1930s Semi Refurb - Part 1 of ... (Edition: Bathroom Relocation)

[dlockers]

Right, now the bathroom suite is mostly ordered --- onto other jobs.

Electrics
I need to remove the sockets from the room - but I need to...
* Add a fused spur(?) for the towel radiator?
* Chase in a shaver socket (off the lighting circuit? or I can run a proper spur)
* Defogging mirror (same circuit as above I guess?)
* Put something spare for a future bidet.

Is there anything I should know before I kill myself?

 

[dlockers]

Bargain really! I had ordered (and returned) a £510 shower for this standard Aqulisa. It comes with quite a fun mounting bracket so there is a chance I can chase it into the wall and then push fit straight plastic into loft - unsure if I trust it that much yet though

Toilet matches downstairs - its fine.

The waste I went OTT on as I don't doubt the Wickes special I fitted in the last house has broken by now

And the small bath/shower thing I will loathe everytime I use it. God I hope it isn't as bad as I am thinking

 

[dlockers]

I was planning to overboard the ceiling but can't get my head around the hipped bit. Is flexi/curved plasterboard still a thing

 

[dlockers]

It's just two boards with skrim

Is it really? So just meet them up as good as possible and then skrim and fill the join?

The rooms so cold with no rad I've not entered to ponder these things in a while

 

[dlockers]

Pretty much

Mega, thank you sir.

£240 for the shower ?? could go electric for a little more and why go electric towel rail ?? run your rad and turn it on for 10 mins before you get in ?

Why would you think electric is an upgrade? I've spent £9k on a heating overhaul and had an unvented cylinder fitted. My shower is glorious despite it looking like something out of Train Spotting atm

The towel radiator is hybrid - it contents to mains heating and has electric for the summer months. The room is north facing so is generally super cold. I plan to fit a "smart" spur so I can schedule it.

I do wonder if it will try and warm the whole house though - i.e. the water cycling through just keeps taking the heat away

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Few other Qs:
- I am going to lift and replace the boards because they are a bit ropey. I plan to tile. Is it fine to do 22mm chipboard and then overboard with tile backer? Or is there a more "all in one" solution?

- Related to overboarding, should I overboard down to "subfloor" level and then floor upto the wall? Or floor, then board and sit it "on top" of the floor?

 

[dlockers]

I could be wrong but I think you're meant to close the valves for summer. Might have a knock on effect if that is your "always on" bypass radiator.

But the boiler shouldn't be running the pump in summer so I'd not expect it to suck heat away!

Close the return valve

(y) cheers chaps. I've had "damp" towels for my entire life. Can't wait for a functioning heater

Edit: my bypass radiator is the WC downstairs - no TRVs at all.

Turn the power off before you start.

reminds me when my late father asked my bro if he was SURE the oven was isolated. It wasn't. He also touched the electric fence around the pond not convinced it was working - surprising how much a bunch of D cells can hurt you

No more ply boards they are a cement based subfloor, I've not used them though

(y).

 

[dlockers]

If you want to keep the thickness of the subfloor down, you could use 12mm ply and overboard with 6mm Hardieboard or NMP. I've done it previously and the floor was solid on 400mm centres, no movement/cracking of the tile. Might need noggins depending on if you have flex in the existing joists.

Good idea - I think I need to measure height to carpet. Maybe I do 18mm rather than 12.

I don't want to add to your troubles but be aware of how narrow the smaller end is on those baths. Internal measurement is 522mm at that end.

A friend of mine fitted a similar bath a couple of years ago and his wife complained endlessly about how narrow it was and she is a smaller than average sized lady.

About 4-5 months later he took it back out and swopped it for a normal straight type bath.

The one I've ordered is 800 at the widest and tapers to 700, so luckily no issue.

 

[dlockers]

I honestly think hybrid towel rails are designed for electricity in winter. Towels dry fine for most of the year, but if you don't leave your heating on all day they definitely don't dry in winter

Either use case works but as Buffman said, normally the heating is on in the winter. I'll probably set a little HA script that determines if heating hasn't been on, blitz it for 30 mins ready for morning shower. In fact if I had continued my purchase of the smart shower I could have configured it to come on if the shower had been used!

 

[dlockers]

They might be designed that way, but I know for a fact, not having a hybrid radiator thing, that the only time of year that our towels don't dry properly is when it's cold outside.

But when it is cold outside the heating is on....

 

[dlockers]

Do you leave it on when you leave the house in the morning? I guess if you WFH and keep it heated all the time it won't matter. Our heating turns off around 8 AM when we've both left for work, so our towels haven't had a chance to dry

My towels aren't outrageously "damp" at the minute with just an overnight air dry, so anything the towel rad can do in normal hours of heating will be more than welcomed. Anyways, heating comes on at 6am for wake up and gentle increases house temp. Someone WFH everyday atm so heating is on from 0600-2100 set to 18 degrees with 50 degree flow temp.

