Accessible bathroom installation in Greater Manchester

Level access shower or walk in shower for an elderly user?

The deciding question is whether the person can manage any lip at all. A true level access floor, where the tiles fall gently to a drain, removes the step completely and leaves room for a shower chair or a carer standing alongside. A low profile tray keeps a small upstand but is quicker to fit and suits someone who is steady on their feet today and simply wants an easier future.

We look at both during the survey. Our guide comparing wet rooms and walk in showers sets out the practical trade offs in more detail.

Disabled bathroom adaptations we commonly carry out

Every household is different, so this is a list of the changes we most often discuss rather than a fixed package.

• Bath removed and replaced with a level access shower area
• Tanked wet room floor with falls formed to a single drain
• Slip rated floor tiles chosen for wet use
• Wider clear floor space so a chair or frame can turn
• Walls reinforced or boarded so rails can be fixed securely later
• Fixed screen in place of a door that has to be pulled
• Taller toilet or basin set at a height that suits the user

Why the floor and walls matter more than the fittings

Rails and seats are easy to add. What is hard to change later is what sits underneath. A level shower needs the waste to run with a steady fall, which on an upstairs timber floor may mean working between joists, and on a solid ground floor can mean cutting into the slab. Getting that route right is the first thing Martin checks.

Walls need the same thought. A grab rail is only as strong as its fixing, and plasterboard alone will not hold a person leaning their weight on it. Planning solid fixing points before tiling avoids drilling into a finished wall and hoping.

Keeping the room usable for everyone

An accessible bathroom does not have to look clinical. Good tiling, a neat screen and sensible lighting make it feel like any other well finished room. Where the bathroom is shared, we often keep a basin and storage at standard height and adapt only the showering space, so the room suits the whole household.

Ventilation deserves attention too. A wet room floor dries far quicker with a properly sized extractor, which keeps the surface safer underfoot.

How the job runs

It starts with a free home survey. We measure, check the floor structure and drainage, and talk through who uses the room and how. You then get a written scope and quotation. Martin manages the plumbing, plastering, tanking and tiling with his own team, so one person is answerable for the whole result.

If timing is important, for example ahead of someone coming home from hospital, tell us at the first call so we can be honest about what is realistic.