Building or renovating your home is fun and exciting. You get to plan out a design, shop for modern fixtures, and enjoy a therapeutic experience all in one. Creating a new bathroom from scratch is one of the best parts of building a house. But before you start dreaming about this project, there are some practical things to think about for your new bathroom:
- How much space do you have?
Ensure that you have enough room to fit all the fixtures that you want to put in, especially if you want a shower stall, toilet, or sink that takes up more space than usual. If you have a larger area, you can even invest in a bathtub and other accessories.
- How much is your budget?
Your budget is the most crucial factor to think about when building a new bathroom. Besides buying appliances and accessories, you also need to pay for a bathroom installation expert’s service fee. Doing it yourself can certainly save you some cash; however, you may not have enough experience to finish the task. You might also make mistakes that are expensive to fix.
- Do you need plumbing and heating services?
Before installing new fixtures, you need to consider the state of your existing plumbing and heating appliances. Hire a reliable service provider to fix leaks, unclog drains, and replace broken pipes.
- What bathroom fixtures do you need?
It’s finally time to go shopping! Do you prefer a digital, electric, or mixer shower? What about a brand-new combination boiler? You can even add an underfloor heating system to warm up your new bathroom.
Have you finalised everything you need for your bathroom? It’s time to look for an experienced plumber to take care of the installations. Choose a plumber who works in a reliable plumbing and heating company to ensure that you will receive high-quality services and top-rated customer care.
Is it finally time to remodel your bathroom to fit your current tastes? Bathroom renovation can be an exciting task, especially when you have a vision in mind. And if you don’t, here are five innovative renovation techniques to create a creative and functional space:
- Plan thoroughly.
Before starting with your bathroom renovation, you need to layout a comprehensive space plan. What appliances and fixtures do you need the most? Do you have any brands in mind?
It’s also important to consider your budget. Renovating a bathroom certainly isn’t cheap, especially if you want to install the best fixtures and finishes.
- Consult with an expert.
Every bathroom is different. It’s best to schedule a consultation with a qualified plumber to learn more about your bathroom’s requirements. For example, the existing pipework in your bathroom needs to be checked, especially the pipes hidden behind your walls. This is to avoid any unfortunate bursts or leaks within your newly renovated room.
- Consider your requirements.
The next step is to choose the bathroom appliances you need. What type of shower do you want? There are several to choose from, such as digital, mixer, and electric showers. You can even rebuild your shower plinths and fit a shower screen to make things more accessible. If you need hot water, choose from a wide range of boilers: conventional, condensation, and combination are some of the most common types.
- Consider functionality.
Bathroom renovation isn’t just for making the space look good. You need to think about functionality as well. Choose only the most trusted brands for your new bathroom appliances, especially when it comes to heating. You can even go for intelligent heating or underfloor heating if your budget allows it. It’s best to ensure your installations’ full functionality and longevity to avoid costly repairs in the future.
- Choose an experienced provider.
Once you’ve figured out everything you need for your bathroom renovation, it’s time for you to hire qualified plumbers and engineers for the job. Choose a provider with years of experience and a high standard of customer service.
Refurbing and bathroom renovation in London, just like any other part of the house requires lots of planning. It is an investment that you would typically not like to make in every few years. Meaning that when you decide to renovate your bath, you need to think long-term – make the best choices right now, invest in all aspects that fit into your budget and go a bit over-board; but all that with the intention that the bathroom is ready to serve your purpose well for another 15 to 20 years. Similarly, when having a new bathroom made, literally from scratch, you need to take the best decisions keeping the future in mind.
Needless to say, it is crucial that you choose to work with the best and the leading bath renovation company in London. How to choose the best one, though, is a puzzling question. Here are a few tips to know that you have the perfect bathroom contractor working on your most-precious place in the house:
- They handle the entire work on a turnkey basis.The best and the most professional contractor will be the one that will handle the work as a project in its entirety. This means that once the contract has been finalized, you need not run around getting other people for the smaller jobs. The whole work of making the new bathroom will be the responsibility of the contracted company. You deal with only one entity – the rest will be managed by them.
- The right one in the business will not object when you buy your own decorative pieces to install in your bathroom. They will be quite fine and willingly have the fittings done with your purchased items. Any bathroom renovating company that objects or has an issue with your supplies should be kept away from the job.