 

[dlockers]

Right, all sorted with my dodgy building merchant

Comes Friday - this gives me enough to insulate the external walls in a mix of PIR and plasterboard. The plasterboard is away from the wet areas.

I've got enough tileboard in 6mm to do the floor in 18mm chipboard and then overboard.

And then enough 12mm tileboard to clad the false/stud wall and shower area. I will probably have to skim a small amount or just tile the lot; TBC on whatever is easiest. 12mm probably overkill for the one wall as its just the shower wall that is block built, but CBA to change now. The architrave has some depth already.

I just need to order the framing timber, 18mm boards, the niche former, the tiles, and some sparky bits. The radiator stuff might hold me up a bit but I might drain the system and cap it off for the plumber.

Edit: and 2x moisture resistant boards to overboard the ceiling. Should I do the fancy recessed lights around the perimeter ? Maybe too much for my skills and to work around the hip of the roof...

 

[dlockers]

Further Qs please gents...

Is this OK to go between the joists?

Rockwool 37 Cavity Batt Thermal Insulation Slab - 100 x 455 x 1200mm | Wickes.co.uk

Rockwool 37 Cavity Batt Thermal Insulation Slab - 100 x 455 x 1200mm

www.wickes.co.uk

They do the "32" version which is better but a lot more expensive as I'd need 3 packs.

And what lights would people suggest in a bathroom? I'd like them dimmable - so I am thinking Hue/smart lights?

And what lights work in a niche?

 

[dlockers]

We have our bathroom lights and niche lights on separate switches. This way if we want dim light while in the bath or at night we use the niche lights, otherwise we use the main lights.

Thanks - you wouldn't know what niche lights they are, do you? I can't seem to find any website that has them listed out simply enough for me to follow

For lights as well, I am tempted to just get the Hue circle light rather than downers but I'm not sure it is suitable for bathrooms.

If I were to get downers, what's the default choice chaps?

 

[dlockers]

Are these niche lights in the shower?

Yes

 

[dlockers]

You may as well just get an electrician in then, its in zone 1 and you'll need to notify.

For sure but I have no idea what lights are available for such an install.

 

[dlockers]

Thanks man - will take a look. Possibly too spenny for me - so may stick to basic former.

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I'm going to lift boards and get first fix plumbing done tomorrow. Is 22mm enough to drive the bath, basin taps and toilet? The shower I'll just do two 15mm chases in the wall.

Edit:

So drop 22mm from the loft, down the hip of the roof. Then T into 15mm, which I can then T into the toilet and the vanity. Hot would just go straight to the vanity.

 

[dlockers]

Is this for the cieling?

The floor between bathroom and downstairs. A bit overhangs the porch so is fully exposed

 

[dlockers]

Yeah you wouldn't be using all three at the same time. Only gonna make much difference if you have 22mm coming all the way from the source though.

I can do 22mm from the top so I guess I'd get some benefit. Not sure these modern bath fillers can cope with the flow but we shall see!

 

[dlockers]

Chaps,

May have dropped a clanger here. The insulated plasterboard I've bought is 38mm (25+12.5).

I'm not sure the back has a vapour barrier - at least, it isn't silver. I was planning on just glueing and whacking a few screws in.

Do I need to switch product or batten out?

Edit: false alarm it has a barrier!

 

[dlockers]

Wickes let me down unfortunately (boards, framing timber, nails). Tool Station also let me down on plasterboard adhesive, so I had to spend 30 mins driving out - so progress was always going to be slow, but that gave me an excuse to go even slower

Rehung door/new handle finished off yesterday:

Lifted the key boards up. This wall will be insulated. I removed the wiring, it was those dodgy bakerlite spur. They didn't even bother extending the ring. All gone now!

Then I overboarded the ceiling in moisture resistant plasterboard. I had to cut it into 2 annoyingly --- the weight was too much for a one man lift.

For the hip bit, I used the track saw and scribed 5mm lines every inch so I could get a decent fold. Hopefully I can get away without skimming it but we'll see - I just don't have the skill to skim, so I plan to tape and fill.

The room now doubles as a brothel:

I actually much prefer the light to downers and it was only two screws so can always come down.

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Tomorrow I will...

* board the window wall
* insulate the outside wall
* hide some electrics outside of all of the zones
* anticipate the vanity and first fix the mirror (also needs power)
* drop the 22mm from the attic (x2)

I am then "stuck" until I get my floorboards and bathroom gear (next Friday now). I will then first fix the toilet and drill the 90mm hole; first fix the towel heater, and then book the plumber in I think. The main job I need him to do is plumb the radiator - I want copper out of the wall I think, and fit a ceiling/roof extraction system.

When I chase the 22mm into the attic, I am going to overboard the wall with tileboard (12mm hardibacker). Can I simply chase it ~22mm deep and then cover? Like this?

Or do I need to fill the chase in? I have bought pipeclips, but I might fill my boots and run all my gear into the attic and cover with tileboard (ethernet, power etc).