Improving your bathroom: Repairing or replacing tiles
As we saw in the previous article, about how to re-enamel a bath, there are some cheap bathroom fixes to consider before going the Full Monty of starting again from scratch. One way to give your bathroom a quick and inexpensive facelift is to repair or replace the tiling.
Of course, replacing old tiles is only possible if you’ve kept some spares! So when you undertake any new tiling projects, always make sure you have some spares, just in case you might need them in the future.
Alternatively, if the tiles are of a common size and colour, such as plain white, or if they’re still in stock, you might be able to buy new ones to replace the damaged old ones. You might also be lucky even if this is a new home for you. It’s possible the previous owner may have left some spares in the loft, garden, or shed, so it’s worth having a good look around before rushing out to buy new ones.
Smart tiling provides a clean, fresh look
In theory, replacing tiles is quite an easy job. However, we found in one case where we had to replace a bathroom floor tile that it was an awful job to get the old tile out to create a space for the new one. The old one had been cemented down for life and trying to get it out was a nightmare. It required hours of chip-chip-chipping away at it, after which the tile eventually came away in tiny bits and pieces.
Here’s a video from B&Q which shows how easy it is to remove a tile. Luckily for them, the tile their demonstrator removed gave no resistance. But that was a staged demonstration rather than real life. So be aware, especially in older houses, that things don’t always run exactly as you might hope.
We hope you have the same hassle-free experience if you decide to tackle this job!
However, if you feel that it will be beneficial, after all, to start again from scratch you should shop around for the best deals. B&Q often has tiles at reduced prices.
You can use the link above to visit the B&Q website and browse over 13,500 products that you can buy for home delivery and over 23,750 products you can reserve to collect later. They have a huge range of kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, soft furnishings, paint, power tools, lighting and much, much more! You can use their buyer’s guides and how-to guides – many have videos – to research everything you need for your home or garden project, including products, inspiration, tips and advice.
If you do decide to start a new bathroom from scratch, you might also want to consider whether relocating the bathroom will be a worthwhile project which will add value to your property. That’s the subject we look at in the next and final article in this short series about improving your bathroom.
If you’ve tackled this job, please feel free to share your experiences, good or bad, by using the comment form below. We’d love to hear from you!
