The new 'bathroom', shenanigans ?

[fossyant]

We start thinking about a new bathroom, it was brand new when we moved in 18 years ago. Been kept maintained and the usual, but the tiles have started to lift (new house stuck on with virtually no adhesive grout).

Wife and I want to keep the suite as it's soft cream, a slightly off white. 2nd most popular colour at the time) as we have plans for tiles/colours. Down side is bath and shower position, electric shower is at the bottom end (opposite taps), so means you can't get your head under the shower without leaning, a big issue for long hair I believe.

Next option is to plan to rotate bath and move plumbing.

Disaster 1 - discover loo pan has a crack. Lots of emails and quotes, loo pan £300 plus VAT. Eventually find a place in Bradford that will do it for £60 in soft cream. Drive over and collect last week.

Disaster 2, someone left a tap on just enough for the water to not flow out, but trickle back along the tap and down the side of the bath, on the floor and through the ceiling, get home from caravan after a weekend to a nice waterfall droplet scene in the lounge. Fortunately it's not loads of water. Side panel of bath ripped off, and discovered 2 of the 5 floor supports didn't touch the floorboards......

So, started the refit today, way ahead of schedule. Just spent three hours removing the loo and refitting a new pan, had to go out twice for new gaskets for the waste and the close fit pan, but I've done a better job than the plumbers when the house was built. My wife wonders why I get stressed getting 'professionals' in ?

Anyway, jobs a good en, toilet flush is fast, no leaks, and I've got rid of the silly blue seat the kids loved for a matching soft cream one (bathroom going into adult scene rather than kid scene).

Anyone experienced with quick fit fittings - plan to turn the bath round and use these to move the taps. Also new taps planned.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I've used the quick fit fittings to fix & divert a leaky length of copper piping under the bedroom floor. It was dead easy, pretty much push fit and no leakage at all from them since (kiss of death there now). our bathroom sink drainage pipe is the same and was a doddle too. I'm no great DIYer, fitting a complete new toilet is as big a job as I've done right 1st time

 

[fossyant]

Wife thinks I am mad, but I always do a 100% job I trust, even though I am no plumber (I get this stuff from my dad, but I am a desk jockey for the cash). Same with my bike. She comes from get someone in family as her dad bodged stuff. I do it, and its done right, but with lots of stress as its out of my usual job, but I get it done right.

We are just stressed out at the minute with my lads diabetes being so new. Thing is, as adults could manage a bath every day as the tiles get ripped off, but the moaning from the kids from two at best showers a week is a mare...

Daughter moaned about the new loo seat tonight, caught her finger in it. I could wrap her head in it Grrrr . You fit a loo. Must say there was no nastie stuff as I popped the old loo off the waste pipe. That's an OMG situation some times....

 

[slowmotion]

I've done a few bathrooms. They are pretty easy once you get over the fear of "Something Lurking in the WC Waste". There is one thing that I never quite mastered. I collect waste water from traps etc. into a bowl or bucket...and then empty it into a basin that is temporarily un-connected. Every blooming time.

 

[summerdays]

Mr summerdays does the I can do it better, but it can take a long time while he achieves perfection, currently the pergola in the garden which fell down this winter. It's taken several days work as he does a bit then realises some problem he hadn't consided. Currently it's whether the top should be larval or if it should follow the ground and slope down the garden.

Now back to your one, don't want to put a spanner in the works but .... If you turn the bath round then the plug will be at the other end, so the water will have to flow under the bath. Will you be able to get enough of a fall in that pipe?

 

[dan_bo]

My approach would be along the lines of:
1. Go and find plumber with decent rep. Get quote.
2. Book family into premier inn for a week.
3. Go back home. Enjoy bathroom.

I do enough fannying around with tools for a living. Let someone else do it. At least I can moan at them then when it's not right.

 

[biggs682]

we had our bathroom refitted about 2 or 3 yrs ago the pros took bath out and replaced with big shower cubicle & jiggled about with basin and loo location tiled walls and floor all whilst we were away ........ easy peasy

 

[asterix]

I employed a British 'plumber' in France. Among his many failings, he had this theory that water flowed up hill if you wanted it to. He used to drink large quantities of coke during the day but judging by his work and demeanour could well have been mixing it with something stronger. He was recommended by a neighbour for whom he'd installed a woodburner. To cut costs he used uninsulated flue pipe which would have been ok if a bunch of hornets hadn't built a large nest next to it. Still my neighbour got his money's worth later on, from the sapeur's pompier if not from the 'plumber'.

I redid nearly all his pipework myself as there was no way I would get him back to fix anything. We might have come to blows!