Atlantic City in two public records
From NOAA. The NOAA engineering weather station for this page is Atlantic City itself. For an average year there, NOAA's Atlantic City station tallies roughly 461 hours when the wet-bulb temperature sits above 73°F, and roughly 1,517 hours when it sits above 67°F.
From the water authority. A drinking-water fact, as the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority states it: the authority lists two surface reservoirs, Kuehnle Pond Dam and Doughty Pond Dam, holding about 500 million gallons between them, along with twelve wells that run 200 to 675 feet deep.
Neither record says anything about your bathroom. What follows is about the room itself and the people who will bid on it.
Who uses the room, and when
Picture an ordinary weekday morning. Count who needs the bathroom, in what order, and what slows them down. A household where two people get ready at once has different needs from one where a single person showers at night. Jot down answers to questions like these:
- Does anyone wait for the sink while someone else is in the shower?
- Is there a place to hang two towels to dry, or only one?
- Does anyone in the house have trouble stepping over a tub wall?
- Do children bathe here, and does someone kneel beside the tub to help?
- What lives on the counter because there is no drawer or shelf for it?
These notes are the brief for the design. A remodeler who reads them can propose changes that fix daily friction instead of only swapping finishes.
Draw the room before the first visit
You do not need drafting skills. On graph paper, draw the outline of the bathroom and mark the door swing, the window, the toilet, the sink and the tub or shower. Measure wall to wall, and note the ceiling height and the width of the doorway. Mark where the light switch and outlets sit today. Take one photo of each wall, plus the floor and ceiling.
Hand the same sketch and photos to every bidder. When each one prices the same drawing, the quotes that come back describe the same room.
Choosing a shower floor
If the plan includes a new shower, the floor beneath it shapes much of the work. Common routes include:
- A molded pan. A one-piece base set on the subfloor, with walls tiled or paneled above it.
- A tiled floor over a sloped bed. Mortar or a foam tray creates the pitch toward the drain, and a membrane goes on top.
- A linear drain. A long, narrow grate along one wall, which lets the floor slope one way and suits larger tile.
- A curbless entry. The shower floor sits level with the bathroom floor. Ask how the floor framing will be lowered or built up to make the slope work.
For each option, ask what the subfloor needs, how the drain will be reached later, and how water at the shower edge is kept from reaching the rest of the floor.
Protecting the walls behind the finish
The tile or panels you pick are the visible part. Behind them, a waterproof layer does the real job. Ask each bidder to name the product they plan to use and to describe where it starts and stops. Ask how the inside corners, the valve opening and any niche will be sealed, and whether the shower floor will be filled with water and left to stand before tile goes on. A dated photo of that test is worth keeping.
Moving moist air outdoors
General advice for any bath: an exhaust fan only helps when the duct carries the air outside the house. Questions worth asking:
- What airflow and sound rating does the proposed fan carry?
- Where will the duct end, and what kind of cap closes it?
- How long is the duct run, and how many bends does it make?
- Will a humidity sensor or timer keep it running after the shower stops?
A quiet fan is more likely to be switched on and left on, so listen to one in person if you can.
Storage at the vanity
Measure the things you keep in the bathroom now: hair tools, towels, cleaning supplies, spare paper. Then ask whether a vanity with drawers would hold them better than one with doors. A recessed medicine cabinet, a tall cabinet beside the vanity or a shelf above the toilet can take items off the counter. If you want an outlet inside a drawer for a hair dryer, say so before the electrician roughs in the wiring.
Questions for each bidder
Ask these in writing and keep the replies with your papers:
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Which local permits would this job need, and who applies for them and books the inspections?
- Will the plumber and electrician be on your payroll or subcontracted?
- Will you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation before work begins?
For anything about your own homeowner's policy while the work is underway, call your insurer.
Lining up the answers
Ask every contractor to return a proposal that follows your sketch and notes, in the same order:
- tear-out, debris removal and dust barriers for the hallway;
- the shower floor method and the waterproofing product by name;
- wall and floor finishes, with product names and the area each covers;
- vanity, top, sink, faucet, toilet and shower valve, each with a model number;
- fan model, duct path and control;
- light fixtures, outlets and any heated floor;
- permits, inspection visits, final cleanup and the written warranty.
Ask, as well, how many working days the room will be out of service and how payments line up with stages of finished work.