Twelve services, one build-up. Whether the whole room needs rebuilding or a single shower has started to leak, the work follows the same order: strip-out, services, membrane, bedding, tile, fixtures. Nothing pretty goes on until the layers underneath are right.
We renovate bathrooms, ensuites and laundries in Moorabbin and nearby suburbs, including Highett, Bentleigh, Cheltenham and Mentone.
■ Strip-out: timber framing, insulation and wiring exposed before services, membrane and tile go back in.
REPAIR OR REBUILD
Repair the shower, or rebuild the room?
Most enquiries start with one of two situations. Something is failing in the shower, or the whole bathroom has had its day. The right answer depends on where the water has gone and what is left of the membrane.
Not sure yet? Our Bathroom Waterproofing Guide explains how wet areas fail and what gets checked at assessment.
OPTION A · 12
Leaking Shower Repairs
When it suits: the rest of the bathroom is sound and the trouble is confined to the shower. Watch for lifting grout, drummy tiles, a musty smell or staining on the other side of the wall.
What gets opened up: only the areas the repair needs, once the source of the water has been found.
Trades involved: mainly waterproofing and tiling, plus plumbing if the waste or mixer is part of the problem.
OPTION B · 01
Full Bathroom Renovations
When it suits: the layout, fixtures or tiles are at the end of their life, or the damage has spread well beyond the shower recess.
What gets opened up: the whole room, stripped back to frame or substrate, so every hidden layer is renewed together.
Trades involved: the full sequence of demolition, plumbing and electrical, waterproofing, tiling, fixtures and finishing.
WHOLE-ROOM WORK
Whole-room work
Whole-room jobs strip the space back and rebuild it in order. The room type changes the design brief, but the build-up underneath stays the same.
Planning one? Start with the Bathroom Renovation Checklist.
01
Full Bathroom Renovations
The whole bathroom renewed from demolition to handover, with new services, membrane, tiles and fixtures installed in sequence.
02
Ensuite Renovations
Updating the ensuite off a main bedroom, where tight footprints, ventilation and a calm finish all matter. See Ensuite Ideas.
03
Small Bathroom Renovations
Layout, storage and fixture choices that make a compact bathroom work harder without feeling crowded. See Small Bathroom Ideas.
04
Luxury Bathroom Renovations
High-end finishes, fixtures and bespoke design choices, built on the same careful preparation as every other job.
11
Laundry Renovations
A laundry is a wet area too. It uses the same trades and follows the same order: services, waterproofing, tile, then cabinetry and fit-out.
Budgeting a whole room? The Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide explains what moves the price.
WET-AREA LAYERS
Wet-area layers
These are the layers you stop seeing once the job is finished, so they are the ones that have to be right first time.
Bedding: adhesive spread across the floor, with tile spacers set between laid tiles.
07
Waterproofing
The membrane goes onto floors and wet walls before any tile. It is the layer that decides whether a bathroom stays dry. The waterproofing guide explains how it works.
06
Bathroom Tiling
Floor and wall tiling: choosing a tile format and layout, then bedding the tiles to follow the falls already formed under the membrane and finishing with clean grout lines. Browse Bathroom Tile Ideas.
12
Leaking Shower Repairs
Reading the signs of a leaking shower, finding where the water is getting out and fixing the cause before the damage spreads to walls and floors.
Walk-in shower: stone-effect tile, black-framed glass, a built-in bench and a linear drain.
SHOWERS & DESIGN
Showers
The shower works harder than any other part of the room. Screens, floor falls, niches and drainage all get planned together. For layouts, see Walk-In Shower Ideas.
08
Shower Renovations
Replacing or updating a shower area, including the recess, screen, tapware and tiles, without necessarily touching the rest of the bathroom.
09
Walk-In Showers
Open, walk-in shower designs, with screen, floor and drainage options chosen so water stays where it should.
DESIGN & FIT-OUT
Design and fit-out
Design comes first and fixtures come last, but they are planned together. Where the vanity sits decides where the plumbing runs. Read Bathroom Layout Ideas.
05
Bathroom Design
Planning the layout, materials and look of the bathroom before any building starts, so the quote and the build follow a clear plan.
10
Vanity Installation
Choosing and installing vanities, basins and storage, whether wall-hung or floor-standing, with the plumbing set to suit.
Wall-mounted vanity: integrated basin, black top and drawers, set against a subway-tile wall.
PROCESS
Twelve steps, always in the same order
Every service on this page sits somewhere in the same process. A repair might use only part of it, while a full renovation runs through all twelve steps.
PLAN
01 Consultation: talk through the room and what isn’t working.
02 Assessment: check the existing substrate, services and wet areas.
03 Design: set the layout, finishes and fixtures.
04 Quote: price the agreed scope.
PREPARE
05 Materials: order tiles, fixtures and fittings.
06 Demolition: strip the room back.
07 Plumbing/Electrical: rough-in services to suit the new layout.
08 Waterproofing: apply the membrane before any tile.
FINISH
09 Tiling: bed and set floor and wall tiles.
10 Fixtures: fit the vanity, tapware, screens and toilet.
11 Finishing: grout, seal, clean and check the details.
12 Handover: walk through the finished room.
Wondering how the steps add up over time? Read How Long Does a Bathroom Renovation Take?
QUOTE
Found the layer that needs attention?
Tell us which service looks closest and what is happening in the room now. If you can’t tell whether it’s a repair or a rebuild, just say so. That question is exactly what the assessment step is for.
BEFORE YOU ENQUIRE
■ Pick the closest service above. “Not sure” is a fine answer too.
■ Note what you’ve noticed, such as leaks, cracked or drummy tiles, smells or tired fixtures.
■ Decide what you’d like to keep and what has to go.
■ Skim the cost guide so the scope and your expectations line up.
General question instead? Use the contact page.