Having a new bathroom installed. what should be done first?

Question

I am having a new bathroom installed. Should I get the tiling done before or after the suite is fitted?

Answer 1

If the floor is being tiled, set the pipework close to where the units will be fitted, tile the floor complete (except under bath), fit the bath including wall brackets (sink them in slightly), seal the bath edges with silicone to the wall and level with bath edge, then tile the walls complete, a cover would be good for the bath, then fit the suite. The existing w/c can be used during all the work if you remove the cistern and use buckets of water to flush. This way you can tile off the bath making certain of a good seal, to tile walls measure down from bath to the lowest full tile and then batten the walls, if they are level you should finish all in line, I always do!

Answer 2

I had a new bathroom professionally fitted a year ago and the suite was fitted first, then tiled around. I was so concerned that the tiler would drop a tile onto the new bath - belive me, very few workmen are careful. I also had a tiled floor with underfloor heating installed (which incidentally is worth investing in). If I did it again I would definitely have all of the walls and floor fully tiled, including behind the bath (this is something the professionals don't seem to want to do). Make sure that every measurement is checked and re-checked. Having had the floor tiled and the underfloor heating installed, the pottery was then raised almost an inch and the tiles had to come off and the waste pipes re-sited because they were in the wrong place. Expect it to take longer than you estimate.

Answer 3

Tile before the suite goes in. Tiles will last but suites do often break or need to be replaced. Getting the old one out is painfull and the new suite may not fit the same. Leave a tile out directly under the bowl or put cuts in the tiles so the bowl beds properly. Ive worked in hardware for more than ten years and I seen people try and deal with this and believe me tile first.

Answer 4

The best thing to do is have the bath / shower fitted first so tiles sit tight on to them and makes a water tight seal at the same time first fix for the pottery pipe work , then tile the room and fit pottery after , that gives perfect tiling around pottery , and with care no tile's will break , of course it will help if you have another loo in the house but the pan can be fitted as it is only the cistern that touches the tiles Good luck

Answer 5

Here's how we usually do it:

1) Demo
2) Plumbing & electric, if anything's changing
3) Drywall and texture
4) Painting
5) Tub/shower, unless it's a claw-foot, then wait till after the tile
6) Tile - we prefer to tile the entire floor first then place the cabinets on the tile so that there are no unseemingly meeting places between the tile and cabinets, and you definitely want to tile before putting the toilet in. We don't put wall tile behind cabinets as it's difficult to secure them through tile to the wall, but do tile right up to them.
7) Fixtures
8) Touch-up (such as paint and caulk)

Answer 6

Hey Rich,

Start with the demolition of old fixtures. Be careful if you don't have another restroom in the house. If you don't time things perfectly, you might leave yourself without a toilet or a shower for a few days.

If you are replacing the bathtub, you would tile first only if it is a legged or claw-foot tub. If it is a standard tub, tile after you set the tub. Same goes for a pedestal sink.

Otherwise, you will want to set all of the fixtures in place first, then tile around them. Keep in mind that when you demo the old floor, you may have wood rot on the sub-floor. Do not cut corners here.....replace the section of the sub-floor that is rotted prior to laying a new floor with wood that matches the thickness of the old sub-floor perfectly and with the more expensive, pressure treated wood. It's worth it to spend the extra money.

Good luck. You can do it!!!!

Answer 7

I'm married to a plumber, so I hope you will find the following advice helpful.Yes, tile first, then the new units can be fitted up to the tiles, and sealed where needed.Some tiles might get broken when fitting stuff, but it's something that cannot be avoided.

Answer 8

After - after all, if you decide to change the tiles again you will not want to have to reinstall your wc. Electrical fittings should be fitted after the tiling - the supply wires should be left proud of the wall until you are ready to install e.g. an electric shower unit.

Answer 9

I recently had my master bath remodeled.

My sink sits on the tile (it is a piece of furniture) - my tub is a built in soaking tub and the tiling was done first. Of course the toliet sits on the tile - never tile around it!

It depends on the type of tub, and sink you are installing. Your contractor (if he is a good one) will help you make the right choices.

Good luck!

Answer 10

I don't know what you mean by "suite".

Generally, after all the demo, the process goes -

1. Plumbing and electrical
2. Drywall, walls, texturing, whatever
3. Fixture installation
4. Tiling / Flooring

The last thing that usually happens in my experience during a bathroom remodel is the caulking.