Turn the bath upside down to begin with and assemble the mounting cradle according to the instructions that came with it. This frame will hold it steady and distribute its weight evenly across the floor.

Next, place the bath right side up again and connect the taps, the waste outlet and the overflow to their appropriate positions. It will simplify making the connections later on if you at this stage add flexible copper pipes to the tap tails.

Once this is done, push the bath into the position it will occupy and make sure that it is set level. You can use a spirit level to help with the finer adjustments, but the cradle itself will have adjustable feet to facilitate with this process.

If wall brackets are provided with the bath, attach these to the wall by cutting away the plaster, drilling, and then plugging the fixing holes.

The 22mm supply pipes can then be run in and connected up to the flexible copper pipes you earlier fitted to the taps using brass compression couplers.

Finally, use a spanner to screw the waste trap into its outlet and position the waste pipe run. This should then be led to a gully, hopper or soil pipe.

If water is leaking from the spout of the tap when the tap is off, in most cases all that will be needed is a new washer.  Cold or hot water replacement washers, as well as universal washers, are very inexpensive.  If water is leaking from the top of the tap head when the tap is on, it is likely that the gland packing or O-ring is defective.

The most common taps are pillar taps, and most of these contain a rubber or nylon (or, on very old taps, leather) washer, although some more expensive contemporary taps come with ceramic discs that are precision ground and which rarely wear out.

To replace the washer in most taps, first plug the sink or bath and lay a cloth or towel down under the tap to catch any small parts that may accidentally drop.  Turn off the water supply, open the tap, and drain the pipe and tap. 

In most cases, you will now need to unscrew the dome at the top of the tap by hand, which will reveal the head gear nut.  Carefully loosen this nut until you can remove the entire mechanism.  The washer will be located at the bottom of the head gear; if the old washer is split or corroded, remove it and replace it with a new washer.  Carefully reassemble the tap, and turn the water supply back on.  In most cases, the leak will be fixed. 

One of the basic bathroom accessories, a bathroom tap should be simple to fix if it is leaking.

Once the offending tap has been pinpointed and the water supply has been turned off, you must locate the tap’s watertight seal.  A washer being pressed tight against the seat of the tap usually creates this seal.  The source of a leaky tap is usually one of the two components, washer or tap seat, not working properly.  To fix this problem, often all that needs to be done is to replace the washer.  If the problem is in the tap seat, a new tap will have to be purchased.

To replace the washer you must carefully loosen and take out the washer screw.  You must then examine the screw as well as the tap’s stem and replace if necessary.  The washer being used to replace the old washer must be an exact copy, or else it will not stop the leaking entirely. 

If replacing the washer does not do the trick, the problem is in the tap’s seat.  To fix this you must have a seat wrench. Removal of the tap seat is relatively easy with this tool.  The wrench must simply be turned counter-clockwise in the seat.  The replacement tap seat must be an exact replica of the original, as with the washer.

To properly position your tiles during the project you will need to use tile spacers. These small + shaped pieces, normally made of plastic, help you to ensure even spacing of the tiles you are fixing. Even spacing of tiles is necessary to achieve a good finish and professional appearance to your project. Tile spacers are available in a wide variety of sizes and you need to choose the ones appropriate for your specific project. Tile spacers designed for floor tiles would not give the correct spacing for wall tiling.

Use a serrated spreader to apply adhesive to the wall’s surface and aim to cover about one square metre at a time, pressing the tiles into position as you proceed. It is important to ensure that the tiles are correctly spaced as you do this and not just pushed up against each other. Some tiles are sold self-spacing, with spacing lugs or angled edges, but if they are not you can easily do the spacing yourself using push spacers that are sold in DIY stores. Push the spacers between the tiles as you put them up.

When all the tiles are satisfactorily in position, allow the adhesive time to thoroughly set. Mix up some grout or use premixed grout and press this into the gaps using a plastic spreader and make the lines neat and smooth using a wet stick. Allow the grout to dry before using water and a sponge to wash away any excess grout that happens to be clinging to the tiles.

Tiles need to be carefully centred across the height and width of the wall and guide battens can be used to facilitate this. Finally, use cut tiles to fill in any gaps that remain at the edges of the main tiled area.

