Design temperatures in NOAA's engineering data
NOAA's engineering weather data lists a station named Albany, at an elevation of 292 feet. For that station, NOAA gives a 1% summer design temperature of 86°F, paired with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 72°F, and a 99% winter design temperature of 1°F. These are the published figures for the Albany station, given as NOAA reports them.
Albany's water treatment plant
A drinking-water fact, kept apart from the remodeling advice on this page: Albany's water treatment plant at Feura Bush was constructed from 1928 to 1932 and can process up to 32 million gallons a day.
Which bathroom is this?
Remodeling advice changes with the room. In a powder room that guests use, looks and a quiet fan may matter most. In a hall bath shared by children or housemates, cleanable surfaces, a tub and plenty of hooks may rank high. In a bathroom off the main bedroom, a larger shower, two sinks or a separate toilet area might be worth the space they take.
Write down which kind of room you are working on and what you want it to do better. That single sentence keeps the project pointed in one direction when the choices start to multiply.
A floor plan before the first visit
Sketch the room on graph paper, roughly to scale. Mark the door and the way it swings, the window, the toilet, the sink and the tub or shower. Add the height of the window sill and the location of any heating register or radiator. Photograph each wall and the floor.
Hand the same sketch and photos to every remodeler you invite. They arrive knowing the room, and the walkthrough can focus on what is behind the walls and what you hope to change, rather than on measuring.
Converting a tub to a shower
If you are thinking of replacing a tub with a walk-in shower, then before you decide, ask yourself whether anyone in the house will want a tub for bathing young children or for soaking, and whether there is another tub elsewhere in the house.
If you go ahead, raise these points with each remodeler:
- How will the floor of the shower slope to the drain, and will the drain have to move?
- Can the existing valve stay, or does it need to be replaced to suit the new layout?
- What happens at the wall where the tub apron used to sit?
- Will the entry have a curb, a low threshold or none at all, and what would each take?
- How will the glass, a curtain or an open entry keep spray inside?
Vanity, top and sink combinations
The vanity sets the look of the room and holds much of its storage. Options include a cabinet on the floor, a vanity mounted to the wall with open floor below, a pedestal sink or a console on legs. The top may be a single piece with an integral sink or a slab with a separate bowl set under or on top of it.
Ask each remodeler how the drain and supply lines will meet the vanity you have in mind, whether the wall needs blocking for a mounted vanity, and how the backsplash will be finished. Open the drawers of a display model before you choose; how they slide and close matters every day.
Toilet choices
Toilets differ in bowl shape, seat height, flush type and how they are mounted. A round bowl takes up less floor space; an elongated bowl gives more room to sit. A taller seat is easier for some people to use. A wall-hung toilet leaves the floor clear but places the tank and carrier inside the wall.
Ask the plumber to measure the distance from the wall to the flange before you buy, and ask whether the flange and the floor around it will be checked once the old toilet is lifted.
Doors and privacy
A bathroom door that swings inward can block the vanity or trap someone who has fallen. Ask whether the door could swing outward, slide into a pocket in the wall or be replaced with a barn-style slider, and what each choice involves. Think about frosted glass or a higher window if the room faces a neighbor, and ask whether the lock can be opened from outside in an emergency.
Moving damp air outdoors
As general advice for any bathroom, a fan duct that stops in an attic or a wall cavity can leave moist air inside the house. Ask each remodeler where the duct will go and what cap will close it, what the fan's airflow and sound ratings are, and whether a timer or a humidity sensor will run it after the shower is off. If the room has a window, it is still worth asking about a fan.
Planning for later years
A remodel is a chance to make the room easier to use in the future. Ask about blocking inside the walls for grab bars, a hand shower on a slide bar, lever handles, a seat in the shower and enough clear floor to turn around. Each can be priced as its own line, so you can choose which ones to include now.
Talking with remodelers
Ask each one these questions and keep their answers in writing:
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Which city permits would this remodel need, who would file them, and who would meet the inspector?
- Who on your team does the plumbing and the electrical, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- Will you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation before the start date?
- What does your written warranty cover, and for how long?
Questions about your own homeowner's policy go to your insurer.
Choosing among proposals
The lowest number is only one part of a proposal. Look at how clearly each one describes the work, whether products are named, how the schedule is laid out and how quickly the remodeler answered your questions along the way. A proposal you understand line by line is easier to hold someone to than a short one with a single total.