Page 10 October 26, 2017 TORRANCE TRIBUNE
Big, Smart Ideas For Renovating Smaller Homes
(BPT) - While newly constructed homes
are bigger than ever, most Americans still
live in modestly sized or even small houses
- and many of these owners are choosing to
remodel rather than move into a bigger home.
More than half of all American houses
were built before 1980, according to the
National Association of Home Builders. At
that time, the average new home size was
slightly more than 1,700 square feet, U.S.
Census Bureau data shows. Meanwhile,
interest in remodeling is at an all-time high,
according to Metrostudy.
Homeowners looking to renovate their
average-sized homes in order to get more
living space don’t have to build costly
additions. Many modern remodeling tactics,
tricks and tools are made to work well in
smaller homes. Here are ways to get the
most out of your home renovation:
Plumbing can be problematic in any
renovation, but adding plumbing in certain
smaller-house locations can be especially
challenging. Traditional plumbing may require
you to open walls and floors to connect to
existing drainage lines, or break through
concrete to add toilets, showers and sinks
when finishing a basement.
Above-floor plumbing can solve a number
of small-space challenges. For example, you
may decide to add a powder room in the
unused space beneath a stairway. However,
if the space is very small, a standard toilet
with water tank and traditionally plumbed
sink might not fit. In such a situation, a
compact, one-piece macerating toilet like the
Sanicompact from Saniflo installs quickly,
easily and conveniently
in tight spots.
Traditional plumbing
can also be a challenge
in renovations where
you’re adding plumbing
below a main level, such
as installing a bathroom
with a shower or even
a second kitchen in a
basement setting.
However, a Sanistar
one- p i e c e , wa l l -
mounted toilet with
built-in macerator
allows you to add a
basement bathroom
w i t h o u t c u t t i n g
concrete. For adding
sinks or showers, gray
water pumps such as
the Saniswift can be
as compact as a small
wastebasket, and can
carry water away
from new bathrooms
or kitchens where no
traditional plumbing exists.
If you’re adding a bathroom or kitchen
in your average-sized, average-age home,
it may also be a good idea to replace the
water heater - especially if it’s 10 or more
years old.
Modern tank water heaters are more
energy efficient, but also larger as a result
of the insulation needed to achieve greater
efficiency. Tankless water heaters require
less room, solving space problems. Plus,
they’re more energy efficient because
they heat the water only when you need
it, rather than using fuel to maintain the
temperature in a large tank.
If your home is older, it may have fewer
or smaller windows than newly constructed
homes. However, if you crave more natural
light, you don’t have to sacrifice wall
space to windows or incur the expense of
opening a wall.
Skylights and tube skylights can bring
more natural light into a home. Modern
skylights are energy efficient and far less
prone to leaks than older models. A standard
skylight can easily be installed in rooms
with direct roof access, and tube skylights
can even bring natural light to ground-floor
spaces. Plus, skylights allow you to preserve
privacy in settings where it matters most,
such as bathrooms.