top of page
Writer's pictureYu Zhao

UK bathroom renovation top tips

Updated: Jun 14, 2022




In this blog, I will be introducing several commonly used websites to buy furniture and accessories to renovate your bathroom. The first website that I am going to talk about is Victoria Plumbing. It is the most well-known website, where you can buy what you need for your bathroom renovation.


The next one is a hidden treasure website, and that is Tikamoon. If you are a fan of furniture with natural wood style, then you should not miss this out. Also, when it comes to buying ceramic tiles, the place we recommend you go to buy them is Topps Tiles. The ceramic tile range is diverse and cost-effective.


Renovating bathrooms in the UK is not simply just paving the tiles and installing the relevant furniture and accessories. The homeowners and designers need to understand and abide by the local electrical safety design rules and standards.



NO.1: sockets and switches

B&Q Shaver socket

You can buy sockets that are both good and cost-effective from B&Q, RS and TLC Electrical supplies. Although, there is something you would need to look out for when buying sockets. And that is some sockets cannot be within the bathroom area. According to regulations, regular sockets cannot be used or installed within 3 meters of the bathtub or shower. So, you can install a waterproof shaving socket in the bathroom, but the requirement is that it must be kept at a safe distance from the bathtub or shower to avoid splashing water.


Also, if you are considering installing an electric toilet for the bathroom renovation, you should note this tip down. And that is it is not recommended to go for an ordinary plug-in socket. Instead, you can go for the approach of crimping the electrical wires to hide them inside the socket.


For switches, the switch panel should be set outside the bathroom to avoid the danger of moisture and wet hands. Here is another tip you would like to note down, and that you can link together the switch for the extractor or exhaust fan with the light. So, the exhaust fan would need to be placed on the upper edge of the bathroom door frame. Also, you would need to install an overload protector switch separately. But be sure to follow the designer's advice to prevent not passing the assessments from the building control.


Credit: Victoria Plum



NO.2: Lights


The lights installed in the bathroom should prevent leakage of electricity. Here we recommend you go for an enclosed ceiling light rather than a wall and ceiling-hung light. But, if you have or bought lights that are not enclosed, you must place them out of reach of anyone who is still wet after a shower or a bath. Also, we have noticed that to avoid the lights being exposed to moisture and wet hands, the safest option is to install the string light on the ceiling. (Although I do not think it is aesthetically pleasing, it is the most common way to resolve this problem).


Here we recommend another hidden treasure website, Screwfix. This is the website that builders often visit to buy the materials. The products here are practical and also low price.


NO.3: Heaters and Towel Racks



If you want to buy a radiator, you can consider buying them from Best Heating. If you want to keep your bathroom at a comfortable temperature, especially during the winter, then having a heater would be the safest and recommended option.


Electric water heaters can be installed in the bathroom, and they can also be powered by an outlet three meters away from the bathtub or shower. So, the ideal way to control an electric heater is to install a pull cord or switch outside the bathroom. But, if your bathroom does not have a lot of space, we recommend you use floor heating instead. Since thick radiators look bulky and take up quite a lot of space in the bathroom.



NO.4: Portable Appliances


Because of the electrical safety regulation, we do not encourage you to bring electrical power-operated portable devices (such as hair dryers, fan heaters, or radios) into the bathroom.


These are the tips for the safety of using and installing electrical products for bathroom renovation. I hope you found these tips helpful, and if you did, leave a comment down below on which tip you found most useful to you! If you want to learn more interior design and renovation tips for the bathroom, you can check out our blog about using the space under the staircase for an extra bathroom. Don't forget to like and follow us on Facebook if you want to be notified of new blog posts and many more!

 

If you are thinking to renovate your bathroom, T Interiors | 天润一始 can help you with this! We have a team of designers with over 22 years of design experience. So, why not get in touch with us to get some professional guidance from us!


Comments


Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page