Everybody, including myself, loves a good transformation story. And that is precisely what reality TV has capitalised on. You’re probably acclimated to the fast speed of the home improvement shows we watch every night if you’re here reading this piece.
They show entire bathrooms being gutted and rebuilt in a few episodes because they know you wouldn’t want to watch a real-life restoration for that long. It would be dull and time-consuming for two main reasons. The actual building and designing process is much less dramatic, but hey, that’s the power of reality television. And who are they planning to have a battle with next?
Don’t forget that in order to move things along quickly on TV shows, they employ twice as many carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. Due to the high added costs, this strategy is impractical in a normal household.
Over the course of my 11 years as an interior designer, I have planned and overseen the construction of innumerable lavatories, both large and little, simple and elaborate. It’s safe to argue that the methods for performing a basic facelift and those for replicating the Taj Mahal are remarkably similar. Identical tradespeople will enter the bathroom and carry out identical duties.
When I meet with a customer for the first time, I always give them a detailed timeline of how long the project is expected to take. I see complete amazement on their face when I tell them it will take around six weeks to remodel their bathroom. I can already see the nods of approval from the architects and builders among you. The unrealistic time frames depicted on reality television have skewed public perception.
The goal of this post is to provide a detailed breakdown of the process so that you can go into the purchase of a new bathroom with all the information you need. Terence Otter, of Seacliff Constructions, worked with me to design and build a beautiful bathroom. We’ve been at it for a while, and we like to think we know what we’re talking about, so we’ll go ahead and assume that.
There are two main categories of contractors working in the residential sector. The first variety is dedicated to completing a single task at a time. After doing that task, they will go on to the next one. Because of this, their skilled workers may dedicate themselves full-time to remodelling your bathroom, reducing the total duration of the process.
The second, more typical type of builder is one that juggles multiple jobs at once. Throughout the week, their craftsmen will be working but moving from one task to another, since they have planned their schedule accordingly. Depending on the circumstances, there could be a day or two when no one is present at the workplace. Domestic construction crews often consist of a smaller group of workers than those found in commercial construction. The builder has more leeway to reorganise and reposition their skilled workers.
Below you’ll find Terence and my rough trade schedule for a standard bathroom remodel. We’ve included a rough breakdown of the time it would take each builder specialty at the bottom.
DO NOT DO MORE THAN ONE THING AT A TIME (TYPE 1)
Type 2: Concurrently working on several distinct endeavours
DEMOLITION
A contractor’s initial investigation will centre on the current structure and the materials it was made from. If this holds true, we’ll have a better idea of when to start the demolition process. The construction time for walls made of timber studs and sheeting is significantly less than that of brick walls. Structural beams to support new walls or windows will be installed during the demolition phase as well.
TIME TO CONSTRUCT TYPE 1: 2–3 DAYS
About 5-6 days for a TYPE 1 BUILDER
In the event that asbestos is discovered, expert remediation is required. Expect an extra day or two of labour.
THE ‘ROUGH-IN’ TEAM CONSISTS OF PLUMBERS AND ELECTRICIANS
We can bring in the plumbers and electricians when we have the basic framework in place. The rough-in phase of a construction project is when the plumbers and electricians set up their tools and equipment to begin installing pipes and electrical outlets in the walls and floors.
One to two days for a TYPE 1 BUILDER
In the case of a TYPE 2 BUILDER, the time frame is 3–4 days.
GETTING READY TO TILE
Size matters when it comes to the tiles you choose, with larger sizes necessitating straighter walls than smaller ones. It’s important to straighten and fortify the wall. New wall niches, windows, and doors will be put in at this time. It is planned to install a cement slab, or tiling bed. The tiling bed must be totally dry before proceeding to the waterproofing phase.
One to two days for a TYPE 1 BUILDER
TIME REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT A TYPE 2: TWO TO THREE DAYS
SHEETING
The walls and ceilings are now prepared for sheeting.
CONSTRUCTOR, TYPE 1, DAY
The time frame for a Type 2 Builder is between one and two days.
WATERPROOFING
After the sheets have been hung, the waterproofer will come in and seal the room. This guarantees a watertight seal, so your showers will not leak for years to come. It takes at least 24 hours for waterproofing to dry. Applying two or three coats can take at least two days.
TIME TO CONSTRUCT TYPE 1: 2–3 DAYS
In the case of a TYPE 2 BUILDER, the time frame is 3–4 days.
TILING
The tiler will lay the tiles out in the morning. This is a crucial step in making sure the tiles are evenly spaced and cut where they need to be (fall to the shower grate, etc.). Take note that when I tile a wall, I usually do so all the way up to the ceiling. The shower screen can be custom-made after the tiling is done and the space has been appropriately measured.
IN 5 DAYS FOR TYPE 1 CONSTRUCTOR
CONSTRUCTION TIME FOR TYPE 2: 7 DAYS
CLOSING THE TILES
The tiles on the floor and walls need to have the joints between them grouted and siliconed now that they are in place.
One to two days for a TYPE 1 BUILDER
FOR TYPE 2 CONSTRUCTOR, 3 DAYS
FINISHING TOUCHES: PAINT AND CROWN MOLDING
Wooden architraves will be put in place around any recently installed doors or windows. The painter will come once they are all set up to paint them, the door, and the ceiling.
CONSTRUCTOR, TYPE 1, DAY
The time frame for a Type 2 Builder is between one and two days.
The Use of Offset Plumbing
All of the plumbing rough-ins have been completed, so now we can move on to the actual installation and hookup of the various fixtures. The toilet, tub, sink, faucets, and under-floor drainage system are all part of this category.
CONSTRUCTOR, TYPE 1, DAY
The time frame for a Type 2 Builder is between one and two days.
WARNING: ELECTRICAL FAILURE
The electrical components, like the plumbing, are roughed in and ready to go. Our electrician has returned to install the light switches, ceiling fans, and heated towel rail.
CONSTRUCTOR, TYPE 1, DAY
Time to complete for a Type 2 Builder is between one and two days.
ACCESSORIES
We’ve reached the last stages of the process. Set up the toilet paper holder, towel rail, robe hooks, and anything else you need. The mirror and shower screen went up on the same day. Now that everything is where it needs to be, you can give your bathroom a thorough cleaning. It’s ready for action once it’s shiny.
CONSTRUCTOR, TYPE 1, DAY
The time frame for a Type 2 Builder is between one and two days.
PROJECTED COMPLETE TIMELINE:
Timeframe: 3–4 WEEKS FOR TYPE 1 CONTRACTOR
TYPE 2 BUILDERS: SIX TO SEVEN WEEKS
