Guide to Bathroom Renovation

Buying a New BATHROOM?

At Craftman construction, we understand that the decision to have a bathroom renovated can be very confusing. There are a lot of things to worry about; there are a lot of contractors and suppliers who offer different products.

We know that you want to make sure that the job will be done right and be done well.

In order to assist you, we have put together a very brief guide for bathroom renovation. Don't fall into the trap of going with the cheapest renovator - a leaking bathroom can have a disastrous effect on your home. Please do your research, ask as many questions as you can and be absolutely sure that your contractor is doing the job properly.

Waterproofing

The bathroom and shower must not leak or allow any water to run outside the room. Waterproofing must be done as per Australian Standard AS3760. There are a few main waterproofing products on the market:

Acrylic - air dry product (single pack). Basic waterproofing. Normally has limited life span.
Acrylic with fibres - similar product, containing glass fibres to improve flexibility.
Tar - not suitable for bathrooms.
Polyester thick resin - a two pack product. It is thick like paste and allows some movement. NOTE: this product cannot be applied thick, as it produces heat when curing and excessive heat can cause cracks in the membrane.
Polyester thin resin with fibreglass matt - this is the best product for waterproofing. It is similar to what yachts are built from. It allows for considerable movement and can take variation in temperature (important in showers). Polyester resin has a high content of wax which might reject tile glue. To overcome this, we apply epoxy resin on top of the cured polyester/fibreglass membrane.

TILES

How to choose your tiles? What is a good or bad tile? Is there anything I should look for? Some pointers are given below to assist you with evaluating the quality and look of different tiles

NATURAL STONE - Marble, Granite; Travertine:

cheaper tiles have sharp edges; better quality tiles have a polished 1mm bevel;
brittle and porous tiles might have fibreglass backing to reinforce the tile and minimise breakage (be aware that you might need to allow for additional tiles due to breakage);
the finish of a tile can be polished, honed (matt) or fired (resembles bubbles);
after laying, these tiles need to be sealed.

VITRIFIED or RECTIFIED:

usually polished;
hard wearing;
reasonably priced;
in most cases these tiles are factory sealed so don't need sealing after laying;
the colour of the tile goes through the thickness of the tile, so if a tile is chipped the same colour will show.

GLAZED

very affordable;
glazing is on the surface, the tile body is normally ceramic;
the glazing can be uneven;
edges can be sharp (laser cut) or rounded off.

Toilet Suites

Consider the following before purchasing a new toilet suite.

Back to wall (BTW) - the pan is installed with no gap to the wall behind. The outlet pipe is not visible.
Close couple - the cistern is attached to the pain with concealed fasteners.
Soft close - the toilet seat hinges have a soft close mechanism which prevents the seat from banging down.
Dual flush - old systems flushed 6/3 litres. New systems flush 4.5/3 litres. This is reflected in the toilets star rating.