Do I choose a traditional or contemporary bathroom?

[Moo]

disgusting manly habits

Apart from leaving the seat up (which he doesn't seem to do), what other disgusting habit did I miss?

I agree wholeheartedly about wet-rooms. Even shower cubicles can be problematic in old houses unless they're very well sealed indeed.
And I worry about the weight of a cast-iron bath full of water + human being. Short of engaging a structural engineer, how could one be certain that an elderly floor would be up to it?

 

[AMc]

And I worry about the weight of a cast-iron bath full of water + human being. Short of engaging a structural engineer, how could one be certain that an elderly floor would be up to it?

I engaged a structural engineer.
There were plenty of other things for him to do already. My old joists weren't up to it (despite previously having held a cast iron bath) and were duly doubled with something twice the size.

 

[JoceAndChris]

disgusting manly habits

Apart from leaving the seat up (which he doesn't seem to do), what other disgusting habit did I miss?

I agree wholeheartedly about wet-rooms. Even shower cubicles can be problematic in old houses unless they're very well sealed indeed.
And I worry about the weight of a cast-iron bath full of water + human being. Short of engaging a structural engineer, how could one be certain that an elderly floor would be up to it?

Toilet seat is up, toiletries on show, towels not in height order, unmade bed (possibly). Don't worry Jon we're clutching at straws with which to criticise you out of insane jealousy of your lovely house.


Really interesting about this weight issue; it's not even something that crossed my mind. We did drag an incredibly heavy piano through the house, there was the odd creak, but all is fine.

 

[Penners]

Jocelyn

Is this an upstairs or a downstairs bathroom? If it's downstairs, is the floor suspended timber, or a concrete slab?

If it's anything other than a ground-level concrete floor, I wouldn't consider a wet room. They are notoriously difficult to get - and keep - completely watertight. And this problem is greatly exacerbated if they're based on a wooden floor. No matter how solidly constructed, the floor will always move very slightly, and this will slowly but surely create cracks in your floor tiling. Cracks = leaks = problems = expense.

Contemporary or traditional? Your bathroom - your taste - your choice.

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Joce,

You'll have your own views, of course, but there's a lot to be said for a roll-top bath, especially in a small bathroom. Being on legs you can see under it, which gives a valuable impression of extra floor area. The extra height off the floor adds to this visual space effect, and can be used as storage space for baskts of toiletries, loo roll etc. And they look gratifyingly 'not new' as well, if you like that. True you can't seal them onto a wall easily, but if not met many modern baths which have been successfully sealed to the wall. I've met lots that haven't though. You just learn to be a bit less splashy. Not so good if you want to use it for showering too, but perhaps a cunning curtain arrangement could be used. On a practical side you can keep an eye on the plumbing for leaks.

We opted for an acrylic one rather than cast iron - not as heavy, not as cold.

 

[Jon Maine]

Quality is the key.

Neutral colours help too to make it timeless.( although sometimes a bold statement with colour if you get it right works well)

Roll top baths often can be a success whether period style or a contemporary take. We have cast iron baths with contemporary taps.

Showers are better with a resin cast tray rather than a more flexible fibreglass one.

Sinks and toilets I find often can be overstated as "victorian" very often when infact many of these houses had no bathrooms fitted internally during that period. Simple clean lines tend to fit well in most places and will not age badly.

My bathrooms cost around £1500 each for components and then at least as much again to make the sink units and install and luckily look like far more expensive bathrooms. ( I had to be careful with money as we had 3 bathrooms, 2 with showers and a seperate shower room and a seperate cloak room )

It is down to personal choice as you can tell by the range of comments in this thread.



Of course choosing a timeless contemporary style which will always look good is the trick to success if you go that way

 

[JoceAndChris]

Is this an upstairs or a downstairs bathroom? If it's downstairs, is the floor suspended timber, or a concrete slab?

If it's anything other than a ground-level concrete floor, I wouldn't consider a wet room. They are notoriously difficult to get - and keep - completely watertight. And this problem is greatly exacerbated if they're based on a wooden floor. No matter how solidly constructed, the floor will always move very slightly, and this will slowly but surely create cracks in your floor tiling. Cracks = leaks = problems = expen

Thanks Penners! It's kind of upstairs and kind of downstairs. The house is built into a hill and most of the rooms are on the ground floor, with a partially sunk "undercroft" (that does not extend across the full dimension), and a giant sprawling roof with one little attic bedroom in it. The floor in the room I am talking about is suspended timber, with the earth underneath. (the mice are very happy with this arrangement). A wet room is starting to sound like a nightmare.

but there's a lot to be said for a roll-top bath, especially in a small bathroom. Being on legs you can see under it, which gives a valuable impression of extra floor area. The extra height off the floor adds to this visual space effect, and can be used as storage space for baskts of toiletries, loo roll etc.

And allow for mousing to take place! And everyone seems to love them, especially if they have paws. But maybe I should have this little room as just a shower room, and create a big show stopping bathroom somewhere else.

