| TOP STORIES |  | | | | | RETRO | | | | | BEAT THE CRUNCH | | | | OUR YOUNG STARS | | |
|
|
|
Space-saving ideas for the bathroom
 |
| A towel rail can help create space in the bathroom |
IF YOU have a small bathroom, consider making the room you've got go further by incorporating space-saving ideas.
Free-standing basins are perennially popular, but vanity units are a good alternative if you want lots of storage under your basin without it taking up much more space.
If you haven't considered a vanity unit, take a look at some of the contemporary designs available. And if, having done so, vanity units still aren't your thing, there are plenty of clever storage solutions for around basins, above cisterns and in the corner of the bath, etc.
When storing towels is a problem, consider fixing a metal towel shelf on one of the walls, so they can be stacked up on there.
Use heavy-duty toggle screws for this if it's a hollow wall or, better still, screw into the studs, and if it's a solid wall, use suitable Rawlplugs and screws, which are often supplied with the shelf.
If you're struggling for places to hang towels when they're in use, fix a towel rail, perhaps a double one, on the back of the door, but remember to use (fairly long) wood screws.
Perhaps the most obvious way to save space is to have the shower over the bath, rather than in a separate cubicle.
You could do this simply by having a shower hose attachment on your bath mixer taps and a hook on the wall for it for when you want to shower.
A more popular option is to have a separate shower. If you want an electric one, don't attempt to fit this yourself. Some showers require a pump to improve the water pressure and, again, get a professional in to install this.
Electrical work in a bathroom should rarely, if ever, be attempted by DIYers. Play safe and employ an electrician and if you're buying electrical fittings (in practice, usually lights), make sure they're suitable for the bathroom zone they'll be in.
The zones are worked out according to their proximity to the taps, shower and bath, etc, and all good bathroom lights should say what zone they're suitable for and/or their ingress protection, or IP, rating. Some even have a diagram of the zones on the box, though you can easily find this on the internet.
It's also a good idea to get an electrician to fit an extractor fan, if you don't already have one. Extractor fans reduce the damage caused by condensation and so make maintaining your new bathroom decor easier.
If you haven't budgeted for this expense, you'd be wise to do so, especially if your bathroom doesn't have a window, because proper moisture extraction is vital. If you're unsure about what electrical work you can legally do in your bathroom, consult your council's Building Control department.
In fact, it's a good idea to discuss your plans for a new bathroom with Building Control to check that they comply with Building Regulations.
If you're replacing your existing bathroom like for like, this is unlikely to apply, but changes or additions to the drainage work may be of interest to Building Control.
You should also let your water supplier know if you're rerouting the pipework or making other changes to the water supply, in case you're breaking the water byelaws.
Once you've settled on the layout and fixtures and fittings for your new bathroom and have checked you're not breaking the law with your plans, you need to decide who's going to fit the bathroom.
It's obviously much cheaper to do the work yourself, but unless you're a very experienced and competent DIYer, this will probably be a false economy.
The best-case scenario is that your bathroom refit is straightforward and simply entails basic plumbing work with easy-to-use modern fittings and standard DIY equipment, much of which you probably already have.
But, as with any DIY job, it's all too easy to come across unexpected problems as you progress.
As you're dealing with water, which can do a lot of damage to your home, and possibly electricity, which can be lethal to you, especially combined with water, a refit is usually best left to the professionals.
And with budget bathroom suites costing as little as £200, you can afford to pay a plumber if you'd rather not risk doing the work yourself.
DIY is all very well but not if it endangers you and others.
Q: Can I just tile over my existing bathroom tiles with new ones?
A: Yes, providing you don't want a larger or smaller area tiled and the original tiles aren't uneven. Preferably use different-size tiles or a different layout, so the grout lines are in a different place.
SEASONAL TASK
Make sure the hot-water-storage cylinder for your boiler, if yours has one, is lagged with an insulating tank jacket. These are inexpensive to buy and easy to fit.
Print 
Email this 
Comment
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
