Our B&Q Bathroom: One Year On...

It seems like just yesterday...  Looking back at my last post (Reflections... ) reminded that we had decided to do our best to ignore the minor niggles, and be grateful for our new bathroom rather than aggravated by its imperfections. However, things have recently changed. Over the last few days some issues have arisen which have potentially serious consequences.  They've given us cause to contact B&Q to technically make a claim regarding the installation of the bathroom.

I've just got off the phone from the B&Q Homefit department. they took my details & promised me a callback...

Reflections on our B&Q Bathroom Experience...

The Process
We chose B&Q for the fact that the price would be an all-in deal (bar the painting). Also, they would project manage the installation & be accountable for issues. In that respect, B&Q are an easy option. The preparation checklist is useful & rather reassuring.

There's also finance available & various warranties included in their deal. 5-10 years for fixtures, fittings and installation. I imagine that you could spend fewer £££s than we did, by shopping around for parts yourself, from alternate vendors. But you could also easily spend more...

For example, the fan we were given was labelled 'budget'. (The noise it makes, and the lack of moisture it removes, confirms this.) The mirror is an ikea-style - laminated chipboard - but the edging is rough.

At the end of the work, final guarantees & certification (for the electrics, for example) were sent through. However, at no point have we been asked for feedback on the process & our experiences. This we find very surprising, given the scale of our investment & the room for improvement. (Perhaps they read online blogs!)

The communication was fair, though not great. Even before the work had begun, we received a number of phone calls which worried us & removed any confidence we had in the process. There seemed to be a lack of joined up thinking/communication between the bathrooms dept, homefit, the installer and the project manager. In fact it's hard to tell exactly what input our assigned 'project manager' actually had since, during the installation at least, the installer himself was in charge...

The Installation
It's chaotic. For the period that the work's being carried out you have to adapt. However, they were sympathetic to the needs of a family with children... with no other bathroom available in the house. (Including phoning ahead, when he realized he wouldn't be starting on the day we had arranged.)
The issues with our installation fell into two categories: 1. Errors or omissions by the store/homefit. and 2. problems created by the installation.

1. Items were missed off our order. Incorrect items were sent/given to us. We weren't contacted with the time/date of delivery of the parts. We had to make do with certain handles (since we wanted the installer to fit them) since we were stuck with what was available in store. Although replacement items were discounted, and incorrect items refunded at the end of the process, it still meant additional journeys (by me) out to source & collect parts at short notice.

2. Despite our concerns that we may have drainage issues, we were repeatedly reassured that there wouldn't be a problem, and the installation was carried out. The problems were exacerbated. It took an additional day of work to solve drainage problems, at the end of the installation. However, the worry created by the problems was significant.

During installation a number of other issues arose, which had to be put right: Leaking sink overflow; faulty wiring to the lights; poor earth on the radiator; air bubbling between the bath & sink; unsatisfactory sealing...

The Finish
Some people would be very disappointed with the quality of the finish, with a large number of minor issues. For example, there's a scratch on the mirror and a chip on the bath. The tiling's good for the most part, but the edging is variable, the mosaic twists and tilts in places, and there are a number of small holes in the grouting. The handles have been attached at slightly crooked angles. The toilet appears to move away from the unit, when you sit on it...

The sealant around the edge of the linoleum is variable - messy in places. There's a cut in the lino at one point, where it's been cut to size. I also think we should have been offered a way of finishing the edges of the flooring, as silicon beading is not really suitable.



The less visible part of the bathroom - in the attic, and under the toilet & sink for example - are unsightly. The wiring above the mirror is untidy. There is an ominously damp smell around the electrical housing (which I'm hoping is drying plaster). The work in the loft (lighting, fan & wiring for both) looks unfinished. Some wiring is unsecured, Insulation hasn't been replaced, and I'm sure there should be insulation around the re-routed pipes to the electric shower.

.

***

All-in-all, just prior to us getting the final painting done... we're happy. To some extent. Not so much happy with the new bathroom, but happy that the old one has been replaced. 