 

[Flyfisher]

Regarding the weight of a bath, Google quickly found me a large cast iron bath weightng 128kg with a capacity of 260 litres = 260kg, a total of 388kg, say 400kg with taps and plastic ducks etc. Add another 100kg for two people (well it is a big bath :wink: ) and that's 500kg or half a ton.

My initial thought was that Moo was being over-cautious in considering a structural engineer but now I'm not so sure!

 

[JoceAndChris]

That is a very hefty weight indeed. Maybe plastico is the way to go.

Quality is the key.

My bathrooms cost around £1500 each for components and then at least as much again to make the sink units and install and luckily look like far more expensive bathrooms.

That's amazing. We happily handed over 7k to Ron, of Bathing Beauties, Muswell Hill for some very ordinary fittings and new walls/ceiling/floor. I wouldn't do that again. He had all the fun of the design and was an absolute dictator who insisted I have polished chrome brown marble etc. Fortunately this room doesn't need new walls/ceiling/floor so a DIY job is a lot less intimidating.

 

[AMc]

Regarding the weight of a bath, Google quickly found me a large cast iron bath weightng 128kg with a capacity of 260 litres = 260kg, a total of 388kg, say 400kg with taps and plastic ducks etc. Add another 100kg for two people (well it is a big bath :wink: ) and that's 500kg or half a ton.

My initial thought was that Moo was being over-cautious in considering a structural engineer but now I'm not so sure!

Not over cautious but you have to bear in mind that the bath weighs about 130kg but I weigh close on 90kg (and I'm an average build 6'2" bloke).
If you think that having an extra person or two in the room with a full bath could cause your floor to give way then you should be talking to the engineer anyway. There is the matter of all that weight being distributed on 4 points, but again if you don't think two people could stand on tip toes next to the full bath then same rules apply...
I assume that acrylic and steel baths are lighter (they don't mention the weight in the catalogues) but it's the water and the people I'd worry more about.

 

[Jon Maine]

It can be quite simple to bolt a couple of heavy angle irons to floor joists to stiffen the floor if needed, it is a real consideration if the joists are a bit flimsy.

 

[Penners]

We happily handed over 7k to Ron, of Bathing Beauties, Muswell Hill for some very ordinary fittings and new walls/ceiling/floor.

Seven thousand pounds??? Did Ron and his bathing beauties holiday in the Bahamas that year?

 

[Jon Maine]

Although if you take into account the share of the floor area out of the total project cost each main bathroom hits an average of £23k approx. :?

 

[Penners]

Although if you take into account the share of the floor area out of the total project cost each main bathroom hits an average of £23k approx. :?

Not in this house it doesn't! Divide that by 10! (OK - that doesn't include the building).

 

[JoceAndChris]

We happily handed over 7k to Ron, of Bathing Beauties, Muswell Hill for some very ordinary fittings and new walls/ceiling/floor.

Seven thousand pounds??? Did Ron and his bathing beauties holiday in the Bahamas that year?

He told us it was cheap! And the average Muswell Hill bathroom was around 20-30k!!! Oh, for the heady days before the economic crash...

As for Ron and the Bahamas I'm not sure... we were supporting Poland too you know, he had a gorgeous strapping team of Poles who I understand have all gone home now.

Penners, have you spent £2.30 on each room? Aw, you generous old softie.

 

[Penners]

Jocelyn - according to Fermat's Last Theorem, one tenth of £23000 is £2300 (except when n = 2). Yes - that's how generously I budgeted for the bathroom.

But £2.30... hmmm... I like your thinking.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Jocelyn - according to Fermat's Last Theorem, one tenth of £23000 is £2300 (except when n = 2). Yes - that's how generously I budgeted for the bathroom.

But £2.30... hmmm... I like your thinking.

Sorry, maths has never been a strong point. You are indeed a generous provisioner.

Just thinking of my forbears, and how preposterous it would have been for them to spend £2.30 on a room. They made their furniture, stitched their soft furnishings, such as they were, and built or decorated with mud/ lime/ cow dung/pigments anything else to hand. And now we have to spend thousand and thousands on our cottages, and it's just not feasable, unless you are a builder or Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

Where will it all end, I ask you?

 

[Jon Maine]

Mind you that figure is worked out on an internal floor area average cost which includes everything from external groundworks,culvert and railings complete external and internal restoration & conservation of a semi derelict shell. I would have preferred £2.30 tho'

 

[Moo]

disgusting manly habits

Apart from leaving the seat up (which he doesn't seem to do), what other disgusting habit did I miss?

Toilet seat is up, toiletries on show, towels not in height order, unmade bed (possibly).

Sorry about that - you were referring to Jon Maine's house, while I was thinking of Andrew's.
Loo seats left up is, of course, a very male thing, but I claim total equality when it comes to the rest of those examples of disgustingness.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Sorry about that - you were referring to Jon Maine's house, while I was thinking of Andrew's.
Loo seats left up is, of course, a very male thing, but I claim total equality when it comes to the rest of those examples of disgustingness.

I am really in no position to criticise either, having spent the whole day in pyjamas,with mice running round.