Bathroom & kitchen renovation project - advice, please

[SlowerThanASluggishSloth]

We're going to have a new CH boiler installed to replace the current (very) old one. This would seem to be a good time to re-do bathroom and kitchen. The to-do list includes:

Bathroom:

replace sanitary ware;​

reposition bath;​

remove hot water cistern;​

replace old wall tiles;​

fit water pump to boost shower out-put;​

fit laminate flooring.​

Kitchen:

replace CH boiler;​

replace lino with floor tiles;​

replaster small section of wall;​

tile walls.​

​

Although we will be involving a couple of professionals I'd appreciate suggestions, tips and advice from anyone with relevant experience.

The thing that's troubling me most at the moment is drawing up a project plan: what would be the best order to do things in?

All helpful advice gratefully received (yes, it would probably be easier to move house -or win the lottery! - but that's not going to happen)

 

[Archie_tect]

If you are looking to replace the boiler, remove cylinder and lay kitchen tiles... it'll be worth looking to have solar hot water panels fitted to your Sw/S/SE facing roof slope- from about £1700- install a modern high efficiency condensing boiler with heat recovery on the flue gas outlet instead of a combi, a new dual coil HW cylinder as you'll need one for the solar heating as a heat store with a back-up immersion heater if the gas supply or boiler fails fails and look to fit underfloor heating pipes to the kitchen floor before tiling to free up wall space from the radiator and give you a warm tiled floor. The new HW cylinder could go in the loft space if it's suitably insulated which frees up first floor space and with an integral cold feed tank you might have enough head pressure to not need a shower pump.

Just a thought... your plumber can help with advice and if he can't, find a locally recommended one that can.

 

[Arch]

Now, I'm sure there's forummer with a house renovation on the go, if I could just think who it is....

 

[Black Sheep]

Now, I'm sure there's forummer with a house renovation on the go, if I could just think who it is....

There's me, kitchen and bathroom are yet to be thought about, much less tackled.

although I have managed to remove and change toilets.

 

[GM]

fit laminate flooring.​

Laminate flooring in a bathroom is a definite no no!

 

[SlowerThanASluggishSloth]

Now that's interesting. I'm not doubting you, sir, but I would like to know why it is a no no?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Now that's interesting. I'm not doubting you, sir, but I would like to know why it is a no no?

Unless its really expensive waterproof "laminate" flooring, it will soak up water and moisture and not last very long.

 

[ColinJ]

If you're thinking of ceramic tiles for the kitchen floor, I'd agree with AT about underfloor heating - I had this in my previous house, and without the heating the floor will freeze your toes off in the winter

I don't have any heating on downstairs at all so my tiled kitchen floor has been pretty nippy the past few weeks! I keep a pair of sandals handy at the foot of the stairs and slip those on as soon as I enter the kitchen. Problem solved!

Laminate flooring in a bathroom is a definite no no!

I wondered about that. If it were possible to get some truly waterproof laminated bathroom flooring, then I would probably go for it one day.

 

[Goldenretriever]

Having spent the last 25 years manufacturing and fitting kitchens and bedrooms I might have a little experience! But I never stop learning, in my new field I am trying developement. Just started my second and will be doing my first roof nexxt week, praaying for warm weather. Anyway my thoughts are bathroom definately no laminate whats wrong with tiles. I personally will not tile on chipboard will allways lay t & g plywood. If pump go in loft make sure pipes are insulated. If going for condensing boiler try to get condensate plumbed internally, can be ran into sink waste.

 

[Mugshot]

I've got about 15 years experience in kithens bathrooms and tiles, the last ten years have had my own business designing and supplying from my own showroom. Best advice would be to find a good local independent, go by recommendation, they should be able to hold your hand through the whole process and project manage it for you. Know your budget, but don't believe anybody that tells you that all the stuff's the same so you may as well get the cheapest, the differences are vast. An independent should be able to help far more with this than one of the sheds.

 

[MontyVeda]

i think they do do laminate flooring designed for use in the bathroom... the downside is, there's far more products which claim to be far more water resistant than they actually are... they don't always do what they say on the tin.

What about going for a wet-room floor? It might cost more but you won't need to spend on a shower tray.

 

[Hacienda71]

If there is nothing inherently wrong with the location of plumbed in items baths, cookers, sinks etc. Don't move them, it just makes extra work.

 

[dan_bo]

Just move into a b+b for three weeks whilst someone else does it. I'd rather go to the dentist.

 

[Over The Hill]

If you are fitting a new combi boiler and removing the hot water cylender in the process the shower will then be with both hot and cold on mains pressure, so no need for any sort of pump on there at all. The old one probably works from a gravity feed from the loft tank (which will also be obsolete when new boiler is in) and they were useless and difficult to balance. New one should be much better.

Laminate flooring is basically hardboard with a picture of wood glued on the top. I am not even sure if any real solid wood will do the job. Water tends to get under flooring in bathrooms and stay damp.

 

[Over The Hill]

Job order
Bathroom:
remove hot water cistern;
rip out all old tiles (unless you are tiling over them)

replace sanitary ware;​

reposition bath;​

replace old wall tiles;​

fit water pump to boost shower out-put;​

fit laminate flooring.​

​

Kitchen:
replace CH boiler;
rip out all not wanted stuff. take off kick plates from bottom of units

replaster small section of wall;​

tile walls.​

replace lino with floor tiles; put kick plates back on.