Would we recommend B&Q to others, though? Perhaps only because we haven't experienced any alternatives.

The Fixer...

With a number of key issues remaining in our new bathroom, and our installer having moved on to a new installation (I guess), B&Q sent us a customer service representative. The bloke took time to check & experience all our problems...

He did a good job of managing our expectations. That is, he was clear that pre-existing conditions caused by old wiring or plumbing meant that sometimes problems required additional work. He said he'd do what he could to help put the issues right, as soon as possible. He was true to his word, and a credit to B&Q.

In fact, the next day the electrician returned and made good the loose wiring above the sink, and put in additional earthing for the radiator (I'm told). The issue we had was that it'd trip the whole house electrics after a few minutes warming up... We've used the electric towel warmer a couple of times since with no repeat of the issue. #touchwood

The next day - a full 4 weeks after the start of the installation - the customer service project guy returned with a new colleague, who set to work.  He firstly stripped away the cupboard fascias & bath panel (see below) to get to the plumbing.  One of the contributing factors to our problems was identified as a 90 degree bend in the now long pipe from the bath waste outlet, which would effectively stop the water from flowing away. (You can see this in the picture.) I'm presuming that was replaced with a 'sweeping' curve, allowing for more rapid removal of water.

The other area the plumber focused on was where the bathroom waste pipes met the house soil stack (see below). Where you have issues with a soil stack you'll need a drain expert to sort it out. As bathroom installers, B&Q are unlikely to deal with issues caused by poor drainage from your home. However, our problem was identified as an old piece of copper piping between the soil stack & the new bathroom waste pipes.

The plumber set to work cutting out the old pipe, which turned out to be heavily blocked, and overdue replacement. He replaced it with a section of pipe with a good angle of fall, and an inspection outlet (pictured) to help resolve recurring issues in the future.

In a little less than 2 hours, our drainage problems had been resolved and the bathroom had been put back together & re-sealed. Following another (now the third) period of letting silicone sealant to cure we'd be able to use our bath properly for the first time...

Surprise..!

A morning surprise...

The light above the bath, exposed.

With the issues that we'd experienced I wasn't that surprised.

These little light fittings stay put through gentle clockwise rotation. If they're rotated too gently I guess they come out. NOT the sort of thing you want happening while in the shower.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the standard bulbs operate at a temperature equivalent to the surface of the sun.  You can't just grab them & pop them back in. They need a good 30 minutes to cool from operating temperature. As mentioned before, it has been recommended that we swap these for LED bulbs, with a longer lifespan.

Upstairs Downstairs...

A new bathroom constitutes significant work and changes to your house. Of course it does. What we didn't realize, or account for was that shifting the position of a bath is likely to cause shifts throughout your house in some way,  particularly when the bathroom is on the first floor as in our house.

Cracks appearing in the ceiling below the bathroom.

This simply means that more work will be necessary following completion of the bathroom. We were already expecting to have to get the bathroom finished by a painter & decorator. We also had other work required around the house. So this is a minor issue. However, I could see plaster falling off ceilings in older houses, or where more radical changes have been carried out.

Implications for the planning process, if you're thinking about taking the plunge...

Day Fifteen...

As you'll see from our last post (see ...Out of Order) there were a number of issues remaining at the planned end of the installation. Some were more pressing than others, but none were concerned purely with aesthetic finish - all were about functionality and in some cases safety.

The installer revisited on the Tuesday afternoon (the fifteenth calendar day) and the following work was completed: the leaking overflow was sealed; the cupboard handles I'd bought were fitted; the end of the bath was resealed, with the tiles raised so that water would tend to run back into the bath; the radiator was bled so that it heated up to its full height. We were also told that the waste water plumbing now had airlocks (or something) to prevent waste water rising from the bath or sink when the other was being used.

Later on an electrician came around to check the electrics. The lights were replaced & the junction box which I was told was the cause of the fault was fixed. He advised me that LED bulbs would be a good replacement in the future ( a message I received from a number of people during the build, but not before when we were actually planning it!) because of their longevity and lower heat emission.

