Bathroom renovations can be daunting and very expensive, but by doing a lot of the DIY work yourself you can achieve a r
BATHROOM SPRUCE Bathroom renovations can be daunting and very expensive, but by doing a lot of the DIY work yourself you can achieve a remarkable and inexpensive renovation in just one weekend. With a trolley load of goods from Bunnings, Barry demonstrates how to completely transform a tired old bathroom into a stunning new look on a tight budget.
THE PLAN When British parents of two, Jules and Chris first laid eyes on their coastal three-bedroom house, it was love at first sight, except for the busiest room in the house: the bathroom. While they admit it is screaming for attention, there's one big thing holding them back and that is money, so Barry sets out a plan to show them that great results can come with a small price tag. For this bathroom Barry opted for a fresh, beach look with a hint of vintage. Starting with some bright paint on the walls and ceiling before removing the broken shower screen and replacing it with some sealed distressed timber panelling. For more storage, Baz created a bespoke vanity with a second hand dresser and added in a modified flat pack. Finally the whole room will be tied together with striking black grout in the white tiles to match to a chequered lino floor. Before
After
KEY JOBS FOR BATHROOM SPRUCE
When it comes to a bathroom renovation on a budget the key is in the planning. Ask yourself what you can do yourself and keep trades to a minimum. To strip your bathroom ready for its makeover, start by turning off the water mains so you can replace the old taps. Then, drain your pipes, remove the fixtures, cap the pipes and block the drains. Time Saver Tip: Using a stopcock available off the shelf from Bunnings is an easy way to control and isolate the flow of water from pipes so you only have to turn the water to the whole house off at the beginning of the project and at the end when you’re fitting off your new taps.
Money Saver Tip: If your bathroom is in good condition, you need to protect it while you’re renovating or it could cost you big bucks. Lay down beach towels in the bath and tape them up with plastic sheeting to prevent any damage. Re-grouting tiles For this job, we’ve used a rejuvenation grout, which allows you to change your grout colour and inject new life into your tiles whilst saving you the time and hassle of scraping out the existing grout. It also prevents any damage to your waterproof membrane and tiles. Rejuvenation grout can easily be applied over the top of your old grout with just a few easy steps. Materials Davco Rejuvenation Grout Sponge Squeegee How to 1. Clean the existing tile and grout surface with a mild soap and water 2. Apply the Rejuvenation Grout to the grout joint by using a squeegee to spread it diagonally across the joint. Make sure you fill the joints evenly and only cover about 1 metre square at a time. 3. After a few minutes, clean the excess grout off and shape the grout joints by laying a damp sponge on the tile surface and wiping in a circular motion. 4. Give the tiles a final clean by wiping it down in a circular, buffing motion, avoiding the grout joints. 5. Apply matching coloured silicone instead of grout in the corners of the room to prevent cracks
Installing Vinyl Flooring For an inexpensive alternative to new flooring, and to give the appearance of subway tiles, Baz has installed a statement black and white lino, which is an easy job you can do yourself. Materials Gerflor Essential 3m Wide Damier Black And White Sheet Vinyl Floor Roll Vinyl adhesive glue Utility knife Trowel Sponge How to 1. Check your surface is smooth and clean by giving the floor a good sweep and running your scraper over the surface to make sure there are no nails or screws sticking out. 2. Fill the gaps in the floor with silicone. This makes the surface smoother so there are no indents in the floor when the vinyl is placed down. Run your silicone gun along the gaps then clear away the excess filler with a scraper. In this case we have already filled the gaps with the rejuvenation grout. 3. Mark and measure the vinyl flooring 4. Once the vinyl is marked, you can start cutting it with a sharp utility knife. If you cut in half-metre sections it will save you stepping over your vinyl and damaging it. Start with the sides and then move to the back edge. 5. Trim the vinyl to fit the corners. For any outstanding walls or corners, cut the vinyl to fit around these using two angles to make a V-shape. You can then push the vinyl into the corner to continue the marking and cutting process.
6. Apply the glue to the floor. Dip your trowel into the glue and hold it upside down briefly to stop it from dripping. Then start scraping the glue onto the floor using short movements around the edges. 7. Place the vinyl onto the glue. Once the glue is applied, use a damp sponge to slowly roll the vinyl down over the glue. Push the sponge from left to right to remove any air bubbles. Tip: If your vinyl floor will be in a high trafficked area, glue the entire floor using the above method. If however it will be used rarely, you can apply with double sided tape or less glue.
Revamp a Dresser for a New Vanity Baz has taken an old dresser and transformed it into a new vanity. This is the statement piece for our vintage ‘beachy’ bathroom’. The dresser has been painted a shade of blue and given a distressed look.
Baz will then give the same treatment to a new Kaboodle flat-pack cabinet on the other side of the room. This distressed finish will match our bespoke vanity as well as the new shower screen. Materials for vanity: Vintage timber dresser, three drawers White vessel basin (coroma brand), square shape, and three-hole configuration Brass basin set Brass waste Copper breach 600mm Flexi hoses White silicone Plastic shims Paint How to: 1. Set the vessel basin onto the dresser in order to assess height, scale and plumbing 2. Modify dresser to accommodate basin, tap ware and waste pipe (including trap) 3. Assemble all plumbing related components and dry fit to dresser. Dry fit vanity into position 4. Remove drawer handles and prepare the dresser for painting by giving it a light sand and repairing any holes if needed. 5. Vanity to painted using a mild wash technique or a paint layering and sanding technique 6. Vanity top to be painted solid white and treatment to be used on drawer fronts and sides only 7. Install new handles 8. Set dresser in place and level up 9. Fix dresser to the wall (chemically or mechanically) 10. Install basin and connect plumbing – a plumber may be required. 11. Caulk all joints using white neutral cure silicone
KEY PRODUCTS COURTESY OF BUNNINGS PRODUCT
BRAND
RRP
CODE
QEP Grout Saw Pure Line 75mm ABC Plastic Scraper Davco 1.7kg Abyss Rejuvenation Grout
QEP ABC
$6.25 $1.25
6822212 1660094
Davco
$27.45
6650269
QEP 4mm Square Notch Plastic Adhesive Spreader Gerflor Essential 3m Wide Damier Black And White Sheet Vinyl Floor Roll SmarteX 600mm High Pressure Pex Hose
QEP
$1.14
6821478
Gerlor
$46.65
6613180
SmarteX
$7.10
4750147
QEP Saw Grout Parfix Bathroom and Kitchen Silicone Dunlop 2L Pressure Sensitive Carpet Tile Adhesive Mondella Maestro Top Assembly Lever Set Caroma Carboni II Above Counter Basin 1TH
QEP Parfix
$6.25 $4.97
6822212 1232705
Dunlop
$27.15
6820172
Mondella
$79
5002804
Caroma
$202
4821420
WEBLINKS For further information on the materials and products used for this bedroom renovations take a look at the following websites: http://www.bunnings.com.au
