Bathroom Repairs

Repair in the bathroom is an occupation that requires careful planning and thoughtfulness. You need to soberly assess their strengths - can you finish what you started yourself or have to turn to specialists. Create a layout - in special programs or on paper, take care of the availability of all necessary materials and tools. Special planning is required if repairs are carried out in a residential apartment, in which the use of this premise occurs daily. Just need a sober assessment of the condition of all communications - such repairs are not for one year, and I would not want to remove the tile in a couple of years to replace the pipes that fell into disrepair. Consider the location of lamps, switches, towel rails and other important trifles.

Design bathroom design Design options
Bathroom layout with bathroom and shower Possible layout in the bathroom
Bathroom layout Bathroom plan

All the organizational issues are solved, the timing of the water shutdown is coordinated with the neighbors and the locksmith. You can start dismantling. Breaking, too, is well thought out, so as not to spend cement to fill excessive potholes and time to freeze.

Selection of materials

Selection of materials

• 1 Selection of materials
• 2 Pipes and floor
• 3 Shower tray and walls
  • 3.1 Wiring
  • 3.2 Tile
  • 3.3 Grouting
• 4 Ceiling

When choosing materials, pay attention to their properties: moisture resistance, ease of cleaning to minimizethe possibility of fungus and mold formation, as well as ease of use - some materials require specialized equipment.

Pipes and floor

If cast iron pipes were used in the bathtub before, they must be replaced, because the life of such pipes is up to 40 years, and their contamination has a big impact on the capacity. A worthy alternative are plastic pipes. When replacing the riser, you need to negotiate with the neighbors from above, so that they do not use sewage for this time. Another good solution is the joint replacement of the cast-iron riser together with the occupants of the neighboring floors - so you will protect yourself against possible leaks between the floors.

Old cast iron pipes

Plastic riser

In order to change the riser on your floor, you need to make two cuts. The distance from the ceiling should be 20-25 cm - if the neighbors do not change the riser together with you, then this clutch will come into this remaining part of the pipe to connect the new plastic pipe to the cast iron pipe.

Sewer stand Replacement of the sewer pipe

The height of the undercut depends on how tightly the pipe enters the tee. Sometimes it has to be hollowed out - in this case the sawing is done as low as possible. In this process, you need to remember that cast iron is a very brittle metal, and if it is not possible to cut the pipe around the whole circumference, do not get discouraged, it can be broken either by hands or using a hammer. Before breaking, do not forget to close the bottom hole with a rag, plywood or something else to prevent the ingress of scale in the sink, which can create clogging in the neighbors from the bottom.

If you can not get the tee off from the remnants of the pipe, a chisel, a hammer and a bulgarian or a drill will help you, but do it very carefully and gently - do not forget: cast iron is a brittle metal. If you live in old houses, remember that the connection of cast-iron pipes was poured gray, and when heated, this chemical element gives off a pungent smell, so you can not use an open fire to avoid fire and as often as possible ventilate the room - breathing sulfur can lose consciousness. At the end of these actions, you can breathe freely - dismantling the pipes behind.

Cast iron pipe was dismantled. Installed plastic

New plastic pipes are laid taking into account the ability of the sewerage to self-clean: when using a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm( this can be a diversion from the toilet), the slope should be 15 mm for each meter of the laid pipe, with a diameter of 50 mm( drainage from the bathroom, sink, washing machine)- slope of 30 mm per meter.

Laying the pipes to the main WC locationss, go to the filling of the rough floor.

Given that the bathroom is the wettest place in the apartment, a reasonable solution is to install a warm floor. This reduces the humidity in the room and creates comfortable conditions for swimming in the cold season - it's so nice to take a shower, be in a warm bathroom and step barefoot on the heated tile.

One of the options can be a film infrared warm floor with a power of 220 watts - it's safe, easy to install and operate.

Film heat-insulated floor

With the technology of laying a film floor, above it a screed of 40-50 mm is required. In order not to lose this height of the room, you can remove the old screed to the base of the inter-floor slab. The film is placed only in those places where there is a need: under the toilet, bedside table or shower stall it is not placed, and also it is necessary to take care of the thermal insulation prematurely.

Thermal insulation

Power wires are output to the location of the regulator - it should be thought out in advance and prescribed in the project for comfortable use in the future.