And that was it. We were left with a number of issues, with the installer saying there was nothing more he could do. He didn't fix the waste water coming up out of the sink's plug hole, when water was released from the bath. And we were told would need a drain expert to allow bathwater to flow away fast enough.

So, because there was nothing he could do we contacted B&Q homefit straight away to find out who could do something, to get our bathroom finished...

Out of Order...

Following the main period of the installation one or two issues remained. (Well, quite a few actually.)

The key problems included:

1. water leaking from beneath the sink;
2. the sides and back of the sink were not sealed;
3. no cupboard handles had been delivered with our order, so they needed to be purchased & fitted;
4. waste water shooting up out of the sink's plug hole, when water was released from the bath;
5. similarly, water glugged from the bath when water was let out of the sink;
6. water not running out of the bath fast enough, so we're standing in water during a shower;
7. the end of the bath was not sealed completely;
8. the tiling at the end of the bath was lower than the bath & therefore collected water;
9. the combination of 5 & 6 meant that water either leaked below the bath or ran onto the floor;
10. the radiator only heated up to 2/3rds of it's height;
11. one of the lights had blown within a few hours;
12. all the lights blew the following day;
13. the heated radiator trips the whole house electricity, and
14. the toilet seat came off.

All this meant that we couldn't actually use the shower, bath, sink or toilet that weekend... The installer was due to return the following week, and did so, on the Tuesday afternoon. He came round & set to work, attempting to address all the issues above, plus a few niggles about the finish.

So how successfully do you think we managed to solve all these problems? Answer in the next post.

Cupboard Handles...

If you've been following this blog, you'll have read how a few items had somehow been missed off the order we agreed & paid for. 

So far, these included:

- 1 extractor fan

- 3 lights

- 3 light housings, for bathrooms

- 1 clever power transformer thing

Although I collected all these items from B&Q myself one evening, only the extractor fan & transformer were suitable. I'd been given lights & fixtures unsuitable for bathrooms. Make of that what you will. The installer bought an additional suitable set, which meant he could finish the job.

However, on the last day of the install it emerged that the handles we'd chosen had also ended up being missed off the order. Some companies sell complete units i.e. handles included. Not B&Q. What's more, the ones we had chosen had to be ordered, so picking up the 6 we needed, at short notice, wasn't possible.

So off I went, on a Saturday lunchtime, to pick us up some handles. On the advice of the installer I tried ScrewFix (see ScrewFix.com). This is an Argos-like store setup, where you choose your item/s from a catalogue, write the item number on a slip of paper (using a tiny, free pencil), then queue up to pay, before collecting your order from another desk... unless they're out of stock.

Unfortunately my choice was out of stock. In fact, they had no 6 matching handles that I could buy there and then..! So, back to B&Q I went.

It happened that our original bathroom designer was available due to a cancelled appointment, so he took me around the store to choose a set of handles. As mentioned above, options were limited, but we found a set of fairly standard brushed chrome bar-type handles, which fitted the bill. After a 50% discount (in recognition of the error) they were only £1 a piece.  

Sorted - taken home ready for the return of the installer.

Final Day of the Installation...

There seemed to be an awful lot of things left to do on the Friday - the last planned day of the installation. I assumed that starting a day later than planned might result in the installer having to return after the weekend, for an extra day... And I was right.


Before the bathroom would be finished the following needed doing:
- cupboards finished and installed
- install the sink
- lay the floor
- attach, plumb & wire in the radiator
- all the electrics needed completing / checking etc.
- Seal everything.

...It seemed like an impossible list, for a single day. The installer showed up, with new lights and an electrician, and set to work. It was indeed a long day. However, by 6:30pm we were  pretty much done.



The radiator is slightly curved, and about a metre and a half tall - plenty of space to hang a number of towels. (I've seen some of these radiators struggle to hold a single towel. The bars are too close to threat a towel between them, especially when hot.)

