The bathroom can now fill many purposes from the practical to a room of relaxation and sanctuary, which makes it a popular target for a makeover. Functionality may be mixing with fashion, but if you want to ensure that your new bathroom enhances the value of your home, a clear objective, careful planning and quality workmanship are top priorities.
If you’ve been inspired to update your bathroom, start with the essential comforts. Along with new baths and basins, give your bathroom a luxurious lift with underfloor heating, heated towel rails, or even a bathroom TV.
But remember, water and electricity can be a dangerous mix, so it is important to make sure electrical work in your bathroom is done correctly. The Building Regulations covering such work were tightened in 2005 to prevent the number of accidents caused by faulty DIY installations. The simplest way to ensure any electrical work is carried out safely and to a high standard is to use a government registered electrician, such as one registered with NICEIC. They will issue you with a Building Regulations compliance certificate, to prove it meets the required safety standards.
Essential advice for bathroom electrics
- Under-floor heating means no more stepping onto cold tiles during winter. It requires a subfloor to be laid, then the heating is laid with a screed over the top. A wall-mounted thermostat must be positioned where it won’t be splashed with water.
- Bathtime TV can provide relaxing entertainment and some TVs even double up as mirrors. All bathroom TVs must be fitted into a wall cavity and the area around the screen must be siliconed to prevent water getting in.
- Spa baths are now an affordable luxury. For safety, the pump is fitted underneath the bath, with an RCD-protected isolator switch located outside the bathroom to turn off the mains power.
- Subdued lighting can make your soak in the bath that much more relaxing. Installing dimmers will enable you to do this, while still offering bright light for functional tasks like applying make-up and shaving. Enclosed ceiling lights such as spotlights are preferable to pendant light fittings, but dimmer switches should be mounted outside the bathroom.
- Electric showers provide instantaneous showering day and night and require their own electrical circuit as they tend to have the highest electrical demand of your household appliances. They should be fitted with an RCD.
NICEIC maintains a register of around 24,000 Approved Contractors and Domestic Installers throughout the country. Find one to undertake your bathroom electrics at www.findanelectrician.info , where you can also download the NICEIC’s helpful Bathroom Sanctuary fact sheet.
Press contacts: Shelley Cotterell or Martinee Reid at Ridgemount PR Tel: 020 8943 9349
Notes to editors:
NICEIC is an independent voluntary electrical regulatory body that has been assessing the competence of electricians for the past 50 years. NICEIC maintains a register under license from the Electrical Safety Council of around 24,000 Approved Contractors and Domestic Installers that meet national safety standards and codes of practice. It is for this reason, and because all electrical contractors are periodically assessed by one of its area engineers that NICEIC’s symbol is one that you can trust.
