New Bathroom - some questions

brown*eyed*girl

Hoping to get myself a new bathroom suite i.e. bath, shower, toilet and washhand basin and basically the whole bathroom made over. My house is a town house and they're quite old fashioned so getting one room modernised at a time. The kitchen is finished but cost me a small fortune and found it hard to know if I was being ripped off or getting value for money or which job to get done first or to get independent contractors to do stuff so hoping I'd get some first hand advice if anyone has it here! Some questions that spring to mind are:

Can you get the whole suite and tiles in the one shop and do the shop install them for you or do you need a separate tiler and contractor etc.

Also what type of tiles do you recommend for wall and floors?

I was thinking of "tile" effect lino for the floor as the tiles are quite cold - any opinions?

I know it'll be a messy job but is it really really messy and does it take long?

Sorry for all the questions but I don't know where to start. I'm heading to some retailers at the weekend and I'm in Waterford so if anyone can recommend someone down here.

All advice welcome

Endymion

brown*eyed*girl wrote:

Can you get the whole suite and tiles in the one shop and do the shop install them for you or do you need a separate tiler and contractor etc.

In my experience shops usually recommend tilers/plumbers/who ever you might need, rather then do it themselves. Also, yes, there are places where you can by everything from your tiles to your taps, however this is definitely the most expensive approach, not the cheapest. One place might be really cheap for tiles and very expensive for tile adhesive (quite common). It best to shop around for the various parts of your bathroom.

Also what type of tiles do you recommend for wall and floors?

Wall tiles for the walls, floor tiles for the floor. Don't get over sized tiles, their a pain to lay. Buy non-slip floor tiles. Adhesive is very important, and will depend on what surface you're tiling. The most expensive stuff is seldom the best.

I was thinking of "tile" effect lino for the floor as the tiles are quite cold - any opinions?

Lino isn't water proof. Simple as that. Water just kinda gathers in lino.

I know it'll be a messy job but is it really really messy and does it take long?

depends on the job, and how awkward it is. Since you're replacing everything tiling shouldn't be as awkward as it would be if there was a toilet and bath and various other such in the way.
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hargo

I renovated the bathroom this year and used marmauleum for the floor and tiles on the wall. Its a great product waterproof hardwearing and warm also cheaper than floor tiles.

sabiki2

I've got some advice from the boards.ie gurus on just the same topic:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054959416

What I've learned is to get loads of quotes, until you are sick of the sight of plumbers and you nearly know how to do the whole a-z of refurbishing your bathroom. Only then do you tend to get realistic quotes that start to converge to an average price.

I'm going with a tiler-plumber combo who work together so they can organise themselves coming and going and save me the hassle of trying to get two different tradesmen to co-operate at the same time. It avoids me stuck in the middle of each of them blaming the other for incomplete work etc.

I went to to a bathroom tiles showrooms and picked out tiles and actually a new suite there. I found the suites there similar and cheaper than a specialist bathroom suites showroom.
I wouldn't have the patience or interest in pricing around for cheaper adhesive etc. I found it easy to get the whole lot in the shop, they knew what I'd need exactly far better than I did. I got their list of suggested tilers and plumbers but found them to be outrageously expensive.
In the end I found a pair who did work for someone else and they came in with a good price.

I've spend two evenings chiselling off the existing tiles and now the plumber starts tomorrow. I reckons he'll be done in a day, the tiler is lined up soon after that, not sure yet how long that will take.
Somehow the plumber is replacing the suite, but leaving it in such a way that the tiler can work away and then fix the suite down. He will come back for final adjustments etc.
I hope it works out, I'll know soon enough.

Endymion

sabiki2 wrote:

I wouldn't have the patience or interest in pricing around for cheaper adhesive etc.

Some places will charge more for the adhesive then the tiles.

sabiki2

Carnivore wrote:

Some places will charge more for the adhesive then the tiles.

Really? Ok, I still have a few hours before I settle the order on tiles+accessories, so what do you ask for when comparing adhesive prices? Price per sq/yard/meter? or is it price per tub or per bag?
I'm not sure how adhesive is delivered, think it is in tubs?

Endymion

Yep, was caught out once. saw a special on tiles, something like 10 euro per sq meter. Bought whatever amount and the adhesive to cover the same area worked out more expensive. I think that was the place in northside shoping center.

adhesive comes in gallon drums (for wall usually) and bags for floors. Their two commpletely different types of adhesive. The floor adhesive is like rapid set cement, while the wall stuff is anything but rapid.

brown*eyed*girl

Thanks for the great advice there – in work at the moment so gonna copy and paste that into a file and check that link too and bring it home and have a proper read. Hard to believe the adhesive would be more expensive than the tiles. I’m going to take my time with this one as at the end of the day it’s a big job that will be expensive and will be my bathroom for quite a while. I made the mistake of not shopping around for my kitchen but its top quality and looks great but I’d say I could’ve saving a bit here and there. Thanks again now at least I know where to start and have some excellent tips. Will update this thread as I go along in case anyone else needs similar advice.

garyh3

On the radio yesterday I was listening to an advert where they were offering a complete bathroom makover with tiles for about 2500 euros, but cannot remeber who. Anyone !

Garyh3

brown*eyed*girl

Well some progress made luckily I remembered my cousin worked in a DIY place and has just gotten his own bathroom done in his new house so he came to Tubs and Tiles with me and I got everything* for €2000 even which was great. He also got me a tiler who said it'll be roughly €500 to do the tiling and he works together with a plumber who has yet to call. So basically when the tiler is free and the plumber which is around two weeks the bathroom will be done. I'm estimating the overall cost to be €3,250 i.e. €2000 tubs & tiles, €500 plumber €500 tiler and €250 skip hire. I had a budget of €4000 so have some left over for some other work.

I will post a pic when its done but am ashamed to post a before pic as its worse than the pic someone posted on another thread with the blue suite. Mine is a disgusting green..

Sabiki2 is yours done yet? Hope it went ok.

*Everything included toilet, bath, wash hand basin, shower door, wall tiles, floor tiles, shower unit for over bath, chrome towel warmer, all taps, mirror, adhesive, grouting, etc..