Bathroom Repair Materials

Repairing a bathroom is quite expensive. But you can save some money if you do it yourself. For this, of course, we need certain skills to work with a construction tool and knowledge of the specifics. The most important thing is to choose the right materials for repairing the bathroom. From the article you will find out what exactly you will need and what repair options exist.

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Why do it yourself?

Some apartment owners are afraid to do repairs on their own simply because they have never dealt with building tools. At the same time, the prices in repair companies are sometimes such that you think about it three hundred times - do you even need to tidy up the bathroom, because for now it can be used like that?

Repair, of course, is necessary. Regardless of whether you intend to contact a construction company or assume that you can manage without it, you still have to stock up on materials for repairing the bathroom. In this case, to begin with, the size of the disaster should be estimated:

• You started a thorough reconstruction with the replacement of pipes and sanitary equipment;
• You are about to change the toilet and bath, but pipe re-installation is not required.
• You want to make redecoration of one or another complexity.

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Start from the end

Finishing work - the end of any repair. But, if you are not going to shift pipes, change plumbing, you can limit yourself to them. The most popular finishing material for the bathroom is tile.

Important! There are no special requirements for it, it is resistant to moisture, tolerates temperature extremes, steam does not harm it.

However, you need to consider some points when you will choose it:

1. If the bathroom is spacious, tiles can be of any size.
2. In a small room, it is better to use a tile of a small area, squares with a side of 20 cm for walls and 30 cm for the floor will be enough.

As for the color, it is preferable to warm pastel:

• cream;
• beige;
• light pink.

Important! Original design solutions are also possible with the use of dark or snow-white tiles, as well as with the use of tiled panels. In addition, the floor should always be slightly darker than the walls.

We calculate the amount

Calculating the amount of such material for repairing a bathroom is quite simple:

1. Measure the surface area that you will be facing - for this it is enough to multiply the length and width.
2. Divide the result by the size of the tile itself.
3. Find 5% (and preferably 7%) of this amount.
4. Add the result to the calculated amount - an extra tile is needed in case you break up individual elements, or if you have to cut the tile.

You can also use calculator on our website, which will simplify the work of calculating the need for tiles for bathroom repairs.

How to close up the seams?

When choosing materials for repairing a bathroom with tiles, do not forget about grouting. It is better to choose with an antifungal pad. It is needed to repair the seams between the tiles. Keep in mind the fact that there is always a gap between the floor and the tile or between the tile and the upper edge of the bathtub. The bathroom is not only ugly, but also dangerous - you can fill the neighbors. Therefore, silicone sealant is needed. In some cases, plastic inserts are used.

Important! Immediately calculate the approximate amount of glue - it needs about 4 kg per square meter.

Checking the tile

The tiles in the package should not differ in size. Therefore, in the store it is very useful to do the following:

1. Ask the seller to get 6-8 tiles from the package.
2. Place a pair of tiles of the same type on a flat surface on an edge opposite each other.
3. Slowly rotate the pair 90 °.
4. Look at the top edge - the difference should not be more than a millimeter.
5. Do the same with a few pairs - if all of them are almost the same size, you can safely buy the packaging, after examining the tiles for cracks and chips.

Important! In a similar way, you can check how smooth the surface is. Put the tiles together to make their faces touch. There should not be a large gap between the surfaces.

Which glue to take?

It is better to choose an adhesive that does not dry too quickly. A time of 12-24 hours is enough. This will allow you not to rush anywhere while working and lay the tiles as accurately as possible. In addition, there will always be an opportunity to correct the deed if the glue is not completely dry.

If we talk about tools, then you need a spatula. In the store you can find different ones. You need with the step indicated on the packaging of the glue, so it is better to buy the material and tool together.

Important! If nothing is written on the packaging, take a spatula with 3-6 mm teeth.

