Is your bathroom looking a little tired? Thinking of doing a bathroom renovation? You may think that because bathrooms are relatively small, the renovation will be easy, right? Well, not necessarily.
It may be one of the smallest rooms in your house but it’s also a job that requires a lot of trades. It isn’t as simple as hiring a Carpenter/Builder, Plumber & Electrician. You’ll need anywhere from 6-12 trades including a Gyprocker, Concreter, Painter, Tiler… the list goes on.
Popular TV shows like The Block and House Rules aren’t great examples of the timing required for a bathroom renovation, with drying times included, a bathroom renovation can take anywhere between 2-10 weeks to complete depending on the complexity of the design and other factors.
To help clear your expectations, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on what to expect in a bathroom renovation.
PREPARATION
Before any work begins, the site needs to be setup appropriately to protect existing floor coverings and create easy access. Trades usually prefer to start early, 7am is the general start time so offering a coffee will go a long way! There are certain things you can do to speed up this process which includes removing all non-fixed items from your bathroom yourself.
DEMOLITION
Depending on the condition of the original bathroom and the new design, the slab may or may not need to be pulled up for the following reasons: a) Plumbing is not to Australian standards or is made out of steel or clay piping, therefore needs to be replaced, or b) your new layout design doesn’t match your old layout, therefore the waste pipes have to be moved. If your plumbing is to Australian standards but needs to be moved, sometimes we can get away with cutting up only a portion of your slab.
If your toilet is separate from your bathroom and your plumbing is to Australian standards, the slab doesn’t need to be pulled up in this area of the renovation.
Now, as hard as your builder tries to keep things contained, there will be dust so we highly recommend sealing off any rooms (for example, laying a towel at the bottom of the door to cover the gap) that are in close proximity to the bathroom.
UNDERFLOOR PLUMBING
This part of the renovation requires a licensed plumber so if you are organising the trades yourself make sure you check your plumber is licensed and insured. The contracted plumber will prepare your under-floor plumbing and have it tested and certified. You should receive a certificate of compliance for this work.
TERMITE PROTECTION
ZJ Building will always provide termite protection for any project that requires it. It doesn’t stop termites entirely but it prevents them from entering through the barrier that is put in place, essentially, it diverts them.
CONCRETE POUR
In a bathroom, the best practice is to set the finished floor level of the new slab 50mm lower than the finished floor level of the entrance, this is to allow for a tile screed and can more accurately accommodate correct falls in your floor levels. So, don’t stress when you see that the floor levels of new and existing don’t match! If your toilet is separate and your plumbing doesn’t need to be updated, then a set down isn’t required.
After the pour is complete, the concrete needs a minimum of 7 days to dry out before it’s ready for waterproofing. The reason for this is because as a slab dries, it secretes moisture and if the waterproofing membrane is added before the concrete slab has sufficiently dried, you run the risk of moisture being trapped between the slab and the waterproofing membrane (as it can no longer evaporate into the air), which means the waterproofing membrane can begin to bubble, crack & fail entirely.
Then how do they do it on The Block, you ask? Truth is, we don’t know! There are certain chemicals and accelerators that you can add to the concrete to speed up the process but time is always a fail-safe tool for making sure your slab is ready for the next step. Either that or they pre-pour their slabs before ‘Bathroom Week’.
FIRST FIX SERVICES AND WALL MODIFICATIONS/LININGS
After 24 hours, the slab will be traffic-able and further work can be done to the walls and ceilings before the waterproofing will be installed.
At this point in time, your builder will modify any wall frames to accommodate anything in your design that requires it, for example, in wall niches, half height wall frames and ceiling framing. The Plumber will come in to modify the hot and cold pipes to suit the new layout. This is also the perfect time for the electrician to come in and run all the cables for the new electrical layout such as moving/installing new power points, light switches, LED’s, under-tile heating (if required) and signature lighting.
After the first fix plumbing and electrical services have been carried out, your builder will line and flush your walls and ceilings in preparation for waterproofing.
WATERPROOFING
All bathrooms require waterproofing. Depending on your design, you may need more or less to comply with the Australian standards and Building Code. Your waterproofing membrane needs a minimum of 24 hours to dry.
UNDER-TILE HEATING IF REQUIRED AND FLOOR SCREED
If you have decided to go with under-tile heating, this is when it will be installed. A floor screed which consists of sand and cement will then be added to form all of the falls and levels for tiling which ensures appropriate water drainage. The floor screed needs time to dry to ensure the tiles stick correctly, we suggest waiting 3 days.
TILING
The tiling can now be installed. The tiles can take anywhere between 1-2 weeks to be installed depending on the size and layout of your bathroom, not to mention your tile choices. The tiler will take care of the grout and silicone as well. Psst… now is also a good time to get your shower screen check measured!
SECOND FIX SERVICES
The plumber can now return to install the plumbing fixtures and fittings as well as the vanity and any accessories. The electrician can now also install electrical switches and power points. This is also an ideal time for the under-tile heating controller to be installed if you require it.
SHOWER SCREENS
Your shower screen can now be installed but beware, there are lead times for these and they require check measures after the tiling is installed to ensure the right size is ordered.
PAINTING
It’s so close! All that needs doing now is the painting. Depending on your design, the painter could take anywhere from 1-2 days to complete this.
COMPLETE!
So, if everything runs smoothly, all of the trades are available on their respective days and no variations have been made, we are sitting on approximately day 30 for a total completion of your bathroom renovation!
Now, you might be thinking what you’re going to do for 30 days if you’re planning to renovate your one and only bathroom but you can rest assured knowing that ZJ Building can organise a portable ensuite and have it fitted with hot water to ensure you don’t miss one hot shower.
Don’t let this timeline scare you, though, there are so many benefits to a bathroom renovation. For every dollar you add to your bathroom, you can be sure it will add that and more to the value of your home. Also, research shows that Men and Women spend anywhere between 700-900 days during our lifetime in the bathroom, so it’s certainly a room you may want to invest in!
For some first hand viewing on a ZJ Building bathroom renovation, be sure to view our Instagram story highlights showcasing our own personal Bathroom renovation! View here