Transcribed word-for-word from our public profiles
“I live in London, but Tees Valley Refurbishments recently renovated my parents' main bathroom in Teesside. They did a fantastic job from start to finish. The team were especially patient and respectful with my elderly parents, which meant a lot.”
Completed in July 2025, this premium bathroom installation and bathroom refurbishment was carried out by our experienced bathroom fitters in Yarm.
The first-floor bathroom belonged to a four-bedroom family home and was formed from two previously separate spaces: the original main bathroom and an adjoining storage cupboard.
The customer wanted the dividing wall removed so the two rooms could become one larger, carefully planned family bathroom. Their main priorities were to retain a full-size bath while also gaining a separate shower, improve the available floor space and create a more refined contemporary layout.
The completed bathroom now includes a reinforced 1700 × 800 mm Roca acrylic bath, a separate Roca stone-resin quadrant shower tray, a Roman 8 mm glass shower enclosure, GROHE chrome fittings, RAK porcelain wall tiles, an anthracite vanity and radiator, and oak-effect LVT flooring.
The complete bathroom renovation was delivered over ten working days, Monday to Friday across two consecutive working weeks, with no weekend working. The project was completed on schedule.
Before the refurbishment, the main bathroom and the neighbouring storage cupboard were two separate rooms.
The original bathroom contained:
The washbasin and WC were positioned beneath the window. The customer wanted to retain the WC in the same general position but completely redesign the remainder of the room.
The adjoining cupboard occupied valuable floor space that could be incorporated into the bathroom. Once combined, this additional area provided sufficient room for the new full-size bath without sacrificing the separate shower.
There is no full photograph of the two original rooms before the strip-out. The preparation photographs within the project gallery were taken after the dividing structure had been removed and show the new first-fix plumbing being installed.
The most substantial part of the project was converting the bathroom and adjoining cupboard into one continuous room.
The work included:
Moving the doorway and closing the redundant cupboard entrance required accurate setting out so the new wall surfaces, ceiling lines and door position aligned correctly.
Removing the partition created the space needed for a substantially improved layout while making the completed bathroom feel wider and more balanced.
Almost every principal fitting changed position.
The redesigned layout included:
Retaining the WC position allowed the principal soil connection to remain in place, while the remainder of the services were reconstructed around the new layout.
This arrangement provided a clear showering zone, a separate bathing area and a more convenient position for the vanity without overcrowding the centre of the room.
The floorboards had to be opened extensively because the bath, shower, basin and radiator were all being installed in new positions.
The plumbing work included:
The WC soil connection remained in its existing position.
Routing the new plumbing through the timber floor structure was one of the most technically demanding stages of the installation. Each route had to be planned around the existing joists while preserving sufficient space for the wastes to maintain the required falls.
The exposed-floor photographs show this new first-fix plumbing after the partition had been removed. They do not represent the original plumbing arrangement.
The customer had previously complained that the original floorboards creaked and moved underfoot.
Once the new plumbing routes were complete and the floorboards were reinstated, the boards were mechanically secured using substantial 5 × 50 mm screws.
The stronger screw fixing pulls the boards firmly back against the timber joists and provides greater long-term grip than relying on loose or ageing nails.
Resecuring the floorboards helped:
This preparation was particularly important because movement within the original floor could otherwise have transferred into the completed bathroom finishes.
A 9 mm plywood overlay was installed across the prepared timber floor.
The plywood created a smoother, more consistent and more stable surface for the finished flooring while helping distribute minor movement across the wider floor area.
Oak-effect luxury vinyl tile flooring was then installed throughout the bathroom.
The warm wood appearance complements the natural grey and brown tones within the RAK porcelain tiles while providing contrast against the anthracite bath panel, vanity and radiator.
The oak-effect floor is one of the principal elements that gives the completed bathroom its smart, design-led appearance.
A 1700 × 800 mm Roca reinforced acrylic bath was installed within the former cupboard area.
Roca acrylic baths use a substantial reinforced construction designed to provide strength, comfort and a more solid feel during use.
Acrylic also retains heat effectively, helping bath water remain warmer for longer than it would within a thin, lightweight bath shell.
The bath was completed with:
The anthracite panel transforms the bath from a standard white fitting into a strong statement feature and visually connects it with the vanity and radiator.
Retaining the bath was important because the customers wanted a practical bathing option for visiting family and guests.
A separate 800 × 800 mm Roca stone-resin quadrant shower tray was installed on the left-hand side of the enlarged bathroom.
Stone-resin trays provide a substantial and rigid showering surface, giving a more solid feel underfoot than a lightweight hollow tray.