- Choose a bathroom renovating company that has the reputation of delivering on time. This means that sticking to timelines and schedules is an extremely important characteristic that needs to be considered. While there can be a bit up and down, here and there, you need to confirm with the company on their deliverables and timings.
Summary:
Boiler installation place to choose from.
Question: Where should i put my boiler?
Answer: Anywhere you want to, as long as you check with a gas safe engineer that it is safe and cost effective.
Bonus: There’s a glossary of key terms at the bottom of this article.
Where should I install my boiler?
You can install your boiler anywhere in your house if your kitchen has got limited space. But consider what is practical, safe and cost effective before you decide to install it in the shed. Of course, you should get advice from your Gas Safe registered heating engineer. Until then, use these tips:
Boiler installation place: put your boiler under the stairs
You can put your boiler under the stairs to keep the boiler and any ugly pipes out of sight. This is only an option if your walls aren’t adjoining a neighbour’s. We advise that you install your boiler on an outside wall or else it will cost you more than planned to run a longer flue.
Boiler installation place: Put your boiler in the bathroom?
Bathrooms are becoming a popular choice for boiler installations. If you install your boiler in the bathroom, make sure it’s not out of place in your bathroom design. Also, house it in a cupboard to shield it from damp and humidity. As a bonus, keep your towels in there too because they’ll be warm and toasty when you use them.
Make sure the housing cupboard is far from any water, so that water doesn’t come in contact with the electrics. Again, check with your heating engineer. The boiler you choose will affect its location in your home.
Boiler installation place: Garage/Outbuilding/Loft
Boiler installations in an outbuilding or garage are also an increasing trend. But before you do this, remember that your new boiler might cut out in freezing weather. Also, consider accessibility. When the time comes to service your boiler, will it be accessible in that obscure corner of your loft? If your boiler must go outside, buy extra frost protection for your condensate piping.
Liquid Petroleum Gas boiler installation
If your boiler runs on liquid petroleum gas (LPG), don’t install it in the basement. LPG doesn’t rise and will not disperse in the event of a gas leak, which is a safety hazard. Your installer should survey your home and tell you what areas are safest and most efficient. While saving the space you set out to by installing your boiler in different parts of the house.
Hope this helps! Leave your feedback and comments below. Also, if you’re thinking of changing your boiler, or you think it needs to get fixed, call us and we’ll be able to help.
Glossary
Flue – A flue is essentially a pip, or opening (usually attached to a boiler) to remove exhaust gases and allow them to escape outdoors.
Have suggestions? think we should add certain terms to our glossary? Or just have a general query – contact us via live chat, or send us an email: info@wpjheating.co.uk
Bathroom Renovations come with a number of steps to make sure you’re proud of the end results. The planning stage is very important – think about how the bathroom is used and by whom. Is it a room that will be used by visiting guests and family? If that’s the case, it should be functional and well designed. If your remodel involves your own ensuite however, you’ll want to personalise it, maybe choosing to add romantic touches. Either way, it’s in your best interest to hire a professional for the remodel, and here’s why:
Bathroom Renovations take time:
If you work a full time job, or if you’re home full time with your growing family, how much time do you really have to devote to a bathroom renovation? A professional does this type of work day in, day out. He or she will be able to troubleshoot when inevitable issues come up. Offering suggestions for the best layouts and plans. They’ll help you take things like the type of boiler installed in your home, your water pressure, and the location of pipes and water lines into account when choosing your bathroom design.
Even if you end up with a dream renovation with no issues at all, what would take you days to accomplish can likely be wrapped up in a single day for a good contractor. Your bathroom tends to be a high traffic room in the house and it can be a huge inconvenience for it to be unusable for a long period of time.
Click the image to see more of our bathroom renovation projects
Bathroom Renovation Codes and Rules
There are specific wall to fixture measurements that are in building codes that need to be taken into account, especially if you’re planning on selling your home in future. Hiring a professional bathroom installer saves you from having to do all of that research. The comfort of knowing that your end product will meet by laws and building codes can be worth its weight in gold.
A Job Well Done
The finished product of a bathroom renovation done by a professional can be leagues from one done by the homeowner. You may be able to install a shower or lay flooring or even paint, but a contractor will have a good grasp on every aspect of the renovation from planning to that final detail.
