DIY bathroom repair sequence

The correct sequence of work is important for any repair, regardless of its complexity. Do-it-yourself bathroom and toilet repairs require particularly careful adherence to planned order, because if the work stages are not completed in time, it’s possible to spoil what already done. It is impossible, for example, to finish the walls and floor, and only then think about replacing the wiring and pipes.

The specificity of the repair of the bathroom, firstly, in the small size of the room, and secondly, in a large concentration of various devices and communications. Repair in the bathroom and toilet is less common than in living quarters, but usually more thoroughly. Experts recommend starting the overhaul with the bathroom, because often this is the dirtiest part of all the work. That is why the most important stage, which in no case can be neglected, is the preparation of a detailed repair plan.

We make a bathroom repair plan

The first thing to do at the planning stage:

1. Decide on the design and style of the future bathroom and toilet, choose a color scheme. Traditionally, the decoration of the bathtub is done in pastel colors; two shades will look most successful, for example, green and olive, beige and peach, blue and blue.
2. Decide what types of materials will be used in the decoration. Most often, for the design of the bathroom, tiles, plastic panels, porcelain stoneware, mosaics are used.
3. Inspect the plumbing and, if necessary, determine the replacement options. When buying new plumbing fixtures do not forget to make sure that they are suitable in size.
4. Measure the parameters of the room (height, width, length) and calculate the area. Consider the location of plumbing fixtures and other necessary parts and draw a detailed plan. It is necessary to decide how and where the bath or shower will be located, a sink, a toilet bowl, a mirror, a heated towel rail, a washing machine.

Tip: when planning, you need to take into account that after plastering the walls, the dimensions may slightly change. This should be taken into account when buying everything you need, and if you are not sure about the size, postpone this item until the draft finish is ready.

The extent of DIY repair in the bathroom depends on various factors: the degree of wear of pipes and plumbing, obsolescence of the finish, the desire to update the design of the room. Consider the sequence of actions during the overhaul, which provides for the replacement of electrical communications and water supply, plumbing fixtures and redevelopment of the premises.

Important! Before making a redevelopment of the bathroom, for example, to demolish the partition between the bathroom and the toilet, you need to get permission in the BTI.

An approximate work plan will be as follows:

1. removal of plumbing and all interfering objects;
2. dismantling of old coatings, doors;
3. demolition of partitions (if necessary);
4. dismantling of plumbing and electrical wiring;
5. floor leveling;
6. replacement of risers and pipes of water supply and sewerage;
7. wiring installation;
8. finishes for floors, walls and ceilings;
9. installation of plumbing fixtures;
10. installation of doors and electrical equipment.

And now we will consider each stage of repair in more detail.

Dismantle and remove all unnecessary

At the dismantling stage, the following work will have to be done:

1. Remove the door with the jamb. It is advisable to carry out this point first of all, since it will be easier to take out the garbage and bring materials and tools through a free doorway. If the door is not planned to be changed, it is still better to remove the door from the hinges and remove it so that it does not interfere, and also to avoid damage.
2. Remove and remove the old plumbing. Even if you are not going to change the sink or toilet bowl, it is better to remove and remove them during the repair. If this is not possible, you need to reliably protect them from chips and cracks. Foam, rags or polystyrene can be placed on fragile objects and covered with tape, securing it with tape.
3. Demolish partitions. This is necessary if you are expanding the bathroom or making a combined bathroom.
4. Remove old coatings: ceramic tiles, paint, stucco from walls and floors. The tile is easily beaten with a punch.

Leveling the floor and walls

The floor in the bathroom should be smooth and even. There are many ways to make it this way.

• "Self-leveling floor" - a self-leveling screed based on gypsum or cement. Sold in the form of a dry mixture, suitable for DIY styling. The diluted solution is simply spread on the floor and rolled with a needle roller.

