Spring is in the air – and with it comes that irresistible urge to refresh, reset, and reimagine our homes. In this special edition blog, Paul, bathroom expert and owner of Magnum Bathrooms, brings you practical, inspiring bathroom improvement tips, designed to help you get the most out of your space this spring.
Let’s dive into the ultimate spring refresh, with insights that make your home feel brand new.
Paul – Magnum Bathrooms:
What are some things to consider when planning on remodelling a bathroom?
When renovating a bathroom, you need to combine not just style, but storage and “clean-ability”. There’s nothing worse than:
- A bathroom with no storage, because it’ll always look cluttered!
- A bathroom that is impossible to clean! For example, in our area, most houses have hard water and so items like Black Brassware (taps, showers, etc) will forever need extra cleaning and drying. Small format tiles like metros will also need cleaning much more often and in more depth because of the number of grout lines.
Should you follow the latest trends for bathrooms?
This is a tricky one! Trends can be great, when they genuinely improve the room with practical solutions to real issues. For instance, niches built into showers instead of using shower baskets.
But be careful when it comes to tiles and colours! Colours usually trend for around a year until the next best thing. Recently we’ve just had the wave of Terrazzo tiles, Terracotta furniture, Pastel blues, greens and yellows. These are great and look lovely, but now they aren’t trending – don’t see them anymore!
We like our bathrooms to last between 15-20 years, and so you don’t want to choose a colour scheme you will be either sick or bored of in a short time frame, because once it’s in, it’s in! If you go for trendy colours, make sure you really like the look of them and will be happy with them going into the future (unless you’re planning on moving out in the next few years!)
What are some mistakes people make when designing a bathroom and how can this be avoided?
As a company, we like to survey every bathroom so that we can plan each bathroom with our CAD tool. The main issues we see is people not properly planning or measuring their room before they purchase products, and ending up with items too large for small rooms, creating a cramped room or ultimately not fitting.
Another issue people come across is not having compatible fittings for their hot water systems. A prime example is accidentally purchasing a high-pressure tap, when they are on a low-pressure system and ultimately having a tap or shower not fit for purpose.
Overcrowding a room is a very well-known issue. People sometimes have items too large for a room, and create dust traps or hard to clean areas. A great example is a free-standing bath with not enough room around it. A bath you can’t move round is a bath you can’t clean!
How practical/functional are wet rooms?
Wetrooms are some of the most stylish options for a shower. A wetroom is a modern and sleek solution in the bathroom, but they do come with their troubles! All of the basics of installing a wetroom need to be followed by a professional and skilled bathroom installer, otherwise you’re at great risk of leaks.
On newbuilds, renovations and extensions – there’s a great risk of timber movement and settlement, and so a shower tray is more beneficial long term since a wetroom can experience cracks and raises in tiles, ruining the look and having the potential to cause leaks and floods.
Which areas of the bathroom should be splurged on and which should be saved on?
The main thing to make sure you have at a good quality is the brassware. The last thing you need is leaks and cartridges going wrong due to a bad quality fitting. This applies especially to concealed shower valves and taps. As a rule of thumb, anything in the wall (including wall hung toilet frames) should be the best quality affordable, and going for well-known brands will help you out in the long run should spare parts be needed.
What is the timeframe for a bathroom fitting?
An average bathroom will take around 2 weeks from start to finish, including the rip out, plastering, first fix, tiling, flooring and second fix. Be aware that this can vary depending on the types of fittings used and any unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the installation.
Which do you prefer, bigger or smaller tiles?
- Large format tiles are my personal favourite, due to having less grout lines which helps to make the room easier to clean, and can give the room a more spacious feel.
- Small tiles have more grout lines, and therefore will be harder to clean, and will age far quicker due to the grout discolouring. This can ruin the overall look very quickly!
What are the best materials for bathroom countertops, flooring, and walls that combine durability with style?
A good material for countertops is Solid Surface/LG HI-MAC. This is a man-made surface with super durability and resistance. Solid Surface has the look of stone/quartz and marble, without the porous properties like stone that can leave you vulnerable to stains and discolouring. Solid Surface is waterproof, which means there is no chance of bowing or blowing like laminate and wooden worktops!
For flooring, a good alternative to porcelain tiles is Vinyl Planks. We personally like the adhered installation planks (Stick-down) since they are much more moisture resistant and a stronger overall surface compared to the click planks. With Click-together flooring, you need an 8mm expansion gap around the outside of the room, which leaves you at a small risk of moisture getting beneath the floor. The only downside to Stick-down flooring is you need to do more prep work to ensure it is completely flat and smooth, whereas with a click floor, you can usually lay over most surfaces if the right underlay is used.
How can homeowners improve the functionality of their bathroom for long-term use, especially as they age or experience mobility challenges?
One thing we always ensure is that our shower trays are as low as possible, no one wants a ladder to get into the shower! We like to make sure the tray sits onto the surface of the floor to minimise trip hazards and give the room a more stylish look. Anti-slip surfaces are also a brilliant idea in a bathroom since it’s the most slippery room in the house. Anti-Slip trays have come a long way, and there are some really sleek options available now, gone are the days of bubbled floors and golf ball textures on the tray.
Wetrooms can be ideal for people with mobility issues, since it allows for a no trip risk and can even have a wheelchair taken in if needed.
For mobility issues, if possible, we also like to install walk-in showers with one glass panel, whether it’s in a wetroom or on a shower tray. This maximises space in the shower area whilst minimising cleaning, giving you the ideal solution. Seating areas in the shower can also be a great luxury, whether it’s a fold-down seat attached to the wall or a tiled seating area for a more spa-like feel – it will always come in handy for the whole family.
What are the key elements to consider when choosing bathroom fixtures (like faucets, showerheads, and toilets) to ensure both style and efficiency?
Branded items are key! Whether you’re looking at budget ranges or high-end bathrooms, never get unbranded items! It’s always good to know where to look for replacement parts like cartridges, washers, flush valves, etc. With an unbranded item, you’re usually looking at a full replacement rather than a simple swap of the faulty part if something goes wrong. This can be the difference between a swift and simple fix, or a bathroom rip-out in the worst-case scenario.
Check water pressure and flow rates! Make sure you buy taps and showers to suit your water pressure, otherwise your items will be unsuitable.
Before you buy black brassware, think about what kind of water you have (how much limescale you experience), how often you’ll have to clean the items (everyday if it’s in a hard water area!) and also – if you have the time in your day to dry the items off after every use to ensure limescale doesn’t build up! Also be sure to use only soft cleaners and nothing too harsh or full of chemicals (like most limescale removers) since these can ruin most brands of black brassware if it is a lacquer coating.
Spring is the perfect excuse to hit the reset button – not just on your home, but on how you live in it. With Paul’s expert tips and a little creativity, even the smallest changes can make a big impact. At Michael Usher, we know that a house is more than just bricks – it’s where life happens. So, whether you’re planning a full-scale renovation or just looking for small ways to refresh your sanctuary, we’re here to support you through every season of homeownership.
