Bathroom Fitting in Scottish Borders

Are you thinking about installing a new bathroom in your home? One thing that commonly crosses most homeowner’s mind is whether a task can be done by themselves without having to call on a professional for help and in turn, save them some money. So if you’re also thinking along this route, then you’re not alone!

Asides the kitchen, no other home project is probably more involved when talking about the systems as well as skills required. At times, it can be so complicated most expert DIYers will take a deep breathe before carrying out a remodelling job for a bathroom. Basically, bathroom installation will include electrical works, plumbing works as well as tile works which all requires a highly skilled tradesman. It’s the type of work where every square foot counts as it’s a dense, tight work. Apart from that, there are usually some frequent surprises here and there such as identifying rotting joists as well as sub floor underneath a leaking shower or terribly rusted cast iron plumbing stacks. And to round it all up, you’ll also have to deal with the time pressure that comes with a bathroom remodelling project as the room is a highly essential space within the home. As a DIYer you’ll be under immense pressure to get it all over with as soon as possible for continued usage.

The solution to all the problems is simply to call in a professional who can help you manage the project from start to finish. The advantage of this is that you’ll get a good job done and probably in a quicker time than you would have. However, the main reason why most homeowners might not want to hire a pro to handle their bathroom remodelling job is because of money. Ultimately, if you feel confident enough you can go ahead and do the task yourself. If not, then calling in a reliable professional would be your best bet.

Surprisingly, bathroom renovations usually involves a wide range of trades to complete. And to make sure the work is done to a standard accepted by building regulations, some of these trades is required to have some particular legal qualifications. Therefore, if you’re interested in getting a new bathroom project done, you’ll probably need to call in more than just your plumber.

Below are the different trades you may need to successfully install a new bathroom:

✓ Plumber - The plumber’s task would be to install the new bathroom’s pipework and reposition and fit the bathroom items as needed.

✓ Tiler - To remove old tiles ( if any), prepare and tile the walls and/or floor.

✓ Labourer - To detach the old suite, strip out old tiles as well as floor covering etc.

✓ Plasterer - To skim the ceiling or board out the walls before you tile or plaster.

✓ Joiner - To re-hinge doors or construct studwork. For instance, when including a new bathroom to a bedroom.

✓ Painter - To paint the newly skimmed ceiling with the help of anti mould bathroom.

✓ Electrician - To install underfloor heating, ceiling spotlights, an extractor fan or a shaver point.

✓ A builder - A general builder will be required if your new bathroom project requires any structural work to be carried out such as installing a new uPVC window, putting in an RSJ and lots more.

✓ A decorate - As the name suggests, the decorator can come in to make the bathroom look a lot more attractive and to finish the job.

And above all, to ensure proper coordination and success of the project, you’ll also need a person who’ll serve as the lynchpin in charge of the entire project.

Once you have your new bathroom installed, or perhaps you’re only replacing the old downlights, you’d probably want to know how to go about fitting your new bathroom downlights. If yes, then you’re not alone! This is a very common question amongst several homeowners and we wish to guide you through once and for all. However, it must be said that if you are not a competent DIYer or probably lack the confidence or skills to pull this off, then it’s advisable to hire a professional to get the best results and also save yourself some money and time.

Here are the list of the tools you’ll need to fit your bathroom downlights: Tape measure, chalk line or laser, pencil, pad saw, hand drill, hole saw and screw drivers.

✓ Measure the bathroom ceiling and mark out the central point of the light which will be where the downlights will be placed. Drill a small pilot hole here.

✓ Check above the ceiling to ensure that there’s no pipes, joists or wires in the way. It’s always a good practice to make sure that there’s sufficient room around where the downlight is to be installed in order to avoid placing it too close to a joist or any other obstacle. You should try as much as possible to maintain a 6 inch gap around the spot where the downlight is placed to make sure the fitting does not overheat.

✓ Use a hole saw or a plasterboard saw to make the cut out for the downlight. Check the downlight’s box for instruction on the size.

✓ Once you’ve been able to make a clean cut ceiling hole, pull through the wiring through the hole so that the downlight can be wired. Once done, then you can fit the downlight into the hole by holding the two springs back against the sides of the downlighter and push up into the hole.

How Much To Tile A Bathroom?

Are you thinking about doing a full renovation or just a facelift of one of the most used rooms in your home - the bathroom? Thanks to its little maintenance requirements, tiling is the most obvious choice for wet areas as well as the popular decoration option for bathrooms. So if you’re planning to tile your bathroom how much is it going to cost?

Just like several other home improvement options, the cost of tiling a bathroom is influenced by a wide range of factors which makes it almost impossible to provide a single, accurate answer to the question. These factors include the size of your bathroom, the materials to be used, the professional tiling company hired and many more.

To calculate the cost of your bathroom tiling, you’ll need to determine the size of the area to be tiled. Simply work out the number of tiles you’ll need by multiplying the width and height and include about 10 percent to cover for possible errors. Generally, tiles can cost from £5 to £20 and more depending on your choice of design. Other materials you’ll have to purchase include tile adhesive, grout and silicone. If you don’t have the necessary tools make sure to get a tile cutter, measuring tape as well as a mixing bucket.

If you want to hire a professional for your bathroom tiling project, you should also consider any work that’ll need to be done before fitting the tiles such as the removal of the old tiles. This can have a great impact on the labour cost, so if you’re intending to save some money you can start by removing the old tiles yourself. Overall, depending on your location and the tiler’s experience can expect to incur about £20 to £40 per square metre. However, some tradesmen can charge a daily rate of about £150 to £200.