How to Properly Equip a Bathroom: 6 Expert Tips

Table of Contents

1. Equip a Bathroom
2. Don’t Use Laminate or Parquet in the Bathroom.
3. Don’t Block Access to Trap Doors Under the Bathtub.
4. Install the Bathtub First, and Then Lay the Tiles
5. Think About Waterproofing in the “Wet” Areas
6. Choose the Right Towel Dryer
7. Install a Hanging Toilet Bowl
8. Other Things to Take into Consideration[+]
   1. Leave Space for the Door to Open
   2. Make Sure the Shower Door fits properly.
   3. Remember to Treat Wooden Fixtures

Equip a Bathroom

What to do first: install a bath or lay tiles? What flooring is best for the bathroom? With these and other questions, apartment owners face when equip a bathroom. Mistakes are expensive, and these tips will help you avoid them.

Don’t Use Laminate or Parquet in the Bathroom.

Most people use the “wet” zone to the maximum – pouring water, coming out of the shower with wet feet. Laminate and parquet don’t like moisture, so use porcelain or quartz-vinyl tile – coatings that aren’t afraid of water.

If you buy an unfinished parquet, which in the future will be coated (e.g., polyurethane), then the floor is not afraid of moisture. Polyurethane and ship varnish are not damaged even by the claws of animals: we use this technique in apartments where there are children or pets, but people want a natural parquet or solid wood.

On the walls, use porcelain stoneware. However, trends are changing: porcelain or marble as a coating is chosen only in the shower area, and then the walls are painted, or decorative plaster is applied. These options are possible, but it’s necessary to cover the surfaces with a protective varnish to avoid drips. Even washable paint washes out the shade in places that are often wiped down with a towel or rag because of water exposure.

Don’t Block Access to Trap Doors Under the Bathtub.

The hatches under the bathtub contain a drain system. Over time, the drain gets clogged: to clean it, you have to get under the tub, disconnect the system from the tub, and remove the cause of the clog. If you just lay the screen with tile and don’t leave a technological hole with a hatch of hidden installation, the drain will clog quickly, and the water won’t go away. Tools to remove clogs won’t help here.

Install the Bathtub First, and Then Lay the Tiles

Many masters offer to install tiles first and then install the bathtub. Why do they advise this option? First, they consider it as easy as creating a Bet22 login. Secondly, when you install the bathtub before laying tiles, it must be closed to assemble a rigid base on top, on which the masters will stand, also, there is a lot of trimming. This takes time, and they want to save it.

If you installed the tub after installing tiles, there are gaps: they need something to cover them. Pouring a lot of silicone will not work – over time it will turn black, yellow, or covered with mold. Some people use skirting boards or corners, which fall off and lose their marketable appearance just the same. The right solution: first put the tub, then lay tiles, preliminarily leaving a gap of 1-1.5 mm between the tub and tile, and wipe everything with elastic grout – it’s beautiful and aesthetic.

Think About Waterproofing in the “Wet” Areas

If the walls in the bathroom are plastered with gypsum plaster, they must be concealed with waterproofing. Ducts assembled from gypsum should also be covered with waterproofing. Although the gypsum board is moisture-resistant, it has exposed gypsum ends – they can easily become saturated with moisture.

If you install porcelain tile or tile in the shower area, the tiles are still moving – the grout can crumble, moisture will get under the coating, over time, the tiles will bloat and fly off, and there is a great risk of flooding the neighbors. When considering full waterproofing, you should glue a special waterproofing tape on all internal and external joints, including the joint between the wall and the floor. Then with the second layer, again go through the waterproofing. Even if there will be shifts of the plates, waterproofing tape will hold them – both you and your neighbors can sleep peacefully.

Choose the Right Towel Dryer

If you need to warm the bathroom, use water towel rails. However, it is worth remembering that over time they can leak: if no one is at home, both the owners of the apartment and the neighbors will suffer from this. An electric towel rail does not give heat in the bathroom – it is there only to dry the towels.

Install a Hanging Toilet Bowl

In the modern world, people are moving away from floor toilets so as not to overload the room. Instead of a barrel, install a sewn plasterboard installation on top of a custom-made cabinet to conceal personal hygiene products. In a prominent place remains only the toilet bowl, which visually takes up much less space. The cleaning process around the toilet also becomes easier: wiping the dust under the toilet becomes much easier – in the case of the floor toilet, you can’t always get to places that are hard to reach.

Hanging toilets have another advantage. Everyone has a different height, and all floor toilets are standard height – taller people may be uncomfortable. The installation provides the ability to adjust the height of the toilet bowl.

Other Things to Take into Consideration

Leave Space for the Door to Open

You have fitted the suit into the bathroom perfectly but didn’t think of the door, so now, every time you enter the bathroom, the door hits the beautiful new bath or vanity unit. Consider installing a sliding door in a small bathroom if this is the case to maximize space.

Make Sure the Shower Door fits properly.

There is nothing worse than having to clean up a flooded floor constantly because of a leaky shower screen. It is important to measure the door properly and install it correctly, as well as have good quality caulking to seal the door.

Remember to Treat Wooden Fixtures

Wood fixtures represent a stylish luxury bathroom trend, but before installing country-style wooden paneling or choosing an oak-fronted vanity unit, ensure proper treatment to protect them from humidity and water, preventing wood rot.

Thank you for reading!