Frequently Asked Questions
Bathrooms contain various items connected to the electricity supply, water supply and drains. To dismantle your old bathroom safely, do the job in the following order: first remove the electrical appliances, next remove the furniture and finally remove all the items connected to the plumbing.
Before you fit new sockets or replace old ones, it’s a good idea to check the condition of the existing electrical wiring and ask yourself a few key questions:
- Does the system have a circuit breaker?
- Does the system have an earth connection?
- Are there any bare wires?
Important!
When renovating a bathroom, always check the condition of the wiring and sockets you intend to leave in place. Old and new sections of the electrical system must both conform to the relevant standards. Once you’re satisfied, you can adapt the circuit and move the cables as you need, to create new sockets, switches and light fittings.
For your own safety always disconnect the power at the mains before starting work on the electrical system.
Finish the floor before you start bringing in the furniture. Ceramic tile is the most popular choice of material, but you can use other floor coverings in the bathroom.
Certain things have to be installed before you lay your floor. Drains for walk-in showers and low-profile trays are one example.
All floor coverings need to be laid on a solid, flat and clean floor surface. Depending on your choice of covering, you may also need to apply a levelling compound. If you opt for ceramic tiles or vinyl, you may need to prepare the floor first.
Once you’ve prepared your floor properly, you can lay the covering. Here we describe how to lay ceramic tile, but you can choose a different type of covering if you want.
It’s important to draw plans of your existing bathroom and your future bathroom. This will help you see what changes you need to make to the electrical wiring and plumbing. Start by drawing a plan of your bathroom as it is now.
This should show:
-
The positions of the new sanitaryware and furniture you want
- The changes you need to make to the plumbing, such as any water and drain pipes you need to remove, relocate or install new
- What the plumbing system is like now, including where the hot and cold water and drain pipes are located
- What changes you need to make to the electrical wiring, such as any cables and sockets you need to remove, relocate or install new
Next, draw a plan of your future bathroom.
This drawing should show:
- The new sanitaryware, in other words shower, bath, washbasin and toilet
- The new furniture and storage units
- The new plumbing system, including hot and cold water supply points and drain pipes
- The new electrical system, including sockets, lights and electric radiators