• The use of gypsum-based plaster mixes and, in addition, water-repellent mixes, especially in the bathroom The waterproofing material needs to cover not only the floor, but also part of the walls located near the bathtub or shower.
• If necessary, a concrete screed is made after the waterproofing device. If it already exists, before the finish facing it is necessary to apply waterproofing mastic on it and use waterproof glue for the tile.

Walls can be leveled using plaster or sheets of moisture-proof drywall. The latter material has several advantages over plastered walls.

1. Firstly, drywall is excellent as a base for tiles.
2. Secondly, when finishing GKL walls, the work of laying electrical wiring is greatly simplified, since the wires can be placed in a wall-mounted frame.

Plumbing and Sewerage

Old pipes must be removed to the riser. The plumbing and sewer risers must also be replaced at this stage, since then it will be difficult to do. This work requires a certain qualification, therefore it is better to invite a master to carry it out.

It is quite possible to do the internal wiring of pipes with your own hands.

The work is carried out in the following sequence:

• risers are given the necessary configuration;
• hidden piping is laid to the water intake points;
• a heated towel rail is mounted in the bathroom;
• filters are installed;
• mounted emergency water shutoff taps;
• if necessary, a water heating system is integrated.

Useful DIY repair tips

1. The hot water pipe must be positioned above the cold pipe.
2. With a large number of water intake points, a collector connection system will be more convenient, which involves holding a separate pipe to each point.
3. Ways of passage of sewer and water pipes are marked directly on the walls.
4. It is customary to install a bathroom faucet 10 cm above the side of the bathtub; the optimal distance between the pipes that go to the mixer is 15 cm.
5. It is necessary to mark the place of passage of the pipe with cold water for the washing machine, the pipe outlet should be at a distance of 50 cm from the floor.
6. Sewer pipes are angled to drain.
7. The risers can be closed with a metal profile box and moisture-proof drywall, which is then plastered.
8. Do not forget about the technical hatch on the box for access to the meters and the crane.

Electrical installation

In order not to damage the final finish, wiring is preliminarily carried out. If you hide the wiring in metal pipes, then in the future you will not need to open the walls to replace it, you can just pull out the wires.

Due to the conditions of high humidity, the wiring must be mounted strictly according to the rules:

• sockets and devices must be grounded;
• switches, lamps, sockets and cables must be protected against moisture and high temperature;
• You can connect sockets and the lighting system only after the repair is complete.

Determining the places of future outlets, the wiring marking, as well as the pipes, can be carried out directly on the walls. Then, along the marked lines, with the help of a puncher, gates are made into which the cable will be laid.

Facing materials

After finishing the draft work, you can begin to finish the floor, walls, and then the ceiling. Finishing work for convenience is also best done in a certain sequence:

• First you need to prime the walls and floor and make sure that all surfaces are aligned and that wires and pipes are not visible anywhere.
• Then the floor tiles are laid out. It is necessary to ensure that during the laying process there are no voids between the tiles. The seams must be cleaned and overwritten.

Tip: if you are going to install a bathtub with a closing screen on the floor, which will be hidden under it, you can avoid laying tiles to save material.

• After the floor, the walls are lined with the selected material.

• At the end, the ceiling is put in order.

There are many options for finishing the ceiling:

1. emulsion ink coating;
2. installation of suspended or suspended ceiling;
3. installation of plastic panels.

Plumbing installation

Toilet bowl, sink, bidet, shower or bathtub, faucets are installed after the completion of finishing work. This will help not only to avoid damage to plumbing, but also to ensure the availability of all surfaces of the room.

Installation of electrical equipment, doors and accessories

After the installation of plumbing and a washing machine that requires a free doorway, you can install the door.

Now you can safely do the installation of sockets, switches and lamps. In addition, the time has come to take care of ventilation, which is best made forced by equipping the duct with a fan.

It remains to hang mirrors in the bathroom, hooks for towels, equip shelves, in the toilet do not forget about the paper holder.