Bathroom Refurb

[smalex]

I vastly prefer tiles to boards, there's some great online tile companies these days.

I did up a bathroom in my flat for about 2k (about 10yrs ago so adjust for inflation) a basic Armitage shanks suite for £170, pimped with some good quality taps I bought off eBay, basic cheap as chips white tiles with a smaller section of mosaic (which was in at the time), a few accessories and cost of plumber. It was simple but quite impressive what could be done on a really limited budget. I did tile it myself which I wouldn't be keen to repeat though.

[Shoe]

I am so excited for you, Sal! I know you've been wanting to do this for ages.

I have no real advice but I will be watching with interest as I need to have mine done at some point in the future and I have no clue what to do with it.

[sally maclennane]

So, the plumber has been, and I'm now totally confused. I think he was a bit surprised that I didn't know exactly what I wanted. He did have some good suggestions but the key thing I need to decide, and which will influence the cost, is what to do with the walls. Three options really
- put wet wall over the tiles - this would be the cheapest option
- remove the tiles and replace them - most expensive option
- remove the tiles, plaster the walls and part tile - less expensive than overall tiles but depends on what condition walls are underneath.

Flooring is another choice - tiles or amtico-type flooring - but the difference there isn't so great, I don't think.

I would like someone to come and decide for me, and also to sell a kidney for me on eBay

[Shoe]

I have no trouble deciding exactly what I want until I consider the budget and then I never have a clue, apparently it's easier with a never ending cash supply. If you need another body to go with you to look at tiles or flooring anything let me know, I love doing that sort of thing and I can gather (steal your) ideas for when I do mine.

[ParisGal]

What's the argument against wet walls? Is it just the aesthetic?

[smalex]

What's the argument against wet walls? Is it just the aesthetic?

I think so. I don't know there's a more compelling one than that particularly.

[ParisGal]

My brother got them in his bathroom a couple of years ago - I thought they looked fine, but he went for a fairly masculine dark + chrome look any way. The idea of no grout is very compelling!

[smalex]

I find them a bit... institutional? looking. But each to their own.

[Luna]

I know what you mean Smal. I'm not keen on the panel things either as it reminds me of the MIL's bathroom before she moved into a home. It had grab rails in the shower and they just makes me think of that. Same with the vanity unit/ toilet all in one thing.

We have a wall mounted unit with a sink over the top and I really like it. The big drawers underneath are really useful and you can clean under it. Same with the wall hung loo as well.

[ParisGal]

I don't know about institutional exactly, but I don't know what decor I would get them in. I don't want fake marble or similar, and plain white plastic look makes me think of those pod shower-rooms they have in Formule 1 motels in France

[sally maclennane]

I know what you mean Smal. I'm not keen on the panel things either as it reminds me of the MIL's bathroom before she moved into a home. It had grab rails in the shower and they just makes me think of that. Same with the vanity unit/ toilet all in one thing.

We have a wall mounted unit with a sink over the top and I really like it. The big drawers underneath are really useful and you can clean under it. Same with the wall hung loo as well.

More space to clean is not a selling point to me

I need to go and look at some showrooms this weekend - a bathroom place, a tile showroom and a wet wall place. I am keeping an open mind about wet wall as it may be much cheaper but I'm leaning towards tiles. The prospect of no grouting is very appealing but I don't think I want wet wall everywhere, and if I don't have it everywhere then all the tiles need to come off which will be costly.

[ParisGal]

I really like the idea of not needing to clean around the back of a toilet pedestal, but feel nervous with the idea of the wall-mounted ones

[Luna]

I love my wall hung loo. I had the fear too at first when I sat on it but I hate the pedestal ones that have those rusty gammy screw things and ones that aren't flush to the wall coz it creates dust and crap (not literally) round the back.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Our wall hung ones have been absolutely fine. The bathroom fitter basically jumped up and down on top of ours to prove to us how sturdy they are.

[sally maclennane]

Ah I see now what you mean about wall hung and cleaning. I do know someone who was using the loo in a relatives house, and the wall hung loo collapsed. She fell and hit her head but luckily remained conscious because as she said, if she'd been knocked out, her family would have had to break the door down and found her lying on the floor, with her pants round her ankles

[ParisGal]

I always hurt my neck cleaning behind ours as it's in a small space already I don't doubt them in a logical way, it's just the idea

[ParisGal]

Sally! NOooooooo!

[sally maclennane]

Yep! I thought I was going to pee myself when she told me. She said she was screeching "DON'T COME IN" as they all gathered outside, concerned as they had heard the crash

[sally maclennane]

So, I went to look at showrooms this weekend. J came with me on Saturday, and my mum came with me yesterday. The suite itself is pretty straightforward - all white, pretty plain except there will be drawers under the sink and they will be dark wood.

The bloody walls continue to be the problem. On Saturday, we went to the wet wall place, and the guy there was pretty helpful but naturally pushed WW as an option. He suggested using 2 different types, a stone coloured one and a slate grey one for round the bath area. They looked quite nice but I am still not sure I will like it when it's up. J thinks it's a no brainer, the WW stuff would be about £500, the tiles about twice that I think.

My mum thinks the WW is "hellish" - we only looked at it in the bathroom suppliers as we didn't have time to go to the WW place where there was obviously a whole wider range and staff who know more about the product.

I don't feel much further forward tbh. I think the crux of it is that I don't want all 4 walls to be the same. If they have to be, then I think tiles will look better than WW but will obviously cost more. I think 4 walls of WW will look plasticky (is it a word? I don't know!) even using different colours etc. I am going to ask the plumber to do me a quote for removing the tiles, plastering the walls and part tiling it. If it's hideous, I'll just have to decide whether to shelve the whole thing until I can afford it, or go ahead with one of the other 2 options.

I haven't even thought about flooring yet but I think that can wait until I've decided what to do about the walls.

This is not fun

[Derek Nimmo]

How about a compromise of really big tiles, so they're cheaper and quicker to fit? You could, if you wanted, then extend them to be the flooring too, leaving some of the walls just plain, and meaning one less decision to make.