Planning a bathroom renovation can be as stressful as it is exciting. Choosing colours for the walls, new fixtures and the brand new suite are all part of the process but usually overshadow the practicality of the refit. Below I have listed 6 things that everyone overlooks when refitting their bathroom.
Drainage
This is where you need to start with any bathroom refit, especially if you plan to change the layout as where the drainage is can impact upon what you’re able to achieve. You should really start from the ground up with any remodelling plans and this means that drainage should be the first consideration. Drainage issues has been the main reason why many projects can’t get off the ground, for example, when home owners have wanted to turn built-in storage into an en suite, drainage restrictions have halted plans. There are workarounds such as a Saniflo system – but I recommend reading up on this first.
Access
Having a bath or a shower is usually a decision that’s down to how much time you have. There’s nothing better than a warm bath at the weekend or of an evening but in the morning, when time is usually quite tight, most people opt for a shower. Having both a bath and shower (space permitting) is what most homes now have anyway.
However, with this new refit, you’ll want to think about your future plans. For example, how long will you be staying in this home? If it’s your forever home, you’ll certainly want to think about how mobile you’ll be in years to come. This might not be something you’re not concerned about now, but at some point, bending down into a bath could be dangerous and painful. There are options like walk-in baths which are functional and will fit your new style and won’t require any other special forms of installation.
Ventilation
Condensation is a fact of life with any bathroom, so you’ll need to plan for good ventilation with any bathroom renovation, otherwise you’ll damage your bathroom furniture and start to grow mold.
Having an open window often isn’t enough and materials like wood can get damaged if they become consistently damp. Extraction needs to be a key consideration as you will not want steam flowing into the bedroom and causing damage elsewhere in the house. Most people opt for a ventilator fan when the light is switched on as this ensures simultaneous clearing and usage.
Layout
If you’re simply replacing the suite with a new one, like for like, the bath or shower, toilet and sink all staying in the same place, then your costs will be much lower.
However, if you’re moving things around to make better use of your space then you should plan for a bigger budget as you’ll be moving into the realms of plumbing reworks. This could mean that you’ll also need to look at concealing additional pipework.
Time
A full bathroom refit takes 1.5 – 2 weeks to complete which can severely disrupt the routines of the household. Not to mention that various other things will be completed at different times. For example, your suite might go in first, but the painting and other storage installation might rack up more time, prolonging the project.
Lighting
Due to the amount of grooming that takes place in the bathroom you’ll want to install decent lighting. Spotlights tend to be a popular choice as they give off a crisp, directional light to important areas of the room.
The other important factor when it comes to lighting is how close electricals will come to water as incorrect planning could be a hazard. It’s important to check the lighting’s IP rating before you select your lighting as different zones require different minimum ratings (this was news to me). For example, areas that are submerged in water e.g. the sink, shower basin, will need an IP rating of IPX7 and a maximum of 12 volts. For more information on this, read Wayfairs’ bathroom lighting guide
