Bathroom Taps & Shower Fix - Weybridge, Surrey
I was called out to a house in Weybridge, Surrey to sort out a few
long-standing issues in the main bathroom.
The bath taps were in poor condition --- old, corroded, and difficult to
operate. The diverter was jammed, so switching between the shower and
the bath tap wasn't working properly. Some of the fittings were barely
functional, leaking slightly or completely stuck.
The bigger issue though was how the water drained off after taking a
shower. The wall tiles had been installed below the edge of the bath,
which left a narrow gap between the bath and the wall. After each
shower, water would run down the tiles and collect in that space instead
of draining into the bath. It was an awkward setup and not something
that could be left as-is.
Other plumbers had looked at it and advised the bath would need to be
removed to fix the tap and shower--- meaning the wall would have to be
stripped back, re-tiled, and so on. The customer really wanted to avoid
that level of disruption.
What I did?
Despite very limited access under the bath, I managed to remove the old
taps and fit a new set --- along with a proper diverter, new pipework,
and a new showerhead and hose. The system was gravity-fed from a loft
tank, so the installation involved draining and refilling several times
to get everything properly connected and tested.
To deal with the drainage issue, I removed the lower row of tiles and
rebuilt the area slightly higher than the bath edge, with a slight angle
to allow water to run back into the bath. It's a small detail but made a
big difference.
The client also asked for a shower curtain rail --- they didn't want a
cheap plastic one, so I built a custom ceiling-mounted rail using copper
and brass pipework. It suited the space well and added a nice finish.
Outcome
The client was happy the whole thing was done cleanly, with no need to
remove the bath or re-tile the entire wall - just smart adjustments
where needed.
long-standing issues in the main bathroom.
The bath taps were in poor condition --- old, corroded, and difficult to
operate. The diverter was jammed, so switching between the shower and
the bath tap wasn't working properly. Some of the fittings were barely
functional, leaking slightly or completely stuck.
The bigger issue though was how the water drained off after taking a
shower. The wall tiles had been installed below the edge of the bath,
which left a narrow gap between the bath and the wall. After each
shower, water would run down the tiles and collect in that space instead
of draining into the bath. It was an awkward setup and not something
that could be left as-is.
Other plumbers had looked at it and advised the bath would need to be
removed to fix the tap and shower--- meaning the wall would have to be
stripped back, re-tiled, and so on. The customer really wanted to avoid
that level of disruption.
What I did?
Despite very limited access under the bath, I managed to remove the old
taps and fit a new set --- along with a proper diverter, new pipework,
and a new showerhead and hose. The system was gravity-fed from a loft
tank, so the installation involved draining and refilling several times
to get everything properly connected and tested.
To deal with the drainage issue, I removed the lower row of tiles and
rebuilt the area slightly higher than the bath edge, with a slight angle
to allow water to run back into the bath. It's a small detail but made a
big difference.
The client also asked for a shower curtain rail --- they didn't want a
cheap plastic one, so I built a custom ceiling-mounted rail using copper
and brass pipework. It suited the space well and added a nice finish.
Outcome
- Full replacement of taps, diverter, and shower set
- Pipework adjusted without removing the bath
- Drainage issue resolved by re-tiling above bath level
- Custom copper shower rail installed
- No unnecessary damage or demolition
The client was happy the whole thing was done cleanly, with no need to
remove the bath or re-tile the entire wall - just smart adjustments
where needed.
