Bath and toilet renovation tips

According to the experts of the Center for Independent Consumer Expertise, usually when renovating an apartment, the cost share of repairing a bathroom and toilet is 50% of the total cost. And given that in most cases, repairs are carried out with a complete replacement of the horizontal intra-apartment wiring of engineering networks (cold and hot water supply, sewerage), the share of repair of these premises can be about 80% of the total cost of repair.

Since the repair of sanitary facilities is not cheap, then when exchanging or buying apartments in the old fund, you should carefully inspect the premises and pay attention to the technical condition of the engineering networks of the bathroom, toilet and kitchen. The first step is to inspect vertical pipelines. On them you can see traces of corrosion, water leaks, crumbled joints of sewer pipes. Such defects can occur in two cases: either the owner of the apartment has not done repairs for a long time, or the engineering networks in this house are already worn out. By the way, the second conclusion may turn out to be true if you carefully examine the ceilings in the bathroom and toilet. If there are traces of leaks on their surfaces, this may be indirect evidence of the unsatisfactory technical condition of engineering communications..

It is also not superfluous to inspect the serviceability of the water shut-off valves that cut off the intra-apartment wiring from the risers of the floor wiring and the state of the sewer “comb” – the points of connection of the pipelines of the washbasin, bathtub and toilet bowl.

Even if the engineering communications are in a satisfactory condition, repairs still cannot be avoided. And it’s better to do it carefully. After all, the costs will later be recouped by the fact that there will be no pipeline failures in the apartment, and therefore, water will not flood the neighbors on the floor below and you will not have to pay for repairs in their apartment.

And now a few tips for those who are going to make bathroom and toilet renovations. When replacing the floor finish, it is recommended to install waterproofing with the release of waterproofing material on the walls. When repairing pipelines, you can use not only steel pipes, but also brass, copper and metal-plastic pipes, since they are more durable, more technological and environmentally friendly.

For the operation of mixers, especially expensive ones, experts recommend installing mechanical (mesh) coarse filters. They exclude the ingress of foreign inclusions not only into the mixers, but also into the human body. Well, if filters are installed, then it would not hurt to install meters for hot and cold water. After their installation, the amount of payment for water supply is reduced by about 5-7 times compared to the usual payment.

For those who are going to renovate the bathtub and cover it with enamel, experts advise not to rush to call a company or a private entrepreneur engaged in the restoration of enamel coating. The fact is that enamel is a firing coating that turns into a vitreous substance at a temperature of +800 … 900 ° C. This enamel can only be obtained in the factory, and new baths are coated with just such a substance..

All other coatings used for the restoration of the enamel layer are simply paint with increased mechanical strength and water resistance, which are achieved through a polymer binder. Such coatings are not durable, they gradually deteriorate under the influence of detergents and cleaning agents.

Therefore, you should be extremely careful with advertisements that promise a guarantee of enamel coating for three or more years. You should ask your friends who have made the restoration of the bath. If their enamel layer lasted the promised three years, then you can update the bath at home..

Now there are a large number of electric water heaters, and many put them in their bathroom instead of gas. And the main thing here is to remember about electrical safety. Almost all water heaters require an additional ground wire. And the vast majority of city apartments have a two-wire power grid. So the owner of the Italian-made R-501 electric heater “Ocean” did not pay attention to the indication in the technical passport on grounding the case. When installing the outlet, this condition was not met, a short circuit occurred and the device failed.

By the way, about the sockets. Experts strongly recommend not to install them in the bathroom in order to avoid an accident. Some apartment owners do not limit themselves only to repairs, but start rebuilding or redeveloping apartments, installing additional sanitary and technical or other equipment. All this can be done only according to approved projects with the permission of the district administration and the landlord, that is, the district housing agency on the basis of Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Federation No. 415, paragraph 9-b. The same decree prohibits repair work leading to the destruction of load-bearing structures that do not meet fire safety requirements, as well as worsen the operating and living conditions of all or individual citizens in an apartment or house.

Therefore, if the neighbors started such a redevelopment, as a result of which plaster began to fall off the walls in your apartment or the ceiling began to crumble, ask if they have permission to carry out such work. Or write a complaint to RZHA, stating your claims. If the case comes to court, file a claim not against your neighbor, but against the operating organization responsible for the technical condition of your house.