So, you’ve bought some new combination bathroom furniture. Tabor and Apex combination units are dual purpose pieces which incorporate a basin unit and a WC unit into one piece of furniture: they are space saving items for your bathroom, but are still large enough to be a little unwieldy during the installation process.
All bathroom furniture varies from installation to installation, and we would always advise that you read the manufacturer’s fitting instructions carefully and follow their advice – they know their product best. You may, however, find it helpful to follow our handy hints for installing anything from a simple bathroom cabinet, right up to a fully fitted bathroom furniture suite.
Tip number one is to measure carefully. You need to know the precise size of your bathroom furniture in relation to the space into which you’ll be installing it, so measure both these two areas first. It may help you to visualise the outcome you’re aiming for right from the start if you draw a rough outline of your furniture on the wall in situ.
Next, if your furniture is pre-drilled with wall fixing holes, you’ll need to measure where these are in relation to the edges of the item, so that you can map out where your fixings need to be positioned to ensure the furniture finishes up precisely in place. If your furniture comes without pre-drilled holes, you’ll need to create some, and then measure where they are (this is quicker and simpler than measuring, carefully drilling the holes… then measuring again to check you got them where you wanted them).
Tip number two is to always use the right tools for the job. A metal measure is better than a material one, which could stretch and give you a slightly false measurement. And using the right drill bit will not only minimise the potential for damage to your drill bit or to your wall, but will also make your task easier.
When drilling your fixing holes in your bathroom wall, bear in mind the following. Always drill into the bricks or blocks of a wall, not into the mortar which forms the joints; drill more carefully into blocks than bricks – bricks are tough, but blocks are relatively soft and you run the risk of making the hole too big if you go at the blocks too enthusiastically with the drill. If you have stud walls, make sure you’re drilling into the solid timber supports, not the thin plasterboard between, which will not provide a very solid supportive surface for your wall fixing. And if your wall is tiled, you should use an extra hard drill bit and only light pressure, or you may crack the tile surface and open yourself up to a retiling job.
Once your bathroom furniture is installed, you’ll be using it every day for years – so if you take the time at the installation stage to get it right, you’ll be able to feel proud every day for years.