The bath & sink taps are the Cirque style, and I'm please with the look. The shower hose does interfere with the overflow, however. This is a problem since you have to rotate the unit to open & close the plug. We've also noticed that it's hard to actually 'mix' hot & cold water - it's generally either fully hot, or cold, unless you're particularly patient. 

The sink tap is really well-made, and allows for hot & cold to be truly mixed. Again, however, the design of the tap interferes with the design of the sink: the plughole is blocked by a rotating disc, which opens when the flop of water from the tap hits it... unless your get the knack of it.

All in all, we were happy with the look of it all... But.

Unfortunately there were some issues still to be resolved, which I'll discuss in a future post.

Day 7...

With the seventh working day came a number of problems... Given that the install was expected to take 10 days in total, some of the issues were rather time sensitive. Here's what occurred.

The installer noticed that the extractor fan was missing (see final paragraph of Phone-calls...) along with the 3 spotlights, to be embedded in the ceiling. The paperwork included their installation, but the items had not been added to the order.

I called our bathroom designer, on his mobile. He said that he could arrange for the missing parts to be collected from the store at 50% discount, given the error... Except that it was his day off. So, I called the B&Q store directly and spoke to someone who said they'd have to speak to colleagues in the HomeFit department before she was able to help. We selected & chose the items we needed, so that when B&Q called back we could place the order, ready for collection that evening.

I headed to B&Q at about 7:30pm. I picked up a few extra bits to make the new bathroom as nice as possible, then made my way to Kitchens & bathrooms. Sure enough the items were ready for collection. £100 later I was heading home.

Unfortunately, we found out the following day that I had been sold incorrect parts - light bulbs & their fittings unsuitable for the bathroom. This was despite our installer speaking to B&Q directly.

Our only option was to head out again & try to purchase the necessary kit. However, our installer offered to buy the parts and bring them the following day. Problem solved...

...or so we thought.

Tiling...

The tiling has begun...

A new face arrived with the main installer - the fourth person involved in the installation - to carry out the tiling. He was introduced to us & then discussed what we wanted him to do. This process was mostly straightforward, with just one or two additional decisions to be made.

Key issues included the height of the mosaic strip, the amount of tiling behind the sink, and the orientation of the tiles themselves. The tiler took pride in his work, and completed in two days. (Photos on next post...)

 We wished we'd originally decided to tile the whole bathroom. Doing this would remove the need to get follow-up painting done. The workman offered to return if we wanted to go ahead with this option. As you can see, the tiles only cover the bottom third of the wall, beyond the bath:

First Week Reflections...

After the first 4 days, the installation is well underway...

Our experience so far has been positive, even given complexity of some of the decisions we've been asked to make. So, this post considers out experience to date, including practicalities not covered to this point.

Planning
It's crucial to do your research & decide what you want the finished room to look like. Since we were pretty clear on what we wanted, the process has moved fairly rapidly. If you're in any way unsure about what you want, or how you want the finished room to look, the process will stall. Yes, you can change your mind on some minor details, but each of these can throw up more significant issues during installation.

Decisions
Even best laid plans result in some last minute decisions having to be made. Here are the decisions we've been asked to make, during installation:
- where the rubbish is to be placed/stored
- position of the extractor fan
- exact extent of the tiling (including orientation of tiles, and height of the edging).
- location of power points & some cabling
This is where the installer's expertise is crucial, and their advice invaluable.

The Installer
I get the sense that the installer is everything in this process. The team chosen to install each bathroom or kitchen is the most significant factor in terms of success and customer satisfaction. Their competence, initiative & decision-making determine the finished product. (They pretty much live with you for the duration too - personality is an additional factor.) They also appear to manage additional workforce, such as plasterers and tilers. Finally, we've found that they don't do '9 to 5' days - for example, when the plastering had been done, only limited work could continue: Work done for the day at 1:30.

