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Renovating YOUR Bathroom

A guide to a successful bathroom renovation.

A bathroom renovation can be a giant undertaking. We provide some guidelines below to help you plan and manage the project logically and cost-effectively. Of course, this is general advice only. For your own bathroom renovation you should obtain consultation from the relevant trade professionals.

 

Plumbing, spas and saunas

• Your plumber can alter existing fixtures; ensure waterproofing (along with your tiler) and install new drains, showers, baths, spas and fittings.
• Provide your plumber with a detailed floor plan noting the exact positioning of existing pipes, drains, fittings and water heating units; the composition of walls and floors; and the dimensions of wall/floor cavities.
• Hold an initial inspection and consultation to ensure your proposed changes are feasible and will fit and function in the required space.
• Decide whether you'll be installing a new bath/shower/spa as part of your bathroom renovation or using the existing one. If you require your bath to be resurfaced then there are specific people who can come and do this on site.
• If installing a spa, ensure you have sufficient underfloor space, flooring that can bear the load, room to connect electricals and adequate noise-proofing.
• If installing a wall hung or floor standing toilet to help maximize space, you will then need to ensure that your cavity for the inwall cistern is adequate and can be easily accessible.
• With today’s urgency for water conservation discuss eco-friendly fittings and systems such as grey-water recycling, rainwater tanks and water-saving showerheads with your supplier: installing these may require structural changes, special fittings/fixtures and additional time/costs.
• If your bathroom changes are going through council you will have to meet the new Government Legislation of the WELS Scheme: Basix Program.

Electricals

• An electrician will generally be needed early in a bathroom renovation to install lights/IXLs, heating, heated towel rails, ventilation, spa electricals, switches and outlets.
• Decide on all fittings in consultation with your electrician, after an initial inspection/discussion. Heated Towel Rails are required to be a certain distance from any wet area. If you require them to be hardwired the prewiring will need to be done prior to gyprocking or tiling.
• Ensure desired changes are feasible given the existing wall/floor/ceiling materials, floor area, cavity dimensions and rafter configuration.

Water proofing

• After floors and walls are prepped, but before tiling, fittings or finishes are installed, a contractor licensed in waterproofing must ensure your bathroom is adequately waterproofed.
• If you're bathroom is on the second floor you should consider a shower tray for extra water proofing. This provides extra insurance against structural movement cracks in the waterproofing membrane.

Tiling

• A qualified tiler is usually needed in a bathroom renovation to strip or resurface existing tiles, prepare surfaces, install new tiles and mirrors.
• Consider functionality, durability, style, slip rating and maintenance when researching flooring and wall tiling options.
• If resurfacing tiles, request a sample before proceeding.

Carpentry and cabinetwork

• A carpenter may be needed in a bathroom renovation if you're installing cabinetry or a spa. If your installing a wall hung pan then this may also need to be discussed with the carpenter as it will need to be pre-planned prior to commencement of the renovation.
• Ensure your carpenter's well briefed on the basics (eg. wall composition, room dimensions) before work begins.

Fittings

• A bathroom renovation can be done in two ways. You can do a retro fit-out or a complete renovation. Retrofitting can make a major difference in a considerably small amount of time. It can however, cause major difficulties and hassle trying to get fixtures and fittings to fit back in the same places and over existing holes without to much trouble.
• Decide whether you wish to source your own fittings or have a designer or your local bathroom specialist help select these items for you.
• Package deals can be put together by bathroom specialists which may become a more cost effective option and ease the hassle in going through many suppliers. There is something to suit everyone’s budget.
• Ensure stylistic consistency by deciding on the colour scheme, basic shapes and overall style before purchasing.

Painting

• If required, painting will generally be a short and simple job performed late in a bathroom renovation.
• If buying paint yourself, ensure it's suitable for bathrooms (ie Moisture Resistant).

Environmental considerations

Before planning your renovation, check with your state or territories Department of Environment or your local council as to governmental compliances and/or environmental guidelines for home renovations. To meet current guidelines and ensure your new bathroom is eco-friendly and will meet council regulations, consider the following:

• Water-saving showerheads, taps and appliances
• WELS Scheme – Basix Program
• Greywater recycling systems
• Underfloor or exterior rainwater tanks
• Eco-friendly finishes/flooring

A Quick and Simple Guide to Renovating Your Bathroom.

The bathroom may be small but it's a complex room to renovate. Various skilled tradespeople must be coordinated efficiently to get the job done, you must know what you have so you can know what you want because mistakes and oversights can be costly. Here we highlight what you need to consider before you renovate.

Initial considerations

• Determine what you want out of your new bathroom renovation. Is it functionality your after, or style, or is it both. Is it an Ensuite in the house or is it the main bathroom which guests be using it.
• Determine the bathrooms dimensions and positioning of existing doors, windows, skylights etc. These will affect your new floorplan, and the positioning, shape and size of fixtures and fittings.
• Decide if you are going to work with existing plumbing or if you are going to move it. Will you need to change existing plumbing or wiring to accommodate the new design? Is your toilet an strap (through the floor) or a ptrap (through the wall) and will you be needing to change this?
• Will you be restructuring the space? Altering the floor or ceiling; removing or adding internal walls; installing a sunken bath or spa or embedding fixtures into walls.
• If your bathroom is to incorporate laundry facilities it may require additional power and plumbing outlets.
• Assess the materials used in the existing bathroom (eg. concrete, wood, tiles or plasterboard). All require different solutions.
• Determine how much cavity space there is to work with in the walls, ceiling, and under-floor area. This may affect the type, configuration and positioning of pipes, wires and fittings.
• Assess whether existing fixtures, fittings or finishes (eg. floor or wall tiles, toilet suite, screens, mirrors) can be incorporated into the new design. Resurfacing or refitting existing fixtures and fittings can help cut costs.
• Determine how the 'time out' required for renovations will affect your day-to-day life and organise how to best plan around the ongoing work.