FIRST FLOOR ½ BATH
If you have a first floor ½ bath in a breezeway area you might want to consider a door to the back yard in or near it if possible. It would be useful letting out the dog or kids, and if the kids are in the back yard playing, they won’t have to run all through the house just to go to the bathroom. A door is not a much more money than a window.
PEDESTAL SINKS
Check out pedestal sinks for your half baths. They are not only very attractive, but will usually save you money over vanities, countertops, and sinks. You probably wouldn’t want them in your primary bathrooms however, because vanities offer much more space for bathroom necessities.
HEAT BESIDE THE TOILET
To keep the baseboard heat beside the toilet from rusting from urine splatters, put a good coat of car wax on it, and wash it regularly. Re-coat with the car wax a couple of times a year.
BATHROOM VENTS
One of the biggest moisture problems in homes comes from bathrooms that are not ventilated, or bathroom vents that are underpowered or not always used. Install a good quality bathroom vent, and if you don’t think you can get the kids to turn it on whenever the shower is being used, have it wired in with the light switch. Don’t pinch pennies on a bathroom vent, because a poor quality one will be a real problem to replace when it eventually breaks down, (and it will).
BATHROOM WINDOWS
Bathroom windows need to be safety glass. Some builders don’t know this and some building inspectors don’t check. So make sure yours have safety glass. (It will say tempered or safety glass on the glass.) Most bathroom windows are usually quite small and don’t offer a lot of ventilation. For better ventilation install either a casement window or larger double hung if you have the space for it.
POCKET DOORS
If your half bath is small, and a swing door takes up too much room or would make it difficult entering or exiting, or if it has to open into the hallway, have a pocket door installed if there is enough wall space for it.
