Be Carefull!
When you are considering a new accessible bathroom, such as a wet room, walk in shower, walk in baths, shower cubicles or any specialist bathroom equipment, its important you have some basic knowledge of what you are about to purchase, because you want to make your new bathing or showering experience easier and safer. If you have not got all the information, or the equipment might not be suitable or the bathroom has not be planned as you thought, trying to resolve these matters at a later stage, will not only it be stressful, but could also be expensive.
Throughout the Northwest of England, there are hundreds of reputable plumbers and specialist bathroom installers, giving a valuable all-round service and delivering a good quality finished bathroom / product, I know this from experience as I have worked with some very good companies from an equipment and installation point.
With the increase in demand for specialist bathrooms, there is an increase in bathroom installers to accommodate this demand, however, unfortunately, there are a few scrupulous and unprofessional companies in the marketplace who seem to prey on the more venerable person by jumping on the bandwagon of disabled bathrooms. In the last few years, I have visited quite a few sub-standard wet rooms and walk in shower adaptations where these bathrooms have needed stripping back and starting again. The effect it can have on a person is damaging in several ways, such as a trying to get the original company to rectify the problems (if you can contact them), then going through the process of finding a reputable company to correct the original work, going through the disruption (again), the finance, the stress it has caused and having the energy to be reimbursed. In some cases, some clients have commented, they wish they hadn’t bothered in the first place.
Some examples below of extremely poor installations, where the contractors had been paid for work that was not fit for purpose.
1. Tiled wet floor shower room.
- New tiled wet floor shower room (under 1 year old).
- 15mm gaps underneath tiles.
- Grout was falling underneath the tiles, leaving gaps between tiles.
- Water was getting underneath tiles.
- Floorboards were rotting.
- Tiles were unsteady.
2. Wash hand basin & vanity.
- Wash hand basin badly installed.
- After wash hand basin installed, tiles were cut around it.
- Contractor left mid job, leaving bathroom unusable.
3. Vinyl wet floor shower area.
- Wet floor vinyl shower area (approx 6 months old).
- Wrong anti-slip flooring used (not for wet floor areas).
- Vinyl flooring fitted underneath wall tiles.
- Flooring not tucked into waste, just siliconed around.
- Flooring had air pockets.
- Movement on the wet floor shower area.
4. Walk in shower tray.
- Walk in shower installed after walls had been tiled.
- Walls (tile) uneven, leaving gaps between wall and tray.
- Tray was not secured.
- Contractor left mid job, leaving bathroom unusable.
With any company including reputable company’s, small snags can happen when installing a bathroom and generally these companies will rectify the problem without any issues, however the above examples are not snags, they are illustrations of poor workmanship. In the above cases, money has been paid and the person/s who have fitted the above, can’t be contacted.
Reduce the risk
- Have a good idea of what you want and what will work for you
- Do some basic research
- Choose a reputable company
- Look at company reviews, not just on their website
- Set out a realistic budget
- Listen to companies advice you are inviting to quote, make notes and don’t be scared to ask questions
- Get 3 detailed quotations this will give you an idea of costing
- Don’t get drawn into “Manager Specials” or “Discounted Prices” – if you sign up on the day. Generally written quotes will last for 30 days.
- Very important – don’t buy on emotions – allow yourself some thinking time, consult family
- When choosing a company, get confirmation in writing what works they are going to carry out, equipment they are going to supply, whether its inclusive of materials etc. – you don’t want any grey areas
- Generally, a 25% – 30% deposit is acceptable with the balance paid on completion, with bespoke specialst equipment generally a 50% deposit is acceptable with a balance payment made a few days prior to / or on the day of the install.
- Make sure you are happy with the completed work
Accessible Bathroom Consultants are not salespeople pushing you to make decisions, we are here to help and can assist in many ways by providing an all-round friendly professional service.
