Your heart is set in a new bathroom, this is why you need a bathroom remodel when your design is stale or out of fashion. The only problem is that your dreams may come into conflict with the rules and regulations of Orange County. When it comes to building codes, planning ahead is much better than trying to do things as a last minute idea, and your bathroom is an area where you would prefer not to have to redo all your hard work after the fact.
How is it possible that you can dig through the mountain of compliance requirements that could apply to your project? While working with a professional bathroom remodeling company is the only guaranteed solution to maintain the level, educating yourself on the basics is also a good way to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Here are seven codes you should know.
1. Size of the shower
Different counties may impose minimum shower sizes, but if you live in Orange County you must adhere to the Orange County’s Building Code. The shower screens cannot be too long or thin, since they must be able to cover circles of 30 inches in diameter. The rules also specify where you have to take the measurements and what is allowed to stand out in the shower space, such as valves and safety bars.
2. Shower doors
Easy access is a must for shower doors. Yours must open up to the bathroom and must maintain free space zones without obstructions that are at least 22 inches wide.
3. Plumbing accessories and water conservation
Home builders conserve water by setting maximum flow rates for different types of accessories. These rates vary for faucets, shower heads, toilets and other accessories. To pass the inspection, you must also update everything that does not comply with the standards.
4. Support boards: material options
The areas around your showers and restrooms must be adequately water resistant. While you can choose from a variety of moisture-blocking materials, such as fiber cement sheets or reinforced plaster, you should make sure that these components extend at least 6 feet above the floor level.
5. Ventilation Required
It is assumed that the bathrooms should include some type of mechanical ventilation. Any exhaust fan you use must be Energy Star-compatible, electrically separated from the lighting and controlled by easily accessible humidistats.
6. Electric rules
Water and electricity make neighbors dangerous, so Orange County building compliance department demands that you take precautions. In addition to separating the output circuits from the lighting circuits, you will need to use ground fault current switches, or GFCI, hardware whenever you want to place an outlet 6 feet from a sink, shower or tub.
7. Lighting rules
Its lighting must use high-efficiency fixtures and, in bathrooms, it must include automatic vacuum sensors to save electricity. There are also restrictions on the type of recessed lighting you can use, so be sure to follow the rules before falling in love with a particular fixture.
These rules may seem too much to memorize, but talking with an expert from a professional bathroom remodeling company could be the turning point you need in making decisions that solve your bathroom needs and also meets the [service area] compliance code.