Bathroom Project in Norwich
This was a particularly interesting project to be involved in. The client wished to create a modern bathroom in a room where one didn't previously exist! The former third bedroom of this Victorian terrace was previously only accessible off the second bedroom. This meant it was never really an ideal bedroom, but it would make the perfect en-suite bathroom. After an involved technical survey of the property, we established that whilst not straightforward, the conversion was feasible and after detailed designs were approved, the decision was made to go ahead with project.
project management
Our client is a busy professional and her role means she is often away on assignment and therefore did not want the stress and hassle of organising and managing a project of this nature. More importantly, given the complexity involved in such a project she wanted reassurance that the room could be transformed properly, and to the highest possible standard. We generally keep before and after photos for the projects we undertake, and having completed several similar refurbishments we were able to demonstrate to her the expertise we possess to carry out this type of conversion and the standard of finish she was looking for. We project managed the entire conversion from start to finish, encompassing everything from the initial strip-out, right through to the final decorating.
not always easy...
Naturally, if you are looking to make such a drastic change to a property there are a many things to consider. There are often extensive electrical alterations to make, including removing old power sockets and changing lighting circuits and making sure that all of this work is notified, tested and left safe in accordance with the current electrical regulations.
It's also essential to establish how you will get water supplies into the room, and, more importantly, how you will get the waste water out of the room and into the drains! This is often difficult to achieve and until drainage routes are established outside the property and wall positions and joist directions and void routes are established inside the property, you can't presume that this type of conversion is always possible. Especially when most clients would prefer using standard waste pipe runs as opposed to a macerator unit pumping the waste away. We have seen some really unusual plumbing over the years, often carried out by keen DIY enthusiasts and this house was no exception. Often, with different owners applying their own changes to a property over a period of time, you can end up with a real mish-mash of plumbing (and electrics) that has to be unravelled before you can continue with the main project. This was one such situation.
At some point in the past, a previous owner had installed the soil pipe in preparation for this very conversion and connected it into the drains already. There was a connection ready for the new WC and the bath/shower – all done correctly! Subsequently however, somebody else had then altered the property adding a lean-to porch made from timber and Lexan sheet which ran all along the area where the soil stack was and also, the heating system had been converted to a combination boiler. Nothing wrong with these improvements, except they had run the boiler flue vertically through the porch roof immediately across the front access inlets for the WC and bath/shower making them completely inaccessible and unusable. Firstly, the gas flue route contravened regulations so it would have to be altered anyway and, we would need access to those soil pipe fittings. So our building team erected scaffolding, took down a section of the roof, made the connections to the new room and then repaired the roof with a new lead flashing around the associated pipe work. Our Gas Sage engineer then re-routed the flue in a safe fashion. Voila, one room ready to convert. So, our advice, if you are considering such an alteration, it is always best to speak with professionals who have the knowledge and experience to advise you correctly before you commit to any investment.