Practicalities
While we're without a bathroom (since the one we're having done is our only one) we've had to live 'flexibly' & put in place some plans for keeping clean, using toilets, etc. We're keeping hand gel & toilet roll (and torches, for night use!) in the bathroom. We're using the kitchen sink for washing and teeth-brushing. We have our own dust sheet to cover the bare bathroom floor, while the workmen are away. We have a dish-washer, so piles of dirty plates don't develop while the water's off. Local friends are kindly letting us shower at their houses. My gym membership also allows for showering & shaving on a regular basis. The area used for storing the parts of the bathroom is reducing gradually, as the installation continues. However, this is still a rather precarious place for any young children or pets.

Pipes, Power, Plastering...

The next couple of days (2 & 3 of the first week) seemed to have involved a number of key jobs. A lot has happened behind-the-scenes.

Radiator.

The hot water pipes have been re-positioned, ready to connect to our new radiator. The picture below also shows new cabling in place, ready to power it independently from the hot water system. (We can heat the room & shower if our hot water system fails.)

Water pipes & power ready for new radiator.

Shower

The plumbing and power has been re-routed, through the loft, to allow for our planned re-positioning of the shower about the taps in the new bath. I hope they've left enough cable...!

Lights
Our rather old (and rusty!) profile lights have been removed. The holes in the ceiling have been filled with plasterboard. The light switch has been removed, ready for an upgrade. The ceiling has been plastered this morning. The guys finished the work around 1 pm today, to allow the plaster to dry I guess.

Day One...

Step one is the dismantling & removal of the old bathroom. The room needs to be stripped back to the ceiling, walls and floor in order for the new stuff to slot in. The work commenced swiftly, with our communicative installer. Despite there seeming like he was working alone by the end of the first day our bathroom looked like this:

Where our bath & shower once stood, there remains bare floorboards and brickwork. All tiles have been removed; the shower has been disconnected & dismantled (ready to replace on opposing wall); the shower curtain rail has been taken down; the pipes disconnected & sealed ready for connection to the new suite.

The tongue & groove paneling on the ceiling has been removed, in preparation for the clean plastered replacement, with inset LED lighting. Note the magnificently huge old lights which we've been depending on. The light on the wall will be removed and replaced by an LED light over a mirrored panel and shelf, above the new sink. 

The tongue & groove paneling behind the old sink and toilet have been removed (displaying the handy pipework). The Ikea corner shelving has gone. Only the loo remains - of course - and a rather large pile of rubbish:

Goodbye Old Bathroom...

We identified the need to upgrade our bathroom when we moved into the property 5 years ago. But you know how time flies, and priorities shift. 

However, the day has arrived. It's time to begin, with the inevitable removal of our old existing bathroom... So, a fond farewell to creaking flooring, dangerous electrics, the crooked light over the sink, my bodged together shelving... and:

Loo & discoloured cistern - pipes boarded up with ten year-old tongue & groove...

Old radiator & Ikea towel rail...

Worn out bath, with leaking overflow...

Tap, Tap, Tap...

The discontinued tap issue (see call #3, in Phone-calls...) has resolved itself... Almost.

An initiative-wielding B&Q staff member picked a similar alternative product, and packaged it up along with the rest of the bathroom. Problem solved. Except that the alternative basin tap happens to be a tall, kitchen sink-style faucet. Over a foot tall, in fact:

So, quick research unearthed a shorter item, with more appropriate dimensions:

http://www.diy.com/rooms/cooke-lewis-cirque-chrome-effect-basin-mixer-tap/172625_BQ.prd

A quick phone-call later & we're reassured that one would be sent out to us... TBC.

Delivery...

The phone rings. "It's B&Q Home Delivery. We'll be there in about 30 minutes" The bathroom is (pretty much out-of-the-blue) half-an-hour away from being delivered...!

