A family in Rickmansworth commissioned a full bathroom renovation after buying a 1970s property with an original suite that had not been updated in decades.
The Challenge
The bathroom was functional but dated: a cast iron bath on legs, avocado green fittings, and floor tiles that had cracked and lifted in several places. The floor underneath the old bath showed signs of previous water ingress and would need inspection once the bath was removed. The customer also wanted to move from a bath-only space to a walk-in shower enclosure with a separate freestanding bath, which required rerouting the waste and supply pipes.
The wall behind the toilet had a slow seep coming from a connection that had been patched rather than properly repaired at some point in the past. This needed to be sorted before any new fittings went in.
Planning and sequencing mattered. The homeowners had one bathroom and two young children, which meant minimising the time the room was out of full use. They also had a clear brief: a clean, white, spa-style finish with underfloor heating.
The Solution
We started with a site visit and produced a written scope and programme before any work began. The strip-out was completed on day one. The cast iron bath was removed in sections to avoid damaging the floor.
On inspection, the subfloor had two areas of rot from previous water damage. These were cut out and replaced with marine-grade plywood before any new work continued. The leaking toilet connection was traced back to a failed seal at the soil pipe junction and replaced properly at that stage.
The pipe rerouting for the shower and freestanding bath was done on day two, with new 22mm supply runs and a reconfigured waste layout to suit the new positions. Underfloor heating matting was laid before the new floor tiles.
The wall tiling, shower enclosure fitting, and sanitaryware installation followed over the next three days. We used the customer's chosen products but managed the ordering and delivery schedule. A final waterproofing inspection was carried out before any grout was applied.
The customer had full use of the room by day seven, with only the final sealant and accessory fitting remaining for day eight.
The Results
The project ran to the agreed programme. The subfloor issue, discovered on strip-out rather than quoted upfront, was resolved for an additional cost that was agreed with the customer before the work was done. The final result was a fully tiled walk-in shower, freestanding bath, and underfloor heating throughout.
- Completed in 8 working days including subfloor remediation
- No overrun on the agreed programme
- Underfloor heating, walk-in shower, and freestanding bath all operational at handover
What the Client Said
"From the initial visit to the final day, everything was explained clearly and done when they said it would be. The bathroom looks incredible and the children love it."
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We take on full bathroom renovations in Watford, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, and the surrounding area. Get in touch for a free site visit and written quote.