Scheme for installation of a warm floor film

Before a cement casting, it is prudent to make a test run to make sure that it is working. Further it is necessary to take care of waterproofing: for this use a film thicker than 50 microns, it is placed along the entire perimeter of the floor and raised to a height of 10-15 cm. It is very important to use a single piece - so you will protect yourself against short circuits and possible flooding of neighbors.

A good solution is to make a floor with a slope to the center of the room( no more than 0.5 cm per meter), with accidental spills, water will collect in the middle, and not accumulate in hard-to-reach places.

Floor with slope

This gradient is calculated taking into account the size of the tile, as the tile will break according to the floor planes.

If this is a repair in a residential apartment, then the next step will be the supply of water to the future main consumers, which should be combined with the installation of filters to reduce the clogging of pipes and improve the quality of water.

Filter

If the pipes are planned to hide under the tile, then it is better to use polypropylene products that are connected by soldering.

Polypropylene pipes Soldering of polypropylene pipes
Welding time of polypropylene pipes Installed pipes

Because threaded joints are oxidized and may pass water over time, and walled in the wall will not immediately be visible. Piping the pipes, be guided by the consideration that if you need to replace them, you need to do this with the least cost: if this place is planned expensive decor, it is better to lay pipes around it. It is worth making a water distribution map - then you will know exactly where and what, and you can avoid unnecessary destruction.

Shower tray and walls

Many apartments have a shortage of space in the bathrooms, in this case there will be an excellent replacement for a cast-iron or acrylic bathtub, a shower booth, the market now has a huge choice. If there is a goal - to make repairs budget, or you want to try your hand at getting a unique shower cabin - you can make it yourself. Plan the size of the bathing place - at least 0.7 sq. M., So that the stay in it is comfortable, and not more than a meter, so as not to waste a precious place.

The weak spot of any shower enclosure is the junction of its walls and pallet. To avoid leaking, you can make it in the corner of the bathroom. Thus, the walls of the bathroom form two adjacent walls of the future cabin, and the rest of the walls can be a curtain made of polyester or plastic. The height of the sides of the pallet should not be very high - it should have a comfortable approach.

Shower tray with own hands

As the drain pipe is 50 mm, the floor height is calculated taking into account 3 cm per meter of pipe. This drain is hidden either in the walls or in the communications. The shower floor is made under a slope to the ladder, 1 cm per meter will be enough. And do not forget about waterproofing.

Lighthouses for filling the bottom of the shower tray with a slope to the drain

Pouring the bottom of the shower tray

Wiring

The next step will be the replacement of the electrical wiring, since the old electrical wiring probably will not cope with the load used in the bathroom electrical appliances. Do not damage the presence of good grounding, RCDs and individual machines for each powerful consumer. Even at the planning stage, you need to determine the number of fixtures, their location, the illumination of individual zones, the number of outlets.

If you have equipped your bathroom with a warm floor, then you need to make a separate automatic machine for it. It will also require at least one power outlet - for a washing machine, a boiler. According to the project conduct wires to the lamps and switches.

Power socket Legrand Quteo 16A IP44

After the stumbling and laying of wires, you can begin leveling the walls. The more the walls are made, the easier it is to tile them in the future, and the consumption of glue is noticeable.

Tiles

Facing begins precisely from the walls to avoid accidental damage to the floor tiles. It is necessary to approach with special care to the choice of tiles: remember that some color solutions can create a distorted perception, and slippery floor tiles can lead to injuries. It is necessary to correctly calculate the necessary quantity in order not to spend too much, but also to have some reserve, which will help to replace the split elements.

Laying the tiles starts from the second row from the bottom, after having beaten a straight horizontal line through the hydraulic level or using a laser level.

Laying tiles

There are different styles of laying tiles, you can choose the one that is more to your liking. Evenly apply a glue on the whole tile will help a spatula, and a notched spatula will remove all unnecessary. It is very important to press each tile well against the wall. Special crosses will help to maintain an equal distance, and the excess glue and cleaning of the seams should be done immediately, so as not to exert any extra effort.

How to calculate warm floor?

This publication does not address the issues of drafting and conducting calculations for warm floors. This is a very extensive layer of information, which requires separate consideration.

You can see the nuances of calculation warm floor can be in a separate article of the portal, clicking on the recommended link.

