Before you start renovating, take note of these 10 mistakes and pitfalls that could turn your home makeover into an unforgettable experience in all the wrong ways.
1. Not taking photos of a utility system before renovation
Before you hide all the wires and other systems behind the walls, you should mark them on the plan or at least take a photo of the wall: this will allow you to know where they are so you won’t damage them when you put up shelves, TVs, and other things on the walls.
2. Light switch placement
If you put the light switch too high, children will have to jump to reach it, and if you put it near the door hinges, you will have to walk into darkness a lot. The best place is on the side of the door handle at 2.5 ft. In the bedroom, you should have 2 light switches: one at the entrance and the other one near the bed so you don’t have to walk all the way from one end of the room to the other before you go to sleep. The same principle works for long halls: 2 light switches eliminate the necessity to walk around the whole hallway.
3. Floor covering with a pattern
When choosing a floor covering, it’s hard to resist buying easy options like laminate or wood boards with a beveled edge, textured tiles, or linoleum that looks like wood. In fact, any texture on the floor will get dirty all the time and it will be extremely difficult to keep it clean. If you do this, it will take you much more time to clean your apartment.
4. Floors that are too light or too dark
White floors or black floors guarantee that you’ll have to clean way more often. This is the perfect background to see all the dust and dirt present. The best option is to choose a grayish color since it’s hard to spot dust on it.
5. Soundproofing
Plastic pipes have one serious flaw: sound resonates in them too well and reveals everything about what your neighbors do in the bathroom. That being said, this room’s pipes should be wrapped in soundproofing material.
6. Wood in the kitchen
Laminate and wood are the worst materials for the floor in the kitchen. You may accidentally spill some soup and there will always be a mark on the floor. So the best option here is linoleum or tile.
7. Bathroom ceilings made of drywall
Even waterproof drywall will not protect your bathroom from the neighbors upstairs. A stretch ceiling is a perfect protection against flooding: the water will remain above the ceiling instead of spreading all around the house.
8. Floor heating without a timer
It’s very nice to have warm floors. What could be better than that? Well, floor heating with a timer, of course! In the morning, you won’t have to wait until the floor is warm. And if you have floor heating in the bathroom, you eliminate the risk of getting mold.
9. Not putting sidewalls in the bathroom
In the spot where the bathtub comes into contact with the wall, the sides should be tilted. If you leave some space in between, all the water will be on the floor. But if you put some material in between, chances are the water will remain in the corners. That way, there’s a chance of having fungus in your bathroom.
10. Forgetting a bathtub tilt
If your bathtub has a flat bottom, it should be installed at a tilt relative to the drainage. The tilt should be just about 3° to 5°, you don’t need more. If the bathtub is absolutely level, you will have to make water go down the drain by yourself every single time you use it.