The separate shower was the main practical improvement requested by the customer. It allows the homeowners to shower conveniently every day while retaining the full-size bath for visitors.
Rather than relying solely on a lightweight adjustable-leg arrangement, a substantial platform was constructed specifically for the shower tray.
The support structure was formed using 4 × 2 timber positioned with its full depth vertically between the original floor and the plywood platform.
The installation included:
The platform served two important purposes.
First, it created the required height and access for the shower waste and drainage connection.
Second, it provided a rigid and continuously supported base beneath the tray.
Reducing tray movement helps protect:
A shower tray that flexes or moves can place repeated stress on silicone and surrounding finishes. The more substantial timber-and-plywood platform was therefore selected to provide a stable installation rather than depending on a lighter support arrangement.
The shower was completed with a polished-chrome Roman quadrant enclosure.
The enclosure includes:
The two sliding doors open within the enclosure footprint and do not require clearance for an outward-opening hinged door. This makes the quadrant configuration particularly effective within the redesigned family bathroom.
The 8 mm glass gives the enclosure greater rigidity and a more substantial premium feel than lighter 6 mm glass.
Roman shower enclosures are manufactured using toughened safety glass and are supported by the manufacturer’s lifetime guarantee, subject to the product being registered, installed and maintained in accordance with Roman’s conditions.
A polished-chrome GROHE exposed dual shower was installed within the quadrant enclosure.
The shower provides:
The rainfall head provides broad everyday shower coverage, while the separate handset gives more controlled rinsing and makes the enclosure easier to clean.
GROHE was selected for its established engineering, long-term serviceability and availability of replacement components.
GROHE provides product-specific warranty protection of up to ten years on eligible products and guarantees spare-part availability for at least ten years after a product has been discontinued.
This long-term parts support is valuable because individual working components can often be maintained or replaced without removing the complete shower installation.
A 550 mm anthracite floor-standing vanity unit was installed beside the shower enclosure.
The unit includes practical drawer storage and supports a Roca porcelain basin.
New hot and cold supplies and a new waste route were installed for the repositioned basin, allowing the pipework to be concealed within the wall, floor and vanity arrangement.
The vanity was completed with a polished-chrome basin tap, coordinating with the shower and bath fittings.
The anthracite furniture provides a strong contrast against the lighter wall finishes while coordinating with the bath panel and radiator.
A Roca close-coupled WC was installed beneath the window in the original toilet position.
Retaining this position avoided unnecessary alteration to the principal soil connection while allowing the remainder of the bathroom to be redesigned around the separate bath and shower.
The WC was sealed to the surrounding finishes using white mould-resistant sanitary silicone, creating a clean and hygienic perimeter joint.
The radiator was moved and installed beneath the window.
An 800 × 400 mm anthracite radiator was selected to coordinate with the vanity and bath panel.
The heating pipework was redirected beneath the floor and brought through the wall using neat wall-fed connections and corner valves.
Wall-fed connections avoid unnecessary pipes rising visibly through the new LVT floor.
This provides:
The bathroom was finished with 600 × 300 mm RAK porcelain tiles.
The tiles combine grey, brown and natural mineral tones, creating a textured stone-inspired finish that works effectively with the oak-effect flooring and anthracite furniture.
The tiling layout included:
Porcelain was selected because it is denser and less porous than standard ceramic tile.
Porcelain tiles manufactured to the relevant BIa classification have water absorption of no more than 0.5%, making them particularly suitable for wet bathroom areas.
Their density also provides strong resistance to wear and moisture. However, porcelain is harder to cut and drill than conventional ceramic, making accurate setting out and the correct cutting equipment especially important.
The brick-bond layout gives the 600 × 300 mm tiles a more detailed appearance than a basic straight stack while helping the mixed natural tones flow across the walls.
The porcelain tiles were fixed using grey BAL S1 flexible adhesive.
An S1-classified adhesive provides between 2.5 mm and 5 mm of transverse deformability. This allows the adhesive layer to accommodate limited movement within the prepared background rather than transferring every small movement directly into the porcelain tiles.
The flexible adhesive was particularly appropriate where the bathroom incorporated:
The adhesive was applied to correctly prepared and primed backgrounds to produce a strong, consistent bond beneath the finished tiling.
The tiled joints were completed using BAL flexible grout in a Smoke tone.
The selected grout complemented the mixed grey and brown colouring within the porcelain tiles without creating harsh contrasting lines.
BAL Micromax3 ECO grout incorporates Microban antimicrobial protection and is formulated to provide consistent colour with reduced efflorescence.