Spatula

Crosses for creating smooth seams

It's reasonable not to tile the whole wall in one approach, and to build a lower row under the bottom row - all these actions are aimed at preventing slipping of the tile.

Masonry of tiles. The photo shows the emphasis

Special attention is required for the installation of mixers, the outlet of pipes, sockets, switches. Here, the electric jigsaw or Bulgarian are useful, if porcelain stoneware was chosen for the cladding. Leave the lower row of wall tiles not laid out - it will need to return to it when the floor tile is finished.

How to lay tiles?

The secrets of the choice of ceramic tiles and the technological stages of laying tile on the floor surface - in the special publication of our portal .

How to make holes in the tile

After finishing the walls, you can start laying the floor tiles and the shower enclosure.

Remember that you can not walk on the newly laid floor, think about the options for movement, if necessary, for example, do the facing in parts. To dry the glue, they need at least a day.

When the floor tile has taken its place, it's time to finish the facing of the walls - it is already clear how much you need to trim the tile for the last row. It is better to place it at a slight angle to the wall - 10-15 degrees so that the condensate is not collected and does not lead to the formation of fungus.

Trimming tiles

Grouting

The next step will be to clean the interlining seams. The seams are rubbed with a rubber spatula, it is convenient to wipe off excess with a damp sponge, avoiding divorce.

Cleaning of interlacing joints

Grouting of joints

You can not just clothe the lining, but go to the creative process and decorate the bathroom with plastic panels, use thematic panels, vinyl stickers, or use interesting stencils to apply an intricate pattern. A successful solution will be the use of mirrors - this is not only a necessary functional, but also a way to increase the size of a small room.

Ceiling

When the walls and the floor are tiled, you can proceed to the ceiling finish by evaluating the quality of the ventilation - if necessary, set the compulsory. One of the successful solutions can be the use of drywall. Finishing begins with the definition of the lowest point of the ceiling and the projection of it on the walls - the laser level will make this task simple for execution, otherwise you will have to suffer.

Ceiling repair

If ceiling lights are provided, this factor should also be considered, and also consider the type of lamps used - for example, halogen lamps are heated, and when using them, indentation of at least 20 cm from the ceiling should be made. The marked point recedes 4 cm - for installation of profiles and for fixing drywall. When performing these manipulations, self-tapping screws with a drill head, known as "fleas", are used. Very easy to work cutter.

Screws for fastening the profile sharp and with a drill( fleas)

Scissors. Example of using

To the wall the profile is fixed to the dowel 6x40, preferably with the head "fungus".When all the profiles are installed, the gypsum board is attached to them using 3.5cm metal screws. Remember that they are put into 1-2 mm thick plasterboard.

Fastening of plasterboard. Photos of

Do not forget to cut out the holes for the fixtures, if they are planned there, and stretch the wire. Very often it is impossible to do with one sheet, in this case the joints of the sheets are cut at an angle of 30-45 degrees. The next step of finishing the ceiling is its primer, paying special attention to the joints, as well as their reinforcement with the help of a fiberglass mesh and coating with the starting putty. Do not forget to work the filler and the heads of the screws. When it's all dry, cover everything with one more coat of primer, and apply the first coat of starting putty to the entire plane of the ceiling. This will require a long spatula. Try to keep the layer as flat as possible, then after drying you will have to scrape less. If the ideal smoothness does not work, a small spatula will help to clean the irregularities. After that, another layer of primer is applied, and then - the finishing putty. After drying, the ceiling is wiped with fine grain sandpaper. Having cleared from a dust, it is possible to start painting or other decor.

When all technical debris is cleaned, all surfaces are washed, you can go to the finishing stage of the repair - installation of all the bathrooms and furniture in their places, install the anchorages for the cab curtains. Do not neglect and accessories: lockers and shelves, mirrors and hanging baskets for small items, glasses for toothbrushes and soap dishes - they will give your bathroom a certain zest and a sense of completeness of the image.

Heated towel, washbasin, mirror hanging

Shelf for small items and cosmetics

Photos from a different angle

Shower, curtain

Shower, curtain( photos from a different angle)

Please note! Some of the pictures and diagrams are taken from the Internet to illustrate the ongoing repair and finishing works. The photos of the finishing process are unique and belong to the author of the material.