Fitting a Wickes bathroom

[Allylearm]

Installing a complete toilet ensemble from Wickes. The WC/Sink and "P" shaped bath are good enough. The bath screen and bath glass pane were reasonable. The only issue I had was the waste for the bath and "S" bends were cheap and after going to local PTS fitted new waste to bath, the sink already had a pop up plug on the taps. The Bath came with a chain and plug, I changed to pop up plug when changing the waste system, far better finish and no ugly chain being highly visable not to mention where to store it when not in use, the waste is at the front of the "P" Bath and glass panel sitting there did not give much room or taps to hang over as they are back corner.

So all in all a reasonable fix for a toilet that needed renovated, costing under £600 no labour. Why do they let themselves down in fitting's quality the only issue I had in the complete build as yet. Still to finish the WC so will see what the soft closing toilet seat has to offer in way of fitting and usability. The other issue is fitting the hidden waste in the WC never done one like that I usually have the waste in full view, but thought covering the dreaded cast iron waste pipe was a good thing. Time and fitting will tell.

To be continued.

 

[No skills]

Thats quite interesting - I spent 10 years working for a large diy retailer, had some dealings with the off the shelf bathroom sets - ironicly they had the opposite problem, much of the china seemed to be either seconds or just a low quality. The fittings in contrast were good (for the money) - I couldnt say how long the chrome coatings would last but I never thought they were naff.

The first soft closer seats we had were very popular, this was towards the end of my drag.. sorry employment there so I never really saw how reliable they were.

 

[Allylearm]

Fitted basin no problems and changed fittings to the better trade ones.

WC needed flexi couples to waste and water feed, working a bit blind but finish looks better now you do not see feed pipes at rear.

Fitted screen no issue one of the better wall fittings and least its sturdier than others I have had to fit. Usually as homers from a mate that buys it and gets stuck or scared to drill tiles.

Shower unit, customer wanted a black chrome affect and I told them to purchase a Triton the same as last so not causing me issues with fitting. The Triton is bottom right infeed, the last one was the same but had a flexi mount that could swivel. So Housten we got a problem, new Triton is fixed inlet and the old water feed and cable comes in from an angle 36degree approx from a pipe box left hand from a upstairs landing all feeding from attic through a breeze block wall and tiles. The toilet is now newly tiled but not grouted. I spent 2 hours trying to get that unit to fit flat and not twisted by chipping away the tile/plaster and then the breeze block to let the elbows fit (pure murder by the way) laid towels and covers everywhere but it still the chips and dust go everywhere. For drilling plugs I usually tape an envelope below the hole so the drill dust falls in in the envelope, saves time and dust, it would not work with the bigger chips I was making. It also needed to get away from the wall on left to allow the top cover not to bind so the hole had to come 20mm to the right. Now I know why I like being a Joiner not a plumber. Anyway it all screwed up fine finally and not a chipped tile, yeeha. So I fit the rail and shower head and switch it on. Nout, check electricity supply nothing on celling switch, down to fuse box, the Spark had taken the cable out, a bit over safe, so connect it back. Ran up stairs and we got power.

A simple job made hard, but its like that doing jobs they all have wee issues. They never show the problems in DIY programs everything goes smooth, not in my world it don't. So now we will wait and see how the job goes in working life, it was a cheaper renovation but meets the needs of the user and more importantly budget and supplied the look they were after.

For the last reply, I never fit toilets from Homebase or B&Q, when fitting anything these days I fling away the plugs and screws that get supplied and use my own they are so inferior not worth mucking about with. I used to supply to Wickes got away from it as profit margins were squeezed, I know a few companies that still supply timber, fence & sheds still and they do it to a price, thats the rub. I did get a shower from Wickes to fit from a customer it was a Triton.

But customer must work to there budget so they serve a purpose and keep guys like me in homers.