Five things you need to know before renovating your bathroom

From budgets to layouts, shower selection to consents. Understand five things you need to know before ‘hitting the tools’ on your bathroom renovation.

It’s been said a thousand times, but a successful project begins with thorough planning. Minor things such as having timber in behind all fixings, like a toilet roll holder, for example, will ensure that they don’t move or sag over time. Matching niche sizes with tile sizes, consistent finishes, and similar style profiles throughout the bathroom are easy ways to achieve a cohesive look.

 

Timeframes

Now more than ever, timeframes can be quite hard to manage and predict. It’s a good idea to ask suppliers what their lead times are before starting the project. Often time, the availability of tradespeople can dictate when a renovation needs to begin. Starting a job next week because a tradie has an opening in their calendar isn’t always the best option. Having products lying around in your garage for a year isn’t a good idea either, but buying products a month in advance to save heartache at the eleventh hour is often the best choice.

Have a timeframe for your renovation. Be reasonable – ie. three months – and stick to it. Organising tradespeople this far out is a lot easier than inside two weeks. Sometimes these projects take longer than expected, but having a timeframe keeps everyone accountable.

 

Before, during and after. Replacing an original Acrylic Shower with an Ebony & Ivory.

 

Layout

Managing space is a lot harder than it seems. Measure and draw the room (to scale if possible), and see what your options are. Existing fixtures will often dictate where their replacements should go, but we recommend you play around with sizes and configurations. Angle Front Showers and Sliding Screen Showers are perfect for tighter spaces, or where a hinged door may hit another wall or piece of bathroom furniture.

On our website you’ll be able to view specification sheets specific to each frameless shower. These detail the exact waste position, screen configurations and sizes of each option. This will show you how far a door will swing (if chosen).

Changing the layout of your bathroom is often less labour intensive than you would expect – especially on a timber floor. Building/plumbing works typically require a consent, so this is something that will need to be taken into consideration.

 

During and after. Linea Quattro in a modern bathroom.

 

Budget

Set a budget and stick to it. Make sacrifices in some areas if required and splash out on others that you truly love. Where possible, invest in superior quality products with better warranties in favour of a cheaper, less durable product. Obtain quotes before beginning works, and understand the trades involved. If this isn’t something you are wanting to arrange yourself, talk to a bathroom renovation company that will manage this process from start to finish. A fixed-price contract is the best way to avoid surprises.

 

Style & Products

Another major part of the planning stage is the style, products, and their finishes. Pinterest is a great starting point. Create a board and pin the looks and styles you like. From modern to traditional, Matte Black to Brushed Nickel – there’s an option to suit your style.

We often hear that there are almost too many options to choose from which results in hours of trawling through stores, brochures and websites. Stay patient; there is light at the end of the tunnel – a beautiful and well-coordinated bathroom.

Find the styles you like the most, look at the finishes available, what warranty they are supplied with, and what they cost. Weigh them up and choose your favourite!

 

 Before, during and after. Recessing a Linea Quattro in to the floor structure, waterproofing, then tiled and glass installed.

 

Tradespeople & Consent

One of the fundamental pieces of the puzzle is the people doing the work. The best way to find tradespeople is through word of mouth, but alternatively ask the staff at your local plumbing store. These guys know the ins and outs of the industry, and if someone does a poor job, they’re bound to have heard about it.

If you need shower installers, visit the list here. Our frameless showers require minor adjustments to operate perfectly. Trust the people that do this every day to get it right.

…and last but not least, consenting. A grey area. Simply put, if you’re hesitant, you should probably get a consent. This is a good safety net when reselling. If you’re replacing like-for-like and not moving plumbing or doing major building works, you shouldn’t need a building consent. If you’re replacing an acrylic shower with a tiled shower, you generally need a building consent. While we love tiled showers, we recommend using Ellure Tile Look Walls as a quick and hassle-free alternative to tiling to avoid needing consent.

Good luck with your renovation!

 

We’re here to help, so if you have any questions, get in touch here.