The Blue Leaf Bathroom Renovation Guide

Thinking of renovating your bathroom but don't know where to start? We've written this guide to give you some insight and a brief break down of what to focus on to ensure your bathroom renovation is a seamless and easy operation.

We'll start off by saying that even though all the renovation shows make renovating a bathroom look easy it definitely is not, however being prepared and organised will undoubtedly help you keep the renovation wheels in motion.

First decision you need to make is whether or not you will be taking on the renovation as a DIY project or getting a qualified builder/renovator, the information we will be providing will help in both scenarios and will allow you to understand the renovation process and what steps and procedures need to be followed.

Stage 1 - Design/Style

The first stage is usually the hardest because this becomes the foundation and will dictate what is required for the renovation, the more time and focus that is applied here the easier the following stages become.

Things to consider:

• What is the current theme of your home (modern, heritage, provincial), will you be following suit or going with a completely different style? Once you've decided on a style it's time to put the pieces of the puzzle together. If you need help in deciding on a style some great sites to visit are houzz and pinterest.
  
  
• The first step will be to draw a rough plan of the bathroom whether it be with an A4 paper, ruler and pencil or getting professionally drawn plans using CAD software as long as you're able to display the shape, walls and dimensions of the bathroom.
  
  
• Once you have the blank canvas of the bathroom drawn make lots of copies, trust me, lots of copies.
  
  
• A crucial part of the design process is whether or not you want to change the layout of the bathroom if at all possible. This depends on which level the proposed bathroom is on ground floor or 1st floor? If the bathroom is on the ground floor then in most cases the house is either built on a concrete slab or brick piers. If your house is built on brick piers (which usually means you have access underneath the house) then changing the layout is fine however if it's built on a concrete slab changing the layout is usually not possible or becomes ridiculously expensive. 
  
  
• Get one of the many copies of the layout pages and draw each of the bathroom items in position. Once this is drawn consider each item and once when you're satisfied draw three large ticks and a smiley face and put the page aside.
  
  
• Get another copy of the bathroom layout pages and think about how you would like your tiles laid? Will you be going with brick pattern (staggered), herringbone, chevron (fish bone) or standard and think about the size of the tiles, the most common size for floor tiles used to be 30x30cm but this has now changed and many people go with 30x60cm, 60x60cm and in some cases 45x90cm or 60x120cm. An important fact to keep in mind is the smaller the tile the easier it is for the tiler to get the water to flow to the drain. Thankfully the introduction of long shower grates this allowed for large format tiles to be used and have the fall go to one side rather than a central location. 
  
  
• Niche and feature wall: A niche is always a great option to add some style and practicality to a bathroom, whether it be placing one above the bath or in the shower area just be sure to consider the tiles going into the niche, a great option is a mosaic tile that fits in with the chosen style of the bathroom. If you would like one of the walls to be a feature wall consider which wall will stand out the most and consider your options with regard to the tile layout and shape.

Stage 2 - Selection

• Once the design stage is complete you should now be aware of what you can and can’t do making the selection stage more enjoyable. Time and time again I see people pressured to make quite a permanent decision on the spot because they’ve entered the selection stage without any thought or preparation.
  
  
• Based on the decisions made regarding style and layout of your bathroom it is now time to be precise, selecting exact tile colour/size, tapware colour, vanity style/colour, accessories etc.

Things to consider:

• Vanity: Wall Hung or Freestanding sometimes this option is decided for you depending on the plumbing. Consider the basin type (above counter, semi-inset, undermount, semi-recessed or a ceramic top) browse our basin and vanity ranges to get a better understanding.
  
  
• Basin Tap: Three piece, basin mixer or wall mixer. Browse our range of basin tapware.
  
  
• Bath Tub: Freestanding, back to wall, corner or drop-in. Browse our range of bath tubs.
  
  
• Shower: Twin shower, ceiling dropper, rail shower, hand shower, shower head. Will you be using a mixer, mixer with diverter or just simply hot and cold taps. Browse our range of showers and shower tapware.
  
  
• Toilet: Back to wall, wall-hung, close coupled or in-wall cistern this option may need to be chosen depending on the position of the plumbing. If your wanting to have an in-wall cistern there may need to be some carpentry work done to allow for the cistern. Browse our range of toilets.

Once these items are locked in put a folder together containing your plans and all bathware and tile choices be sure to include all specification sheets for the chosen items and be sure to compare these with the plans to ensure everything fits.

Stage 3 - Construction

Whether or not you've chosen to tackle this renovation on your own or have chosen a builder this process is virtually the same. If you're doing the renovation on your own then you are the builder and need to carry out the tasks and organise all of the contractors just as the builder would. 

 We will list the construction stage in order:

1. Demolition: Be sure to turn off water and electricity before starting any work. A qualified electrician and plumber will be required towards the end of this stage to disconnect and make safe all power and plumbing points so you will be able to turn the water and power back on once the demo is complete.
   
   
2. Carpentry: A carpenter will be required for the following tasks:

• Relocating windows or doors
• Building partition walls or construction of niches
• Reconfigure wall frame to allow for in-wall cistern for toilets,
• Placing support timbers for the vanity, mirror, accessories.
• Installation of new flooring.

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