The first thing to take into account when converting a bathroom is the bathroom suite.  Currently white appears to be the colour of choice but, within the confines of this colour, there are many different shapes and sizes.  Just because the bath and sink are white doesn’t mean the refit can’t include gold taps. 

Not everyone is a skilled plumber so, if in doubt, DIY enthusiasts should call in a professional.  The bath has changed from just a place of function to one of imagination.  Copper baths, freestanding roll top baths and even Jacuzzi baths are becoming increasingly popular. The first places to start in any bathroom conversion are the trade magazines and an internet search.  The prices of bathroom suites do vary.

Once the bathroom suite has been chosen the accessories and colour scheme can be added to the design plan.  Perhaps the bathroom is going to be used by the whole family rather than just adults, therefore durability of fixtures and fittings should be taken into account.  The range of appliances from taps to Aqualisa showerheads is dazzling. A sensible rule of thumb is to decide upon a budget and then see exactly what is affordable; cheap doesn’t necessarily entail a compromise on taste and design.

In terms of shower heads, an increasingly popular choice is the multi head.  This is especially true for families, where each person may want a different water pressure for their shower.  The fact that multi head shower heads tend to save the homeowner money on water bills is a bonus.  

The shower door is also a major question when it comes to renovating a bathroom.  There are options that range from stylized glass to more basic plastic, which is often preferable for families with small children due to the safety aspect.  Plastic doors are also usually cheaper than glass models. 

Another major question is the type of door installation.  The options range from the swing fold type, which offers the maximum amount of access to the shower, to the sliding door to the more basic pivot door. 

The tiling inside the shower may be in a distinctive mosaic style, or it may be the same tiling style that is used on the bathroom floor.  More and more, stylizing the shower in a manner distinct from the rest of the bathroom is becoming a trend.  The whole point is to make the choices that create an attractive shower suited to the bathroom around it.

Many sinks nowadays are set into bathroom furniture, into a wooden bathroom cabinet, for example, which neatly makes use of the storage space beneath your sink while creating a stylish, streamlined look.

Your choice of bathroom sink will largely depend on the space available and the style of your bathroom.  Burlington sinks can even be made from beautiful metals like copper, stainless steel or chrome.  There are even high-end, design oriented sinks fashioned from glass, as well as twin sinks, set together so two people can share their bathroom ritual in the morning, and save on time.

The many styles of bathroom taps, from the classic pillar tap in stainless steel to fancier mixer taps that come in gold, steel or copper colours, can also ensure your bathroom sink reflects your tastes and practical requirements.

Bathroom cabinets are available in different styles and sizes, so you can easily find something that fits and suits your bathroom.  For those with limited bathroom space, designs such as corner cabinets are ideal, as they offer extra storage space without taking up too much room.  If you are looking for somewhere to store your personal products or need a medicine cabinet, then there are lockable bathroom cabinets available that will provide extra privacy and safety in your bathroom.

The majority of bathroom cabinets are mirrored, allowing you to avoid having to use up extra space by installing a mirror.  Mirrored cabinets are an ideal choice for those wishing to add extra style to their bathroom.  For extra luxury and elegance, you can even consider installing lighting around your cabinet.  Some cabinets are available with stylish spotlights already installed.

If you have extra space to spare, then you can consider adding a tall bathroom cabinet, which will offer extra storage space as well as something unique to your bathroom.  Tall cabinets are available in a variety of styles, from modern white designs to elegant wood designs.

This method is not suitable for semi-rigid thick plastic shower curtains. It is best suited to soft shower curtains of a pliable consistency.

Remove the shower curtain from its rings and detach the curtain. If the rings are dirty too and require cleaning, take them down as well and place to soak in warm soapy water.

Next, place the shower curtain in a washing machine with some white towels that will help the cleansing process. For best results use one cup of bleach and one cup of vinegar, add to this your usual laundry detergent and wash the shower curtain on a gentle, cool cycle.

When the shower curtain is removed, it will be sparkling and fresh like new. Do not tumble dry the shower curtain as this will damage the fabric. Re-hang the curtain in the bathroom and allow it to drip dry as normal.

To guard against the regrowth of mildew and mould, dipping the shower curtain in vinegar or a salt solution can help.

After use, always remember to spread the shower curtain out so that it may dry thoroughly.