Installing Your First Bathroom

Getting a new bathroom is an exciting prospect.  It will add value to your home and you will have a lovely bathroom to relax in. However, it is not an undertaking that should be taken lightly! Here are a few considerations to bear in mind before you commence the project...

Do It Yourself versus Professional

Do It Yourself:

• The main reason why people choose to tackle this job themselves is to save money. It has been estimated that fitting your own bathroom suite can save you 70% of the overall cost.
• You need to be confident that you can do the job well. Removing the old tiles and sanitary ware is relatively easy and most people are able to do this themselves.
•  Simple plumbing jobs, such as connecting waste pipes, are also well within most Do It Yourselfers’ capabilities, as is tiling, depending on the type of tiles you have chosen. If you are replacing an old bathroom, keeping the new sanitary ware in a similar position to the old will avoid extra plumbing work.

Professional:

• If you are not very handy and have no talent for DIY, then always employ a tradesman.
• When non-standard and very expensive fittings and fixtures have been chosen it may be best to choose a professional to do the work for you. If, for example, you choose large stone tiles for the walls, you could find yourself struggling because of their weight. Even if you do manage to get them to stay on the wall, you could find you have spent a lot of money on tiles which now look uneven and chipped.

The best option is probably A Bit of Both:

• The ideal solution is to combine a DIY approach with some professional input.
• You may feel comfortable removing the old bathroom and carrying out the tiling and decoration but prefer to leave any complicated plumbing or wiring work to the professionals.

What is involved?

The work involved will depend on whether you are replacing an old bathroom or starting from scratch, but there are some jobs which will always need to be carried out, including:

• Removing the old bath, basin, pedestal, WC and any old tiles
• Removing old pipe work
• Planning new supply pipe routes, as well as waste pipe routes
• Removing old heaters/radiators
• Checking the condition and location of existing wiring
• Fitting new plumbing and sanitary ware
• Tiling
• New lighting
• Decoration

Set your bathroom budget

Decide on a budget and stick to it.  A new bathroom would definitely increase the value of your property if you plan to sell in the future. However, bear in mind that you should not go overboard with the budget as you may not recoup your investment.

Plan the layout of the Bathroom

Decide how big you want the new bathroom to be and what fixtures you want to include. You will need to research different fixtures and their sizes and take into account the placement of existing service lines, doors and windows.

Electricity and water do not mix well so if there is a need to re-wire electrical circuits or even to just install lights and plug sockets you should hire an electrician. If pipes need to be re-laid and drains relocated it would be wise to get a professional to do this.

 Fixtures and Decorations.  

Choosing the type, colour and style of your fixtures depends entirely on you. Experiment on colour combinations and use easy to clean finishing for the walls and floor.

Remember, we here at Easy bathrooms are happy to offer advice with the planning and installation of your new bathroom and are on hand to help you along every step of the journey.