All this would be great, if we had some more notice/agreed on delivery arrangements. The conversation continues something like this:

Me: Er, I beg your pardon..?
B&Q: It's B&Q. We'll be there in about 35 minutes. With your bathroom.
Me: Oh. Okay. Will I need to store stuff?
B&Q: Yes, I should think so.  (I knew that I'd have to, but was taken unawares.)
Me: Okay. Will I need much space?
B&Q: Well, yeah. We've got a bath, a bath panel, a worktop and 3 pallets.
Me: 3 Pallets?
B&Q: Yes.
Me: Right - I'll make some room... Can you deliver around the back if possible?
B&Q: We're in a 7 and a half ton lorry.
Me: Well try. (Thinking that all the recycling & waste management trucks manage it... At speed.) If you can't then you'll have to park at the front I suppose...
B&Q: ...What?
Me: Please try to deliver around the back of the property - it'll be easier.
B&Q: Okay.
Me: See you soon.
B&Q: Yeah, about half hour.
[Click, burrrr]

When they arrive they tell me the delivery had been marked 'IC' for 'important consignment'. Not, it seems, important enough to tell me of it...

Nevertheless, we make space and the lovely (but very tired) deliverymen proceed to drop off our kitchen:

The Installer...

The countdown's almost up. Just 48 hours to go. It's T ( or 'B-for-bathroom') minus 2 days... And the installer makes contact!

However, the message is: Can't start on Monday - another job has overrun.

Well, that just gives us more time to prepare. (And time to choose our new taps - see Phone-calls...) So no big issue for us. If I'd specifically booked time off work I'd likely be out of pocket though.

The installer mentioned (when asked) that we should empty the existing bathroom so that they could get started the following day, but that was it. I'd partly expected him to check that we have a room full of new bathroom parts ready for him to install. (Which we don't.) I'm now assuming they'll arrive on Monday, or at the same time as the installation commences. Although given the hiccups so far, that level of orchestration will be astonishing, should it occur.

Unfortunately I think I'm being unwise by assuming everything's in hand.

Phone-calls...

The installation date approaches... So I wasn't surprised to receive calls about the project. Here's a sense of the discussions, which actually ended up worrying me somewhat, as you'll see...

Phone-call #1
I received a call around Saturday lunchtime, on my mobile phone. I happened to be out and about. I was told that the bathroom would essentially be delivered before the Monday installation date. I was aware that B&Q aimed to deliver necessary items as close to the installation date as possible, so expected the call. However, as I was out I was unable to agree a date over the phone at that time.


It got me thinking whether it would be reasonable to expect the installers to actually bring the bathroom when they first arrive, instead of the buyer having to store it for them. Although I can see how it might be tricky - and perhaps a change in the conventional, established approach - it would make sense if the installer knew they were bringing everything they needed with them, to get the job done. It'd possibly even save time in the long run.

Anyway, when I received phone-call #2 I was expecting to agree to a delivery date. However that's not what phone-call #2 was actually about...

Phone-call #2
I received a second call, midweek, from a different person to the previous call. I said how I was
expecting their call, but they proceeded to ask me if I'd bought cupboard door handles.

Cupboard door handles - Had I bought them?

Well, yes, I said. I hoped so. I remembered being asked to choose them in the store. And, later on, I checked that they were indeed listed on the B&Q Supply and Fit Quotation Summary Product Item List. They also asked me whether I'd bought an extractor fan, flooring and the radiator! Again, I said I certainly hoped so - I'd aimed to buy a whole new bathroom!

The caller said she'd look into it and made a point of reassuring me that she'd be keeping in touch, before we ended the call. I'm waiting on further contact... and not completely convinced that I'll be getting what I expected.

Phone-call #3
Just a message left this time, less than a week prior to installation. Simply put, a member of B&Q staff rang up to tell us that we couldn't have the taps we'd ordered (& paid for, of course) because they had been discontinued.

So, I'm thinking, shouldn't the taps we ordered should be reserved for us once we'd signed our agreement & paid up? And, if that's not the way B&Q work surely many people will need to visit to re-order parts a few days before their installation...

I've since checked the B&Q Supply and Fit Quotation Summary Product Item List. The handles are listed, but there's no price next to them. However, it seems that all the details of the cupboards are noted about the price list. So, confident they're chosen & paid for; that they've been 'bought' along with the rest of the bathroom & work. The radiator's definitely on the list - CURVED TUBE ON TUBE CHROME 450x1674x117 CHROME PLATED £169 - along with a specific installation instruction.

