How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

Will take a photo later - it's being plastered at the moment.

Broadly we are turning a shower-above-bath room into a shower room - and moving our washing machine and tumble dryer into the room - so that we can free up our downstairs under-stair-area (which used to be washer/dryer cupboard) into a downstairs loo.

So that means mini stud wall to tuck the washing machine and dryer behind. They were already vertically stacked so I'm happy with that arrangement. And I also prefer shower only to shower-above-bath arrangement. We have another bath in the loft so we still have that for baby/dog/prison hooch.

Only a partial refurb as we are keeping the existing window (bit crap), radiator (functional but ugly), toilet (fine), sink and vanity (cheap ikea but actually pretty decent) to save money and time.

The thing I'm looking forward to most is the exceptionally ugly wood effect laminate floor being replaced with blue rubber.

Oh and these tiles which are fun.

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Would love to see more pics, think we are doing very similar things.
Where are you getting your rubber floor from?
Writing up a Notion page and I'm swinging towards built in over doors, although the washer and dryer will not be integrated, just in a large cupboard.
Yeah those tiles are dead fun, considered them myself for a second but realised I would spend years planning patterns and had to get the bathroom done this decade.

We got Stoke Newington blue from the Colour Flooring Company. Not unwrapped and unrolled yet so i can't say for sure, but from the sample the colour looked excellent.

Only other photo for the time being but will take more later. Washer and dryer to be tucked to the right of the wall that you can just about see on the right edge.

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Really like that sink, and is that a wood window? Mines PVC and I just didn't have the budget to replace it.

Love those tiles! Look great

Actually the plasterer has just finished. Bit of a mess but you can see what we're aiming for.

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Really struggling with photo upload. Yeah it's a wooden window and it's double glazed so can't justify replacing it. Not a nice texture to the glass and the glazing is blown but I'm ok to ignore that for a while.

Top tip if they're sold out on the website - which they were last week when I looked - they still probably have some in the Monmouth warehouse, and they are happy to let you pick them up with only a day or two's notice. Give them a call and ask for Maud, she's super helpful.

It is not going to be the bathroom of our dreams - but it is going to be a big improvement on what was there before, be completed in a fortnight from start to finish, and cost under £3k all in, so we're happy with that.

Thats a brilliant price and looks like its going to make a big difference.
Mine is pretty much exactly the same except the original room must be a little bigger as we fitted a bath in as well as side by side washer dryer.

Think that's going to look fantastic once finished with the rubber floor. You could get some new doors from Plydirect too for the Ikea unit if you wanted to spruce it up a tiny bit more.

That's a fantastic suggestion. Do you know what grade do I need to cope with bathroom moisture, and any particular kind of varnish/oil?

I really enjoy the light that roof windows give. I've kinda gone overboard with them in my house and have a total of ..erm...9.

My favourite ones are the ones that I can then use the area directly below to grow plants ...

They have Oak veneered which is the nicest IMO, can't remember grades but have a feeling they may not stock the highest grade.
I'll ask the chap who has done mine about treatment as he is round in a bit and measuring up a shelf for my bathroom.

Anyone got any experience with zinc roofs?
Our current extension plans have a zinc roof specced due to the pitch required.

A number of builders I’m speaking to are someone hesitant as it needs a specialist, zinc is unlikely to be cheap, or get contractors in at the right time.

I have been suggested GRP as an alternative.
Looks like it can be designed to resemble a zinc roof, or be made completely flat.
Should be considerably cheaper.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

You can get zinc coated aluminium. I’ll PM you now

Hmm this has now sent me down a rabbit hole wondering if the washer/dryer cupboard could also have ply doors, maybe make some folding ones out of four pieces of ply, some hinges and one of these...

https://www.bullerltd.co.uk/apollo-folding-door-gear-603mm.html?variation_id=2207

I've had this on a project - client wanted a 5m deep rear extension so the pitch is too low for tiles. I spec'd zinc because it looks nice, performs well and is pretty eco friendly as far as metal goes. Local contractors flipped out because "specialist".

Grp with decor profiles to mimic a standing seam metal is a cost saving and will look okay.

I wouldn't personally do plain GRP or any of the membrane products on a pitched roof that you are going to see from the garden - they're fine for flat roofs behind parapets but don't look great. Builders seem to love GRP as I guess its quite easy to do and you can get all the shit from Selco or wherever. Smells super toxic when they do it though.

I guess it depends where you are but you see enough zinc clad back extensions/lofts on the dezeens/gram so there must be contractors that aren't phased by getting a subbie in to do it.

"Aluzinc" is steel coated in an alloy of zinc and aluminium - may be cheaper but not sure.

Rheinzink, VMZinc, Ned Zinc are the main ones

integrated is still opening a door really

I was thinking of integrated dishwashers and so on where you don't have to open a door to open another door tbh...

I think I might be tempted to just put a stud partition wall and a proper door in, it would keep the noise of the washer/dryer in which would be important to me.

You can never have too many IMHO.

Only thing better is a big piece of structural glass.

Top Drawer Zinc have very well thought out products. I've not used them personally, but I know the owner has put a lot of effort into getting things just right.

I think the fact bi fold doors always end up wobbly means I'm going for cabinets.

I like the idea of a bit of an open space rather than creating a narrow corridor (although maybe that could be nice too?) but the main issue is there is no natural light so it would just be a large cupboard rather than a real room.

Thanks for the link, I was looking for some firms to chat to, as local contractors are a bit on the fence.

Considering GRP with standing seam imitation trim, as a cost saving option, though not quite sure how much it saves.
The builder that I'm thinking of using reckons about a 6 week build for what I'm thinking, though he won't do the zinc, and would have to coordinate with a different firm and try to get the times to match up.

Image attached, planned roof, the triangle on the right is a flat roof section to comply with planning.

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Agree on bi-fold doors, not getting wobbly one is doable but expensive.

You could go with a sliding or pocket door?

Make sure you get a quiet washing machine anyway. What will this be above, your kitchen? Maybe think about putting some soundproofing on the floor, it's much cheaper, easier and more effective to put it down then put a floor on top than to do it from underneath and even quiet machines have to spin...

Thanks - cross about the bike and the intrusiveness of it - not much to be done but do battle with insurance - just keep distracting us with your middle class utility room design problems yeah !? ;-P