Here we are on week three of the One Room Challenge and where are we at? Still doing demo. Because our laundry room used to be a porch, there were MANY layers that we needed to peel back- drywall over faux brick over clapboard over actual brick. We decided to take off all drywall since we found some mold. This project keeps getting more and more fun!

BUT there’s been lots of behind the scenes stuff too! Here’s what’s been going on this week-

Catch up on all of the laundry room renovation posts here-

week 1 / week 2 / week 3 / week 4 / week 5 / week 6

tankless water heater

Going into this renovation, I was 100% planning on keeping our crappy old water heater. But this week we made the big decision to rip off the band-aid and buy a tankless water heater. Here’s how we made the decision-

how to decided if you should get a tankless water heater

the cost

First off, we looked into the cost. I got online and asked the classified Facebook group in my area for recommendations in my area. I called the people who were most recommended and got a few quotes over the phone. Those came in at $3000. We were hoping to stay closer to $2000, but it was good to know a realistic expectation.

Next, we scheduled in-person quotes for those that could come within a few days. Unfortunately, we’re in a bit of a time crunch so we’re limited a bit on who we can work with because we need the new water heater to go up ASAP.

Those quotes came in closer to $3,300 because of the extra work we want to do to put the pipes in the wall while we’re working on this room anyway.

pros vs the cons

Next, we weighed the pros and the cons.

Pro- for us, the biggest pro is that they’re compact. It’s interesting because tankless water heaters have gotten bigger over the past few years because there are now federal regulations that require thicker insulation. Now, tankless water heaters are the size of a suitcase that hangs on the wall. So they’re bigger than they used to be, but still much smaller than tank water heater.

We’re SO excited to not have the huge unit in the corner taking up a ton of space and being an eyesore!

Pro- the life span of most tankless water heaters is more than 20 years! A standard tank heater lasts 10-15 years.

Pro- they’re safer. This was a big one for me because our family’s safety comes first. With traditional tank water heaters, a leak can spill a bunch of water. It can tip over in an earthquake. And because the exhaust vents are sealed, there’s less rust of carbon monoxide leaks.

Pro- they provide endless hot water. Yay! No more filling up my son’s tub and having to wait a few hours after he’s done for a hot shower! I’ve actually gotten the tip to put a timer on for showers to limit the length since hot water running out will no longer dictate the length of a shower.

Pro- there are rebates available. Since they’re so efficient, the federal Energy Star program provides rebates across the country when you install a tankless water heater. For us, we found one for $300! Every little bit counts and this helps take the edge off the huge expense.

Pro- they’re nice and easy to winterize. This wasn’t a consideration for us, but if you have a vacation house, it just takes a few seconds to drain and unplug the unit.

here are the cons

Con- a tankless water heater has more maintenance than storage water heaters. We have hard water in Utah so every year we have to do a vinegar flush to keep any mineral buildup (also know as scale) from clogging the water heater. This only takes 20 minutes, but without it, the water flow will slow down.

Con- it takes a long time to make the investment worth it. Our tankless gas heater costs $1400 for the unit (!!!) and will only save us around $60 in natural gas each year. How much hot water you use and the cost of gas in your area will effect this number. But pretty much, it will take around 7 years for the payback to make it worth it.

Con- you need to hire someone for the installation. A few years ago, we replaced our tank hot water heater in our old house. The tank cost $400 and my husband was able to do the work himself so we saved a ton of money.

But for a tankless water heater, it’s something you probably want to hire a pro for since you’re dealing with water, vent, and gas connections. In our case, we need a bigger gas line. The labor for our tankless water heater installation is around $1500. We’re happy to pay a professional, but it definitely adds to the bottom line.

Con- it can take longer for hot water to get to you. The plumbers we talked to said we’ll probably have to wait 6-8 seconds longer for hot water to reach the pipes.

Con- one size does not fit all. I talked to a professional and we discussed the size of my house, how many bathrooms we have, the location of those bathrooms with regards to the water heater and the size of my tubs to figure out which type and size of water heater to get. It definitely takes research and time to find the correct size.

the final consideration

At the end of the day, we wanted to do our renovation right the first time. I knew that I would regret leaving the old (dying) water heater in place. Plus it is a gas unit so I couldn’t safely cover it up to make it pretty without the risk of burning our house down (not worth it).

While we were doing demo, we could see more and more that the old water heater was in the way of redoing the walls it stands in front of. After getting bids, we found a professional we love that will help us get the look we want. After getting his bid, we asked which things my husband can do before hand to bring the cost down.

He made a list and we got the bid down to $3000 by doing things like drain the water heater and remove it from the house. We feel really lucky to have found someone who will work with us to get in our price range!

Spending $3000 when we weren’t planning on it is NOT fun, but we decided to bite the bullet for the reasons listed above.

Most of the time my renovations are much more affordable. Just know that I seriously consider where I spend my money and don’t take for granted that I can work on my home as much as I do. This was a major learning curve for us and I hope that what I learned, I can pass on.

Installation begins on Thursday and I’m SO excited for this upgrade! Things should move quickly after we get the new tankless heater in.

pretty things

inspiration image / pendant light / wallpaper / waterfall art / flamingo decor / washer and dryer / subway tile/ faux peonies / decorative box / rainbow art

Here’s the mood board for the laundry room that I shared last week. Some pretty things are starting to arrive so I thought I’d share those too!

hardware

The hardware- door knobs, knobs, and pulls are all arriving from Emtek! I love using brass in all of my hardware- this really pulls the room together. I am SO excited for the door knob- it is beyond gorgeous in person!

Windsor Crystal Knob with Modern Brass Rosettes / Freestone Knob / Mortise & Tenon Pull

art

In the mood board above, you can see I’m incorporating some pretty art in the laundry room. The piece I’m most excited for just arrived! It’s an original painting from the artist Jennifer Allevato. The colors are so pretty and I just love the style!

From a Table in Pickerington

furniture and accessories from Overstock

Since the wallpaper, art, and floors will be so bold, I’m going simple with the furniture and accessories. The bench will be for putting on shoes before going out the back door and storing winter hats and gloves. The cabinet will be our storage (!!!) and folding surface! I’m really excited for this addition!

I have floating white shelves, canisters for holding things like dryer balls and clothes pins, and baskets for folded rags and towels. For laundry, I choose a cream and gray basket on wheels. I love the idea of sorting laundry right away!

entry bench / floating wall shelf / canisters / cream folding hamper / gray hamper / cabinet / wire baskets /

I’m really hoping that with the tankless water heater installation, things will move quickly. For next week, the plan is for some drywall to go up and hopefully be painting the floor next week. Stay tuned!

And yes, I am probably behind schedule. Will I finish on time- yes! Well, hopefully! It’ll take many hours to get there, but the fun part is just starting!

p.s. want to catch up on all the laundry room posts? See them here!

Laundry Room

Laundry Room tour. Ideas for how to makeover a small space with big style. I used rainbow colors, botanical wallpaper, and white subway tile for a modern design. DIY folding table counter top and washer and dryer pedestal. My dream remodel with high end decorations and shelves.