Bathroom Renovations
Once a renovation project goes over $11,500, you need a BSA owner-builder's licence. So make sure you are allowed to carry out the renovations to begin with.
Do you need asbestos removed?
Professional asbestos removal is a very important consideration in your bathroom renovations.
WARNING
Ensure the asbestos removalists are actually qualified to do so. It is recommended to check whether they have workcover for asbestos removal.
Waterproof the bathroom
Fortunately there are Standards in Australia (AS 3740-1994) that apply to waterproofing your bathroom.
Councils may require different standards than these.
Plenty of light
The more natural the better but lighting can be an important part of the bathroom
Sequence in renovating a bathroom
Any construction work for an area that is often wet and needs to allow changes of taps etc for the future is complex. A good rule of thumb is -:
- Remove existing items
- Seal all pipes
- Place plumbing and electrics
- Render walls
- Waterproof
- Tile
- Add vanity and custom bench tops
- Paint the walls
How to save money on bathroom renovations
Here are some tips from people who have had some success at partly renovating their bathroom.
Firstly never renovate if you suspect asbestos is to be removed. Leave it to the professionals.
- Buy most of the hardware (make sure these are suitable)
- Demolish yourself (be careful of plumbing and electrics)
Essentially you are doing the hard labour yourself - you do run the risk of causing a problem that is later more costly to fix, and actually buying the wrong vanities, tiles, tapware, shower screens etc.
