wow, there's going to be a lot of people that follow this, putting in bad information, and then they're going to base their project on it. And then that's going to fail and that's going to be another issue. So take the time, study it, make sure you understand it.

[00:26:31] Eric Goranson: When in doubt, get ahold of the rep in your area and they will help you. You'd be shocked at how much these people, um, want to help to make sure that everyone has a good experience. So spend the time, plan it out, and you're going to have a better project when it's all said and done. And then the other thing is make sure that you're using the right material compatibility wise.

[00:26:50] Eric Goranson: I mean, we in the 90s and 2000s, when I was designing, we did a lot of Travertine. You know, showers, because that was the hot thing. And I tell you what, some of that [00:27:00] travertine would get beat up and it was beautiful in its day. Don't get me wrong, but the material was so soft. It actually completely blew through from the shower, high pressure water.

[00:27:12] Eric Goranson: It actually, um, you know, 7 to 10 years later, we would see where the shower was hitting the wall because that's where they had their shower arm hitting all the time. And the smaller showers, it was removing the material off of that. So it was literally washing away the tile. And it was Credit card thickness when they had to be pulled out seven to 10 years later.

[00:27:32] Eric Goranson: So make sure you're using harder materials, the porcelains. Those kind of things in the shower marbles are great. They look beautiful, but they are a nightmare to maintain in a bathroom. So I would strongly go large format tile, large format porcelain walls. I did porcelain in my shower. The last one I did here that was using the high performance slab porcelain that you would see for countertops.

[00:27:58] Eric Goranson: And so I just have caulking [00:28:00] seams in the corner and that just means that I have a very nice waterproof system there and a little bit more money, but not having grout on the shower walls is sure. Nice. And having that pattern with the marble look to it really made a difference in that bathroom to really give it an elevated look.

[00:28:17] Eric Goranson: Then of course, what did I do? I grain matched on the slab as well. So the grain goes around the corners with a nice book match. So these are all things that you can plan ahead and make for a great project. Alright, let's finish up this subject. When we come back soon as around the house returns, don't go anywhere.[00:29:00]

[00:29:07] Eric Goranson: Welcome to the round the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. If you wanna find out more about the show, head over to around the house online.com and then you can find our video series as well over there for the Around the House Northwest Television Show, which you can stream anywhere in North America.

[00:29:24] Eric Goranson: You can catch it. Uh, just go to uh k tv.com and you can see, uh, the TV show there. Just look for the around the house banner, or you can catch it on Amazon. Uh, Hulu and YouTube all through KPTV Fox 12 so you can find it over there. We've been talking about bathroom remodeling and my secrets to help, um, to help save you money and get this project organized.

[00:29:46] Eric Goranson: And then this last segment I wanted to get into detail. On waterproofing and making sure that you've got that dialed in because if you're doing tile for a shower or a tub shower or even a steam shower or a [00:30:00] heated tile floor, these are things that you should be paying attention to and doing this right, it's going to save you a ton of money because if it's wrong, you got to start over and throw it all away, which never is good.

[00:30:10] Eric Goranson: So let's talk about a difference here between a regular shower. And a steam shower now, steam showers have been all the range range because you can sit in there. And especially in the winter time, it's nice if you've got that common cold or something worse floating around, you can jump in there and it's a sealed up room where you're taking your shower, hit the go button and you've got steam in a few minutes.

[00:30:34] Eric Goranson: And so the problem is though, and this is where you have to be really careful is that the 1 nice thing with steam showers is that you have steam, but many times the waterproofing methods you see out there. waterproof, but not vapor proof. And so really the only system out there that I know that is, um, certified for vapor is the, um, [00:31:00] weedy vapor 85 system.

[00:31:02] Eric Goranson: And that vapor system is meant for steam showers. And that's exactly what I did for mine. So the problem is, is if you've got a steam shower, you can have problems. If you just put up your Hardy backer and you put up your, you throw that up there and then all of a sudden, You put your tile up without doing any waterproofing.

