Help needed with a cream coloured nightmare

[WaterTight]

As mentioned previous thread, I broke an unusual slab style basin in a cream colour. Insurance won't pay out. Photos below.

As these are no longer available a section of cream worktop and a cream semi recessed basin (as closely colour matched as possible) seems to be Plan A.

I'm not a bathroom fitter and have zero experience with stuff like worktops and colour matching stuff. It's doing my head in trying to work out how to proceed.

There is a company called National Discontinued Bathrooms (linked to by another member here) who have sent me a letter with 3 plastic coloured samples they claim to be able to have a new basin "re-fired" in. I don't know what this involves? Anyone had any experience of this? This would be nearly £500 delivered. They have a similar name to a company not far from them with terrible reviews so I don't know if I should look elsewhere anyway. The basin is an Ideal Standard studio 56cm semi-countertop basin.

The size sounds about right but there is also the cut out shape of the top basin fascia to consider and I don't know if I can be sure if the new basin will cover the cut out (is there enough info in the spec here to work this out? http://www.idealspec.co.uk/uploads/...semicountertopwashbasin56cm1taphole_421_1.pdf)


As for cream work tops I don't where to begin. I'm guessing that because I need one with two finished ends of a specific length it needs to be from a company that offers a made to measure service? Because the cut end can't be hidden against the tiled wall.

I'm worried that if I end up with something that is a similar-ish but still quite different colour to surrounding tiles and units and on top of this a similar-ish but different-to-some-measure-again colour to the re-fired basin it will create a clash that might look worse than if it had just been replaced with white. Which they don't want.

I notice the toilet seat is white. And the grout. Sealant, skirting, door, maybe WC pan? But I guess a white basin and worktop would look horrendous?

I've lost the plot and I haven't even started.

How would you much more experienced and knowledgable (and resourceful) guys proceed if this was your headache to sort?

Would appreciate any advice. Because currently I'm starting to think telling them to replace the whole bathroom and I'll get a second job or a loan for a year to pay for it might be easier than this rubbish. Or they could knock down the house and rebuild the whole thing in cream. Cream from top to bottom. Each cream surface creamier than the last. I've started to hate the word cream with a passion. It flies through my head like a demented mantra. I have nightmares about cream worktops. This is my life now.

Help

 

[Old Account]

Shouldn't be any pipes below or in the screed that close any way

Shouldn’t sounds good though ... you should know better than me in England it’s not possible due to millions of different installers.

You talk from the ideal world of plumbing but coming back to the reality ... it’s unfortunately different and people install pipes you would even think off doing it

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Shouldn’t sounds good though . you should know better than me in England it’s not possible due to millions of different installers.

You talk from the ideal world of plumbing but coming back to the reality . it’s unfortunately different and people install pipes you would even think off doing it

It's building regs

 

[WaterTight]

Once a decent amount of silicone has set on a decent size pan on a smooth level tiled floor you wouldn't be able to kick it over with a running start.

I always use screws if I can, plastic wedges in any gaps if that's causing a problem, add a bit of silicone for belt and braces if its proving a pain. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Shaun is like Mr Best Practice and I very much respect that but I suspect if every plumber in the country suddenly had to do everything 100% by the book every time or they'd drop dead, there'd be about 5 left working in the country by Monday. Shaun sounds like he'd be one of them.

 

[Stigster]

Shouldn't be any pipes below or in the screed that close any way[/Q]

"Shouldn't" doesn't mean aren't!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

So what do you do on timber floor either old t and g or chip

Don't say mastic

 

[ShaunCorbs]

"shouldn't doesn't mean arnt

Haven't hit one yet

 

[Best]

So what do you do on timber floor either old t and g or chip

Don't say mastic

I used putty to bed toilets down to wood floors back in the day when it was the norm to fix to bare wood floor.
Silicone still reasonably good for to a wood floor, but won’t have same grip strength as onto tiled floors would.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I used putty to bed toilets down to wood floors back in the day when it was the norm to fix to bare wood floor.
Silicone still reasonably good for to a wood floor, but won’t have same grip strength as onto tiled floors would.

What happens if it's Lino still mastic ?

And can't imagine mastic and carpet mix

 

[Best]

What happens if it's Lino still mastic ?

