Repair in the bathroom the room is considered perhaps the most complex and expensive in the apartment. And very often, when planning it, homeowners prefer to turn to professionals for help. But in fact, this business can be mastered independently, and by investing in it a certain part of your free time and finances, as well as all your innermost ideas for arranging a bathroom, you will get a result that you can be proud of for many years to come, not without reason. And how to make repairs in the bathroom with your own hands - we will talk about this in our article.
DIY bathroom repair: step-by-step instructions
1. Designing a bathroom project.
This is a very important stage in the repair of the bathroom, and its essence is that you should think carefully and decide what kind of work you will need to do in the bathroom, and what you want to see upon completion. It will be nice if you first familiarize yourself with the ideas for designing a bathroom on the Internet, as well as go to hardware stores and figure out what materials you will use to repair it. The design project involves drawing up a sketch of the room, and a schematic indication in it of the location of all the basic elements: plumbing, furniture, lamps, mirrors and various accessories. It is necessary already at the design stage to know which sink, bathtub, shower cabin and toilet bowl you will purchase, or to buy all the plumbing in advance - this is important for the proper orientation of the points of water supply, sewage and electricity.
The choice of materials for repairing the bathroom should also be taken with all responsibility, because the bathroom is a place with high humidity and difficult temperature conditions, which means that the requirements for the quality of decoration are higher.
2. Preparation of the workplace and dismantling of the old coating.
It all starts with the dismantling of the plumbing and the door (unless, of course, a decision has been made to replace all these elements of the bathroom). Bathtub, sink, toilet, faucets - all this dismantling is not particularly difficult. It becomes much more difficult to remove the old from the walls and floor tile, paint, wallpaper or whitewashing. The next step is the analysis of water supply and sewage systems.
3. Replacement of water supply and sewage.
The distribution of water and sewer pipes is carried out in accordance with the previously drawn up sketch of the bathroom. Installation of water supply and sewerage is a rather difficult task. Today there are several possible options for a water supply system:
- metal plastic;
- polypropylene;
- copper plumbing.
Metal-plastic can be interconnected by means of crimping or press fittings. The second method is more reliable in terms of durability, but requires certain financial investments and the presence of a special apparatus for installation. The advantage of a metal-plastic water supply system is that it is not subject to corrosion, a drawback is that such a pipe is afraid of frost, and freezing water in it will lead to unpredictable consequences.
Polypropylene is the most affordable option. It is also not subject to corrosion, has low thermal conductivity, does not require a large number of components during installation. Its installation is carried out using a welding machine.
The largest indicator of durability has a copper pipeline. It withstands very high temperature extremes and is not prone to deformation. True, the price of such a water supply can greatly hit the pocket.
4. Electrical work.
Properly made electrical wiring is also an important indicator of the comfort of a bathroom.It is necessary to provide all the details - from the location of the lamps, sockets and switches to the installation of ventilation. All electrical wiring must be waterproof.
5. Alignment of walls and floor.
The walls in the bathroom are aligned in two ways - by plastering or installing drywall:
- the advantages of plastering are smooth walls, saving usable space in the bathroom, the absence of gaps between the wall and the finish. Cons - high complexity and cost of the process.
- The advantage of drywall is its quick installation, reasonable price, the ability to hide various communications under it or large surface drops. A disadvantage can be a significant reduction in area for such a small room.
The floors are leveled using special screeds. Much attention is paid at this stage to waterproofing surfaces.
6. Installing the door.
The door frame is installed before the start of finishing work. Usually, in order to save space, they make the door open outward.
Wall decoration in the bathroom
Do-it-yourself bathroom repair is not possible without high-quality decoration of the walls of the room. What materials are especially popular?
Ceramic tile. It is a traditional way of decorating walls in the bathroom. There are really many advantages of such a coating - hygiene, environmental friendliness, water resistance, durability, ease of care. In addition, the construction market offers a wide variety of ceramic tiles. There are also disadvantages: the complexity of the process of wall decoration, as well as the considerable price of the coating, because it requires the purchase of a large number of additional materials for installation.
Plastic panels. They gained their popularity thanks to the following advantages: affordable price, ease and ease of installation, high moisture resistance, wide color palette, low maintenance requirements. Do not need preliminary alignment of walls. The disadvantage of the coating is the mechanical instability of the panels.
wall painting - This is a very economical and easy way to change the interior of the bathroom. The choice of colors here is simply unlimited, in addition, the paint will allow to realize any artistic fantasies of the owner of the apartment. True, this coating is very short-lived.
wood is an exclusive way of decorating walls in a bathroom. It is very environmentally friendly, elegant and comfortable. But this method of decoration requires great knowledge and time-consuming. In addition, the tree needs special care.
mosaic - a unique finishing material and very expensive. Mosaic can be glass, stone, ceramic; patterns or whole panels are laid out from it on the entire wall. The complexity of the process is very high.
Bathroom flooring
The modern market offers a wide variety of floor coverings for the bathroom:
Tile. It is the undisputed leader among bathroom materials. Its strengths and weaknesses were presented above. For the floor, some of the inconvenience of this coating may also be its cold surface.
Parquet - The safest and most exclusive bathroom flooring solution. It is a warm, environmentally friendly, durable material. For rooms with high humidity use special varieties of wood. But, like any tree, parquet requires careful and regular maintenance.
Laminate - A cheaper alternative to parquet with all its pros and cons.
Cork floor - The moisture resistant version of this flooring is the perfect solution for any bathroom. The material is very soft, warm, pleasant to the touch, environmentally friendly and easy to care for. Only chemical and aggressive surface cleaning agents will not tolerate it.
Bulk floor Great for the bathroom. In addition, an interesting and unusual 3D pattern can be applied to the material.
Bathroom Ceiling Finish
Increased humidity, as well as the risk of leaks from those living above neighbors, make special demands on the ceiling in the bathroom.There are a lot of options for finishing materials and each has its own advantages and disadvantages:
painting is the cheapest and shortest way to finish the ceiling in the bathroom. The advantage of paint is a huge variety of colors and the possibility of a unique design of the ceiling. High-quality acrylics are moisture resistant, easy to apply and dry quickly. They will also protect the surface from mold and mildew.
PVC panels. They are popular for their high resistance to moisture, ease of installation and maintenance. They are very diverse in color and can be adapted to any design. The disadvantage of such a ceiling is a decrease in its level by 2-3 cm.
Stretch ceiling - It is very practical for its resistance to leaks from above, as well as a variety of textures, colors and designs - for every taste. The disadvantage of the coating is non-environmentally friendly material and high price.
Tiled (cassette) ceiling. This category of suspended ceilings involves the use of moisture-resistant materials made of metal, mineral fiber or drywall. In the event of a leak, such coatings absorb moisture, swelling in height. Damaged stove is very easy to change. The tile ceiling cannot boast a variety - they are usually presented in white or pastel shades. Another minus is a decrease in the ceiling level by 5-10 cm.
Rack ceiling. It is made of steel or aluminum. It does not rust, does not absorb moisture, is represented by a wide range of colors. Allows you to equip ceilings of any shape and configuration. The price of such structures is higher than tiled.
And in the end, the installation of plumbing and accessories
Do-it-yourself bathroom renovation is completed by the installation of plumbing equipment, furniture and accessories. The toilet, bath and sink are connected to the water supply and sewage. The same thing is done with a shower and a washing machine. Cabinets are hung up and installed, fixtures are connected, mirrors, holders and various hooks are placed.
A competent, responsible approach to repairing a bathroom with your own hands will delight its owner for a long time and will become a matter of pride for many years to come.