Perfect Bathroom Renovation

Renovating your Bathroom

Once you’ve collected all your inspirational ideas for your new bathroom and got quotes for the work to be done, the exciting part can finally start. Shopping isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but for many this is the best part of the whole project. There are a huge number of stores and online retailers selling tiles, bathroom suites and accessories that the choice can be bewildering, but if you have spent the time thinking about what you really like and your personal style, you should be able to go straight to the sort of items which fit in with your overall idea and spend less time browsing.

Online or traditional shopping?

Bathroom websites are advertised extensively on television and it is certainly easier to buy a bathroom online from the comfort of your own sofa than it is to spend your free time trawling around the bathroom suppliers in your area, being subjected to the hard sell from shop assistants and not being able to find the same products that you have seen online. Both traditional and online shopping have their advantages and disadvantages though. If you decide to buy your bathroom from a local store or retail chain, you are dealing with someone face to face and can both ask for advice and try to negotiate a discount on the products in store. Traditional stores often have attractive promotions, interest free credit and mark down products which are end of range or ex-display. Buying online gives you access to a wider range of retailers, and prices can be more competitive too. Photography gives a good idea of what the product looks like, and distance selling laws gives you some protection if your new bathroom turns up looking completely unlike the photos or if it is damaged. There is therefore no “best” way to buy a bathroom suite and the decision will depend on a wide range of factors.

Storage

Of course there is no point in hitting the shops and buying up tiles, bathroom suites and heated towel rails if you have nowhere to store them in your home. Sometimes it is easier to ask your builder or plumber to source these items for you, as he can either arrange to store them or have them delivered on the day when they are due to be installed. If you have space in the garage though, it can be better to take advantage of deals and special offers when you see them, and this also helps you to spread the cost of your new bathroom too.

Removing the old bathroom

If you have more than one toilet and shower in your home, you have more flexibility over when you rip out the old bathroom suite in preparation for the new bathroom to be put in. Turn off the water first before starting to try to dismantle anything. If you are just putting a new bathroom suite in the same places as where the old one was, it should be possible to salvage a lot of the pipework to reuse in your new bathroom, but if you are rearranging the whole bathroom and the pipes will need to be replaced completely, there is no point in being careful and the pipes can just be cut with a saw. If you run into difficulties at any point, call in the professionals for help.

Asbestos

One of the things to be aware of before you start renovating is whether or not there may be asbestos in your home. Asbestos is a hazardous waste material that can cause health problems such as cancer and asbestosis and kills 5000 workers each year. Any home built before the year 2000 may contain asbestos. Asbestos can be found in a number of places, including bath panels, floor tiles, toilet cisterns, ceiling tiles, partition walls and pipe lagging. If you suspect there may be asbestos in your home, do not attempt to repair or remove it yourself. Call your local Environmental Health department for advice about how to deal with it. If you do have to have asbestos removed, this has to be done by approved contractors and this will add considerably to your overall cost.

If you found this post useful, you may also be interested in - How to Survive a Bathroom Renovation - How to Make Your Bathroom Renovation Project a Success - Easy Kitchen Renovation Tips.

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