Extractor fan and vinyl flooring installation is included on the order - at £184 & £135 respectively - but I can't find the items listed. Concerned. Definitely asked for them, and certainly chose the vinyl in-store. Will discuss when we're called back.


...Ah-ha. Just found vinyl flooring on the Sales Advice - £48. Paid for. Relieved. Not so for the extraction fan. If it's been missed it's B&Q's fault. I'll be disappointed if I am required to spend more £££ as a result. Unnecessary worry.

Preparation Checklist...

As the installation date approaches I have turned to the B&Q documentation, provided when we sealed the deal. It includes a very useful 'Useful Information' sheet, as follows:

Facilities
During your installation some services i.e. water, gas and electricity will be disrupted. We will make every effort to keep this to a minimum and your installer will discuss this with you at the start of your installation.

Time Scales
Installation time scales vary depending on product and design, Generally installations usually take between 5 and 10 working days but can be longer for more complex projects.

Although some guidance may be required on the first day of the installation, out qualified installers can subsequently be left to work without your attendance, for your convenience.

Waste Services
If you purchased our waste collection service our installer will arrange for it to be collected within three days of completion of your installation. It will need to be stored for the duration of your project so your installer will agree a convenient and safe location for you.

Your Preparation Checklist

Neighbours and Pets

• Do you need to mane alternative arrangements for pets during the period of the installation?
• We recommend you inform any neighbours of your installation ad explain about the possible disruption and noise during the project, which we will aim to keep to a minimum.

Room Preparation 

• Please empty the room ad clear out cupboards to aid the removal of your existing installation.
• Remember to pack away any belongings but leave out any essentials you may need for the duration of the installation.
• Our installers will cover immediate area in which they are working and any access routes, with dust sheets; however any other area in your home should be covered by yourself.

Storage Areas

To minimise disruption we will deliver as close to the installation date as possible.

• Please consider a storage location for the delivery which should be secured, sheltered from the weather and large enough to house the products for installation.
• Please let us know if you are unsure about storage and we will advise accordingly.

Parking

Our installers will need to have regular access to their vehicles throughout the installation.

• When we call you please let us know if there are any residential parking restrictions e.g. permit holder or shared parking.

So, I'm expecting to be home at the start of the installation, to deal with emptying the bathroom, covering the house, answering any questions the installers may have, and to get a sense of time scales. I've spoken to the neighbours, and the cats have access to an outdoor shed, which should give them adequate shelter during the installation. (The cats, not the neighbours.) And, so I think we're good to go. 

Buying a Bathroom...

This post reflects on our decision to spend around £6000 on our new bathroom.

In a word, it was simple.
The decision was made for us, since the existing suite was rather old when we bought the house, 5 years back. The ceiling and 1/3 of the walls is tired tongue-and-groove boarding. The 3 lights - embedded in the same tongue and groove on the ceiling - are traditional bulbs; a health and safety nightmare. The floor is also wooden - a painted laminate, which creaks painfully when stepped on.

The bath is past its best and leaks from the overflow if given half a chance. I assume it needs re-enameling (if that's a real thing) since it's difficult to sit in it without removing a layer of skin, its surface is so rough.

The taps are cracking and the cistern is discolored. And the room is in desperate need of an extraction fan. The rusting nail-spots dotting the walls and ceiling are evidence enough.

So, we've ultimately ordered a new bathroom. Form ceiling to floor. The only things we haven't bought are a) a final paint job on the untiled wall, and b) a loo roll holder.

First Post - It has begun...

We've done it!

We've taken the first steps in bringing our bathroom up to date, by agreeing for B&Q to supply & fit a whole new suite. The work is due to include ceiling, lighting, power, extractor, loo, sink, cupboards, floor... and whirlpool bath.
Looking forward to it immensely.

This blog - our (intended) series of posts - will share our experience with the world and hopefully prove to be a great advertisement for the popular DIY chain.

Fingers crossed!