Remodeling a Bathroom (Taunton's Build Like a Pro)

Great book for help remodeling a bathroom. Good photos and step by step instructions

Always quality work from Taunton's

I read great reviews on this book. I agree to a certain extent. Detailed instructions, pro tips, step by step planning and thorough information. However bathroom design and ideas have come on in leaps and bounds. The bathroom ideas and styling is very outdated. This is 1990's style at best. I doubt many people would want to be getting any styling ideas from this book. Great for learning the skills as readers of the "Build like a pro" series would know. I have many myself. Nothing modern or dynamic here. Showers have moved way past these old ideas. Somewhat disappointing in my mind. Surprised how old the ideas are.

I wish there was more discussion about working with not perfect construction like a 120 yo house and it's crooked walls. Most of these books start with square and plumb which this house does not have. It was still helpful as a reference.

Very poor and outdated. Waste of money. Found better info on YouTube.

Remodeling a Bathroom fails at delivering on its title subject...bathroom remodeling. The book's focus is so broad, so wide, as to spend little time talking about things specific to bathrooms, no more than about 10%-15%. Every other trade skill required to remodel a bathroom gets only a little less coverage. But there are better, much more focused books available specific to framing, plumbing, drywall, electricity, tiling, and trim carpentry. The Taunton Press offers complete and thorough books on these subjects I fully recommend. Most people will DIY part of the remodel work and subcontract out work they're uncomfortable with or feel unqualified to tackle. Planning the remodel and subcontracting out work get some mention in chapter 1, but far too little. There's little information on building mud-set showers or shower pans, but considerable information on tiling that shower. There are chapters devoted to framing, doors and moldings, drywalling, but no mention of removing or refinishing or installing a traditional steel/cast-iron bathtub. Page 59 illustrates a solderless copper pipe joining system and describes its advantages; It pictures the required electro-hydraulic installation tool, but then goes on to same that this is a system for professional installation only. The same chapter purports to teach copper piping system design and soldering technique on page 56 to 58. Most of Taunton's "Build Like A Pro" series are really good, but this one misses the mark.

I agree with the other reviewer that this book glossed over a lot of things, but I don't find that too big a problem. I've gotten other books on electrical, plumbing, and tiling that fill in a lot of the missing details. What I liked about this book was the top-down project management view it gave, which is helping me strategize what to do when on my bathroom overhaul. I read through it once at the beginning, now I'm part way through the job (demolition done, plumbing roughed in, and subfloor fixed) and still find myself checking back as I get to each next step. That's giving me an idea of what to look out for as I get to each next step (electrical, tub, vanity, and tile), from there I just go to my other books and the internet with my questions....

I've read some other Taunton "pro" books that were much better. This one was pretty superficial. The book was too focused on what the particular author's bathroom project was like. It also seemed like the author was trying to get in plugs for various particular products that most of us will not ever use. Particularly for electrical wiring issues, I strongly recommend that readers read an excellent book, Rex Cauldwell's "for pros by pros" electrical wiring book, the latest edition.