How To Prepare For Your Bathroom Installation

With potential removals, plastering, plumbing, tiling and flooring all due to take place, you may well be wondering exactly what you need to do before the big day arrives. And having spent weeks or even months envisaging your beautiful new space, you’ll no doubt be nervous to make sure your bathroom installation goes smoothly.

Here at Ream Interiors, we’ve designed and fitted hundreds of stunning bathrooms over the years, and we appreciate that the process can be rather daunting. To help put your mind at rest and leave you looking forward to your exciting bathroom installation, we’ve put together a handy guide on how to prepare. You can find more information about the bathroom installation process itself by clicking here. Our service may differ slightly from that of your chosen retailer, and the steps involved in your installation will depend on your unique project, however, most of the information we’ve provided should still apply.

Clear The Room

You will need to clear your belongings from the space. This will give your fitters have room to work and ensure your things are protected, preventing them from getting dusty or damaged. If you are keeping your existing floor covering, you may want to check that your suppliers will provide floor protection. While we always do our best to minimise dust, not all fitters are as diligent. Furthermore, it’s worth bearing in mind that some dust is inevitable and can settle even after the process is finished. You may wish to use dust sheets to protect soft furnishings.

As well as making sure the room itself is clear, your plumber may also need to access your stopcock, boiler and water tanks, so you might want to check they are easily accessible.

During an installation, the work can cause vibrations, for this reason, we recommend removing artwork and mirrors from your walls.

Make Sure Anything You’re Supplying Is Delivered

If you are supplying any of your own items, it is important to ensure they arrive prior to installation so as not to hold up your work. You will need to check your deliveries thoroughly upon arrival to make sure the products are correct and not damaged. If you are keeping any items from your existing bathroom, you will need to find somewhere safe to store them, ready for when your fitters begin work. Unfortunately, last-minute delays can sometimes incur a charge.

Doing Your Own Preparation

If your bathroom is being newly built, your builder may carry out some of the prep work for you. Some clients also choose to undertake the less complex preparation elements themselves, such as removing their existing bathroom. Either way, once you have agreed upon the work provided by your supplier/fitter, it will be your responsibility to prepare your room up to this point, ready for the agreed start date.

Bear in mind that you may need to leave time for the plaster to dry. You can use heaters or dehumidifiers to speed up this process. Another part of prep work that’s sometimes overlooked is flooring. If you have had an extension and new screed laid, you will need to allow enough time for this to cure before your flooring can be laid on top.

This time varies depending on thickness. Please see our guide below.

All times are approximate and dependent on humidity.

Facilities

If you are renovating your only bathroom, you may need to arrange access to alternative facilities throughout the duration of the installation process. While it is possible to temporarily connect the toilet at the end of each day, bathing, showering and sink facilities will remain out of action.

Pets

Bathroom installations can involve loud noises and vibrations, which some pets may find stressful. There is also a risk that doors may be left open. You may want to take this into consideration when preparing for your bathroom installation.

Parking

During an installation, you may have multiple vehicles coming and going from your home each day. If there are parking restrictions where you live, you will need to let the company managing your installation know. If parking permits are required, we would recommend organising them in advance to ensure they’re available on the day. You can check how many you will need with whoever is managing your project. You may also want to inform your neighbours and notify them of potential noise disruption.

Do You Need To Be Home For Your Bathroom Installation?

At Ream Interiors, we often get asked whether you need to be at home during your bathroom installation; our answer is no. Most of the time, you should be able to continue with your life as normal. However, on some days we would recommend making yourself, or a trusted person who is aware of the details of your project, available. Please do bear in mind that other companies may have their own procedures.

Day One

The first day of your installation is a good opportunity to meet the team that will be fitting your bathroom and hand over the keys. This is the ideal time to notify your fitters of any items you are keeping, where they should be stored and address any other questions or requests you may have.

Days Involving Templating & Fitting Solid Surfaces

Granite, quartz or marble worktops and bespoke shower enclosures will all require templating (measuring) and fitting separately to the rest of your bathroom installation. This is because they have to be specially cut to the dimensions of your design.

We recommend being available on these days so that you can be sure the design is measured and fitted to your exact requirements as this is not something that can be altered afterwards.

The Last Day

Most companies will expect you to be available to sign off your project on the final day. While you should ideally raise any issues or concerns as they arise, the last day is a good opportunity to run through the completed work with your installer to ensure you are happy with the quality of the fit.

During your installation, it can be a good idea to leave a spare key in an agreed place, as there may be times when you are not at home and your tradespeople need to leave for a short time.

Handy Tip

It is great to measure the progress of your project by taking pictures at different stages to see how far things have come. Once your new bathroom is in place, it can be difficult to imagine how the original room looked, as you can see below.

From the team at Ream Interiors, we hope your bathroom installation goes smoothly. If you have any questions you’d like to ask our expert team, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01634 799909 or email [email protected].