A bathroom makeover, which is also known as remodeling, is an easy way to liven up a worn and dull room. However, before you get your tape measure out and start taking those all-important measurements. Stop for a moment to consider how it’s best for you to do it.
Taking a little time to plan your bathroom renovation in stages can reduce wasted time working inefficiently and piecemeal. It also helps to ensure you know exactly what you’re letting yourself in for. There is nothing worse than starting any home improvement project you can’t finish because in that case, it would have been better to engage a local plumber before you began.
Basin and Bathtub
After you’ve taken painted or wallpapered the walls and completed the installation of any new lights, it’s time to install the basin, and/ or bathtub. Generally, it is best to start with the bathtub simply because it’s the largest and easiest to get into place before there is anything else to get in the way. Take care to adjust the screws on the feet of the bath to get the bath leveled up and firmly supported by all 4 feet.
The bath hot and cold pipes will be added next, followed by the bath drain. Test the supply pipes and the bath drain thoroughly for leaks before placing the side panels on. Once the side paneling to the bath is complete there will no longer be any opportunity to spot a leak early.
Next is the wash hand basin or sink. Sink installation will include any cabinets below the new basin and anything else that’s on your bathroom remodeling project list as part of the sink and related storage.
The work on the new sink basin will include the drainage pipework, p-trap, etc, and the taps. Plumb in the drain to the sink/ basin and add the hot and cold water pipes. Having done that, you can move on to the other essentials such as fixing the mirror, completing the cabinets.
Preparation
Take great care not to damage plumbing or electrical work while stripping all the old and unwanted things. It is obvious that the first action must be to turn off the water supply to all plumbing before you start, and drain the pipes, including the shower, sink, and toilet.
Remove the toilet/ WC, and everything else which is to be replaced. A useful tip is to use a rag to plug the waste pipes where they leave the room. This should be enough to prevent sewer odours (and even gases) from entering the room. Also, this will ensure that no materials from the demolition stage can get into the pipes to cause a possible blockage at a later date.
Disconnect the plumbing for the sink and remove it and the sink and any existing sink cabinets. Pull out the old bath or shower. While you are doing that always inspect for any mold and mildew or water damage. Lift out the baseboards and always consider labeling them for easier re-installation later reusing. If lighting fixtures are to be replaced, turn off electricity to the bathroom and remove them.
If during this process the walls need re-plastering, and tiling, now is the time to get it done.
How to Replace a WC Pan
We shall assume that you have worked out how the pan drains away behind the toilet pan and will have bought a suitable pan to drain out through the wall or vertically downward, according to the layout of your existing drain.
The first thing to do after switching off the main water line into your home is to flush the toilet to eliminate the majority of the water. Bale out as much water as possible from the toilet pan with a cup. Now find a few towels. These should be old ones that you don’t care too much about. Put the towels into the toilet bowl where they will absorb as much of the water which is left as possible.
You will probably leave some water in the toilet someplace, It is best to remove as much water as possible before proceeding but it’s inevitable that some will remain. Just accept that and unscrew any bolts holding the pan to the floor. Disconnect the cistern and flushing water supply pipe, plus overflow pipe, and remove the cistern. Remove the WC toilet pan and take it away. Tidy up and remove all the old pipework, cistern, and fittings from the room.
You now need to take a good look at the pan connector behind the WC. Where the wall or floor meets the 4″ drain piping there will be a piece that fits in between the bowl (pan) of your toilet and the wall or floor. Your next step will be to completely remove this fitting, which can typically be done by hand by merely unscrewing the connector pieces.
Something to keep in mind about this action is that there will likely be some quantity of water in the pan port when you detach it. Know this fact and take some precautions to prevent getting water all over your flooring. A container or the previously mentioned handful of towels will typically work well for this function.
We will assume that you now will have a new pan with an outlet of the same type or a suitable model from your preferred hardware or plumbing supply shop. If necessary take advice on a suitable fitting from an expert plumber. Set up the brand-new rubber or flexible plastic connector in the space where the old toilet pan used to be linked. You will need to screw this part on by hand until all is firm, but take care not to over-tighten.
Once the toilet bowl and the drain are connected with the joints on either end completed, bolt down the pan with screws. Install the cistern, and reconnect the supply pipework and overflow.
After doing all this, turn on the water and test the system to ensure everything is working well. Carry out a number of flushes to make sure that the drain connection has no leakage, and reseat and tighten the connection fitting as needed until a good seal between pan and drain has been achieved. Finally, install the toilet seat, and the job is complete.
Shower
Turn off the water supply to the shower If in doubt turn off the main valve into the house. Remove the old shower stall and inspect the whole area for any mold and mildew or water damage. If mold is present carry out necessary work to remove it and ensure the source of dampness is identified the area made dry for the future.
With all of the bathroom area which will house the shower exposed, and tidy and clean prepare the plumbing for new fixtures. Check the original drain for leakage, and replace any drain fittings which have reached their end of life. Decide on the method of reconnection of the shower tray to the drain, in accordance with drainage good practice and any Building Regulations requirements. If necessary go out to a plumbing suppliers shop and buy all needed fittings for the shower connections for the drain and hot and cold water, and the shower temperature (thermostatic) controller.
Install the new shower tray/ shower pan and the new shower cubicle above it. Replace the shower controls for the showerhead. Install a cement board and vapour barrier to all wall surfaces in damp areas in the shower stall. Ensure that the shower pan is fully sealed to prevent any dampness reaching the floor below it. If tiles will be used to finish the shower walls now is the time to add those.
Install the wall tile followed by the floor tiling. Grout and caulk the area around the shower enclosure and tiling to make a full leak-free seal during shower use. Install the shower doors and test for leaks and for the correct operation of the shower mixer. Once all is working as required the job is complete.
But, don’t concern yourself if this summary of the work needed to remodel a bathroom shower is too great a task for you to undertake. A local plumber near you, such as our Plumbers in Glasgow will be pleased to assist with a quotation to do all the work for you.