If your bathroom is starting to look a little tired or old, you may be considering a redesign or total renovation. This is an exciting but challenging process.
It’s not like doing a bedroom where you just need a new carpet and lick of paint, there is plumbing involved, sealant, and everything else that comes with a wet room.
If you’re working towards a redesign, follow the tips below for the best process to follow and the things you need to properly focus on before and during your renovation.
Prior Planning Is Essential
You need to have a proper plan in place before you lift a finger in the bathroom. This is an extremely important thing to remember, as bathroom renovations require a large amount of work. It’s not straightforward, and will almost certainly require the help of professional tradespeople.
Sit down with your partner or housemates and consider what you want your bathroom to look like. Do you simply want to change the tiles and the color? Or maybe you want to rip everything out and completely change the layout of the room?
Either way, talk through all the options and plan properly. Going into a project like this blindly is DIY and financial suicide!
Sort Out Your Budget
Speaking of finances, you need to also have a budget in mind. As with anything in the home, utilities, fixtures, and other DIY materials can be expensive, so you need to be aware of this before you start.
Take a look online at tiling, baths, shower systems, toilets, and sinks to get a rough idea of how much you might end up spending in different design scenarios.
Have a firm budget in mind, whilst also preparing for a few percent of leeway, as things can sometimes crop up causing delays or extra costs.
Seek Expert Advice
When it comes to a big bathroom project, it’s always worth seeking expert advice. For bathroom renovations especially, you may want to speak to an expert design team. These experts will be able to look through your ideas and give you advice on finances, design, and more.
Some expert bathroom teams even can design your bathroom with 3D or VR capabilities. This is great, as you can fully visualize what the final product may look like before taking the plunge and starting the work.
Order New Items
So. whether you’ve seen a design or not, you want to make sure you’ve ordered all your new fixtures before the work begins. The last thing you want is to rip out your shower and have a three-week wait before the new one arrives!
So, it’s time to make the final decision on your bath, shower, sink, and toilet, plus anything else you want fitting in the room as a permanent fixture. Make sure you know when they are arriving and set your project start date accordingly.
Hire The Right Team
If you have chosen to work with a design team, they will likely have their own plumbers and electricians who can help you with a project like this. If they don’t, they will certainly be able to recommend some local tradespeople who can help you with the technical work.
If you’re going it alone, research local workers to find someone you trust. You can have them come round and quote you for the work, then compare quotes to see who fits your budget. Remember, though, cheapest doesn’t always mean best, and, when it comes to plumbing, you don’t want someone who will cut corners.
Start With Removing Fixtures
The time has finally come to rip out your old bathroom. This is the true start of your renovation project. Removing toilets, baths, and other fixtures is quite easy – just make sure the mains water is switched off to avoid any surprises!
You’ll want your plumber involved at this point, as there will probably be piping that needs closing off, even if just temporarily. You can also remove any tiles or other decorative features that you no longer want at this time.
Plumbing and Electric Installation
Once everything is cleared out and you have a blank canvas, it’s time to get the plumbing looked at properly. Your plumber will make sure everything is in good condition and prepare everything for fitting the new fixtures.
If you have decided to reorganize the layout of the room, this work may take a little while and involve going under the floor or through the walls in certain places.
The same applies to electrical work. Though there isn’t much electrical work in most bathrooms, you still need a professional involved here. Even if you just have a light switch and a shaver charging point, get them checked and ready for beautiful new fittings.
Walls and Tiles
Once this is all done, you can start decorating the room. Whether you are going for painted or tiled walls or a mixture of both, you can start this process now.
Make sure the tiles are fitted and sealed properly, while also ensuring you have used proper bathroom paint – waterproof and damp resistant. Decorate up to the edges of where the new toilet etc. will be, you can finish the finer details after they are fitted.
Fit Your New Fixtures
Finally, have the new fixtures fitted by a professional. They will make sure that everything is watertight and sealed properly around any edges. They will also check that everything is draining and fully operational.
Once these items are in you can finish touching up the edges of the tiling or painting and add any further decorations you would like to fit. A nice cabinet or set of shelves, maybe some plants. Now, you have the bathroom of your dreams!
These are the key steps to follow when thinking of renovating a bathroom. Missing out on any of these can cause you to make mistakes or leave things unplanned and unfinished.
As mentioned, the bathroom is slightly more complex than other rooms, so you need to make sure the professionals help you and make sure everything is done properly. The whole process can be done quite quickly if you plan and organize properly in advance.