[00:31:20] Eric Goranson: You can get steam going through that or you can get condensation on the back of the wall because of the temperature difference between there. So you have a lot of different things that can go on. So what I did for mine is that I did 2 things. 1. I put in the air modest drying system for the shower, but I insulated my walls with rock wool for sound and for heat.

[00:31:42] Eric Goranson: And then I turned around. 1. And put up my, uh, my weedy vapor 85 and that's a foam board as well. So that has some insulating properties to it as well. And then by the time we got everything up, we were good to go. And then of course we had our slab. So I didn't have anything that's, you know, coming through that way, but that's [00:32:00] a really good way to do it.

[00:32:01] Eric Goranson: Um, if you're just doing red guard and a shower system, I don't recommend that because again, we're running into those kinds of problems where you want it to be a hundred percent or as close as you can to, to. Being steam proof or vapor proof. You don't want it where vapors can go through there because vapor will go through stuff that's waterproof pretty easily if you're not careful.

[00:32:23] Eric Goranson: So again, look for that vapor proof. That's what you want to be using. So let's take a second here and talk about plumbing fixtures. And I'm talking about the, the valve and stuff for the shower or tub shower. And your faucet now, to me, those 2 systems have to match each other for it to look correct in that bathroom that I want to see those be a similar or same series.

[00:32:45] Eric Goranson: So it makes sense. And then 2nd of all, I'm really concerned about what we're going to be using. You know, in the shower or tub shower system, because. You want to put in something really nice. This is not where you want to buy the online valving, [00:33:00] because if you have to go in and replumb that in three or four years, cause you've got a cheap system, I would stay way away from that.

[00:33:06] Eric Goranson: This is where you want to go with your name brand lifetime warranty. You know, get the stuff that's right in there so you could put it in there. And if you need a part in 20 years, you can get a part in 20 years. So make sure you get the right system. And you know, this is not where you get the knockoff stuff that you get off of the online sales.

[00:33:25] Eric Goranson: So make sure one, you're buying from your local retailer that is your local plumbing wholesaler. That's the best place to get these things. And traditionally, they're a little higher quality than what you see in the home centers. So take the time on that. And then while you're at it in that wall, make sure you spend some time getting it dialed in and making sure that if you've got rotten pipes or you've got bad electrical.

[00:33:49] Eric Goranson: Make sure that before you button up that whole system that you've got it dialed in. You know, I like to use Copper when it's coming out of the wall for instance for the the [00:34:00] shower arm. I like to go to metal there I like doing in depending on building code in your always follow building code But I do like to see that tub showers rough out to be copper because it's just more durable And so there's places that you know using packs is great, but I do like to see anytime.

[00:34:16] Eric Goranson: There's a stub out You've got some metal in there locked in. So, you know, you've got that good because last thing to do is have that moving around. So anytime that I come through a wall for a valve, I like to go to. To copper if I can. So I've got something there to do that. So that can be a mix of sweat and copper to, um, to using PEX expansion fittings.

[00:34:37] Eric Goranson: But here's the thing, no matter what, do not use any shark bites or push to connect fittings inside the wall. Uh, that's just a recipe for disaster. It could be a leak. Use your permanent fittings behind the wall that are meant to be there. So, uh, I don't like using anything that's got a gasket, anything like that, that has an O ring that could blow up.

[00:34:57] Eric Goranson: Down the road. So just, you know, use the [00:35:00] right connectors. And when in doubt, if you've got a system on that shower wall, where you're putting it in there, if you need access, sometimes if it's in the back of a closet or something like that, it's great, put a big access panel in behind it so you can work on it.

[00:35:12] Eric Goranson: Didn't access panels are a great way to, to give access to things that you don't maybe need to, you know, many times in the shower, you've got a bedroom or you've got a closet or there, or a master closet. If you can use something that's behind the wall in there, so you can get in there to work on it. Or even just inspect it to make sure nothing's leaking.

