Bathroom Remodeling

Bathroom Remodeling in Los Angeles

Almost every failed bathroom we are called in to repair failed in the same place, behind the tile. Tile is not waterproof and grout is not waterproof. The membrane under them is, and it is the one part of the job nobody can see once it is finished, which is exactly why it gets skipped. We build the wet area as the assembly it is supposed to be, photograph it before it is covered, and hand you the photos. The efficiency side is simpler than people expect, because in a bathroom the water and the energy are the same decision.

What this saves you

• Water
• Gas

Every gallon you do not run through the shower is also a gallon you did not pay to heat, and water heating is the largest gas line in a California home.

• A WaterSense showerhead saves a family more than 2,700 gallons and more than 330 kWh a year, worth around $70 in water and energy combined.

  Source: U.S. EPA WaterSense

• Replacing old toilets with WaterSense models saves roughly 13,000 gallons and $130 a year for an average family.

  Source: U.S. EPA WaterSense

• Water heating is 59% of the average California home's gas use, so hot water is where bathroom efficiency actually shows up on a bill.

  Source: California Energy Commission

The straight answer

Low-flow fixtures got a bad reputation twenty years ago and it has stuck. Modern WaterSense showerheads are pressure-compensating and most people cannot tell the difference. If you can, we will swap it, because a fixture you hate gets replaced with an unrestricted one and then nothing was saved at all.

Works best with: Plumbing Flooring

Savings depend on your house, your equipment and how you use it. We will not quote you a guaranteed number, and neither should anyone else. See the rebates currently available

The part you never see

Cement board or a foam backer on the walls, a bonded waterproofing membrane over it, a properly sloped and flood-tested shower pan, a curb detailed so water runs back in rather than out, and sealed penetrations at the valve and the drain. A flood test is two hours of patience that prevents a subfloor replacement five years later. We do it on every shower and we show you the result.

Fixtures, ventilation and hot water

WaterSense showerheads, faucets and toilets as standard rather than as an upgrade. Exhaust ventilation sized to the room and ducted outside, because an undersized fan is why mirrors stay fogged, paint peels and mould appears. Insulated hot water lines and, where the run from the heater is long, an on-demand recirculation button so you are not pouring warm water down the drain waiting for hot. In pre-1970s Valley homes we also routinely find galvanized supply, scaled cast iron waste and no vent where one is now required, and we inspect before we quote rather than tiling over it.

Accessibility without the institutional look

Curbless entries, blocked walls ready for grab bars whether or not you want them today, a bench detailed into the pan, lever handles and a slip-resistant floor tile. Aging-in-place details cost very little at rough-in and are expensive to add later, so we ask the question up front.

What’s included

• Bonded waterproofing membrane and flood-tested shower pans
• WaterSense showerheads, faucets and toilets specified as standard
• Insulated hot water lines and on-demand recirculation on long runs
• Correctly sized exhaust ventilation ducted to the outside
• Walk-in, curbless and frameless glass shower conversions
• Grab-bar blocking and aging-in-place details at rough-in

Questions we get about Bathroom Remodeling