Their expertise and the fact that they do this type of work every day means that they’ve got all of the work down to an art form, while it may be a struggle for the average homeowner. If the whole point of the renovation is to make the room look and function better, doesn’t it make sense to get the best man or woman for the job?
When considering bathroom renovations, it’s a good idea to leave the work in the hands of professionals so that your results can be top quality.
Bath time with your kids can be a war of worlds. Who’s will is stronger? Your’s or your 3 year old commander in chief? You both have different missions. You just want to wash off the jam in their hair and remove the mud between their toes. They just want to splash around or worse still, not take a bath at all – leading to a torrent of wails and screaming. In reality, bath time can be a golden opportunity to spend quality time, create great sensory experiences and expand their imagination.
Bath Time Senses
Teach your baby about textures, surfaces and senses. A dry towel, a wet flannel, a rubber duck, slippery soap, a squidgy sponge, disappearing body cream, warm and cold. You’ll be teaching them about the world and how to interact with it.
Drop coloured ice cubes in the bath water for toddlers to chase around. It’s an excellent way to teach about warm, cold and different colours. Plus, it’s great fun! To make them, next time you’re filling your ice tray, just add a drop of different food colourings to each section.
Bath Time Crafts
Let your kids use the bathtub as a blank canvas with DIY bath crayons that wipe off. Learn how to make them here.
Another great idea for bathroom crafts is self adhesive fab foam available from hobbycraft or amazon. Best suited to slightly older kids, you can work on lots of different projects and keep kids distracted, making bath time something to look forward to, rather than dread. Just look at this amazing murial from filthwizardry.com.
Make soap, bath bombs and fizzles with your kids prior to bath time. It will make them more enthusiastic about bathing, they won’t be able to wait to use their soapy creations.
This one is really simple. Simply fill two to three spray bottles with a mixture of water and one drop of food colouring and shake it. Then make a foam bath as you would normally and hand the colour filled spray bottle to your little one and let them loose.
Bath Time Science
There are lots of interesting ways to introduce a fun learning environment to bath time.
For fun, write lots of creative messages in invisible ink all around the bathroom for your kids to discover. Then switch off the lights, and with a submersible black light torch, they can play CSI and find all the different messages. It’s a great chance for them to discover how invisible ink works. You can get invisible ink pens from any good crafts store.
Kid’s love science, and weird Get some glow sticks from the pound shop and drop them in the bath for some glowing fun! Or better still, make the whole bathroom glow with glowing bath water. Simply add tonic water (it’s safer than glow water) to the bath as you’re running the taps. Then switch the normal light off and turn the black light on. This simple trick will make the bath water glow blue. Your kids will be in awe.
These quick tips are (largely) hassle free, and it saves you the head ache of having to argue your kids into submission when it’s time to have a bath. Instead, start getting creative and they’ll be begging you to stay in the bathroom for longer!
A new bathroom is possible
It’s time to debunk the myth that to have a luxurious look & feel, you need to invest in a whole new bathroom installation. Not true. In 5 simple steps you can completely overhaul your bathroom without having to hire plumbers and contractors. We’ve collected 5 ways to achieve this without breaking the bank. Let’s jump in:
Steam showers are great for many reasons. We all know that they are very relaxing but they also come with great health benefits. Steam showers have a positive effect on blood pressure as exposure to steam widens the blood vessels so that blood flow increases and improves circulation.
The heat also relaxes muscles and reduces tension and gives relief to stiff joints. Exposure to heat and steam releases stress and has a fatiguing effect that can improve sleep when used before bed.
Just a steam shower or a the shower/tub combo?
When ordering a steam shower you need to decide if you need a dual tub and a steam shower or just a steam shower alone. The shower/tub combo is more expensive but it’s important to note the benefits that come with the price tag. Tubs include built-in seats, foot massage and whirlpool massage jets. If you’re looking to create a luxurious bathroom environment the shower/tub combo might be the right way to go.
Installing a Steam Shower
The installation process is not too different from installing a regular shower, also a steam shower doesn’t need to take much more space than a regular shower. The total price of a steam shower installation depends on what shower you choose to install as units start at £800 and go upwards.