[00:35:31] Eric Goranson: That's a great day. So, uh, using access panels wherever you can that are hidden in other rooms or even underneath that could be stuff that's just brilliant. So, uh, think about accessing it when you're getting in there. If you're putting in a jetted tub, make sure that you've got an access panel. That if that motor quits or the pump quits that you can get in there and change it out and the more you can do to be innovative by coming through the room next door or something like that, the better off you are.

[00:35:56] Eric Goranson: I think it's just brilliant to go that way and then you're not having to worry about [00:36:00] dealing with a tile pattern or a wall pattern. A little planning goes a long way. So let those things be your friends. If you need to have them in there, it's an easy way to get to work and not have to be doing drywall repairs later.

[00:36:12] Eric Goranson: So that's a great snap closed system. Hmm. And, uh, if you need access into it, it's a good way to do it without having to cover it up and hope to get back into it one day. Now, guys, one of the last tips I've got for you on this subject of bathrooms is considering the design of the shower. And this is a big one, and this is something that I've noticed over the years has been a big issue.

[00:36:33] Eric Goranson: A lot of people like to do these wet rooms where maybe the tub, the toilet, and the shower are all one big space, and then you walk into the room and part of that shower is just open. Now, here's the problem with this, because there's no door. It makes for a cold shower feeling. So if you're going to do that whole wet space, make sure that you do a heated tile floor, heated towel bench, that kind of stuff, that's going to make it seem.

[00:36:57] Eric Goranson: More comfortable and as well as that [00:37:00] room gets really cold, especially if you have a high ceiling in there. So Many times I'll have somebody do like a five foot by four foot shower. That's a big master bath shower there I don't want a door on it or it's open to the air up above because it's a vault or something like that Be very careful that because now you're stuck having to stand under the water at all times And you stand away from the water real quick to grab some soap or something And you're instantly cold.

[00:37:27] Eric Goranson: So most of the people like 90 percent of the people that I've said, Hey, we're going to do this. And we're not going to put the door on almost always within a year. They put the door on and so really think about creating a warm space for you to shower like a steam shower would versus an open space.

[00:37:45] Eric Goranson: That's cold. And then what happens is, is that space gets a lot. Um, you know, it just gets cold in there and it's not comfortable. So think about that. As well as just kind of the overall design of how this is going to work. Do you want [00:38:00] to have to clean around the base of the tub and get the mold and mildew around there because you've got it in the shower or vice versa with the toilet?

[00:38:08] Eric Goranson: And many times you can't have an electric outlet in there for a bidet toilet seat. So that's could be an issue. So really think about that. It's kind of like the myth of putting the chandelier over the top of the bathtub. In most cases, because most bathrooms don't have a high enough ceiling, you can't do that because if you think about this, guys, if you stand in that bathtub and you can touch the light, that could be the death of you via electrocution.

[00:38:32] Eric Goranson: So you don't want that. So many times I'll have clients bring in that Pinterest. You know, picture and go now can't do it many times. People have added that light fixture after the fact, after the final inspection, because most home inspectors won't allow you to do it and in states where you actually allow your home insurance person to go walking through.

[00:38:55] Eric Goranson: That can be another issue as well. So be very careful of that. So [00:39:00] watch out for those things that are kind of the gotchas and that's going to be some of those bathroom designs that are the entire wet room. Okay. That can be an issue as well as if you have, uh, you know, a floor vent or something like that.

[00:39:11] Eric Goranson: You might have to close that up. So think about all these different things and how they're going to fit into the plan. And no matter what, if you're going to hire somebody, have a good contract that shows exactly what's going to happen and make sure that you check to make sure they're licensed, sponsored, insured and their tile setters know what they're doing.

[00:39:28] Eric Goranson: And if they can be. CTI certified. So let's see if we can get something like that. Look for that certification. And that's the end of our one of around the house. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back.