Its flexible formulation makes it appropriate for professionally prepared bathroom wall and floor installations where limited movement may occur.
The grout helps provide:
Different sealants were used according to the type and position of each joint.
White mould-resistant sanitary silicone was used where white sanitaryware met the tiled walls, including around:
For tiled internal corners, perimeter joints and other movement areas, BAL Micromax Grout-Effect Sealant was used in a coordinating colour.
Unlike conventional glossy silicone, the BAL product has a textured matt finish designed to resemble grout.
This allowed the movement joints to blend naturally with the Smoke-coloured grout rather than appearing as obvious shiny silicone lines.
The grout-effect sealant is waterproof and contains Microban antimicrobial protection against black mould, mildew and bacteria. It is suitable for joints between porcelain, painted surfaces, acrylic, glass and sanitary fittings.
Using flexible sealant within corners and perimeter joints allows small amounts of movement to be absorbed without forcing stress into the rigid grout lines.
The walls above the half-height porcelain tiling were repaired, prepared and plastered.
After drying and preparation, the upper walls were painted white.
The white painted finish keeps the upper part of the room bright and prevents the multitone porcelain tiles from making the completed bathroom feel too dark.
The combination of half-height tiling and painted walls also creates a more traditional room-like appearance outside the principal showering area.
Because the project combined two formerly separate rooms, the original ceiling areas also had to be brought together.
A new continuous ceiling was formed using moisture-resistant green plasterboard.
The ceiling was then:
The new ceiling removed the visual evidence of the former cupboard and created one uninterrupted surface across the enlarged bathroom.
Six recessed IP65 bathroom-rated LED spotlights were installed within the new ceiling.
The fittings were repositioned to distribute light more evenly across the bath, shower, vanity and central floor area.
Electrical equipment installed within bathroom zones 1 and 2 requires at least IPX4 protection. IP65-rated downlights provide a stronger level of moisture protection, making them a robust choice for a bathroom ceiling.
The original pull cord was removed and replaced with a conventional wall switch positioned outside the bathroom.
All electrical alterations were completed by a qualified and certificated electrician.
The original extractor position was changed to suit the enlarged layout.
A new bathroom extractor fan with both timer and humidistat controls was installed and ducted directly outside through a new external vent.
The humidistat allows the fan to respond automatically when moisture levels rise, while the timed overrun keeps the fan operating for a controlled period after the bathroom light has been switched off.
The fan was selected to meet or exceed the UK bathroom extraction benchmark of 15 litres per second, equivalent to 54 cubic metres per hour.
This supports:
The bathroom products were supplied by Tees Valley Refurbishments Ltd through established local bathroom showrooms.
The coordinated specification included Roca sanitaryware, GROHE chrome fittings, a Roman enclosure, RAK porcelain tiles, anthracite furniture and oak-effect flooring.
The matching customer review specifically highlights the help provided when selecting the bathroom fittings and grout, as well as how effectively the individual finishes work together.
The property remained occupied throughout the ten-working-day programme.
The customers had access to a downstairs WC, which allowed the first-floor bathroom to remain unavailable while the complete installation was carried out.
Protective sheets were placed along the access route from the entrance to the working area each morning.
At the end of every working day:
Particular care was taken because the bathroom belonged to elderly homeowners who remained within the property during the work.
A six-cubic-yard skip was positioned on the customer’s driveway.
Waste from the demolished wall, redundant doorway, original bathroom, opened flooring, old ceiling sections and packaging was removed progressively throughout the project.
Using the driveway kept the skip safely away from the public highway and allowed waste to be transferred directly from the working area.
The complete bathroom installation and refurbishment took ten working days.
Work was completed:
The project was completed on schedule.
The programme included:
There was no single simple part to this project.
The principal challenges included:
The project required careful sequencing because the structural alterations, plumbing, electrical work, tiling and final fitting all depended on the earlier preparation being completed accurately.
The completed bathroom bears little resemblance to the two separate spaces that existed before the renovation.
The final installation includes:
The strongest visual feature is the Roca bath with its anthracite panel, set against the natural multitone porcelain tiles and oak-effect floor.
The most important practical improvement is the addition of a completely separate shower while retaining a comfortable full-size bath.
The customers now have a convenient shower for everyday use and a bath available for visiting family and guests, all within one larger, more carefully planned room.
This project can be viewed alongside our other completed bathroom projects, including another luxury bathroom installation in Yarm with a walk-in shower and sauna.
Homeowners planning a similar bathroom installation, room conversion or complete bathroom refurbishment can read our customer reviews or request a free bathroom survey.
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