We’ve done some research for you and here are some of the top steam showers on the market in different price ranges:
Vidalux Sensual Spas Essence 900 Steam Shower Cabin
Vidalux Sensual Spas Essence 900 is a great lower cost shower as it has all the most desirable features; steam, bluetooth, colour changing light at a reasonable price. Price: £879
Insignia INS8728
Just like the Vidalux above, the Insignia INS8728 features steam, Bluetooth and colour changing light. In addition this steam shower also features Insignia’s AMI aromatherapy system. Price: £1424
Aquaplus 9018 1500 x 1500 Steam Whirlpool Bath Enclosure
All in one! Choosing a steam shower with a Whirlpool bath will include body jets, foot massage and a built-in seat. Price: £1599
We’ve seen so many bathrooms in our days, and we love them! We love how creative people can get with their private spaces. The bathrooms we have chosen are all located in Notting Hill and we have chosen them because they are creative, quirky and personal.
A mint blue dream! We love the effortless look of this space. Every piece is simple yet gorgeous on its own, it makes for an impeccable bathroom.
The brief was probably ‘Something like Cuba…but marble’
When classic meets modern at its best. This charming pearl is located in Holland Park and has a bathroom that’s luxurious and classy without feeling cold. Also, those tiles with that bathtub are a complete jackpot! The space is designed by Spencer & Wedekind. We are impressed!
Who says you can’t be in wonderland every day? If you want to feel like Alice – every bathroom visit can feel like falling down the rabbit hole!
There are a lot of elements in this bathroom that are impressive. The geometric tiles obviously stand out with their colours but there’s much more to it. The dark pink on the bathtub matching the tiles and the use of different materials such as wood and frosted glass. And that lamp? It’s a Moooi Heracleum Pendent Light. Very charmed by this space!
Stunning bathtub by Drummonds Bathrooms, 642 King’s Road, SW6 2DU London
That wall is beautiful!
There are so many different showers out there, it’s a jungle! There are digital showers, mixer showers, electric showers, you name it. Here is an inspirational guide to some fine showers we’ve come across…
AQUALISA
Aquatique Thermo is a mixer shower by Aqualisa that offers adjustable shower and drencher heads. It’s made of high quality brass with both exposed and concealed valves available. It comes in a chrome or gold finish and the drencher heads can be found in 5” and 8”. We really like Aquatique Thermo’s classic and sophisticated style, definitely a stunning addition to a rustic looking bathroom.
MIRA
Aside from its sleek design, Mira’s digital showers allow you to select exact temperature and the flow rate of your shower. It offers an Eco function if you wish to limit the flow and reduce your water usage. Mira’s 360 showerhead comes in three different designs and thanks to the Flipstream™ Technology the 360 showerhead rotates and offers four different sprays: rain, cloud, storm and burst. Well, let’s be honest, goodbye Eco function, hello burst!!!
Just going to have a shower…four times…
Mira platinum wireless remote controller
The Mira 360 range is complimented with Mira Shelves and can be used as parking sockets for the shower head to replace the conventional slide bar.
GROHE
The Rainshower F-series from Grohe is just stunning! And luxurious! As always when it comes to Grohe. There is too much to choose from to mention it all here but here are some sneak peaks:
Dream!
Attention rain shower lovers: If you want a proper rain shower you’ll need the right kit behind the scenes – ask for a cold water MainsBoost accumulator from TWS.
A little bit of English manufacturing history: SAMUEL HEATH
Samuel Heath factory in Birmingham, England
Samuel Heath was established in 1820 and is a British manufacturer that began as a traditional brass founder. Today Samuel Heath is manufacturing bathroom accessories, taps, showers and architectural hardware and has become internationally renowned for innovation and quality.
On the process: ‘Each piece is meticulously formed from the purest Northern European solid brass which is then polished by hand to create a flawless finish before undergoing a high quality electroplating process. Attention to detail dictates that each product is then assembled, checked and packed by skilled individuals. All of these processes take place at the company’s Birmingham factory ensuring total control over manufacturing, quality and environmental responsibility.’
Samuel Heath is located in the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.
The Fairfield line – Wooden levers enhance the organic feeling of Fairfield’s curvilinear design.
Samuel Heath and Royal Crown Derby collaborated for a collection that exemplifies the very best of British Design and Manufacturing.
Local recommendation: BURGE & GUNSON
We recommend Burge & Gunson in SW19, they are London’s largest independent bathroom specialists. They know it all and they stock all the brands mentioned above!
Happy showering!