top of page
Search

How Much Does a New Bathroom Cost?

richardemerson9

I am often asked “how much does a bathroom cost?” This is very often the first question asked when I meet a potential new client! Understandable I suppose given the expense a new bathroom incurs. I’m afraid there is no correct or clear answer. Gone are the days of a bath with 2 taps, a WC with a handle and a basin perched on a pedestal with a mono bloc mixer. Nowadays, the bathroom has become a real focus inside a property. Multi functional showers, wall hung WC’s with hidden cisterns, freestanding basins with wall mounted taps, LED lighting giving the bathroom that relaxing ‘mood’ and this is before we even talk about tiling!


Sourcing bathroom fittings, tiles, lighting, etc can be a daunting task for you. Rather than look online, I always recommend you visit a local supplier or merchants, preferably with a decent showroom and hopefully a knowledgeable sales person. Remember they are there to sale though! The choice and style of a bathroom, shower room or just a small cloakroom should always be YOUR decision.


For now, let’s focus on and start with the bath.


Plastic, pressed steel, cast iron maybe? The majority of the time I would recommend a pressed steel version. Hard wearing, retains heat a lot better than plastic and when fitted correctly has no movement or ‘creaking’. Cast iron baths are more for the ‘traditional’ bathroom and tend to be ‘stand alone baths’, commonly known as a ‘slipper’ bath, with a roll top and classic claw and ball feet. They are very heavy, so the load bearing on the floor needs to be checked. Plastic baths have improved over the years, but still be careful on your purchase. Carronite are your best bet, as they are stronger and heavier than the standard acrylic baths. They also have a wide variety of sizes and different styles. They are hard wearing and when installed correctly, look great. Standard acrylic baths are of varying quality. If you find an online price that seems too good to be true, it usually is. Poor quality, thin acrylic and discolouring are a few things I’ve come across over the years. Again, check out a showroom to make sure the acrylic bath is of good quality. When we install this type of bath, we tend to build a timber frame all round the bath to help with stability. As well as the bath legs, this gives strength and rigidity to the bath. A nice solid wooden bath panel or a tiled bath panel finishes it off nicely!


Another option for your bathroom, particularly if space is an issue, is a shower bath, providing a bath and standing area for a shower all in one. They can be ‘P’ shaped or ‘L’ shaped depending on your requirements. They come with matching bath screens and panels.


Now we move onto the taps on the bath. Deck mounted, floor mounted or wall mounted? Let’s start with wall mounted. Are the taps purely to supply the bath or to feed a shower as well? A dual outlet or three way outlet is what is required for this application. They look good, not too imposing and come in a variety of styles. What happens if the taps or valves need changing in years to come. Will they be accessible to replace? Will the tiles need to be removed to gain access? A lot of wall mounted taps are completely serviceable from the front, so that helps. Check before you purchase just in case. Deck mounted taps now. These are more traditional and are mounted on the end of the bath or on the side of the bath. Available as a bath filler or with the added benefit of a shower handset. Floor mounted bath taps are a bath mixer with the pipe work coming through the floor, usually in view, commonly used with free standing baths. A chrome finish giving them the look of quality. Expensive, but worth the money if this style suits your bathroom installation. What type of style of tap? Traditional - classic in appearance, comfortable to use and made with modern mechanisms. Cross head features to look out for when purchasing a traditional set of bath taps. Modern - a combination of design and style, combined to create a striking look. All styles tend to be available in monobloc or as a pair of taps. And the finish for all? Matt black, brushed brass or the most popular - chrome. Can’t go wrong with chrome is my opinion. Stands the test of time! What type of plumbing system feeds your taps? Low pressure or high pressure? Nowadays, high pressure is becoming more and more common as we move away from the traditional tank fed plumbing system. Again, make sure the taps you like, are compatible with your household plumbing system. Combination boiler, unvented cylinder and pump systems = high pressure. Tank fed, with a traditional cylinder and no pump = low pressure. This applies to basin taps and showers also.


Moving quickly along to the waste. More commonly known as the ‘plug hole’! The basic plug - comprising of a plug (rubber or metal), and a chain connected to the overflow outlet. What can possibly go wrong….!


Clicker waste - or click/clack waste. Simply press the waste in or out to open or close.

Pop up waste - activated from the cover on the overflow. Twist to open and opposite direction to close.


Bath overflow filler - incorporates a bath fill spout that requires separately controlled hot and cold supplies or a single mixed water supply. The control for the pop up plug is on the front of the overflow.


The bath should be installed prior to tiling, finished with high grade mastic to create a decent seal between the bath and the wall. This allows the tiles to be mounted on the bath and sealed once more with high grade mastic sealant, colour coordinated if desired.

If you have a shower over the bath, you’ll need to keep that water inside the bath area. Quick, easy and cost effective option is to go for a shower rail and curtain. Easily maintainable and replaceable if need be. Highly used in rental properties for this reason.

For your your own personal bathroom a bath screen is more desirable. The glass is traditionally 6mm thick and is toughened safety glass. A single panel bath screen opens inwards and outwards and can be square top or curved top. This style usually has an option that comes with a towel rail bar. A double bath screen is two panels. One fixed to the wall for extra rigidity and a pivot point for opening and closing the second panel. Four or six panel bath screens fold back to the tiled wall to tuck out of the way after use. Handy in a bathroom where space may be at a premium.


Bathrooms have become very personal. The choice of sanitary ware and tiles is vast. Bespoke fittings are becoming more and more popular to add to the cost. At R. Emerson Plumbing & Heating, we can take you through a consultation and design process to give you the bathroom you desire. Whatever your budget allows, we can achieve a satisfying result.


In my next blog, coming soon, we move on to basins, toilets, showers and bathroom heating.

28 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page