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.