And can't imagine mastic and carpet mix

Not sure what was used, if anything, on vinyl tiles years ago. I suppose soft putty was still a possibility. I can’t remember what I used on them.
It is all coming back to me using putty. What horrible stuff it was and you could see it squeezing when the pan got final tightening. Then trim with a knife.
The oil from the putty soaked into floor and it always looked like a water leak.
Soft vinyl floors the pan tends to bed into nicely, but a bead of silicone keeps the area more hygienic because it prevents any damp getting below the pan.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Not sure what was used, if anything, on vinyl tiles years ago. I suppose soft putty was still a possibility. I can’t remember what I used on them.
It is all coming back to me using putty. What horrible stuff it was and you could see it squeezing when the pan got final tightening. Then trim with a knife.
The oil from the putty soaked into floor and it always looked like a water leak.
Soft vinyl floors the pan tends to bed into nicely, but a bead of silicone keeps the area more hygienic because it prevents any damp getting below the pan.

Bet you mixed some paint with it

 

[Last Plumber]

I know this may have been asked, I have skim read this.
How did you break it?

 

[Best]

Bet you mixed some paint with it

Linseed oil added sometimes. Had to work the putty in my hands like a baker with dough, to get it workable.
Boss White paste was good to first apply onto the dry old floorboards to get the putty to stick.
Glad to not be using putty now.
The putty on pans fitted 50 plus years ago turns as hard as stone on the wood and you have to carefully chisel it off, as you probably have come across

 

[Best]

I know this may have been asked, I have skim read this.
How did you break it?

Total guess, but I thought possibility he pulled himself up while holding onto the basin.
I know that is something I would do if bending down or on my knees working at the toilet.

 

[Phil]

My guess is Watertight has tried to ease the stupid thing off to get to into the cistern, cracked it and then for a micro second had that thought "maybe I can actually just do a runner?" but did the right thing and gone downstairs to be asked "how is it going?"...erm..

 

[Old Account]

It's building regs

I get your point and agree but you know how it is in England

 

[Scott_D]

He was having a sit down wee in the basin and it snapped

 

[Last Plumber]

As long as that's all !
Nothing bigger

 

[Old Account]

Better than a sit down Number 2

That way it would have been very messy after a curry night with lots of alcohol

 

[Last Plumber]

Sorry Match, I edited that whilst you awarded me with the medal lol

 

[Last Plumber]

That way it would have been very messy after a curry night with lots of alcohol

Ew !
Minging!

 

[Old Account]

Sorry Match, I edited that whilst you awarded me with the medal lol

I actually liked it you shouldn’t have edited

 

[WaterTight]

My guess is Watertight has tried to ease the stupid thing off to get to into the cistern, cracked it and then for a micro second had that thought "maybe I can actually just do a runner?" but did the right thing and gone downstairs to be asked "how is it going?"...erm..

That's how it happened yes. One thin bead of silicone between back length and wall which had been thoroughly cut with stanley. Easing it off and cracked. As somone else said previously it was likely pretty weak in design. I won't be making the same mistake again. Problem is there are always some lovely fresh new mistakes out there just waiting to be discovered.

 

[jonnyswamp]

Combination Vanity Units
I've just fitted (and broke) one of these
BTW pan floor fixings snapped, so had to replace with a quality pair (Fischer) and when putting the pan back in I clipped the corner of the basin part with the pan (after hearing the almighty clunk, I closed my eyes and pretended I didn't hear anything and hoped I'd imagined it)
Lucky really, it only cost £260 plus 30 delivery and could have been a lot worse
The BTW pan fixings were of poor quality (and were left to get to room temp before using) and just shattered when trying to tighten into
Better bathrooms not interested in giving any sort of discount, my fault entirely but if fixings were of better quality the pan would have only gone in once

 

[Phil]

What snapped? the stupid L brackets with loads of holes in Jonny?

how high were you swinging the toilet around to chip basin?

 

[jonnyswamp]

What snapped? the stupid L brackets with loads of holes in Jonny?

how high were you swinging the toilet around to chip basin?

Yes mate, the nylon "L" brackets, really brittle and poor quality
I picked the pan up to empty into the bath (it had been flushed/tested, but not used) and caught the corner
Aaaaaargh

 

[Phil]

oragh...sends shivers down my spine, i bet you tried to 'rub it better' like when you scratch something.

 

[Ted808]

Linseed oil added sometimes. Had to work the putty in my hands like a baker with dough, to get it workable.
Boss White paste was good to first apply onto the dry old floorboards to get the putty to stick.
Glad to not be using putty now.
The putty on pans fitted 50 plus years ago turns as hard as stone on the wood and you have to carefully chisel it off, as you probably have come across

I came across something like this!! Thought it was cement- it could've been- had to smash pan and then hammer and chisel to get floor smooth. Got a nice fix with new pan.

 

[Best]

I came across something like this!! Thought it was cement- it could've been- had to smash pan and then hammer and chisel to get floor smooth. Got a nice fix with new pan. View attachment 33732

View attachment 33733

Crikey! That looks to be a lot of bedding material, putty or otherwise!