Affordable Alternatives to Bathroom Replacement

Every homeowner deserves a bathroom that feels equally comfortable and luxurious in its own way. However, most folks tend to associate the idea of maximizing comfort and aesthetics with total renovation or replacement, which tends to be very expensive. But did you know that attaining such goals is possible with a budget that doesn’t break the bank?

If that interests you, then you’ll likely find the information in this article useful, as we’ll cover some of the most affordable alternatives to bathroom replacement.

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Why settle for alternative means instead of replacement?

Before we head over to the subject of focus in this article, let’s get to know why it’s a better idea for you settle for alternative methods instead of replacing bathroom fixtures. Listed below are some of the reasons why a homeowner would prefer other means instead of outright replacement.

1. Overall, it’s much cheaper than replacement

In contrast to the replacement of bathroom fixtures, affordable methods such as painting over and refinishing are less costly. That’s because replacing a bathroom fixture doesn’t only involve the initial purchase cost. Depending on the item, it will or may have installation costs, meaning that you’ll need to get some professionals involved when installing the new fixture; thus, labor costs and thus, more expenses for you.

Compared to methods such as painting over and refinishing, this can have labor costs, but that’s optional since, assuming that you know how to do them, they can become do-it-yourself projects instead.

2. Less disruptive to daily activities

Utilizing alternative means to refresh your bathroom is less disruptive to bathroom activities that happen everyday such as taking a shower or washing your hands. In contrast, replacement of bathroom fixtures can disturb activities for days, weeks, or even months, depending on the project.

If it’s a full-on renovation, your bathroom is effectively unusable for a long time since replacement doesn’t only involve installation but also, potentially, may involve changing the layout and plumbing.

Alternatives to Bathroom Replacement

Just because something in your house isn’t up to your standard doesn’t mean that it requires immediate replacement. That’s because resorting to replacing right away could be more expensive than utilizing alternate means. In this section, we’ll cover all the alternative methods to bathroom fixture replacement, which are more cost-effective and budget-friendly.

1. Refinishing your Fixtures

Through the use of a refinishing kit or by contacting reglazing specialists, you can renew and refresh your bathroom without resorting to replacing any bathroom fixture inside. What they’ll do is the process of refinishing or reglazing to fixtures such as tiles, bathtubs, and the like – applying a brand new layer of glaze to refresh and renew the appearance of a well-cared bathroom fixture.

Refinishing can be a do-it-yourself project, but that’s assuming you have the skills to refinish or reglaze your bathroom. If not, then you’ll have to invest in reglazing services. Sure, it’s a bit pricey at first, but worth the investment, assuming you’d do your part in maintaining your bathroom well.

2. Repainting Surfaces or using Wallpaper

Adding a fresh layer of paint to surfaces such as your countertops or the upper non-tile sections of the wall offers the biggest visual impact at a cost-efficient and cost-effective way. All you need to spend on when repainting surfaces is a brush and pints of paint; ideally, you’d want to work with water-resistant acrylic paint.

The reasoning for that is you’d want to work with paint that won’t wear off at the slightest exposure to water or its vapor inside the bathroom. Alternatively, if paint isn’t exactly up your alley, you can use a water-resistant wallpaper to add color and pattern to the non-tile sections of your bathroom walls.

3. Updating Hardware

While this method is technically a replacement, it feels more like an update since this doesn’t replace the entire bathroom fixture itself, such as a countertop sink. Rather, you are going to update specific parts of the fixture by replacing damaged parts with better and updated hardware, such as faucets, cabinet handles, and the like.

When updating your hardware, this can go in one of two ways – use the brand of your previous hardware but look for the more “contemporary” designs. Alternatively, you can choose hardware with finishes such as brass or a black matte accent.

4. Illuminate and Accessorize

Sometimes, it isn’t even your fixtures that need replacing, but rather, it needs some form of accentuation to elevate their appearance. The addition of new lighting can accentuate an already gorgeous-looking countertop or mirror, whether in the form of overhead lights or sconces.

You can also accentuate a bathroom further by adding framed art or prints on the walls and potted greenery so that your bathroom feels like it’s inside a hotel or a spa. No replacements needed. Try also adding new shower curtains if you have a shower cubicle inside your bathroom.

5. Print Sticking and Grout Renewal

If you’re considering the idea of replacing your tiles, you might want to renew the grout lines and stick vinyl patterns on the bathroom tiles instead. Use a grout pen to either clean or recolor the grout lines along your bathroom tiles. If that’s not enough for you, you can slap on vinyl stickers on the tiles, which come in a variety of patterns that are easy to stick onto the bathroom tiles.

These methods offer a much more budget-friendly way to spice up your bathroom without having to replace your tiles, which can be very expensive as tile prices depend on the material that it uses.

What’s the Bottomline here?

To sum up what we’ve covered, just because you want to update your bathroom’s appearance, it doesn’t always have to end in replacing your pre-existing bathroom fixtures. That’s because replacement, for the most part, requires you to spend a lot of money, and depending on the fixture, it can be disruptive to daily bathroom activities.

Instead, try giving the methods we’ve covered a try since these can offer the same benefits of refreshing and renewing the appearance of the bathroom, but at a fraction of a renovation’s cost, and are much less intrusive to daily bathroom use.