Builder or Plumber ?

[Fjorko]

So if i want to rip out my old shower and put a brand new one in, do i call a builder or a plumber - or both ??? ( needs new tiling as well - so i guess a builder huh ? )

I'm a DIY disaster waiting to happen , so i don't wanna touch it !

Cheers !

[BrandX]

Whoever has work that they can show you and you deem to be satisfactory to your needs and the previous customer agrees.

Just a bit of info for yourself..... I'd forget tiling in a shower cublicle its completely useless imho. No matter what grout you use, water always finds its way through. Grout is also terrible for movement and the tiniest of hairline cracks can let alot of water in. You can fix this by using a suitable tiling backing board such as Fermacell cement fibreboards or the Gyproc version. These help by not soaking up the water(that passes through) so always stay rigid holding the tiles on. But at the end of the day the water still hangs about at the back of the tiles.

In this case it's a good idea to look at some shower boards similar to Mermaid board. They seem exspensive @ a price roughly of £130 a board but they are superior in everyway to tiles Sizes are.... 1200mm or 900mm wide x 2400mm high.

There are some stirling jobs in tiles and I even have 2 shower rooms here at home both with fermacell backing boards that are tiled. If I was to do them today I'd use shower boards. They are just easier to clean and keep the water out. I have 2 showers to fit in the next 2 week in a house we are building so if you can hang on I'll show you some photos of it all going in.

Whatever option you go for (tiles/showerwall) make sure the plumber/builder uses a decent backing board and not some inferior PLASTERboard. They may get away with it in new build on big sites. But I've been to 2 jobs in the past 2 years on houses no older than 4 years old. When I took the tiles off they where virtually sat on top of each other as the board at the back had completely dissolved.

Bit of info on showerwall for you http://www.norske-int.co.uk/pages/a_...ml?=page1.html

[XA04]

Plumber... retiling will need a builder though.

[SilentDeath]

and maybe an electrician if the old shower was more than 15 years old.. becuase the wiring would be rated too low..

[Fjorko]

Whoever has work that they can show you and you deem to be satisfactory to your needs and the previous customer agrees.

Just a bit of info for yourself..... I'd forget tiling in a shower cublicle its completely useless imho. No matter what grout you use, water always finds its way through. Grout is also terrible for movement and the tiniest of hairline cracks can let alot of water in. You can fix this by using a suitable tiling backing board such as Fermacell cement fibreboards or the Gyproc version. These help by not soaking up the water(that passes through) so always stay rigid holding the tiles on. But at the end of the day the water still hangs about at the back of the tiles.

In this case it's a good idea to look at some shower boards similar to Mermaid board. They seem exspensive @ a price roughly of £130 a board but they are superior in everyway to tiles Sizes are.... 1200mm or 900mm wide x 2400mm high.

There are some stirling jobs in tiles and I even have 2 shower rooms here at home both with fermacell backing boards that are tiled. If I was to do them today I'd use shower boards. They are just easier to clean and keep the water out. I have 2 showers to fit in the next 2 week in a house we are building so if you can hang on I'll show you some photos of it all going in.

Whatever option you go for (tiles/showerwall) make sure the plumber/builder uses a decent backing board and not some inferior PLASTERboard. They may get away with it in new build on big sites. But I've been to 2 jobs in the past 2 years on houses no older than 4 years old. When I took the tiles off they where virtually sat on top of each other as the board at the back had completely dissolved.

Bit of info on showerwall for you http://www.norske-int.co.uk/pages/a_...ml?=page1.html

Excellent Idea mate !!!!! Never thought of this method....I think i will actually use this method !!! Do you fit these showers yourself ?

I am looking for someone to fit me a shower but not right now, maybe next month - but before the end of June...

Let me know please !

Cheers

[BrandX]

Yes Fjorko, very easy to fit yourself and yes I do fit them myself. Although you have to be extra careful with the cutting of the boards. They are basically marine ply with a formica type Finish. Cutting them is best done with a fine hand saw not electrical it's just too vicious. Also keep the cellophane on the surface when marking for cutting it stop splinters and chips.

They Fix to the walls in different ways depending on how much you want to do. (whole bathroom or just the shower area) If it's just the shower area they will stick to the walls with supplied adhesive. You order this when you order the boards.

If you decided to do the whole bathroom you can tongue and groove the boards together and screw them to the wall through the grooved lip. No siliconing is required on the new boards so I'm told they come with a self seal strip in the grooved area.

It's far easier to do than tiling and less mess!

Just try and find a decent bathroom specialist. You are better off with someone who is specialised in doing bathrooms and associated plumbing than someone who says just fits central heating systems and does the odd bathroom.

Thats the best I can do on the limited info you give. You didn't state what type of shower you have. Is it electric or run straight from say the combi boiler. Is it in the corner of a room or is the back of the shower just on to one wall and the rest is all glass?

Anymore and I'll glady help just ask. Do remeber though try and take a look at anyone elses past work. It's something I always offer to customers.

[TheAnimus]

you can often get plumbers + electrictions in one package, called bathroom fitters!