Antonio Piromalli Home and Art

The most popular Split Level house renovations are projects to finish unfinished or partly finished areas, opening up the main floor, updating the kitchen, adding bathrooms to the main (formal living area) floor and to the upper level (bedrooms area).

Many people want to create more openness in the main floor of a split level, which usually consists of living room, dining room, kitchen and possibly a bedroom. Openness can certainly be achieved by removing some of the walls between rooms. You will need to be sure you know which walls are load-bearing walls. For example, you might want more openness between the kitchen and the dining room. Either removing the wall or replacing the wall with a counter will open up the area and feel more spacious. Removing the wall between the living room and dining room can also open up the area and make it more conducive to entertaining.

It is not uncommon for split level homes with four levels to have an unfinished bottom level. Finishing this area is really no different from finishing any basement. It will be important, however, to check on ceiling height early in the planning stages of the project. A number of split level homes have lower ceilings on the bottom floor.

The desire to add a bathroom to any home is quite common. Split levels often offer two important opportunities for bathroom additions. First, most split level homes were not built with a bathroom on the main (formal living area) floor. Many homeowners would like to add at least a half-bath or powder room on the main floor for the comfort and convenience of guests or for elderly or disabled family members. Determining the location of the new bathroom is a challenge in most split levels. Logic and cost-consciousness would suggest locating the new bathroom near (next to, above or below) existing plumbing. This allows you to use existing supply and removal pipes. Depending on the floor plan, however, this might not be workable. Location of pipes to a new bathroom on the main floor will also require some attention to the ceiling height of the floor below (if there is one). If the lower level has typically lower ceilings, placement of plumbing might depend upon where you can run pipes without making the lower level unusable. You can get a quick estimate of the cost to finish a split-level homes basement at www.remodelestimates.com.

Adding a bathroom on the bedroom level is also a very popular renovation to a split level. Many split level homes have only a shared bathroom on this floor. Other designs include a very small master bathroom. Whether your remodeling plan involves adding a second bathroom or enlarging a master bathroom, it will be necessary to sacrifice space somewhere on that floor. Again, you will probably want to try to build the new bathroom close to existing plumbing, if possible to reduce the amount of work required and to control the cost of your renovation. Enlarging a master bathroom in a split level will almost certainly require taking space from the bedroom. One solution might be a bump out or add an addition that spans both the bathroom and the master bedroom. The key to success for remodeling projects is to be organized — try getting an organizer like the one at www.remodelingorganizer.com.

Although split level home designs present some unique challenges to remodelers, with a creative eye to design, careful planning, and attention to detail, most of the changes you might want to make are possible.

Copyright 2007 by ABCD Publishing

Turn off Water

If any pipes are leaking or broken, turn off the water immediately to prevent further leakage and damage. There should be a turn off handle behind the toilet, but if the leak is somewhere you may have to turn off the water for the whole house.

Remove Water

If there is any or a lot of water in the area, take the time to remove all of it before cleaning. Use towels, rags, a shop vac, or anything you can to make sure you get every bit.

Dry Items

Wipe down all walls, wood paneling, and any wood furniture in the room. Moist wood can mold and produce moisture quickly, causing a mold problem. It’s important to have every thing dried off in advance. After drying everything and removing all water, let everything dry off for a little while before beginning to clean.

Ventilate

Turn on the ceiling vent fan if you have one in the bathroom, and open any windows in or near the area as well. The more airflow, the better so also bring in any floor fans you have as well.

Launder Fabrics

Any towels, bath rugs, or any other launder-able item needs to dried and laundered immediately. Put on gloves and squeeze out any extra water.

Remove Debris

If there is any debris or dirt in the area, put on some gloves and boots and remove it as carefully and quickly as possible. Use industrial garbage bags and one-time use rags (You can get bags or boxes of industrial paper towels or rags at auto supplies stores for cheap) to clean and clear all the dirt away.

Sanitize

Make a basic mixture of bleach and water and go over all the walls, floors, and even ceiling with it. You can do this in parts (with all windows open!) because the smell will be strong, and the fumes aren’t really good for you.

Clean Normally

Once you’ve removed the debris and de-sanitized, you’ll have to wait awhile for the fumes to clear. Once this is done, get your regular bathroom cleaners and gloves and go through and clean like you would normally. Pay special attention to any wood paneling at the bottom of the sink and around anything touching the floor.

Check for Mold

With any water damage, there’s always a risk of mold. Once clean, go around the bathroom and check for signs of mold or structure damage. Feel the walls to make sure they aren’t soft, and look for any sort of discoloration. If you’re unsure, call in a water damage expert to take a look.

Designing a custom bathroom is a timely job when you are creating your dream bathroom. It will go faster when you set your theme after what style of bathroom vanity you choose. Your decorative mirror is the element of your personalized theme and it is noticed by all your guests when they enter your bathroom. To make your bathroom stand out more than other bathrooms you should make sure that it is something that is going to influence your entire theme.

A bathroom vanity is essential in your bathroom because people see it when you enter and exit the bathroom. Your guests use the sink before they exit the room so they also focus on the stylish mirror. The mirror is part of the vanity set because you cleanse your hands while also checking if your make up still looks fresh and your hair is still in place.

The attention that needs to be brought to the guests when they enter the room isn’t drawn to the bathroom vanity it is drawn to the expected mirror positioned over the sink. Since the importance of your mirror is crucial, you need to make sure that it fits into your theme and giving off the value that you expect in your bathroom design. If the centerpiece of your bathroom stands out, the rest of the room will also.

The numerous methods used to accent the details within your bathroom can be done by using the correct size of bathroom vanity and mirror. Also you need to make sure that the vanity and the mirror are trimmed with the same color. When you use a larger vanity you need to use a larger mirror also. To get the warm feel in your bathroom you could use a wood vanity and mirror set or a stone finished counter top.

If you are looking for something that has bold colors, the popular underwater design would fit in your bathroom. You can use a brightly colored shower curtain with some vinyl wall decorations of fish. You could also use a silver accented framed underwater design. If you are really into customizing your bathroom design, you can order a fish shaped mirror to show that you are sticking with the underwater theme. When you use such drastic pieces makes the bathroom vanity stand out when your guests enter your bathroom for the first time.

The sink, shower, and toilet are permanent fixtures. The other two large components to designing your bathroom are the bathroom vanity and mirror. By showing your creative side when choosing your vanity and mirror, they reflect all throughout the room in your customized theme.

You need to make sure that you pick the precise image you want your guests to experience when they enter your bathroom. When you are designing your bathroom, you can look for ideas online or go to your local hardware stores for different ways to put colors to work in a room. When you search for the style you are hoping to achieve then you will be able to pick out your bathroom vanity and custom mirror to be your bathroom’s centerpiece. You need to remember that your bathroom will remain with your guests when they leave your home.