Tile cutter, crosses and more:

• For facing you will need a tile cutter. He must have a crowned diamond drill. Its diameter corresponds to the diameter of the pipes.
• Do not forget about the crosses - these plastic things allow you to lay the tiles almost perfectly evenly.
• A useful thing among tools and materials for repairing a bathroom is a smoothing trowel, but you can basically do without it. A piece of cable with a diameter of 5-6 mm will help you out.
• But pieces of flannel will need a lot. Although microfiber may well replace it, there are napkins made of this material on sale that are very cheap.

Operating procedure

To understand what materials are needed to repair a bathroom, one must also take into account the condition of the walls. You'll have to:

• remove old trim;
• get rid of cracks;
• level the surface;
• perhaps apply soil with an antiseptic or antifungal impregnation;

Only after that - glue the tile.

What is needed for the surface?

In construction stores you will find many ready-made stucco compositions. They are not so expensive. But if you wish, you can do something similar on your own. When choosing materials for repairing a bathroom, a cement-based composition is needed.

To cook it yourself, you need:

• sand;
• cement grade 400;
• large capacity;
• water;
• a stick or a wooden spatula, and if there is a lot of solution - a construction mixer.

Then we act like this:

1. Sand must be well sifted and thoroughly washed.
2. Pour 4 parts by weight of sand into the container.
3. Add 1 part of cement there.
4. Mix well.
5. Pour water into the mixture - its amount is approximately equal to the amount of cement.
6. Stir to make a homogeneous mass.

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Drywall decoration

Stucco is a traditional material in order to tidy the walls for tiles, wallpaper and other finishes. However, there are other ways. For example, facing GKL - plasterboard sheets.

Important! It should be remembered that in the bathroom there is high humidity, so you need to buy moisture-proof drywall.

In addition, ask the store for moisture resistant mastic. She will need to close up areas in which the protective layer is damaged. This problem usually occurs at cuts and in stripping areas.

In order to align the walls with drywall, you will need:

• metal profile if you are going to make a frame;
• glue if the sheets will stick directly to the wall.

Important! The profile is selected by the size of the panels.As for glue, the packaging usually says what area this amount is designed for.

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Plastic cladding

An interesting and modern way of decorating a bathroom is lining with a plastic lining. Plastic is perfectly washed, withstands temperature extremes, and is cheaper than tile. The range of such materials for repairing the bathroom in stores is quite large, which allows designers to find interesting solutions. However, it is less durable than tile, and does not last as long.

Lining can not be mounted directly on the wall. Therefore, you will need other materials for repairing the bathroom:

• pine timber;
• fasteners “direct suspension”;
• self-tapping screws.

It is better to take a bar with dimensions 25x30 mm. As for the quantity, the plastic lining is sold in strips of 595 mm. And here it is important to immediately decide what the direction of the panels will be - you can fix this material as you like, at least diagonally. But, of course, horizontal or vertical direction is preferable, while the strips are cut to the length that is longer. To minimize waste, you can use a special H-shaped profile, which allows you to dock even small pieces.

Important! The profile must be selected strictly to the tone of the panels, but other solutions are possible - for example, contrast lines.

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Floor:

• The floor is best finished with porcelain tiles. It can be of different types - marbled, granite, malachite. But this material is much cheaper than natural stone, and in addition, it does not slip. The latter circumstance is especially relevant for the bathroom, as it allows to avoid injuries.
• Wooden floors in the bathroom of an ordinary city apartment are not practical. But in a private house, where the bathroom is very spacious and well ventilated - why not?

Important! You need to choose rocks that are better than others carry moisture. Not very suitable birch, but maple or linden - just right.

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Ceiling

Have you figured out what to do with the ceiling? It depends on what materials you need to repair the bathroom. Traditional whitewashing is not very popular now, especially in rooms with high humidity. Other options are much more interesting:

• coloring;
• facing;
• stretch ceiling.

What will we paint?

