Replacing a bath with a new bath

Signs it's time for a new bath

Chipped enamel, a crack in an acrylic bath, a base that creaks or flexes when you stand in it, and a seal that keeps failing however often it is redone are the usual reasons. A bath that moves under your weight will break any silicone joint along the wall, so water gets behind the tiles. Sometimes the bath is fine and simply dated, and a new shape or a shower bath is what the household wants.

Measuring and bath sizes

Measure the length and width of the space between walls, not the bath itself, and note where the waste and taps sit. Standard sizes cover most rooms, but older houses can have unusual recesses. Check the height of the rim against the bottom tile row too, because a slightly lower bath leaves a gap that shows. Shorter and space saving shapes exist for rooms that cannot take a full length bath.

Steel or acrylic

Acrylic baths are lighter, warm to the touch and come in many shapes, but they rely on a good frame and feet to stay rigid. Steel baths are stiffer and the enamel surface is hard wearing, though they feel colder at first and need careful handling to avoid chips. Both last well when they are properly supported and bedded.

Shower baths and screens

A shower bath is wider at one end to give more standing room under the shower, and it usually comes with a curved or angled screen. It is a good way to improve showering without losing the bath. The screen needs a solid fixing into the wall and a neat seal, so its position should be agreed before any tiles are touched.

Panels and access

Bath panels range from simple acrylic fronts to rigid panels that match the bathroom furniture, or a tiled panel built on a frame. Whatever you choose, think about access to the waste and the taps. A tiled panel looks smart but should still have a way in if a leak ever needs checking.

The tile line and silicone seal

The bath edge is where most leaks begin. When the old bath comes out, the bottom row of tiles often comes with it or cracks. If you have spares, they can be refitted. If not, the choice is a contrasting border row or retiling the bath wall. Our regrout or retile guide helps decide whether the rest of the tiling is worth keeping, and if you retile, choosing bathroom tiles is a good next read.

The new seal should go on with the bath filled with water, so the joint is made at its heaviest and does not tear when someone gets in.

What usually gets disturbed

Knowing this in advance stops a simple swap turning into a surprise.

• The bottom row of tiles along the bath edge
• The bath panel and any boxing at the tap end
• Taps and the waste, which are usually replaced with the bath
• Flooring at the bath front if it was cut around the old panel
• Plaster behind the bath where water has got in over time

What affects the cost

The bath and taps you choose, whether the tiles can be kept or need replacing, the panel type, the state of the wall and floor behind the old bath, and any screen to fit all change the price. We list these in the written quotation after seeing the room. Book a visit through our bathroom fitting service.