A lot of these bathrooms have had an enclosure for years, and it is now the oldest thing in the room. Replacing one is a different job from fitting a first: the existing tiling, the existing fixings and whatever was done last time all have to be dealt with before any new glass goes up.
Taking an old screen out without wrecking the tiles
The tiling behind an old screen is usually still good and worth keeping, and the removal is where it gets damaged.
Old silicone bonds hard to glaze, so pulling a frame away in one piece takes tile with it.
So the seal is cut along its full length first and the frame comes out in sections. Then the residue is scraped back with a plastic blade, never steel. It is slower and it is the whole reason the tiling survives the job.
What to do with the old fixing holes
A new enclosure almost never lands on the old fixing positions, and drilling a fresh hole beside an existing one is the weakest thing possible — the material between breaks out and neither holds.
So we set the new fixings clear of the old ones wherever the layout allows.
Where it does not, the old holes are filled with a resin anchor and left to cure before anything is fixed. That adds a wait to the day, and it is why the new enclosure stays where we put it.
Checking what the old screen was hiding
When a screen has been in place for many years, the wall behind it has not been seen in all that time.
Quite often there is something to deal with: soft plaster, failed grout, or a patch of damp where water has been getting behind a tired seal.
So we look properly once the old screen is out, before fitting anything new. Covering it up again with better glass fixes the appearance and not the problem, and we would rather tell you on the day than be called back.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
