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Property/DIY

How long to renovate a bathroom oh wise ones?

10 replies

BoBoo · 30/07/2013 21:06

We're having our bathroom renovated which will involve ripping out exisiting tiles, replastering and retiling and replacing suite. How long should this take a professional to do?

We've had someone pull out of the job who had quoted us three weeks. We're now getting other quotes and have found someone on Mybuilder with really good feedback, felt comfortable with them but they said about a week, maybe longer depending on what they find. Is this long enough. Obviously a week would be brilliant and I'd be happy if they could get it done in two, but seems like a huge difference.

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nemno · 30/07/2013 21:09

Ours was similar by the sound of it. Took 2 weeks bar the painting as our decorator was on holiday.

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RobotHamster · 30/07/2013 21:12

Ours was done in 10 days, everything ripped out, replastered and tiled etc. Small room though. He did say he would do it within the week, but it took another few days.

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nemno · 30/07/2013 21:19

Come to think of it I don't think much needed doing on our 10th day.

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Liara · 30/07/2013 21:23

We've had some done in a week, and that involved moving things about too.

Is he working by himself or does he have a team? How big is the bathroom?

Three weeks is a long time if it's just replastering, retiling and changing the fittings with no structural stuff done.

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BoBoo · 30/07/2013 21:24

Thanks for the replies, that's reassuring. Having been bracing ourselves for it taking three weeks (it's our only bathroom), ten days would be amazing and can probably be away for most of that.

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BoBoo · 30/07/2013 21:27

There's at least two of them. Bathroom is not massive but has a shower as well as a bath but apart from the shower the rest of the walls will only be part tiled.

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RobotHamster · 30/07/2013 21:44

10 days should be fine with most of them. I wish we'd been away while it was done - the first few days when there's no water, the noise of the tiles being removed, no toilet for ages. Was hellish.

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nemno · 30/07/2013 21:50

It was noisy and dusty but I needed to be there to make loads of decisions eg height of basin, position of shower, location of pump, height of tiling and loads more.

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PigletJohn · 31/07/2013 11:37

Plan it in great detail before you start, including pipe runs and reflooring. Provide agreed drawings which include positioning and heights in advance. Doing the drawings will prompt questions so you can deal with them before work starts.

If you are not living in the house, an extra day or two doesn't matter so much.

There is plumbing and wiring under the floor. I like a new floor in square-edged WBP ply panels in a bathroom, screwed down, so that you can take up sections easily and without damage. This may need a joiner who can also do the architrave and skirting, and windowboards if you have them. I prefer the new flooring to be down before the new sanitaryware so it can stand on top with no Vandyking. If you have another bathroom you can remove the old stuff in advance and refloor at your leisure.

Have all the materials ready in the room next to the bathroom, and it helps if you are able to go to a merchant quickly when you need extras.

In my own house, I had all plumbing and sanitaryware ripped out and refitted in two days (excl redec or tiling). I put in wall lights and shaver socket and patched the plaster at the end of day 1 after the plumber and his lad went home. Otherwise you would need to arrange plasterer and electrician separately. Fittings and especially bath must remain covered until all work is finished to prevent anything falling in (grit, rubble, tools) and damaging them

Tiling seems to take just over 1 day.

I suppose if you had to arrange all trades separately you would be lucky to finish in a week. Builders are usually quite bad at scheduling trades, which are usually subcontracted.

Have plenty of rubble sacks, dustpan and brush, and a canister vac. Don't allow anyone to use your household vac for builders dust and rubble. Get cotton dustsheets to protect carpets on the route. Keep all other doors shut to reduce dust migration.

A builders idea of clean may not be the same as yours.

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MrsTaraPlumbing · 31/07/2013 17:32

We do bathrooms all the time and 10 days is usual for a complete refurb inc plastering, tiles, electric, new rad, etc...
Rarely it will take longer.
If it is less involved s shorter amount of time is certainly possible esp for a 2 man team if they do everything together well.
Do ask to see other similar work they have done - word of mouth recommendations are reassuring.

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