Bathroom renovation

Sometimes, it is not necessary to renovate the entire apartment or house, but some separate room needs to be renovated. In this article, we will tell you how to start a bathroom renovation, which of the works you can do yourself and what legal issues you will have to face in the process.

When should you decide to renovate your bathroom?

Planning such a grand event is worth it when life goes on as usual and you are not busy solving any other problems. Why choose this period for bathroom renovation?

1. For about ten days you will have to do without a shower, washbasin and toilet. Of course, you can always wash your face and brush your teeth in the kitchen, but even this will already cause inconvenience. And what about the missing toilet, especially when the family is large and has several children – this is an extra credit problem.
2. When renovating bathrooms, surprises often happen (not always pleasant ones) and you need to be ready to solve problems that appear out of nowhere.
3. Renovation work in the bathroom means tons of garbage and dust that scatter throughout the apartment. As well as many hours of noise from dismantling the old and laying new tiles.

In general, all these conditions are not the most comfortable for life, which means they require a lot of patience and strength. It is best to plan bathroom renovations when the children can be sent on vacation to their grandmother or mom can go on vacation with them, and the head of the family can focus on monitoring the renovation. 

Renovation formalities

As with any renovation work, there are instances when it is necessary to submit a notice to government agencies. If we are talking about a private house, then you will have to notify the office in such cases:

– the construction of external partitions, which include external walls, a roof or an attic;

– renovation of thermal, sewer, electrical and water networks and connections.

If we are talking about the renovation of an apartment in an apartment building, then it will be required to submit a notice about all work related to the common property to the office and the management company. Moreover, before starting any work in an apartment building, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the legislation and the current rules of the house itself, otherwise, you can easily get a fine. Before starting, consult with a specialist from the management company who will control the plan and progress of your renovation. They will be the guarantor that everything is done in accordance with the law. Read more about the intricacies of the renovation of apartments in apartment buildings here.

The issue of disposal of construction waste also remains acute. Including bulky waste, such as plumbing. Construction waste must not be thrown out to the general food waste bin. If the management company does not deal with such disposal, you will have to hire a car to help with this.

How to start a bathroom renovation?

The first thing you should start renovating the bathroom is to draw up a competent work plan. This will greatly speed up the process and help avoid many mistakes. If you can afford to contact a designer, don’t skimp on this item. Such a specialist will help create the space as functional as possible and create an interior that will include both fashion trends and your preferences. They know where and which socket will be useful, which switch is needed in one place or another, and how to arrange all the elements more conveniently and attractively.

Also, before starting work, you need to check the condition of the current equipment, utility lines and finishing components. You need to try to dispose of what has already become unfit as soon as possible, as it will simply get in the way and delay the already slow renovation process. We will describe further, what are the construction stages.

 Working sequence:

– Assessment of the condition of the tiles and the base.

– Waterproofing. It is necessary to choose high-quality materials and a good craftsman at this stage. Thanks to waterproofing, you can safely take a bath without fear of such an unpleasant phenomenon as a fungus, since it simply will not have a chance to appear somewhere.

– Masonry work and base preparation.

– Lighting and sockets. You can do a lot of the work at this stage by yourself. Usually, the installation of sockets does not take much time and does not require special skills.

– Separate areas in the bathroom.

– Tiling. Without necessary experience and skill, just entrust these works to professionals and do not do it yourself.

– Installation of ceramics and fittings.

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

Of course, the renovations are different and the time for its implementation will directly depend on the task at hand. Factors that will affect the speed of bathroom renovation are as follows:

– the need to obtain permits;

– the presence of a renovation team: usually the search for each specialist takes much more time than cooperation with a construction company, which already has a team of craftsmen of different profiles;

– desired design: a simple renovation will be completed much faster than a project for which you need to wait for materials/furniture/plumbing fixtures to be made on request;

– the amount of renovation work and the area of the room itself;

– any unexpected events during the renovation. For example, you may plan only to replace the washbasin and floor tiles, and during the work, it may turn out that it is time to change the pipes, and the condition of the shower cabin leaves much to be desired.

Of course, approximate dates can always be given after studying your facility, but it should be borne in mind that some hidden defects and work to eliminate them can significantly affect the duration. The standard working time for a bathroom is about fourteen days, assuming a really good level of professionalism on the part of the construction team and no additional problems that may arise during the renovation. An important clarification will be that such terms apply to a standard area of up to 20 square meters. If we are talking about larger rooms, then the duration will increase accordingly.

How much does a bathroom renovation cost?

As with the duration, the cost of a bathroom renovation will vary and is influenced by many factors. The starting point will be project preparation. If you know exactly what your dream bathroom will look like, then you can do without a designer. However, if you are not very confident in your abilities, then it is still worth using their services. They will help to make the space not only beautiful but also functional, which is sometimes even more important than the external component. The price here will be influenced by:

– the cost of the design project itself;

– the style in which the bathroom will be made. The rule “the simpler, the cheaper” works well here. Pretentiousness always requires large financial investments;

– the size of the room, since the amount of work of the craftsmen and the amount of materials, will be included here;

– quantity, class and cost of materials and plumbing. If you are sure that there will be the renovation but are not yet ready to start it, then if possible, we advise you to at least purchase some of the materials, since there is a price rise every year, and sometimes even every month. By the time you want to start the renovation, the amount may look completely different.

If we talk about approximate figures, then a bathroom renovation can cost from several thousand to several tens of thousands of zloty, depending on your desires and requirements. We will always be happy to announce a more specific amount after getting acquainted with your facility. We remind you that our first signed estimates never differ from the final ones! And at the consultation, we will be able to provide the first initial estimate right away, which can be corrected.

