Downstairs Toilet Help Please

[read20]

Hi

To begin sorry if I am in the wrong location for this post, please move as needed. I am a first time buyer who is keen to begin my first project of stripping and re doing my small downstairs toilet. Currently it only has room for a toilet, which I would like to replace for a new modern square shape one.

I am keen to tile the walls and am wondering how hard this is and whether if because of the rooms size it would make a massive difference to getting a professional to do it (rough costs would be brilliant?) Also going to add new flooring and then have the ceiling plastered at some point afterwards (if that's ok to do last after all other bits or at a later date?)

Anyway my questions are the following,

Can anyone give me a detailed step by step on what order I should be doing things? Like remove everything then Do floor then put in toilet then tile etc or vice versa?? I know its basic but truely ive no idea whats the best method to remove and then replace. I'm eager to learn so all points taken on.

Finally another issue I have is as can be seen in the pictures on the left the main water feed, which goes up the left hand wall, into the ceiling, and then back down (out of the ceiling) on the right into the toilet. It also has what I'm guessing Is an overflow on the left going out through a hole in the wall(to outside. Can I remove this and cover up the hole? How can I get around this and have as little pipe work showing as positive? Theres also a vent at the top, its old and ideally id like to get rid, any ideas on if thats ok and how?

What I'm saying is, if this space was yours, what would you do?

Sorry about all the questions and all help appreciated. Thanks!

Untitled

• read20
• 20 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• read20
• 20 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• read20
• 20 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• read20
• 20 Jan 2015
• 1

 

[foxhole]

I certainly would not remove the vent, unless you like the smell?
The pipe could be the rising main to the loft , you would need to confirm this and get above the ceiling.If so you could connect the loo to the mains feed and remove the other down pipe. [Would need the correct cistern valve for mains pressure]. If you want to keep the loo tank fed the pipe could be dropped down alongside the other pipe to feed the loo from the left. The overflow pipe could be discarded provided the cistern flush system is the type to allow overflow back in to loo.
You need to replace any flooring and tile prior to re-installing new loo.
If the left pipe is the rising main you could box it in easily prior to tiling.

 

[read20]

Hi mate, thanks for your reply. The reason I ask about the vent is that on the outside it has been blocked in with a silcon type gel. Guessing this was done when the house had cavity wall insulation done?

The pipe on the left is the main I think as it has a tap to turn the incoming water on and off, and like you say the toilet is fed from the pipe on the right

In your opinion would you say its better to leave the pipes on both the sides as they are, (so keep it being fed from the right) or to remove the right hand one that comes down? Sorry for being vague Im just confused as to how easy it would be to remove as directly above that toilet is my bathroom so couldnt say whats going on in the ceiling?

Cheers again

 

[Bosswhite]

The left hand pipe is the rising main with the stop cock at floor level, it looks to me like it could be iron/steel pipe from the stop cock leading into the loft,

hence the reason a plumber has added the toilet fill (in copper ) on the right side

 

[foxhole]

If you have little diy experince [plumbing] , just leave as it and box in pipes.

 

[ree]

Is there another WC in the house? Will you be living & working in it?

Is the floor suspended or solid?

Extractors are Regs (i think) required in WC compartments. The old ext position could be used for a new ext.

Test the stop-tap for shutting mains off. Then open internal stop-tap and test external shut-off for isolating mains. Both must work.

If the underground water mains pipe comes from the external shut-off tap to inside the WC compartment in iron pipe then consider replacing it with plastic pipe (MDPE etc).

The ideal would be to supply your WC from under the floor and eliminate all galvanised water piping in the house - a re-pipe? How old is the house?

I dont see an isolater for the WC feed?

What is the recess on the left? Is there a basin with H/W & C/W?

However, there are excellent alternative suggestions above.

Note: whatever, we can later take you thro a simple refurbishment of the compartment and the tiling etc.

 

[Burnerman]

Here's some thoughts....
Box in the left hand pipe as no doubt it feeds something above. Tee into it below the new loo so it can connect to a bottom entry valve. Fit an isolator for maintenance.
Lose the pipe on the right.
The new loo will likely have an internal overflow so you can lose the overflow pipe there on the left.
Have the ceiling skimmed. Sort the tiling above skirting level, consider laminate for the floor ( loo out).
If you consider a corner loo, you may get a tiny wash hand basin in.
Keep the vent, but have a timed one separate from the light.
John

 

[Bosswhite]

Burnerman,
I can only see one fitting in the pipework above the stopcock, and as the pipework looks like Steel/iron it would be a problem to tee into it.

I would suggest strip that pipe out (depending on where its going to in the roof) and replace with copper/plastic with tee as suggested.

 

[Burnerman]

Yep, I didn't notice that screwed coupling......that would need to go.
John

 

[longdogs]

This would be a good idea:

http://www.trade-point.co.uk/bathro...ntegrated-basin-with-soft-close/160720_TP.prd

 

[longdogs]

It would be a good idea to get the ceiling plastered first so that you don't get plaster over your nice new grout. You could also remove the coving and skirting first so that it is possible to tile from floor to ceiling. Any damage can be put right by the plasterer. Also fit any extraction at this stage.