Modern houses or flats often have small bathrooms. Of course, there are expensive properties where they are luxurious and spacious, but not everybody can afford a place such as that. Most people have to put up with a tiny room that soon becomes messy and cramped.
A bathroom refit is one of the most desirable upgrades for people who want to invest money in their homes and possibly increase the value of it.
If your room is in need of a refit, you will find some useful information here to help you undertake the work yourself. A new bathroom is within the reach of the average DIY enthusiast. You need no special tools or knowledge to carry it out. Before you begin, I advise you to research how to use compression joints for the water pipes. You will not use soldered joints on this project.
The Design
You must determine the layout of your new bathroom. It is best to leave the toilet where it is because it is problematic to move the soil pipes. Draw a scale plan of the room and visit showrooms or the internet to find the dimensions of the baths, shower cubicles, and vanity units. Draw them on another piece of paper or cardboard and cut them out. You can then arrange them on the floor plan and move them around. Many people choose not to replace the cubicle and opt for shower baths instead. These attractive units have sexy curves to make them wider at one end, so there is plenty of room to stand.
Clear The Site
I hope you understand about compression fittings by this stage because you will need to apply stop-end joints to the water pipes when you remove the existing units. There is hot and cold feeds to the bath and vanity units and cold feed to the toilet and shower, if it is an electric model. Disconnect the pipes from the units with a spanner after you turn off the water supply. Remove the old furniture and cart it away.
First Fix
You must use an electrician to alter the wiring. Think about the new position of the shower, lights, and shaver point. There are many modern lighting solutions available since the introduction of LEDs, so choose wisely. Most modern bathrooms use recessed ceiling fittings, but you can enhance that with an illuminated cabinet or bath panel.
Move the pipes to the new positions if necessary. Remember to turn the water off first. If the pipes run along the wall, you must box them in so that they are not on view. Because the room is small, it must look as clutter-free as possible.
Second Fix
Bring in the new units and connect them to the supplies. Again, it is the compression joints that come to your rescue here. The waste pipes are easy to deal with because they use push-on fittings that need no tools once you cut the pipes to the correct lengths.
Decoration & Floor
You must tile the bathroom as you would expect. Keep one wall free of cabinets and towel rails; it is for a large mirror. You local glazing contractor will cut one to size and mount it for you.
The floor should be tile or laminate. If you install laminate, lay it so that the boards go lengthways from the entrance, and not across it. These little touches fool the eye into thinking the room is spacious.
You can dress the new room with window blinds to finish it off. It sounds easy doesn’t it? I haven’t mentioned the blood, sweat and tears that you will experience. Well, I don’t want to put you off!
