In houses of this age the bathroom tiling is frequently a pattern or a colour that has long been discontinued. That changes the job completely: every fixing has to be right first time, because a cracked tile cannot be replaced with a matching one and a patch is visible forever.
Drilling when a mistake cannot be corrected
Normally a cracked tile is an annoyance and a replacement. Here it is permanent.
So we set out every fixing against the actual tile layout, keeping clear of edges and grout lines where a tile is most likely to crack, and we drill slowly without hammer action until the bit has bitten.
Where a fixing would have to land in a bad place we move the enclosure rather than accept the risk. It occasionally means a layout that is a centimetre from ideal, which is a considerably better outcome than a cracked tile you look at every day.
Keeping a spare before anything starts
If there are any spare tiles anywhere in the house — in a store, a loft, under a sink — it is worth finding them before we drill.
Households often have a few left from the original work and have forgotten.
With a spare available the risk changes entirely and we can be less conservative about the layout. Without one, we work as though every hole is irreversible, because it is. It is worth ten minutes of looking before the day.
Designing to disturb as little as possible
In a bathroom that cannot be patched, the best enclosure is the one that needs fewest fixings.
A fixed screen needs two brackets; a full enclosure with a hinged door needs considerably more, each one a hole in something irreplaceable.
So where the tiling is precious we would lean towards the simplest layout that solves the problem, and say why. It is usually also the cheaper option, which makes it an easy recommendation to make honestly.
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.
