How to Quickly Do Bathroom Renovation: Tips from Professionals

Andrey Lyamin-Borodin shared what you need to know about reconfiguration, where to buy materials and plumbing fixtures, and how to speed up the tile layer's work.

Andrey Lyamin-Borodin, Expert, General Director of the online service for ordering renovation Rewedo
Reconfiguration
You can quickly get reconfiguration approval if the bathroom area is not increased. For example, if you decide to separate the bathtub and toilet. The completion act of reconfiguration is issued within 10 days after submitting an application.
If you plan to increase the area, preliminary approval is required. The review period by Moscow Housing Inspection will be 30 days — plus time to develop the project. Approval by project is also needed in case of removing a bathroom cubicle.
Design: Elena Martyniuk
It is possible to renovate a bathroom in a panel house without removing the bathroom cubicle, but you will have to give up a combined bathroom — partial removal of the bathroom cubicle is not possible.
Purchasing Materials
Buy all rough and finish materials and plumbing fixtures at once and at the beginning of work — you need to lay pipes for specific plumbing fixtures.
For example, according to technical schemes a mixer may fit perfectly with a sink, but in practice the height from the bottom of the sink or its rim to the spout of the mixer might be inconvenient.
Online Shopping
Purchasing rough materials and plumbing fixtures in online stores can save a lot of time.
Design: Inna Zoltmann
Renovating the Floor
The floor level in the bathroom is determined by the height of the outlets from the sewer stack and the slope of pipes leading to plumbing fixtures.
The thickness and threshold of the floor should be planned based on these parameters, so that you don’t have to build a platform in front of the bathtub later to compensate for the missing slope.
Technological Breaks
Choose finishing methods that allow shorter cycles. If the rough floor in your bathroom can remain as is and only a small renovation is needed, work time will be reduced to the maximum. If you still plan to replace the flooring, keep in mind that wet screed takes longer to dry than semi-dry screed. The former must cure and set properly. Drying time is from one to two weeks per centimeter. Humidity and temperature in the room and the type of mixture also play a role.
Storage Areas
Building built-in cabinets from construction materials during renovation is much cheaper and faster than buying or ordering furniture after the work is done.
Design: Tatiana Fabritchnaya
Seeking Simple Solutions
Abandon devices that take more time to install: hidden installation fixtures for toilets and mixers. Minimize the number of fixtures: choose a toilet with bidet function.
If the bathroom is combined or there is a sink in the toilet, a hygiene shower can be connected to the sink mixer.
Tiling Work
Choose such tile layout that requires minimal cutting. Sometimes you can find tiles whose width is a multiple of the room's width.
Laying larger format tiles will speed up the work. Using large-format tiles also reduces the number of joints that need to be grouted.
Design: Flatsdesign
If the bathtub is not freestanding and is enclosed by a screen, tiles behind it do not need to be laid.
Design: Zi-Design Interiors
Use alternative finishing materials — installing a large-format mirror on a prepared wall surface is faster than laying tiles.
Design: Oxana Oleynik
Electrical Work
Install forced ventilation by placing a fan in the air duct. It will help remove moisture, prevent mold growth, and preserve wooden or MDF materials.
When doing electrical wiring, pay attention to the distance of sockets from the sink, bathtub, and shower. Sockets and switches in bathrooms must be IP44 class. Remember to include sockets for the exhaust fan, hydro-massage bathtub, electric water heater, and towel warmer.