It’s Toothache Day – quite fittingly on the same day as Pancake Day – so you might want to spend extra time brushing your teeth tonight. As well as avoiding toothache, if you’re thinking about remodelling your bathroom you also want to avoid bathroom design pain. As long as you know about the things that can go wrong, you can prevent them; find out about the most common issues you’re likely to come across when you’re renovating your bathroom.
Do your research on showers
If you’re going for an electric shower, your main concern will probably be the flow rate. A rate between 10 and 12 litres per minute at a pressure of 0.1 bar to 0.5 bar should be fine. But if you want a valve shower, think about what your mains cold pressure is like and what hot water system you have. If you have the right information, the bathroom installer will be able to advise which system is best for you.
Think about where you can put your bath
Freestanding baths look fabulous, but the pipework is really important. Before you choose a particular bath for your bathroom design, think about the practicalities. And make sure you triple check your measurements and remember that you’ll need space for access.
Ensure your wall will support your basin
Your bathroom sink will get a lot of use, so you need to make sure it will be stable. Whilst basins mounted on the floor or on a floor-standing cabinet look nice, wall-hung sinks can really finish off a bathroom. Ensure that you or your bathroom installer reinforces your wall so you don’t have any mishaps that could cost you a lot of money.
Ensure your electrics meet regulations
Water and electricity don’t mix too well, so there are different regulations for electrics in the bathroom than in the rest of a property. There is a zoning system of IP (ingress protection) ratings, which gives a rating based on the potential contact with water. The more potential contact with water, the higher the IP rating needs to be in that zone.
Nowadays, more and more electrical appliances are appearing in our bathrooms, like TVs, speakers and even heated mirrors. It’s imperative that you check Part P of the building regulations to ensure that any new installations meet these requirements.
As long as you have a good bathroom installer and think about your bathroom design carefully, you should have a pain-free renovating experience this Toothache Day.