10 under $20: DIY Bathroom Projects
Update your Bathroom for Under $200
Budget-conscious DIYers beware. You really can update your bathroom for under
$200. Here are 10 projects that each cost $20 or less. Get your toolbelt on, and get
ready to renovate.
1. Showerhead: Get the gunk out.
Has your shower been spitting at you lately? Get the shower stream back to its
heyday by removing lime, scale and minerals from both outside—and inside—the
showerhead. Simply remove it from the shower arm (use a wrench rather than pliers
to protect the finish; if an adjustable wrench, make sure its a snug fit to prevent
rolling the corners of the fitting over). Next, place the showerhead in a bowl then
cover with a 50-50 solution of CLR and soakfor two minutes (follow CLR’s specific
directions.) Replace the showerhead. Note: you may want to wrap the threads on the
shower arm with new Teflon tape prior to installing the showerhead to prevent leaks.
You’ll need a bottle of CLR ($8) and thread seal (Teflon) tape ($1.20). Total cost: $9.20
2. Turn back the clock with a little paint
If your bathroom is showing the wear-and-tear of a busy family, the baseboard
and shoe molding is usually the first to show age. Freshen up your bathroom
with a little paint. You’ll need tape--we like Frog Tape—($5), a brush ($3), and
semi-gloss paint ($10). Total cost: $18
3. <PHOTO>Brighten caulk around your tub and shower.
There’s nothing that says ‘sad, old bath’ more than cracked and aged caulk. And
you’ll help prevent water seeping behind the shower/bath, that leads to mold
and other unsavory issues. Choose a latex caulk made for bathrooms. We always
reach for low-VOC whenever possible. Use a 5-in-1 tool to carefully remove the
old caulk, use a nonabrasive pad to clean up the residue, and then dry out the
area with your hairdryer. Cut the tip off the tube of caulk at an angle. Then insert
the tube into a caulk gun, and just like with paint, you can tape off the area,
before you caulk. You can smooth a damp paper towel along the bead, but a wet
fingertip works best (have a small bucket of water and sponge handy to wipe off
built-up caulk and re-wet your finger). And then wait for about 24 hours before
you use the shower/bath. It’s not a glamorous DIY task, but you will feel more
like a celebrity when you enter the bath after this job is done. You’ll need caulk
gun ($3+), low-VOC bath sealant/caulk ($7), Hyde 5-in-1 tool ($5), and optional
tape ($5). Total cost: $20
4. Prevent a Disaster
Replace old supply lines to toilet and sink with stainless steel jacketed supply lines.
The little hose that runs between the plumbing fitting on your wall and the back of
your faucet or toilet may have seen better days. And as anyone who has had a flood
because one of these inexpensive little items decided it was done holding in water
can attest, a flood costs more than the replacement hose—which costs less than $20.
Replacing them is straightforward. First, shut off the water (a shut-off valve is
usually right there.) Next, use a wrench and remove the hose from the supply and
the sink. Expect a little water to come out. Nothing a sponge can’t handle. Add Teflon
tape to each male end and thread on new supply line. Tighten with wrench. Turn
water back on and think about all the disaster you’re not experiencing because you
were Johnnie (Or Janie)-on-the-spot.
5. <PHOTO>Mirror, mirror on my wall
An easy project that really changed our MyFixitUpLife bathroom: We added a $5
vanity mirror called Frack from IKEA. One side with magnifying mirror. Waterresistant; suitable for use in high humidity. It does double-duty above our sink
and extends for easy use for when Mark shaves in the shower. Just align the
mirror where you want to place it, mark the screw holes with a pencil. Make a
pilot hole, and then screw in place with pan-head screws. You’ll need: Frack
mirror from IKEA ($5).
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/38006200 Total cost: $5
6. PHOTO
Get organized!
Organization is so important to keeping a clean bathroom. And I’m over the days of
moving several tiny bottles out of the way inside a vanity to search for another tiny
bottle, and having a stack of towels fall on me inside the linen closet. When we
renovated our bathroom, we took out the linen closet and incorporated open
shelves with linen bins and linen boxes. Everyone in our family as a personal bin,
and there’s a bin for towels, for sheets, for medicine, for everything. You’ll need
linen bin or box that start at $8 from the Container Store. Total cost: $8+
7. Get stylish w/ new shower curtain and bath mat
If you want to update your bathroom in a pinch, a new shower curtain and bath
mat always do the trick. Target has a line of Room Essentials 100% cotton
shower curtains in garnet, guacamole, and aqua chrome, and matching bath
mats. You’ll need shower curtain ($9.99) and bath mat ($9.99)
http://www.target.com/Room-Essentials-Shower-Curtain-Chrome/ Total cost:
$20
8. Are you hiding a broken tile with strategically placed bath mat?
Fixing broken tile can be easier than you think. First, remove the broken tile. You
may be able to pry it up, but tapping it with a hammer until it breaks more is
probably more effective (wear safety glasses; have a dust pan and or vac handy.)
