What to Ask and What to Check

You don't need to know about plumbing to follow a bathroom renovation. You only need to know which moments matter and what to ask. Most of them come before the tiles go on.

Before work starts

• What exactly does the job include: strip-outDemolitionKnocking down or stripping out whatever has to go before a renovation: walls, tiles, render, bathroom fittings, old floors or old insulation., pipes, electrics, waterproofingWaterproofingThe work and materials that stop water getting through on flat roofs, balconies, bathrooms, basements, planters and tanks., renderRender (plaster)A layer of mortar (sand, cement or lime, and water) spread over brick or concrete to give a wall a straight, sound surface ready for paint or tiles., tiles, fitting the fixtures, removing the rubbleDebris (rubble)The waste that comes out of demolition and building work: broken tiles, render, bricks and concrete. It is collected in bags and has to be disposed of legally.?
• Who buys the tiles and fixtures, and when do they need to be on site?
• Is there room for a walk-in showerWalk-in showerA shower with no tray and no step, level with the rest of the bathroom floor. The water drains through a floor drain or a linear channel drain., or is a shower baseBuilt-up shower baseA low, built shower floor sloping to the drain and finished with tiles. An option when the floor isn't deep enough for a level shower. needed? The final answer often comes only once the old floor is up.
• What happens if something unexpected turns up behind the tiles, such as a worn pipe or damp inside the wall?

During the work

• Before the walls are closed, look at the new pipes and photograph where they run.
• Ask whether the pipes will be checked for leaks before they are covered.
• Ask how the shower will be waterproofed, and how high up the walls.
• Once the floor is laid, before the tiles, you can see the slopeFalls (drainage slope)The gentle slope built into flat roofs, balconies and bathroom floors so water runs to the drain or gutter instead of pooling. with a little water: it should run towards the drainFloor drainThe outlet in a floor where water drains away on roofs, balconies and in bathrooms, with a grate on top and usually a trap below..

At the end

• Run water in the shower and see whether it drains away without pooling or spreading outside.
• Check that the tiles are flush with each other and the joints are filled.
• See whether the silicone runs unbroken along the corners and around the fixtures.
• Find out where the water shut-off valves are. If you have a concealed cisternConcealed cisternA toilet cistern hidden inside the wall on a metal frame, which usually also holds a wall-hung toilet. Only the flush plate shows., ask how the flush plate comes off to reach the mechanism.

Over time

A new bathroom needs good ventilation. Steam that stays in the room turns into condensationCondensationMoisture in the air turning to water on cold surfaces such as windows, outside corners and ceilings. It is the most common cause of mould indoors. on the walls and ceiling and, over time, brings mouldMouldFungi that grow on damp surfaces, leaving black or greenish spots and a musty smell. It is a symptom of damp, not a problem with the paint.. Open the window or let the extractor fan run after a shower. If the silicone turns black or comes away somewhere, it can be replaced without touching the tiles.

And if you see a damp stain on the ceiling of the flat below, or tiles that sound hollowHollow (debonded) tilesTiles or slabs that have come away from their base. They sound hollow when tapped lightly, and often rock or crack., don't wait: the sooner the cause is found, the smaller the repair usually is.