Need Help With Ensuite Bathroom Renovation Advice

9 years ago

Hi,

I'm planning to renovate our ensuite bathroom. It's not huge and won't include a bath. Simply a vanity/sink, toilet, shower and room for a laundry hamper. The ensuite has a sliding door.

Since I'm at the very beginning of considering the multitude of choices I'll need to make, I thought I'd ask in this forum for some advice. I'm interested in hearing what you wish you'd done, sorry you had done, don't forget to plan, best types of materials to use, any great showrooms in Melbourne to visit, etc.

Also, does anyone know where I can look for regulations on spacing for disability compliance? I'm looking to the future and thinking of our older years in case we are ever in need of using a walker or wheelchair.

I look forward to your responses. Many thanks.

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Comments (4)

oklouise
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
having a broken ankle made me so much more aware of the restrictions on elderley, disabled and temporarily indisposed in most bathrooms so, when planning our new bathrooms we made sure that the doorways were wide enough for wheelchair access, the toilets are installed a little higher to make sitting and standing easier, entry to the shower and access around the toilet are "drive in" The toilets and shower have proper grab rails installed during construction, not as an afterthought, we have straight grab rails installed as towel rails, 30mm square and rectangular textured tiles as a non slip floor, a fold up seat in the shower, a proper chair to sit and dry your toes and help during dressing, controlled temperature hot water, adjustable spray shower heads and hand held adjustable spray (separate to the overhead shower not attached to slip down rails) the vanity and toilets are wall hung for easier cleaning and the space under the vanity is a handy place for a waste bin and slippers out of the way, all medicines are stored in a shallow wall hung medicine cabinet and there's good lighting, overhead heater with fan, underfloor tile heating and all taps are rounded to prevent accidental cuts and bruises on old flesh...the two things to regret are: we installed a walk in hydrotherapy bath that could have waited until really necessary because we have no traditional bath in the house for little kids and we couldn't find a soap dish without sharp edges so that gap is waiting for the new styles to be released...btw all the details about grab rails heights etc are readily available on Google but can't remember which specific sites we used
thinkoutsidethebox thanked oklouise
thinkoutsidethebox
Original Author
9 years ago
oklouise -- Thank you so much for your detailed response. A number of your points I hadn't considered; such as, no sharp edges on the bathroom accessories like the soap dish, etc. You've really given me some good points to consider. Thank you, again.
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Thanks "The Hut Interior Design". Do you mean that I should work with the current width of about 2.5-2.6m wide (which is width of current bathroom and cupboards combined? When you say that I should split the space in 2, do you mean that the dividing line should split the current depth of 3.080m into 2 spaces of equal space. This would mean that I would have a front space of 1.54m deep and 2.6m wide in which to put the main shower and vanity, linen storage and B/I for bedroom and then the back of the current bathroom would be the ensuite also of 1.54m deep and 2.6m wide. Is there any chance you could scribble a diagram of what you mean. The diagram wouldn't need to be to scale but it would be great if you could suggest the overall space to be allowed for the main bathroom as compared to the ensuite and b/i wardrobe. Somewhere I would have to have a bit of linen storage too. I had thought about using the back of the bathroom where the window was for the ensuite and the front of the current bathroom for the main bathroom (once area is gutted). However, I could figure out how to do the ensuite and B/I wardrobe without wasting space and still be workable. Do you think in reality, I would have to put in 2 skylights. One for each bathroom. Unfortunately, I can't take space at the moment from any other room connected to the W/C as the front bedroom is quite small and I would like to keep the house as a 3 bedroom house at the moment. By keeping the current toilet where it is, it means that the main bathroom would not need a toilet in it. I have ripped out the bath and it is just sitting in the bathroom waiting for someone to help me move it out of the house (luckily I live alone here at present). There was no asbestos around the bath but the sheeting on the shower side (on which the shower tiles sit) plus the ceiling are both asbestos. That is the only asbestos in the area. From what you have said, do you recommend just working with the current bathroom and cupboard space and not taking another 0.4m x 2.1m from the bedroom (The bedroom is 3.080m deep, so I allowed 980mm for the door to swing back on current wall - If I were to eat into some space in the current bedroom).. I really appreciate your advice - it is along the lines of what I had been thinking but the 2 dilemmas I had were 1. how to make the ensuite/built in design work and 2. since main bathroom wouldn't need a toilet, how to keep make it not look way too small and cheap, knowing that it won't require a big space (square meterage) in order to work in a practical sense. ie. It may work in a practical sense, but due to its small size, it may look cheap and nasty. Many thanks for the time that you have taken to respond and your advice.
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Sammy Elder
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bigreader
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Lots of extra noggins in the walls before you plaster. That way grab/hand rails can be supported where ever you need to put them.

Need Help With Ensuite Bathroom Renovation Advice

Comments (4)

oklouise

thinkoutsidethebox
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Need Help With Ensuite Bathroom Renovation Advice

Comments (4)

oklouise

thinkoutsidetheboxOriginal Author

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Sammy Elder

bigreader

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thinkoutsidethebox
Original Author