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DIY bathroom #06

Installing a bath or shower

Planning, buying and installing a new bath or shower is probably not something you do every day, so there will be many unfamiliar questions and decisions. Don’t let these unnerve you, because with a little common sense and the guidance from the folks at your local CTM, you could do an installation to be proud of. This brochure explains the entire process, and the CTM sales team will answer any queries you may have.

Before you start

• Turn off the water supply to your home and check that all water has drained from the cistern and pipes.
• Disconnect the water inlets from the cistern and basin.
• Check the size of your water inlets. Some older inlets are larger than modern ones and you may require a set of reducing bushes to fit your new toilet or basin. (Your local CTM will confirm whether your existing inlets are adaptable or not.)
• If you are planning to move any plumbing points, get an accredited plumber to move them for you.
• Remove the old sanitaryware.
• If you are plastering, secure the pipes with newspaper or plastic to prevent plaster getting into the pipes. Leave the protective covers on stop taps to protect the taps while plastering until you are ready to install your new taps.
• Allow any new plaster to dry for at least 24 hours before you start tiling or installing a new toilet or basin.

You’ll need the right tools

Tools available from CTM

Tape measure: For all measuring requirements
Set of ceramic drill bits: Used to begin the drilling process without cracking tiles
Chalk line: Used for accurately marking walls or floors
Chisels: For breaking out old sanitaryware or tiles
Spirit level: To ensure plumb and level installations
Magic ruler: To assist when installing accessories
Builder’s pencil: Designed to be sharpened on plastered surfaces
Hammer: Used for fixing batons, etc to walls
Silicone: Sealant or silicone gun – to seal around sanitaryware
Cloth: To clean new fixtures once installed
Silicone scrapers: For a neat silicone sealant finish

Tools available from your local hardware store

Bucket: For a dozen different uses, including drips and leaks!
Protective eyewear: To protect your eyes from flying debris
Plumber’s tape: For a watertight fit on plumbing connections
Workman’s gloves: To protect your hands when breaking out old tiles or sanitaryware
Shifting spanner: For tightening nuts and bolts
Set of screwdrivers: Various types and sizes for tightening screws
Wrench: To tighten plumbing connections
Set of masonry drill bits: For drilling into walls
Set of spanners: Various sizes for tightening bolts and nuts
Galvanised plumbers’ plugs: To seal exposed water pipes
Electric drill: For drilling any holes
Set of plastering trowels: To prepare surfaces for installation
Plastering brush & board: For plastering if required
Club hammer: To assist with the removal of existing sanitaryware
Plaster sand and cement: For plastering if required

Cleaning products you may need

Dirtbuster: Antibacterial household cleaner for glass and sanitaryware surfaces (not to be used on taps or accessories).
Dishwashing liquid (or hand liquid soap): General cleaner used with warm water and a soft cloth to clean taps, accessories and bathroom surfaces.

Selecting and installing your bath

Whatever your decorating style, you’ll find a wide range of baths and accessories across a wide range of prices at your local CTM outlet. Here are some helpful pointers when considering your options.

• Baths are available in many different materials, colours, shapes and sizes, from free-standing and conventional drop-in baths to corner units and spa baths. Your CTM sales representative will advise you
on the best choice for your home.
• Most baths sold by CTM are acrylic, with a 5-year guarantee.
• Acrylic offers many benefits over other materials. Colour consistency is a major benefit of acrylic baths. Small chips do not show up easily and are repairable. An acrylic bath does not feel cold to the touch, quickly heats up to the temperature of the bath water and stays warm longer. Acrylic can also withstand extreme temperatures without cracking.

Installing the bath

• Most baths are supplied with a plastic film for protection. Do not remove this film until you’ve completed the installation.
• Decide how high you want the bath to be above the floor. A height of at least 450mm is recommended.
• Measure the depth of the waste trap below the bath and allow enough space for the trap and overflow to function properly once installed.
• Mark the height of the bath (including the trap) on the wall and addabout 10cm for safety. If you’re tiling around the bath, you may want to adjust the final height to minimise the cutting of tiles.
• Use a chalk line to mark the final height on the walls.
• Securely fasten wooden support battens to the walls along the height lines, making sure they are level.
• Place the bath in position with the back and side resting on the battens. Check the levels.
• To support the underside of the bath, place three equally spaced rows of bricks with ample mortar under the reinforcing ribs of the bath. The first row should be as close to the waste filling as possible.
• Make sure the open sides of the bath are level with the ends of the battens.
• Install the taps and waste pipe fittings. Brick up the open sides of the bath. Plan your access trap (inspection
door) to allow access to the waste and overflow should the need arise. • Allow enough space so that when the wall is plastered and tiled, the tiles will be flush with the edge of the bath. Plaster the walls and lay the tiles where necessary. Use only mildew-resistant silicone sealant between the top edge of the bath and tiles.
• If your bath is covered with a plastic film, remove the film.
• Remove all plaster, broken tiles and paint splashes from the bath and check for scratches.
• Scratches can be removed by polishing with a metal polish (such as Brasso). Deeper scratches can be removed by first sanding with a very fine water paper, followed by polish.

