Future proofing the bathroom

We went for a heated towel rail to double up as a radiator rather than underfloor heating.

Oh, and the quote will be for everything. He will deal with the electrics, the plumbing, tiling and everything else. The only thing we'll have to do is make good the landing on the other side of the wall, as if we change the layout that will be affected.

How did it go, Auntieflo? Did you get it done?

We had a designer round yesterday, and he's going to get back to us with a CAD of his ideas. The idea is that we see what we think, suggest any changes, to and fro a bit until we decide between us what we need, and then he'll quote. That seems a bit back to front, but I can understand his reluctance to do a million quotes as they take time and it's a small business. I have no idea what to expect cost-wise, though.

We currently have a cast iron bath, which I really like, as it's huge and keeps the water hot for ages. He said that they aren't made any more, and suggested getting one made from Caronite. Does anyone have experience of that? I'd never heard of it. We also discussed underfloor heating, which I thought would free up space if we take out the wall between the loo and the bathroom, as the radiator is on there currently. He said that he's not a fan, as most people only have underfloor heating on when the room is in use, and that would be unpredictable in a bathroom, so you'd risk getting a bath or shower in a cold room, and heating it when you're not there. Again, I'd be interested to hear experiences on that, if anyone has feelings one way or the other.

If we go with this chap it will be October at the earliest before he can do it, but that's ok, as it's roughly when I had in mind. If it's much later we'll risk the awful Christmas stress, which I'd much rather avoid, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it .

Exciting isn't it? We had the quote through today from the chap who visited us last Thursday. Seems reasonable enough, so we will probably go with him. The bathroom shop we visited has used him in their own home for two bathrooms.

Franbern, how about something like this? It says in the blurb that it supports + 31st! Wow. I think I will need one of these and they are fairly neat, but more a perch than a seat?
Doodle, enjoy the showroom visits. I think you get a feel from the assistants . Our little local bathroom shop is super helpful and we will use them as suppliers.
Let us know how you get on, especially as you seem to have had a lot done recently. Oh the upheaval 😱

Doodledog we had two loos installed like, that in our previous house. The way the bathrooms were configured, we were able to have a recessed shelf above cistern height and a removable counter top. One of the bathrooms then had glass shelving above that, which gave us plenty of storage space. The other bathroom, we had bathroom furniture built in and the loo was part of that.

Doodlebug that is exactly what I meant. I a having one of those concealed cisterns, but have ensured that there is a panel in the all that is easily opened to access this.
Do be prepared for the cost to escalate. The costs of the items themselves are just a part of it. Added on to that is the costs of electrician, tiler, plumber, etc. as well as things like tiles, flooring, etc.

We’re in the middle of a refurb of one of our en-suite shower rooms and the decisions we’ve had to make have been very taxing. Fortunately my husband has good spatial intelligence because I do not. He explains every bit of what’s needed, but most of it goes over my head as I can’t think in 3D. 🤯

Thank you.

I've looked online, and a lot of the local people have galleries of examples, and loos with no visible cisterns seem very popular. The sort of thing in the photo.

They do look neat, but is that what you mean about being inaccessible for repairs? I couldn't work out what would happen if the ballcock went, or something.

Doodledog, I started my search on bathrooms nearly a year ago. Visited as many showrooms as I could and collected a mountain of brochures. These I could look at whilst sitting comfortably at home.

I used graph paper to try to work out with sizes listed in brochures what I might be able to have. Slowly, over many months it began to emerge what I wanted. I had two main aims, one to try to get the step up to the shower lowered as far as possible, and to ensure that the room would be easy as possible to keep clean.

I already had a working en-suite, so I was looking at updating that. But when I mopped in there, have to go round and behind WC base and basin base. I loved the fitted ones I saw in showrooms, everything tucked away out of sight behind kick boards (like kitchens). So, this became quite another priority.

I also asked around in my u3a, etc groups and over and over again I was advised to have a comfort height loo and these also come up rimless (somewhere else where dirt can hide).

If you have any medical disability then all the fittings come up without you having to pay VAT. Ensure any company you may use knows about this and the forms they have to complete.

In my kitchen I did not have any wall tiles, large laminate sheets are used instead of those, much easier to keep clean and no grout ever to worry about. These are available for bathrooms, although I have gone this time with some very large wall tiles.
Ensure anything built in is accessible for repairs

You are both ahead of me, AntieFlo and Franbern. I am at the point now of thinking about going round showrooms - maybe one day next week. It's been about six weeks since having the bedrooms and kitchen made over, and the trauma is beginning to fade.

I am very interested in listening to (or looking at) your projects. What I find off-putting is that I don't know what i want, what is available and what questions to ask. Once I start looking though, those things should seem less daunting. Also, I have absolutely no idea about costings, which again, should be clearer when I've made some sort of effort. Having said that, though, in my experience those spiral once you get started.

Have now arranged for the total update to my en-suite to be carried out mid-April.

Neither of the configurations I did were any use, designer came up with a third one, which I have accepted, The room is rather a strange shape (most of the rooms are in these flats).

My main reasons for wanting to have this room updated apart from the one of just modernising it, was hopefully, that they will be able to make less of step up into the shower, also installing a comfort height loo, and to 'fit' the furniture |(like in kitchens to make it easier to keep clean, (not having to get mop round and behind loos and wash hand basin.). As usual there are compromises that I have to accept both for reasons of cost and space.

