Thank heavens this en-suite is finished!

[Lons]

A real b*tch of a job has taken me nearly 3 weeks of anxt. Still my customer is delighted and I've been paid so all's well I guess.
not much woodwork. I made the carcases but bought in the vinyl wrapped doors and worktops.

Time to consider retirement methinks - I don't enjoy it nowadays!

 

[hanser]

That looks very nice!

I'm doing something similar and likewise its slow going. Its a DIY jobbie but its become a monster. SWMBO wanted the ensuite refurbed - fully wall and floor tiled and new everything else. This has involved replacing a structural wooden beam to support the extra weight and having to also redec the other 2 rooms and hallway that have been impacted. The limited space to manoeuvre around the ensuite just seems to make everything more of a challenge.

 

[devonwoody]

Many thanks for showing Lons. I immediately gave the wife a shout and said thats what ours would look like.

We live in a 1963 bungalow which has a 6ft square bathroom and your job looks the same dimensions.

Its just not roomy enough for my liking, I suspect you bricked in the existing window so you could put that shower in place which to me is what saves the job and makes it livable.

This is not a negative response to your excellent looking work and job but purely the space problems you experienced.

 

[Lons]

Many thanks for showing Lons. I immediately gave the wife a shout and said thats what ours would look like.

We live in a 1963 bungalow which has a 6ft square bathroom and your job looks the same dimensions.

Its just not roomy enough for my liking, I suspect you bricked in the existing window so you could put that shower in place which to me is what saves the job and makes it livable.

This is not a negative response to your excellent looking work and job but purely the space problems you experienced.

Hi DW

Actually the room is 2.6m x 2.1m so it's reasonably sized for an en-suite. The photos are misleading as when you walk in, the first reaction is one of space.

The window is original and hasn't been altered, the shower cubicle is 900 wide x 1200 long and I just managed to squeeze in the width

The original had a 900 x 900 shower behind the door. Basin similar place to new and a bidet and WC on window wall and it looked cluttered, small and dark. Surprisingly the run of cupboards and all glass shower along with lighter col tiles and the white gloss ceiling have completely transformed the perception. Does look a bit like a hotel bathroom though!

Walls were a pita as the old tiles wrecked the plasterboards which had to be replaced, walls were way out of plumb and far from square and existing plumbing a nightmare. I also had to strip off polystyrene ceiling tiles before installing a t&g plastic ceiling and downlights and then at the last minute #-o my customer decided she wanted a heated LED mirror which meant removing newly fitted wall tiles to accommodate the wiring!

£6500 job though and my customer was happy. ( I think that amount is horrendous - but I'm a skinflint :lol: )

Hope yours goes well. As long as swimbo is happy nothing else matters :wink:

Bob

 

[Lons]

That looks very nice!

I'm doing something similar and likewise its slow going. Its a DIY jobbie but its become a monster. SWMBO wanted the ensuite refurbed - fully wall and floor tiled and new everything else. This has involved replacing a structural wooden beam to support the extra weight and having to also redec the other 2 rooms and hallway that have been impacted. The limited space to manoeuvre around the ensuite just seems to make everything more of a challenge.

I know exactly where you're coming from. It's called "opening a can of worms". I've done a lot of bathrooms over the years and they certainly are not one of my favourite jobs.

it'll be worth it in the end though. - You should post some pics!

Bob

 

[RogerS]

Groan...you just reminded me of my own project that is looming later this year. I've procrastinated long enough. Mean to say...the bog and wash-basin have been outside under cover for the last four years. The bath has been in our dining room for the last three years as has the shower screen. So I guess I've had a good innings.

 

[katellwood]

I'm just in the throws of finishing this one









Just the shower cubicle to fit and a little bit of snagging

Taken me a lot longer than three weeks as the room has never been a bathroom, it was full of old and dusty Lath and plaster and loose floorboards when I started

Made all the cabinetry myself and fitted the velux, just like you I am glad its coming too and end

(PS the blue bog roll isn't mine)

 

[Lons]

(PS the blue bog roll isn't mine)

looks too big for a bog roll :lol:

Great job btw

Bob

 

[mickthetree]

Excellent work Lons. I have a job just like this coming up and had almost resolved myself to getting the units in from Bath Store or similar. Katellwood's post (on the other side) also give s some great inspiration.

Can I ask Lons, what board do you use for the carcasses? Is it cost effective to build the units yourself rather than buying them in? How did you join them together?

I also have a kitchen to do but the carcasses are coming in at £400 from Ikea and I really cant see how I can make them any cheaper.

Nice one.

 

[Lons]

Can I ask Lons, what board do you use for the carcasses? Is it cost effective to build the units yourself rather than buying them in? How did you join them together?
I also have a kitchen to do but the carcasses are coming in at £400 from Ikea and I really cant see how I can make them any cheaper.