Selecting and installing your shower

Your shower installation could take the form of a bath enclosure (where the shower forms part of the bath) or it could be a stand-alone unit (where the shower has its own shower tray and enclosure). Your CTM sales team will help you select the best choice for your home.

• Shower doors can be framed, frameless or semi-framed. Bath enclosures are either framed or semi-framed.
• Framed bath enclosures and showers are available in chrome, aluminium or a white powder coating with driftwood or clear glass.
• Frameless shower doors are available in clear glass and chrome finishes.
• The major benefit of all these choices is that you can choose a look that suits the feel of your bathroom.
• When selecting your shower, don’t forget to ask about CTM’s vast range of accessories – everything from hand showers and adjustable heads to complete shower columns and rails.

Installing a bath enclosure

• To begin with, you may have to cut the head and bottom sill rail to fit the width of your bath.
• Secure the bottom sill rail to the bath (there are two pull-off sticker strips under the bottom sill rail). Squeeze a line of silicone sealant from one end of the sill rail to the other, remove the tabs from the stickers and fasten the rail to the edge of the bath.
• The two wall channels and the head sill rail slide into the top of the bottom sill rail. These three pieces must be assembled before you connect them to the bottom sill rail.
• Install the glass panels by sliding them across the top of the head sill rail. Secure the wall channels to the wall.
• Secure the rubber stoppers on either side of the frame.
• Screw the handles onto the glass panels.
• Seal the installation by applying silicone sealant on all sides of the unit.

Installing a shower tray

• Most standard square showers have a diameter of 900mm, and acrylic shower trays are designed to fit into this space.
• Before you begin your installation, ensure that the floor surface is level, clean and free of dirt.
• Place the shower tray in its correct position on the floor. Mark the outline on the floor with a marker. Also mark the position of the waste outlet. Now remove the shower tray.
• Lay PVC pipe over the marked hole. (Allow for an extra pipe, which can be cut to size later.)
• Remember to allow a suitable “fall” in the PVC pipe to cater for fast drainage of waste water. If you are unable to get a sufficient fall on the pipe, we advise you to build up the shower to allow for this.
• Lay bricks around the marked area on the floor (so it looks like a small “dam”).
• While the mortar is drying, connect your Tourbillion waste to the tray.
• Double check that your PVC pipe will connect to the waste (do not connect yet).
• Once the mortar is dry, tile over the bricks inside and out. Remember to seal the grouting with Bond It or Shower Seal (both products are available from CTM).
• Place some river sand inside the small “dam” to support the shower tray. Firmly push the shower tray into the sand so that the edges of the  tray touch the sand on all sides. You may have to add or remove some sand to get it level. The key thing is that the tray must feel solid.
• Once you have this right, connect the PVC pipe to the waste (ensure that there is no sand or dirt in the PVC pipe).
• Apply silicone sealant around the edges of the shower tray. This will prevent any water running under the tray. Allow sufficient time for the sealant to set (as indicated on the label) before using the shower.

Installing a shower step (plinth) before walls are tiled

• If you are installing the shower step before your walls have been tiled and grouted, DO NOT cut the shower step. It has been manufactured with a 10mm tolerance on each end to allow for the recess behind the tiles.
• Place the shower step flush against the concrete wall, measuring 830mm from inside corner to inside shower step.
• The shower step is manufactured from PVC plastic and is hollow. We recommend you use a sand/cement ready mix to fill the hollow and secure  the step in position with slurry cement.
• Once the sand/cement mix is dry, use silicone sealant to seal the inner and outer edge. Allow silicone to dry for 24 hours before installing the shower enclosure.

CTM AT YOUR SERVICE

Remember, when in doubt, ask the CTM sales staff.

Good luck, and enjoy your tiling!