Refresh a bathroom without replacing the suite

A weekend-plus project to deep-clean, reseal, regrout and refresh your bathroom's fittings without replacing the suite.

Guides in this project

01Remove mould from grout 02Regrout wall tiles 03Remove old silicone completely 04Reseal a bath 05Clean an extractor fan so it actually extracts 06Fix a dripping tap by replacing the washer 07Remove old bathroom accessories and fill the holes in tiles 08Fit a towel rail

BR-00Plan the whole refresh before you startList every job: mouldy grout, tired silicone, a dripping tap, a weak extractor, scuffed accessories, and whether you want a new towel rail. Buy materials in one trip so sealant and grout cure times don't catch you out, and find your stopcock and consumer unit now. Allow one full weekend for cleaning and sealant work, plus a second for tiling, taps and fittings, since grout and silicone need time to cure between stages. Budget roughly £80-£180 in total.

2 each · Dust sheets

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1 roll · Masking tape

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1 pair · Rubber gloves

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BR-01Clean back the mould firstFollow 'Remove mould from grout' to treat every mouldy grout line on walls and floor before anything else, so you can see the true condition of the grout underneath. Doing this first often reveals crumbling grout that needs replacing in the next phase. Ventilate the room well while you work and let it dry fully before moving on.

1 bottle · Mould and mildew remover spray

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1 each · Old toothbrush

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1 roll · Kitchen roll

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BR-02Regrout any damaged tile jointsFollow 'Regrout wall tiles' to rake out and replace any crumbling or stained grout found during the mould clean. Work in small sections, let each dry, and leave the finished grout to cure for at least 24 hours before anything touches it with sealant. This is the messiest phase, so keep dust sheets down and the lighting good.

2 kg · Tile grout

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1 each · Grout float

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1 each · Grout rake or scraper

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1 each · Sponge

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BR-03Strip out the old sealantFollow 'Remove old silicone completely' to clear old, often mouldy sealant from around the bath, shower tray and basin, once grout has cured so you're not dragging a scraper over fresh work. Check behind the old bead for soft or damp plasterboard or timber. If you find rot, stop and get a builder in before resealing over it, because fresh silicone over rotten material won't last.

1 tube · Sealant remover gel

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1 each · Plastic scraper

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1 bottle · White spirit

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BR-04Reseal the bath and basinFollow 'Reseal a bath' to run a fresh bead of silicone around the bath, shower tray and basin once surfaces are completely dry. Leave it to cure for the full time stated on the tube, usually 24 hours, before running water nearby. Don't use the bath early — flexing a freshly laid bead makes it fail again.

2 tube · Sanitary silicone sealant

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1 each · Sealant gun

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BR-05Clean the extractor fanBefore opening the fan cover, switch off the circuit at the consumer unit and prove it's dead with a tester, because the fan is wired even when you're only cleaning it. Follow 'Clean an extractor fan so it actually extracts' to clear dust and grease from the blades and grille, which helps stop the mould you dealt with earlier coming back. If the fan still sounds weak or won't switch on afterwards, the motor or wiring may be faulty — call an electrician rather than investigate further yourself.

RULES

1 each · Soft brush

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1 bottle · Degreaser spray

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1 each · Voltage tester

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KNOW THE RULES

Bathroom electrics fall under special zone rules and Part P. Cleaning is fine once the circuit is off and proved dead, but any fault-finding or rewiring needs a qualified electrician.

BR-06Fix any dripping tapsFollow 'Fix a dripping tap by replacing the washer' to stop drips, isolating the water to the tap before you start. This is a good point in the project to tackle it, since the bathroom is already out of use while sealant cures. Take the old washer with you when buying a replacement so you get the right size.

1 pack · Tap washer kit

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1 roll · PTFE tape

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BR-07Remove old accessories and make good the tilesFollow 'Remove old bathroom accessories and fill the holes in tiles' to take down old soap dishes, rings or holders and fill the fixing holes. Before drilling anything out, check the wall with a cable and pipe detector and still expect to find something, since pipework and lighting cables often run closer to old accessories than you'd think. Let the filler cure fully before fixing anything new in the same spot.

1 tube · Tile-appropriate filler

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1 sheet · Fine sandpaper

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1 each · Putty knife

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BR-08Fit the new towel railThis step is for a simple wall-mounted towel rail or ring, not a heated one. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before drilling the tile and wall for brackets, and expect to find something near an old fixture position. Follow 'Fit a towel rail' for drilling through the tile and fixing the brackets. If you want a heated towel rail instead, that's a plumber's job if it runs off the heating, or an electrician's if it's electric and hard-wired.

RULES

1 each · Towel rail (plumbed or electric)

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1 pack · Fixing kit (Rawlplugs and screws)

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2 each · Radiator isolating valves (plumbed rails only)

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KNOW THE RULES

Heated towel rails aren't covered here: a hard-wired electric rail in a bathroom needs a registered electrician, and a plumbed one needs a plumber.

BR-09Test everything and snagRun the extractor fan, fill the bath to check the new seal holds, and run the tap to check the washer's fixed the drip. Keep the room ventilated for a day after sealant work before using the bath properly. Walk round with a torch checking grout lines, sealant beads and fixings, and note anything that needs a second coat or bead.

1 each · Torch

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1 each · Notepad

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