Bath installation and replacement

When a bath needs replacing

Baths last a long time, but not for ever. Enamel that has worn through or chipped keeps staining no matter how it is cleaned, acrylic baths flex and crack around the waste, and a bath that has leaked may have damaged the floor beneath it. Sometimes the bath is fine but the room around it is being changed and a different shape or size makes better use of the space.

If water has been getting out of the bath rather than staying in it, read our page on leaking baths first, because the sealant, waste or overflow may be the real fault and a repair may be all you need.

Choosing the new bath

Straight baths in standard sizes are the simplest swap. Shower baths widen at one end to give more room when showering. Freestanding and roll-top baths need the floor checked and the taps and waste planned, because the pipework is on show. Corner baths suit some awkward rooms but use more water and take longer to tile around.

We are happy to fit a bath you have chosen yourself. Send us the make and model before work starts so the waste position, tap holes and fixings can be checked against the room.

How a bath swap runs

The water is isolated and the old taps and waste disconnected. The old bath is cut free of its sealant, lifted out and taken away. The floor underneath is checked, because a long-term slow leak often leaves softened boards that need replacing before the new bath goes in. The new bath is levelled and fixed firmly, the waste and taps connected, and everything is tested before the panels and sealing go on.

A like-for-like swap on the same waste position is the straightforward version. Moving the bath, changing from taps to a bath shower mixer, or altering the pipework adds time, and the written quote sets out exactly what is included.

Panels, tiling and sealing

Removing a bath usually disturbs the tiles or panels around it, and the wall behind the old bath rim is often rough or untiled. We make good the wall, tile or panel the bath surround as agreed, and seal every joint with sanitary silicone. The seal between the bath and the wall is the joint that works hardest in the whole bathroom, so it is done carefully rather than rushed at the end.

Bath or shower?

If the bath is rarely used, it is worth asking the question before like-for-like replacement. Many households get more from the space with a shower, and our bath to shower conversion page explains what that involves. If the bath stays, replacing it while the room is being retiled or refitted keeps the disruption to one visit. Our bathroom fitting page covers the full room, and the bathroom renovation cost guide explains how the stages are priced.

Quotes and warranty

Quotes are free and in writing, and the finished work carries our 1-year workmanship warranty. To arrange a quote, call 01268 206409 or send photographs of the existing bath and the taps through the quote form.