If you have chosen a color, you should be very careful about the choice of paint. Water emulsion is not very suitable, but suitable:

• oil;
• acrylic.

Important! In construction stores you will be offered a variety of colors. Try to calculate the amount right away, because making the right color yourself is a thankless task. It is better to choose a color from the catalog and tell the number to the seller, who immediately mixes the right amount. It is better to keep the check: if in the process it turns out that there is not enough material, you can always go to the same store and buy it. It will be enough for the seller to ask the necessary program to the machine, which will make the desired color.

But do not think that you can limit yourself only to buying paint. The ceiling may also have to be leveled. Therefore, you still need such materials for repairing the bathroom:

• acrylic or cement putty;
• primer.

Cladding

This method allows not only to make the ceiling beautiful, but also to insulate it additionally. Two options are possible:

• lining with foam polystyrene panels, with or without painting;
• lining with foam tiles.

Stretch ceiling

Even if you learn how to handle tools well, stretch ceilings are best ordered by professionals. They have special devices that are not used in the household of an ordinary person. It makes no sense to buy it all at once - repairs can fly into a pretty penny.

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More complicated repairs

If you have to replace plumbing equipment, you need to start with it. First of all, make a scale plan of your bathroom. Imagine that there is no bathtub, no washbasin, and you have yet to buy them.

Bath

Do you think that the font takes up too much space? No problem. You can choose other options:

• a sitz bath;
• shower stall.

Washbasin

As for the washbasins, there is also where to turn around design ideas, because they come in all kinds and sizes. It is important to determine the installation height and depth correctly - it should be convenient to wash both the highest high family member and the shortest adult.

We make a project

Here's what you need to do to make everything comfortable and beautiful:

1. Draw a plan for the bathroom.
2. Put on it all the protrusions and niches that are.
3. Apply sewer and water pipes - if it is difficult to do it yourself, you can contact the communal service that serves your home, there must be technical documentation.
4. Draw an approximate location of the washbasin and the bathtub, and if the bathroom is combined, then the toilet.
5. See if it will be necessary to transfer the pipes - if there is such a need, you will have to order a project and get approvals, and this is additional materials and costs.
6. Calculate the approximate dimensions of the equipment.

What else is needed?

If you have to change networks, you will need many different materials for repairing the bathroom:

• pipes;
• fitting;
• fittings.

Pipes

For the manufacture of pipes, several materials are used:

• Steel. Steel pipes are cheap, but they have a couple of drawbacks: they rust, their installation is quite complicated and requires the use of special equipment.
• Metalloplastik. This is a good modern material, however, it is quite expensive. In addition, it is more suitable for heating systems than for water supply or sewage. Another serious drawback is the complicated installation.
• Polypropylene. The most popular material for any pipes now. Relatively cheap, easy to install, durable, does not rust - in a word, all the characteristics are purely positive. In order to connect such pipes, no additional devices or professional welding equipment are needed. The connection is tight, and accordingly - the risk of leaks is sharply reduced.

Important! Before buying pipes, do not forget to carefully measure the diameter.

Fittings and Couplings

For polypropylene pipes that are laid in the bathroom, it is permissible to use only one type of fittings - plastic. Moreover, from a single piece, without any gluing.

Important! Sometimes metal fittings are used, but these are exceptional situations when it is necessary to connect, for example, a boiler. To work with plastic fittings and polypropylene pipes, you need a special soldering iron.

Stop valves

If you are installing polypropylene pipes (and this is the most reasonable solution), it is better to use ball valves. But in some places it is necessary to combine polypropylene and metal, and for this you need a special pipe.

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Stock footage

Repairing a bathroom is not the cheapest thing. But if you should familiarize yourself with the contents of the catalogs and not be limited to visiting just one hardware store, expenses can be very significantly reduced. At the same time, it is not necessary to buy everything at once. Make an approximate schedule of work and buy materials in stages, with the exception, perhaps, of tile, if you liked any rare coloring.