One of the most effective methods of saving a few extra pennies when undertaking any home improvement is to carry out some of the tasks yourself, but is bathroom fitting really suited to a DIY-er’s skills?
The pros of DIY bathroom fitting
There are many reasons why taking on bathroom fitting as a DIY project is a good idea. The main reason is that it saves money which would otherwise be spent on calling in expensive professionals. Bathroom fitting is one of the most popular jobs for a DIY-er to take on, and according to Which? magazine it can save you up to 70% of the overall cost.
As well as saving money, DIY can also give you a lot more freedom. You will be able to carry out the work in stages and it will not cause any upset or incur any extra charges if you decide to change your plans half way through. If you are feeling creative, designing the bathroom yourself too will also save you quite a bit of money. This way, you can also make sure that before the bathroom fitting process begins, the designs are exactly to your tastes, without feeling under pressure to agree to designs which you are not totally happy with.
You can also carry out jobs such as demolition and debris removal, tiling, and brassware installation yourself with very little trouble. However, some tasks are much easier than others and the jobs you decide to do yourself should depend largely upon how confident you are in your DIY abilities. One of the easiest jobs to do is to remove the old tiles and sanitaryware, and some simple plumbing jobs like connecting waste pipes can also be completed by most competent DIY enthusiasts. Tiling is also within the realms of most people’s capabilities, depending upon the kind of tiles you choose. If replacing an old bathroom, then putting the new sanitaryware in the same positions as the old pieces will keep plumbing work simple.
The complication of bathroom fitting increases where non-standard or very expensive fittings and fixtures have been picked. For example, if you pick out large-sized stone tiles for the walls, which can easily weigh up to 14lbs each, you might find that you struggle to manoeuvre them, and even if you do manage to set them against the wall, you will likely end up with uneven and/or chipped tiles.
Non-standard baths, such as spas or stone baths, also make things a little more complicated, and these are often best left to the professionals of bathroom fitting. A wetroom can bring up a whole set of other complications, from drainage to waterproofing, and so is best done by a professional, although there is no reason you should not try it out as a DIY job if you feel confident.
The pros of Professional bathroom fitting
The trades involved in fitting your new bathroom will probably include a tiler, a plumber, and an electrician. Sometimes a plasterer is also needed. Some bathroom fitting companies will have professionals experienced in all of the trades necessary to fit a bathroom, and so you could save money by hiring just one person for the whole job. As long as you hire a competent professional (preferably one recommended to you, or whose previous work you have seen for yourself) the bathroom fitting work should be carried out much quicker than if you were to do the work yourself, and it may well look much neater once completed.
Although the plumbing involved in fitting a bathroom is not too difficult, an experienced plumber will be equipped with the right tools and knowledge to do the job as best it can be done. They should also be able to deal with any problems much quicker than an inexperienced DIY-er.
All bathroom renovations must comply with Building Regulations and the professionals you hire ought to be fully aware of the considerations they must take into account to do with the lighting, ventilations, drainage, and plumbing involved. This will give you much less to worry about. Naturally, not everything is likely to go along smoothly within a bathroom fitting project, even where professionals have been hired to undertake all of the work. To help keep the project running as well as it can do, it is always a good idea to keep tradesmen in awareness of what is happening, and when, and to ensure that they are available whenever you need them.
If you do decide to use some non-standard materials or fittings, or to design a wetroom rather than a traditional bathroom, then try to find professionals who have experience dealing with that sort of project.
Image: Gürkan Sengün
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