Trial By Bathroom

[TheRealRobG]

I had a seemingly never-ending bathroom DIY experience which lasted several weeks from planning to (almost) completion. My first ever bathroom installation and tiling job - and probably my last for a good few years, too!
I couldn't have done it without the generous advice I got from this forum, so thanks to everyone here for kind help and guidance. It made all the difference!

Took a few piccies while I was doing it, and thought I might share them on here. I don't get much appreciation from the wife about what's involved anyway...

As you can see, it started off as a pretty hideous 1980s style bathroom with corroded gold finish fittings and a nasty green carpet. I thought the tiles were salvageable, but the wife thought otherwise, so rip 'em all out I did!





Unfortunately off with the tiles came most of the plasterboard, so I had to replace that, which took - bloody ages! I decided to use Aquapanel for most of the critical sections around the bath, toilet and shower.

For the shower I ran a sheet of polythene behind the Aquapanel and ran that down into the tray in front of the upstand to catch any stray moisture. I had to construct a basin support and toilet cistern box from scratch. I used a Geberit WC frame for the suspended toilet.

[TheRealRobG]

I'd decided to run round some mosaics to break up the larger tiles, and aimed at the level of the shower valve, so ran a baton round to leave the correct gap on all walls. I used a water-filled plastic tube as a level, and it worked a treat. I think a spinning laser might have been easier though!





At one point while screwing down the floorboards securely I managed to run a screw into a pipe, and had to tear them up in a hurry before stuffing a couple of dozen toilet rolls and towels under the floor cavity to soak it all up...





The tiling took an age - mostly because of the seemingly endless number of cuts I had to make. I was really pleased with the window. It came out exactly square along each edge, and I was able to apply a metal strip around it without any kinks. I'm pleased with the finish. I believe it was Homelux stainless strip. I actually ended up glueing it to the edge of the tiles using Araldite to make sure there were no gaps. Held it in place with a glue gun while the epoxy cured. Worked a treat. I cut the mitres on my tile cutter and finished them to size with a diamond file.

[TheRealRobG]

After the wall tiling came the floor. After the pipe was fixed and the rest of the plumbing mods complete, I finished screwing down the 22mm chipboard, adding a few extra noggings here and there to prevent flexing.

Then I applied a layer of 12.5mm Aquapanel onto a bed of tile adhesive and screwed it down to the chipboard, checking that it was roughly level as I went.

Then I applied the DeviMat underfloor heating.



And applied a 6-8mm layer of self-levelling compound to cover it and level the floor up. I ran a length of wooden dowel around the edge of the floor to contain the compound, held in place with glue gun adhesive.



Once that was in thoroughly set (about a week later) I laid the floor tiles and grouted them with matching grout.



I was quite pleased with my mitred edges and corner on the basin shelf which were done with a fairly basic, placticky circular tile cutter:





The shower valve. I used a Marflow ShowerPl8' for this as recommended by my plumber to keep the centres exactly in line. It worked perfectly.



I found a great stainless steel wall mounted toilet brush made by Roper Rhodes which keeps everything off the floor just like the fittings.



And voila! Finally all finished bar the underfloor heating being wired into the mains, which should be happening in the next couple of weeks with any luck!

[Colour Republic]

First bathroom!!! Looks like you've been doing it for years mate!

methodical perfectionist

[Colour Republic]

Hang on I've just realised you're not a professional, I know over half the bathroom fitters in the uk wouldn't have turned out a job like that.

You're a chippy right? or a cabinet maker? Please don't tell me you're a hairdresser or something!

(nothing against hairdresser btw)

[TheRealRobG]

Thanks!!!

Nice to get appreciation from someone - the wife was just constantly nagging me to hurry up!

I'm a computer boffin with an engineering degree actually, but I do have a passion for making things. Trouble is, I can only be arsed doing something once, then I get totally sick of it and vow never to do it again. One thing's for sure - I'd never make a living tiling or installing bathrooms - that lot took me weeks...!

[Colour Republic]

If you ever decide a change in career then you'd make it in this industry, I'd happily employ you, with practice comes speed, that really has blown me away that you don't work in the industry already. You even went out and bought professional tools i see from the Fat Max levels to the Makita to the professional painters skuttle, even your choice of materials and fittings is how they should be. Some of it is maybe a little over engineered but that's to be expected and to be honest how it should be for a lasting job.

Blown away I really am

[Mike]

brillant job mate, i'd be proud of that myself! nice attention to detail too

[faithhealer]

brilliant Rob, well done

[diamondtiling]

A very good and detailed job, you should be very proud of yourself.

[mikethetile]

Rob

thats a job anyone would be pleased to have done themselves or have had done for them, you say it took a long time but it didnt really as you were doing it in your own time.

every where you look you can see the thought and attention to detail that has gone into this job

well done , enjoy your achievements and be proud of what you have achieved

mike

[jay]

nice work

[Sir Ramic]

Cracking job Grommit

[united]

Wow you should be really proud, that is some great work. Lovely finish and great prep work

[stevee]

looks great bud

[TheRealRobG]

Thanks everyone - I really appreciate the kind comments.

[Ken Bruty]

Beautiful job Rob, I would be very pleased with that if I had done it.

[Phil Hobson]

For a first attempt mate very good, tell your wife to read the above comments. She should be impressed

[merlecollins]

Hey Rob, I'm proud of you my boy

For a first bathroom undertaking you have without doubt dived in at the deep end with great success mate

[Scott]

Great job there mate, you can tell theres an engineer in there somewhere

[SandyFloor]

Well done, your job looks quite remarkable on especially for someone who doesn't work as a tradesman let alone a tiler/bathroom fitter. Your bathroom will still look good for years. If you ever did this again you'd do it in a fraction of the time just due to the experience of this one.

I think you can be really proud of yourself.

[macten]

Amazing.
Not just the finish but all the stuff no one will ever see.
Once again, amazing!

[Burnsy]

That is some quality work there - well done