However the design I have accepted does give me most of what I want and quite a reasonable amount of storage space. At present I have a very thin electric panel in there (turns on from other side of that wall in hallway. it is very immediate, I turn it on and within a couple of minutes it is really giving off a lot of heat. Designer worked hard persuading me to have installed normal electric towel rail - which definitely would look better but would not warm up so quickly. As soon as I come out of the shower I turn off that little panel which suits me very well. That room, being totally internal, is never really cold. Electrician told me towel radiator would just have started to warm up when I would wish to turn it off. So I am keeping my existing panel with a couple of normal towel rails above it.
At present in my shower, I have a free standing shower stool -which works well. I have also been a little concerned about the fold down chairs - the ones I have seen put in by local authority look ugly and seem difficult to keep clean, Expensive commercial ones worry me as ( I weigh just over 12 stone and do not like the feeling that they are just hinged to the wall. The one this firm is supplying has those hinged but also a pull down leg in the front and come up in matching colours.

Important to me is for firm doing this to do their own 'project managing'. Whereas, it may be cheaper for me to do my own, the thought of trying to juggle plumbers, electricians ,tilers, plasterers, etc. etc. is a nightmare -so this company does all that for me. I do not pay VAT on things being fitted, but do so for the actually building work involved.

One problem presented itself with regard to the door, it is not able to be hinged to go the other way (into my bedroom) as then it would follow a similar path used by the bedroom door. I have always been a little concerned about this door, as should I ever actually have a bd fall in that room I would probably be blocking the door from being opened. Anyway, we have now decided now replace this with a bi-fold door, which will give that little more space AND take away that concern.

I am intending to start a separate thread in my experience with trying to use one of the companies that advertise widely in magazines and on tv specifically for the disabled, Not a good one for me.

Well, we have bitten the bullet and had a chap in to have a look, measure and then send us an estimate/ quote.
Came away with a couple of books to thumb through, and I have sent for a couple of Wall Panel samples, as they will be easier to put over the existing tiles.
Our little local bathroom shop was so helpful, and we did use them for supplying the previous bathroom re-fit.
As we walked in, following another customer, she started to explain what she wanted, and I just said "SNAP"
The room is very small, and so we will not be able to re-jig the design, just replace the bath with a walk in shower.
I know it won't be done for a couple? of months, but am getting excited now, even though I will not enjoy the upheaval.

Ooh, when you get the results please share as much of that as you are comfortable with, Franbern?

I have arranged for two different bathroom fitters to come in next week to do drawings and pictures for my en-suite, and quotes. I am asking or two different configurations, the first similar to it is now and the second = well, different!!!!
Gave my list of what I want, double shower, Large, LED, mirror to give some extra light in enclosed room, and also to have this to use at night so not need to have main lights which also put on fan. Fitted comfort loo and wash basin, (no having to mop around pedestals), pull down seat in shower, with leg, I saw some nice looking grab handles for shower which are part of shower item holders, tooth brush charger coming from mirror, discussed different types of heated towel rails, Gave them my ball park figure, which they said should be okay!!!! Be good when I go back to them to see pictures and discuss costs.

You can get full sized baths with a door in the side enabling easy access. My mum had one

When we had our bathroom re-fitted, 8/9 years ago, we found a bath panel, in two pieces, that slides and so there is usable space underneath. Very useful.

Several years ago, one of my daughters had her bathroom refttied to her own design. The bath, with shower above, did not go all along one wall. The wash hand basin stool at the end of it. So, on that small end panel she had put on a couple of hinges, with door knob to pull it open, - wonderful large storage area for all her cleaning items and spare loo rolls, etc. Do often wonder why that space under the bath is not used by ore manufacturers for storage.

😂

I’ve just realised you’re going to have to keep a bath, Doodledog otherwise where will you put all the champagne on ice for the Grand Opening ceremony?

More great ideas, thanks. If I keep the bath I will almost certainly go for a cast iron one. I love the way they hold the heat. Acrylic ones just aren’t the same.

I love the idea of a larder-style cupboard, and an integrated grab rail, and shelves behind a bath panel are a good ideas too.

There are some great washbasin units available that have quite a lot of cupboard space under them, and loads of bathroom storage furniture that you can add, especially when redesigning your room.
I've even seen bath panels that slide to reveal little shelves wide enough to take loo roll and bathroom cleaner. Cupboards above and around your loo are also possible.

Just to add some thoughts to the mix- loosing the bath could potentially affect the value of the house and put off potential buyers in the future.
We all love wet-rooms, but couples with children want to be able to bath them. Showering just doesn't work with mucky toddlers that have outgrown the baby bath but are not yet able to shower themselves.
Enamel baths are lovely, but again very cold and cost a fortune to fill and keep the water hot.
I would keep a bath (think of the lovely warm relaxing soak when your joints are stiff or aching) maybe consider a more modern acrylic one, but definitely future proof by having a handrail added. There are some that are part of the design or act as soapdish holders and such like until you need them. They're quite common now and look so much better if they're designed in with a new bathroom than when "retrofitted".
I'm also on team 'keep a separate toilet' for the convenience if you'll pardon the pun. There will be times when the stairs are tricky, maybe your feeling a bit poorly in bed and another member of the household is having a lovely, long, early morning oblute- the trek downstairs and back up again can be just too much!

It would be lovely knocked into one Doodledog, with full width storage built in across the old loo doorway. A bit like a shallow double door kitchen larder, lots of space for towels, loo rolls and bits and bobs, I had enough room at my last house for this and miss it so much!

Doodledog

I am not an architect, and definitely not an artist , but this is a rough drawing. It is not to scale at all, but you can see the position of the doors and windows, as well as the plumbed in items.

How large is the wall space to the left of end of the tub?

If wide enough, perfect location for tall slim built in storage drawers and shelves. Points for designing a unit incorporating the sink for a smooth flow (in my mind the part above tub height would add height to that side of the room, a tower?) I'd guess a shop planning bathroom bits could easily accomplish.

‘Of course they can apply for a grant’, not ‘of course they know that’.