Why is bathroom remodeling necessary?
The bathroom is one area in the home that experiences the most wear and tear. To deal with this, bathroom repairs are undertaken as and when necessary. Occasionally though, it becomes necessary to remodel a bathroom rather than undertake extensive repairs. Remodeling serves many purposes.
Bathroom remodeling involves redesigning and or new construction, within the bathroom. It offers opportunities for saving energy and water besides effecting improvements in comfort. For example, poor insulation in the bathroom can greatly increase its heating and cooling expenses. Another factor in bathrooms is the effect of moisture. When moisture builds up in the bathroom, it encourages the growth of mold, bacteria, and fungi. This in turn can damage the bathroom structure and maybe even the rest of the house.
Bathroom remodeling to save water:
In a household, half of the entire water consumption is in the bathroom. Remodeling your bathroom to reduce water usage has two major benefits. By reducing water consumption, you pay less for the water you use. The second benefit is energy savings since less water needs to be heated. Replacing old showerheads and faucets by newer models can save up to 17,000 gallons of water per household in a single year. This is because new models have a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) compared to the 6 gpm flow rate in older bathroom fixtures.
Replacing an old toilet also provides water savings. New toilets manufactured are permitted to use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush cycle (gpf). In comparison, conventional flushing systems use up to 5 gpf. For a water-free flush, try a composting toilet. This type of toilet converts human waste into manure for plants and is a great idea for homes in areas with high water rates.
Reducing water heating costs:
Finding a way to reduce water heating costs leads to savings in energy consumption. For water heaters, simply fitting the storage tank with an insulating jacket can minimize the heat lost through the tank's walls by almost 40%. Insulating the hot-water carrying pipes themselves is another way to cut out heat loss. Pipes can be insulated using closed-cell foam or fiberglass insulation.
If the water heater has become old, it is better to replace it with a newer, more efficient model. Sealed combustion, quick recovery water heaters that operate on gas are more cost efficient than their electrically operated counterparts. For bathrooms that are used infrequently, tankless or instantaneous water heaters are a better option. These units use high-powered electrical resistance coils or large gas burners to heat water directly.
