Cost of new bathroom installation - is this fair?

Rageth

booty40uk wrote: »

Hi Raymond
He will need to be a registered electrician because bathrooms and kitchens are defined as special locations by the NICEIC and can only have electrics done in them by an NICEIC registered sparks or a sparks holding the new Part P qualification.
Andy

An electrician doesnt have to be NICEIC registered at all. There are other bodies such as ECA and NAPIT that also serve the same function. The strangle hold that the NICEIC has just because it is better advertised needs dispelling.

DEEX

ashcroft121 wrote: »

Hi all,

Just my 2 pence on this rather long thread! As someone who installs luxury bathrooms for a living, I’m not touting for business on a money-saving forum. I just wanted to offer some advice to people who are trying to get their costs down on such projects.

1.) Don’t skimp on the cost of your sanitaryware. Acrylic baths come in 3 thicknesses, 3mm, 5mm and 8mm. The 3mm ones are rubbish and are to be avoided at all costs, unless you like replacing cracked baths down the line!
2.) Similarly cheap sinks and WCs can stain far more easily and are also harder to clean. More expensive sanitaryware is generally much more scratch and stain resistant, protecting your investment for longer and saving on cleaning time.
3.) Tiles – this is a big area you can make savings on. Visit your smaller independent tile shops and look for end of line tiles. These are often on sale for up to half the normal price, resulting in huge savings if you are tiling an entire room.
4.) Never, never let anyone put up plasterboard in a shower area. Contrary to popular opinion, tiles and grout are not waterproof. If plasterboard gets even slightly wet it turns into a soggy mess. I have ripped out too many shower cubicles where previous tradesmen have installed plasterboard behind tiles in shower areas. Make sure you have Aquaboards or equivalent installed, much cheaper in the long run.
5.) Large format tiles (anything over 30cm in any direction) need to be stuck to the wall with cement-based adhesives (not ready-mixed tubbed adhesives). The reason for this is cement-based adhesives dry by chemical reaction whereas tubbed adhesives dry by evaporation of the water in them. Large format tiles don’t let enough air in to cause tubbed adhesives to dry. Result? Tiles falling off the wall within a very short time.
6.) Floors should always be fixed with a quality cement-based adhesive.#
7.) Taps can be purchased really cheaply on Ebay, but make sure you go for a brand offering a fully comprehensive warranty (5 years is quite normal). Don’t think it’s good value to buy unbranded taps with no warranty, they will most likely need replacing in a year or two.

All of this advice is offered from my own experiences of repairing bad workmanship caused by tradesmen. I hope this helps someone save money but avoid going too cheap and having to have the bathroom ripped out in a couple of years.

My Bathroom installer has just plaster boarded my bathroom and has even done this behind the wall thats going to be used to install the shower. The depth of the wall is not deep enough to install the valves but im now really concerned about the longievity of him doing this. Im paying £2000 for the bathroom refurbishment. Should i stop him in his tracks now before its too late. I can really do without the cost and exspense of another cowboy experience having takin place in my home at my expence. Any further advice on this greatly welcome.

keystone

DEEX wrote: »

My Bathroom installer has just plaster boarded my bathroom and has even done this behind the wall thats going to be used to install the shower. The depth of the wall is not deep enough to install the valves but im now really concerned about the longievity of him doing this. Im paying £2000 for the bathroom refurbishment. Should i stop him in his tracks now before its too late. I can really do without the cost and exspense of another cowboy experience having takin place in my home at my expence. Any further advice on this greatly welcome.

1. As long as he tanks the area where the shower is going to be that will be fine. Ashcroft is correct if you just stick tiles direct onto plasterboard without tanking. Just ask your guy tomorrow morning if he's tanking the shower and see what he says. If you see him spreading a rubbery compiund onto the wall ask him what he is doing. He will answer tanking it for the shower.

2. You really should have started your own thread rather than resurrect one from 2011.

HTH

Cheers

robatwork

keystone wrote: »

2. You really should have started your own thread rather than resurrect one from 2011.

HTH

Cheers

Or even one hijacked from 2006. Did they have the internet back then? Or dodgy bathroom installers?

southcoastrgi

robatwork wrote: »

Or even one hijacked from 2006. Or dodgy bathroom installers?

not as dodgy as the suite colours

stubaru

sounds very expensive to me how many days does he say it will be i would like to know his houly rate

phill99

stubaru wrote: »

sounds very expensive to me how many days does he say it will be i would like to know his houly rate

Why are you suddenly resurrecting an old thread! I See you are still spamming in your other posts.

keystone

stubaru wrote: »

sounds very expensive to me how many days does he say it will be

Apart from Phil's correct observation what sounds expensive? Which post are you commenting on?

i would like to know his houly rate

What practical benefit would it be to you to know that? My hourly rate is £Z. My daily rate isn't £8xZ. My quotation for a job like a complete bathroom refurb of iro 10 man-days labour isn't likely to be £ 80xZ either.

Cheers