Finding A Bathroom Fitter - Part One
Bathroom Fitter, Or Plumber?
When you’re planning to install a new bathroom, the success of the project will very much depend on the bathroom fitter who does the work. Notice, I say “bathroom fitter” because generally you will need a bathroom fitter and not a “plumber” to install a new bathroom.
Most plumbers can change a bathroom suite (basin, toilet and bath) to a professional standard, although even that is in doubt with the growing complexity of modern bathroom ceramics and taps. But many plumbers start to struggle when faced with the complete room to finish – bathroom suite, perhaps a large shower enclosure with a complex shower valve, tiling including complex patterns with mosaics, painting and decorating, moving walls around, light fittings and so on.
Plumbers and gas fitters who spend most of their time working on central heating systems and boilers, often don’t have the range of skills needed to install a complete bathroom. Some do, but many don’t, or equally important they don’t enjoy tiling to a high standard, or painting ceilings for example.
Bathroom fitters (like me) are often not qualified to work on gas, do little in the way of heating work, but are multi-skilled individuals who can strip out an existing bathroom right back to the bare brickwork, and then rebuild the new bathroom. To stay legal I do use a local electrician to do the bathroom electrics I’m not qualified to do, and a local plasterer for the larger plastering jobs, but everything else I do myself.
There are two advantages to this: one, I don’t get let down and projects don’t get delayed by the tiler, or some other trade, not turning up. And two, there are no misunderstandings about how the whole room fits together, so everything tends to be right first time. For example, pipe runs and cable runs are in the right place prior to tiling.
Bathroom Fitter’s Referrals and Recommendations
So having clarified you will need a competent bathroom fitter for you new bathroom installation, where do you find one. I always say to friends who live too far away from Nottingham for me to fit their bathrooms, that they should always start with recommendations from friends and neighbours. Ask around and find somebody who’s had a new bathroom fitted. Take a look and see if the workmanship is the standard you’re looking for. Because standards do vary greatly- especially tiling.
If you don’t know anyone who’s had a bathroom fitted you need to keep your eyes open in the local area. If you see the obvious signs of a project at a house (bathroom fitter’s van outside, skip on the drive) ask for a card. Call back and speak to the householder when the job is finished and get a reference.