Tips for bathroom renovations by Geberit Southern Africa

Many of us have “war-stories” about renovating bathrooms, whether from our experiences or from other’s experiences – and hindsight is 20-20. Geberit would like to offer some suggestions before renovating, which aims to take some of the guess-work out of bathroom refurbishments.

1. Find a reputable plumber who has a plumbers card approved by the local authorities.
2. Ask the plumber for references and call as many references as possible.
3. Negotiate paying an upfront deposit of 30%, a further 30% halfway through the project and the final 40% only on completion of the work and when you are satisfied everything works.
4. It is a good idea to add 10% to your total budget for unforeseen expenses that may occur.
5. Plumbing renovations equals water interruptions, so make the necessary arrangements beforehand.
6. Double check with your plumber that he will be responsible for the removal of all rubble.
7. If the plumber tries to talk you out of a product you have chosen, chances are they don’t know how to install the product.
8. All reputable plumbing product manufacturers have technical support available; let the plumber use this opportunity as it should be a free service.
9. Check when choosing plumbing products that there are spares readily available.
10. Confirm with the retailer what the product warrantee covers you for ­– be it the malfunction of working parts and so forth.
11. Warrantees normally don’t cover wear and tear parts such as seals and cartridges, to name a few – this forms part of your maintenance.
12. To protect your plumbing appliances and geysers, ask your plumber to install an inline strainer/filter.
13. Don’t expose any copper pipes on the exterior of the building due to potential theft.
14. Be aware that while products from different brands may be similar, they are not the same. Often you’ll hear a sales person or plumber saying that “this product is just like that product”.
15. Where possible choose a dual flush option on your toilet to save water such as the ones supplied by Geberit – there is even a touchless version. This saves water and is more hygienic.
16. Concealed cisterns can save you up to 200mm of space in the bathroom and using wall-hung toilets creates an elegant and spacious feeling, and they are hygienic since you can clean underneath and right around them.
17. Geberit’s Monolith range is an ideal renovation option, as it can easily be installed in place of your existing toilet and has a slim concealed cistern for the toilet behind an elegant glass panel.
18. Floor-even showers are ideal options as they create the feeling of more space while giving you a very different and stylish look, without a big expense. With only the drain being visible it’s important to choose a visibly pleasing and functional product such as the Geberit in-wall shower element or shower drain.
19. Installing a hand shower by the bath or shower is useful and very handy.
20. Even if your renovation is a small project, budget allowing, involve an interior planner or architect to help you maximise the space and create the ambience you are looking for. Use texture, colour and layout techniques to enhance your space.