Bathrooms · 9 minute read
Bathroom renovation: the order of works
What happens on each day of a full strip-out and refit, and where delays come from.
Strip-out
Everything comes out first: suite, tiles, and often the floor covering too. This is also when you find out what is really behind the tiles - old bathrooms frequently hide damp plaster or tired pipework, and it is better to price that honestly once it is exposed than to guess at it beforehand.
First fix
Pipework and cabling are moved to suit the new layout while the walls are open. If you are changing where the shower, basin or WC sits, this is the stage that decides whether it can be done neatly or whether boxing-in will be needed later.
Boarding, tanking and tiling
Wet areas are boarded and tanked so water cannot reach the structure behind. Tiling then goes on, and this is the slowest stage: tiles have to be set out so the cuts land somewhere sensible, and adhesive and grout both need time before anything is fitted against them.
Second fix and finishing
The suite, shower enclosure, screen, taps and accessories go in, everything is connected and tested, and the silicone goes on last. Silicone needs to cure before the shower is used, which is usually why a bathroom is finished a day before you can actually use it.
Where delays come from
Almost always one of three things: something unexpected behind the old tiles, a special-order item arriving late, or a change of mind mid-job. Ordering everything before the strip-out starts removes most of the risk.