How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom with an area of 4-5 m²?

Usually, our team of specialists does not take on such small projects, as this requires the use of a very large amount of resources. This means that in any large construction company, such a renovation per square meter will always cost more than a bathroom renovation as part of the renovation of an entire apartment. If we are talking about a separate room, then the cost of the renovation in the bathroom for 1 m2 will be from PLN 1500. Within the Standard package, it will cost from PLN 799/m2, within the Standard+ package, it will cost from PLN 999/m2, and within the Premium package, it will cost from PLN 1399/m2. More information about our service packages can be found here.

What works can you do on your own and what can be outsourced?

Bathroom renovation work can be divided into simple and more complex. If before that you had a high level of technical knowledge and good work experience, then you can try to do the finishing completely by yourself. However, before that, you still need to weigh all the pros and cons well and soberly assess your strengths. Sometimes such an imaginary economy can result in additional costs for re-purchasing materials and redoing all your work. But if you are confident in yourself, what can you do on your own, and what work should be entrusted to a professional master?

1. The first stage of renovation work in the bathroom is to clean the room from everything superfluous. This is not a very difficult task, so you can handle it yourself. You will only need help with the disposal of large heavy items (for example, a bathroom).
2. Removal of old glaze. This activity requires a lot of effort and time, but it is not very difficult. The only thing that may cause some difficulties is the search for the appropriate tools and a garbage bag. In this case, both items can be taken for an additional fee from companies specializing in such work. However, even if you have the best quality tool, and at the initial stages, the dismantling of the old tile does not seem to be such a difficult task, this does not mean that the whole procedure will be easy and fast. This activity is always accompanied by a very large amount of dust, debris and constant annoying noise.
3. The next stages will be more complex and will generally require more skill, knowledge and experience. This step involves checking the level of the floor and walls. We have already said many times that the uneven floor and walls will ruin the whole final appearance and possibly even ruin the coating itself, because of which it will not be able to serve you for a long time. If the level of curvature is significant, then it will be necessary to refill the screed. Even after watching a million videos on YouTube, most often in practice, you are still unlikely to be able to complete this task and in the end, you still have to turn to the master. And the cost of their services will increase because first, they will have to dismantle your work.
4. Next, there are works on the installation of various utility lines. For example, to connect pipes to a washbasin or shower faucet, you will need special equipment. When you find it, you can try to connect it yourself, but you need to do this very carefully, as an incorrect installation will have its consequences. You may even have to demolish the entire wall again to fix leaks. And it certainly will cost a lot of money.
5. Laying tiles. This task can be done by you, even if you have little experience in this area and are not afraid of overspending tiles. You will do this work better than a company with a bad reputation and unprofessional employees. However, if you are completely unsure of your abilities, then we still recommend not saving and hiring good builders. Especially when it comes to expensive large-format tiles. Most often, chipped and broken materials will bring much greater losses than the difference in the cost of the services of a good master and an amateur. 
6. The final stage in the bathroom renovation will be the installation of plumbing equipment. Here you can safely try your hand at connecting a toilet or washbasin. No special experience is required here. However, if you need to install a shower cabin or if the toilet has a concealed tank, then it is better to choose a specialist who will do this. In order to change something in such structures after the renovation is completed, you will have to spend a lot of money and dismantle half of the room again. We can assume that any flaw in such an installation will be equal to another bathroom renovation.

What to pay special attention to when renovating?

Our TOP tips on what to pay special attention to when renovating a bathroom:

– tightness of connections of PVC water pipes;

– tightness of gas pipes connection;

– no sagging tiles;

– location of sockets and switches;

– compliance of the renovation progress with the provided design project (if any);

– control over the consumption of building materials as much as possible.

 And, of course, we advise you to monitor the work of the construction team at every stage. However, if you are sure about this team, turned to it on the advice of close people, or simply trust its reputation, then you can let go of the situation and not worry about the quality of the services provided.

Our company Euromed-Bud provides a guarantee for its work, which means that it is in our interests to complete everything perfectly right away.

Trendy bathroom 2023 – what are the trendiest bathrooms in 2023?

Today’s main trend in fashion for the interior of any room is simplicity and functionality. Atmospheric minimalism, filled with comfort – perhaps this is how you can describe today’s fashion. The main elements that have not left the charts for the past few years:

1. Large format ceramic tiles with marble, concrete or natural stone look, terrazzo tiles. These types of tiles will be much easier to care for than their small counterparts. Today, the interior of bathrooms also uses waterproof paint and even moisture-resistant wallpaper.
2. Concealed doors look much more interesting and neater than models with visible hinges.
3. The absence of thresholds is not only more aesthetically pleasing, but also makes cleaning easier, and it also becomes more pleasant to move around the apartment without tripping over anything.
4. Installation of safety tempered glass in the shower instead of dangling polyester curtains or overall and constantly leaking shower cabins.
5. If the area allows, then one of the main features will be a free-standing bathroom.
6. Interesting shape of the sink and faucets.
7. Installation of flush-mounted plumbing. This increases the cost and often hides space, but it looks prettier than when everything is left in plain sight.

Conclusion

Each renovation has its characteristics and difficulties, regardless of the area in which it is performed. If you’re determined to do some work in the bathroom, then the top tip is to find a reliable team, plan for the best possible environment for you and your family, and avoid an economy where that can cause significant financial and physical harm.