Next, remove the existing thinset and grout back to the substrate. While this has
become project d’jour for the wave of oscillating tools on the market we’ve had
success using our Hyde 5-in-1 tool like a chisel, chipping thinset out with the
blade of the tool and some judicious hammer blows. Clear and remove dust from
the area all the way to the surrounding tiles. Next, mix up a batch of quicksetting thinset and apply according to instruction (you’ll need a notched trowel;
it’s probably best to “butter” the back of the new tile you’re installing). Re-set the
new tile. Make sure to the keep its surface even (or as tile guys might say “inplane”) with the surrounding tiles. Allow thinset to dry, then apply same color
grout as on the rest of the floor following manufacturer instructions.
9. Make a simple shelf
Shelves are great upgrades and fun to make. You don’t even need power tools
(Mark can’t believe that’s being said!) Anyway, take a 1x6 and cut it to desired
length—that’s the shelf top. Take another length of 1x6 and cut it 4 inches
shorter than the shelf top. This is the brace. Position the brace perpendicular to
the shelf top (the two pieces form an L) and fasten through top shelf into brace.
Next, cut two pieces of 1x6 eight inches long. These are brackets. (Note: to add a
refined look cut an angle off the bottom corner such that it tapers back to the
wall.) Fasten to the brackets to the ends of the brace. Also fasten through the
shelf top into the brackets. Hang the shelf by fastening through the brace into a
wall stud or using hollow wall anchors. If you want to get fancy (and have the
tools) cut a scroll detail on the brackets with a jigsaw and shape the edge of the
shelf-top with a router. Add hard-cut nails to the brace as “hooks”. Finish by
rubbing with boiled linseed oil or paint.
10. Clean the Vent/Fan
If there’s a place in the bathroom that gets gunked up, it’s the louvers in the
bathroom fan or fan/light. They inhale particles in the air as the unit ejects steam
from the bathroom. Eventually enough of them get gummed up in there to…well…
cleaning it is easy. The louvers on many fans fan/lights are held tight to the fixture by
a small wire V-spring on either side. The key to removing it is usually to pull both sides
down evenly. Often, however, the louvers haven’t moved since the light was put in
and is in the habit of staying put. To get it started—and so we can get our fingers in
between the louvers and the ceiling—we usually slide the blade of a 5-in-1 tool
between the louvers and the ceiling and gently pry. Pull the louvers down from the
fan body. Usually pinching the V-Spring will release it from the fixture. Then use a
brush and soapy water to clean the louvers. Once dry, re-install. Oh, and since you’ll
probably be on a ladder doing this, be careful. Then, once you’re done, not only will
the fan look better, it’ll work better.
11. Update towel hardware
To add a nautical theme to your bath—or just some hooks that work—think
about a visit to the local hardware store for a few inexpensive boat cleats. Use
hollow wall anchors or catch a stud when you install them. Set vertically, they give
a nice look and can hang everything from a bathrobe to a bath towel. Set
horizontally, consider storing smaller items on there like kids’ bath items, smaller
towels, even make-up bags or shaving kits for visitors.
12. Update Light Fixtures
Brighten up the bathroom by updating your light fixture. Light fixtures themselves
can be attractive and inexpensive—a nice mix. And assuming the electric in your
house is in decent shape, switching out bland for grand can be pretty easy. The
instructions on whatever light fixture you choose trumps our how-to guidance here,
but generally speaking, it goes like this: find the breaker in the panel and turn it off.
Next, remove the existing device. Once you have it free from the wall or ceiling it’ll
still be connected by wires, probably twisted and wire-nutted together. (We always
pass a voltage meter over the wires at this point to be doubly sure they’re not hot.)
We dis-assemble the wires (including the green ground wire) and set the fixture
aside. The new device should pretty much be installed in reverse order of what you
just did. If wires are color coated, match them up—white-to-white, black-to-black—
although many fixtures do not require it (both their wires are black.) Make sure to
install the ground wire. Stuff wires back into the box neatly. You’ll need pliers, a
screw driver and a ladder. Note: Here’s one from the old house file: If you have an
old house—think plaster walls and old wiring—expect this project to be a big can of
worms.
For stylish fixtures that start at just $14, go to Lighting Direct. Total cost: $14
http://www.lightingdirect.com/designers-fountain-b103-traditional-classic-threelight-down-lighting-24-wide-bathroom-fixture-from-the-mix-and-matchcollection/p806068
http://www.lightingdirect.com/quorum-international-5403-1-195-traditionalclassic-single-light-4-25-wide-bathroom-fixture/p729845
http://www.lightingdirect.com/international-lighting-5535-traditional-classic-onelight-down-lighting-wall-sconce-with-etched-glass-from-the-nostalgia/p1575119