A Step-by-Step Guide to DIY Bathroom Remodels

Assuming you’re partially or totally renovating your bathroom, you’ll need to start by removing drywall and any fixtures you’re replacing. Gutting the bathroom yourself isn’t too difficult, but make sure to follow these steps to avoid any costly mistakes during the demolition phase.

After you’ve gutted your bathroom, you can start installing your new fixtures. If there are any signs of rotting wood or water damage to your subfloor, you should replace it before installing your new shower to prevent further damage.

For a shower or tub replacement, you’ll want to pick a pan or basin that fits your new decor, as well as the space where your current tub sits. Basins usually come in a rectangular, square or pentangle (one corner cut off) shape. When choosing a base shape, make sure you the other features of your bathroom into account, including the location of the door.

You could also consider installing a combination shower and bath tub if you have the space. While walk-in showers are more appealing to many homeowners, it’s recommended to keep at least one tub in the house for resale value.

After prepping your subfloor, you can start laying your new flooring. While tile is a classic choice, consider affordable and DIY-friendly alternatives like laminate or vinyl.

If you choose tile, use a mason’s chalk line to mark reference lines perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the wall with the longest continuous line. This will allow you to keep your tiles in a straight line as you place them throughout the room. Find more tips for laying bathroom floor tiles here.

The next step in your bathroom remodel is to hang your new drywall. This can be time-consuming, as you have to cut the new drywall to fit around your shower walls, vanity and other features. Once you start nailing up the boards, though, you should be able to get through this process quickly.

These are some important DIY bathroom remodeling tips to keep in mind during this step:

• Use drywall mud and tape to cover seams and fill in gaps.
• Use cement board instead of drywall for the shower/tub wall.
• Coat the cement board with Redgard or another waterproofing membrane to guard against water damage.

After you’ve put your walls back together, you can start adding some color to your bathroom. Painting the walls is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to freshen things up and give your space a whole new look. It’s best to use paint with a semi-gloss finish, which is easy to wipe down and resistant to mold and mildew.

After you’ve taken care of the walls, you can bring in the vanity, cabinets and any other major items left on your bathroom renovation punch list.

Install the vanity first, including the sink and faucet. Once you have the drain hooked up to the faucet, you can move on to the other essentials such as the mirror, cabinets and trim around the shower or tub.

Configure and install your new lighting fixtures. If they are sized differently than your old ones, you'll need to adjust the wiring and potentially spackle around existing holes in the wall.

This step may involve moving the power outlets if your new vanity fills the space differently from what you had before. After all, you don’t want to be reaching down next to the toilet to plug in your hair dryer every day. You should call in an electrician for this step, especially if you have never worked with home wiring before. Here’s a guide on how to hire a contractor if you plan to outsource part of the job.

At this point in the process, your bathroom actually resembles a bathroom, except for one thing: the toilet. While you can reinstall your toilet earlier in the remodel process, leaving it until the end prevents the risk of chipping it while you work on other parts of the bathroom.