Hi Mick

It probably isn't cost effective, (unless your time is free) or your workshop set up to handle large size sheet materials as if the units you need are standard size they can be bought quite cheaply. In this case they are all custom made to fit the space available and not "off the shelf" sizes so I was left with three options:
1. Adapt and remake standard units
2. Buy in custom made
3. Make from scratch

I buy vinyl wrap doors from Browns 2000 so got my customer to choose the door finish and bought in 18mm egger W980 ST2 white text MFC which is a match ( NESP at £48.13 + VAT per 2800 x 2070 sheet. Only needed 1 ). I probably pay over the odds as I don't buy much and don't bother to shop around.

As I was fitting end panels to match the doors, all fixings would be hidden so just fixed through the sides using carcase screws. Shelves were loose on supports. Backs were 15mm melamine and drawer was just a box kit. Hinges Salice soft close. I edged the MFC with matching tape.

The carcases excluding panels, doors and worktops cost well under £100 but took me a day and a half to make so didn't make a profit on that part of the job which was as expected. My profit came from the doors and panels as well as the fixtures and fittings.
I did save my customer a lot of money which probably was a factor in getting me the job as when I priced similar units even though they wouldn't fit, my price was less than half.

It's a while since I've fitted an Ikea kitchen but seem to recall the sizes being odd.

Bob

 

[mickthetree]

Many thanks for your thorough reply Bob. We have a large panel saw at work with scribing blade and I've jigged it around so it can handle a full size egger board(with two persons to hoomph it around!)

I can do the work on my lunch break and its for my own house so no worries about money.

The misses wants this

What is the tape you use? Is it iron on? Get a good edge?

15mm back is good, all of the bought in stuff seems to be 6mm hardboard!

I'm going to see how much the sink, toilet, cistern etc are so I can see what they are charging for the cabinets. We need another as well for the downstairs WC.

Yeah, the ikea stuff has its limitations. You cant deviate from the sizes they do so have to make compromises, but all of the units, drawers, doors, corner solutions etc all coming in at just under £2k. That is for 10 units including floor to ceilings, blum soft close drawers and doors. The units separate come in under £400, so hardly worth making them myself. but the bathroom stuff seems more spendy.

I looked at getting all of the components cut and edgebanded to size, but that was coming in more than I had hoped.

Do you use the same board for the end panels?

What a lot of questions, sorry!

 

[Lons]

That looks pretty good value including the sanitaryware though I note you still need to buy tap and waste which is strange.

My customer chose hers from the Frontline catalogue, (I get 30% via my merchant) but 20 - 25% is easily achievable as a one off customer if you pushed it.

The end panels are made by Browns to match the doors. I can order almost any size and specify profile etc. so perfect match, same with the plinths and panels behind the WC. Worktops as well and I just mitred the corner joint and made a removeable top and front panel for the WC cistern access.

I just used std preglued tape for this one and it was ok but 2mm abs or similar would be a better job if you have the time and facility to fit it. An industrial edgebander makes a great job if you can access one. (I can't justify the £000s and my small edgebander was too difficult for the larger panels so used an iron)

Bob

 

[mickthetree]

Thanks again Bob Really informative.
I've ordered their catalogue. Its amazing how similar most of these suppliers suites are!

 

[Lons]

Thanks again Bob Really informative.
I've ordered their catalogue. Its amazing how similar most of these suppliers suites are!

It's generally decent stuff from frontline though without the discount, it's expensive I think. The one thing I would say is that their aftersales is excellent and availability / delivery, first rate.

Loads of distributors BTW. I used Jewsons as I have an account.

Bob

 

[Dibs-h]

but its become a monster...

Sounds like my house Hanser! :shock:

Dibs

 

[promhandicam]

. . . and then at the last minute #-o my customer decided she wanted a heated LED mirror which meant removing newly fitted wall tiles to accommodate the wiring!

They look the same as ones I got for my sister - I hope you have more luck with yours. She had 2 and I think that she is on her third or forth unit as the heating element burns through the silvering after a couple of months. Just glad that I was just supplying them for her via my plumbers merchants.

 

[Lons]

. . . and then at the last minute #-o my customer decided she wanted a heated LED mirror which meant removing newly fitted wall tiles to accommodate the wiring!

They look the same as ones I got for my sister - I hope you have more luck with yours. She had 2 and I think that she is on her third or forth unit as the heating element burns through the silvering after a couple of months. Just glad that I was just supplying them for her via my plumbers merchants.

Bug*er! I hope that doesn't happen.
This one has quite a large heat pad in the centre of the mirror and as I supplied and fitted, I'll have to honour the guarantee. It's a decent quality make so hopefully no problems.

Bob