Bathroom Renovation - The Plumbing
Involve Your Plumber from Concept to Completion
The Project!
When deciding to renovate or install a new bathroom, your plumber will have a major role. If you are only discussing the project with your spouse and the bathroom showroom salesperson then there are a multitude of problems that can be faced. While the salesperson may have a lot of experience in designing bathroom layouts, they will rarely have any experience in the actual fitting of the different elements. This can lead to difficulties when it comes to installing the beautiful items you have had delivered.
Potential and Common Hiccups
When you have chosen the different elements and your salesperson has given you a lovely design layout, the plumbers job is to fit them into place. However, if the plumber has been involved in the discussion from the start, they can advise on why different elements should go in certain places.
It may look more pleasing to have the WC away from the bathroom door, but if the new position is on an internal wall it means that either the waste pipe must go through the centre of the house (a disaster if there is a leak) or it must be pumped to an outside wall (extra expense). If this has not been planned in advance the additional cost can be prohibitive and the time wasted in deciding what to do can cause major disruption to the household.
Taking out a bath and installing a shower is a popular change nowadays but it should be noted that the plumbing, wiring and waste will be different. A plumber can advise on the best course of action here. The salesperson may convince you that a wetroom or low profile tray for the shower is the best and most attractive option, but if it is not possible or certain preparation is necessary then the plumber will be able to point this out BEFORE you purchase and also offer a solution.
Installing a beautiful vanity unit with a designer mono basin mixer looks very attractive when in a showroom - all that storage space and a tap where the water flows at the perfect temperature - who doesn't want that? It may not be pointed out to you that the vanity unit needs the plumbing to go through the wall which, if it is an outside wall, will require labour intensive chasing of the wall for the hot, cold and waste pipes. Another common issue is that certain designer basin mixers require extremely high pressure to operate properly. This may mean the installation of a pump which adds additional expense to your project. A plumber can check the suitability of a certain mixer with a simple pressure test on the water system.
In summary, these are just three problems that can commonly occur when a bathroom is designed without consulting a plumber. With all the advances in design and functionality of bathroom fittings in recent times, many houses are not ready to utilize them and so proper caution should be taken when considering them. By involving the plumber from day one you can ensure your dream bathroom is complete in good time and on budget.
