A Better Bathroom - Judge for yourself

Berkshire: Mrs W is very small in stature, and was finding herself rather "lost" in her large pink walk in tub. The old bath also took a long time to fill, and did not match the white basin and toilet. We recommended the Cirrus 1500mm walk in bath, with a booster pump to improve the filling time.

We removed the old bath and fitted the new white Cirrus bath with easy-access door, shown in the large photo. A booster pump and antiscald valve were installed, so there is now plentiful temperature-controlled water. Grab bars were fitted to help Mrs W enter the bath and lower herself into the water safely.

Mrs W can now enjoy bathing and showering again – such a pleasure after years of tolerating a poorly performing, unsuitable bath.

Browse our walk in bath range or link straight to the Cirrus bath. We'd love to hear from you!
Call Free 0800 019 5570 or call local 01753 842 944 or write/fax/email.

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Transforming Usable Space in a 16th Century Cottage

Once in a while we come across a project which really gets our grey cells working.

We recently received a call from a lady living in a beautiful 16th Century cottage. As was expected, the cottage had low ceilings, stone floors and narrow doors. She is a wheelchair user, and wanted to create a shower facility on the ground floor.

The only feasible possibility was to adapt a cupboard and cloakroom by removing a dividing stud wall. The cupboard door was to be left in place as a “dummy” to preserve the look and feel of the cottage. Access would be via the cloakroom door, which was just wide enough to allow a shower chair to pass through.

Detailed measurements were taken, and a scale model made. This allowed us to manoeuvre a model shower chair into the room, and test the turning circle required. The job could be achieved by removing the wash basin unit and replacing it with a much smaller wall mounted item.

The cupboard contained several electric sockets and the house sound system, all of which had to be moved. The lighting was changed to bathroom specification fire retardant units, and an electric fan heater installed for comfort.

In order to achieve level access, a shower waste pump was installed in a position which would not impede the shower chair, and the pipes boxed in for a clean appearance. The job was finished with white tiles and a red floor, making a bright and cheerful showering environment.

This was a real challenge, but an enjoyable project.

You can contact Practical Bathing on 01753 842944

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Wet-room Showering - easier and more spacious

Peterborough: Mrs T has had difficulty rising from her bath for some time and had previously had a bath hoist installed. Practical Bathing was contracted to strip out the old fashioned bathroom, clean up all the pipework and update it with a level-access wet-room with shower and WC facilities.

On removing the vinyl floor covering, we discovered that the floor underneath was thoroughly damp. It was decided to remove and replace with a new suspended wooden floor. We were able to conceal plumbing pipework in cavities, boxing or false walls which we finished with easy-clean Trovex panelling.

Practical, sealed anti-slip vinyl was used for the wet-room floor. New WC, wash hand basin and showering facilities were all fitted so that Mrs T can enjoy safe and enjoyable showering in a pleasant, clean and more spacious environment - with the benefit of easier maintenance!

old hand basin with ugly pipework

easier to clean - new wash basin

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Wembley: Compact Sit-in Bath/Shower.

Mrs. M. lives in a retirement property with a small bathroom that required complete refurbishment.

Our client selected a compact walk-in/sit-in bath/shower arrangement to replace the existing old bath, which was difficult to step into, lower and raise oneself, and step out of.

The old, low-level w.c. was replaced by an extra tall toilet unit, again for ease of lowering to a seated position and standing with minimum difficulty.

In accordance with the client's colour choice, the walls were panelled with a decorative impermeable plastic coating for a bright and hygienic result and the floor was fitted with an attractive anti-slip vinyl for safety.


The refurbished bathroom is more suitable for our client's abilities with greater appeal, in general, to most retirement home residents.

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Baths with Doors for Easy Access

The Talis

Our Baths with Doors are available in a variety of sizes and styles to meet the diverse requirements of our clients, from young to elderly, to those who need assistance.

Our standard Walk-in Baths are The Cambridge and The Sceptre, suitable in a family bathroom whilst providing access via a door for those who prefer not to step over the side of the bath. For something with additional features and contemporary styling, try The Talis bath.

Shower units can be used with all baths but The Satin and The Crystal P-shaped baths with doors are specially designed to give bathers more room for showering.

The Topaz 2

If you want to replace an existing bath, The Topaz 2 is a modern bath of standard dimensions but with a door and a moulded seat.

If space is critical, we have a number of compact baths with doors to offer which incorporate a seat, making it easier to return to a standing position to leave the bath. These include popular choices The Sierra and Sierra Compact, The Sapphire 1 and Sapphire 2 plus a front-opening compact sit-in bath, The Scorpio.

Other practical bathing solutions include The Solar with a front door that folds downwards, enabling transfer from a wheelchair, and The Dublin which has been designed for bathers who require larger facilities.

Please view our range of Baths with Doors then contact us for further assistance, 01753 842944.

  www.practicalbathing.co.uk

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Bath Time - and it's great to have feedback

At practical bathing, we do our best for our customers so it is always good when we receive feedback, following our bath, shower, toilet or wetroom installations.

The following was received from the nephew of an elderly client:

"Many thanks for the efforts of all involved in installing the new bath in my aunt's flat. 

Everything was done with the greatest of consideration and the bath and bathroom were left in as ready a state for use as possible. 

Mrs S----- is now getting used to the bath and has found that it not only offers the bathing she hoped for but also a very suitable arrangement for her visiting hairdresser." 

Visit our practical baths page.

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Revamped Bathroom for improved style, safety and ease of use.

Mrs Wallace was finding her bathroom hard to use, and also a bit old fashioned. The mint green suite comprised an old cast iron bath and an inset basin. These were to be updated with a new white suite, including a walk-in bath/shower unit, to provide a more contemporary look plus improved versatility and functionality.

We advised that the Sapphire 1 walk in bath and a new basin with lever turn taps would meet her needs perfectly.

We installed the walk-in bath/shower unit with a shower curtain and some steadying grab rails. We replaced the wash hand basin with a slightly smaller version, rebuilt the surround, and fitted the new taps which are much easier to turn on and off.

The before and after photographs show how the bathroom is now more welcoming, brighter and conducive to safer bathing - suitable for all family members, including the elderly or infirm.

The Sapphire walk-in bath options include a therapeutic air spa.

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Wetroom Conversion in Dulwich (for 'disabled' use)

"before"

We were asked to convert a redundant room into a ground floor wet room. As specialists in creating safe environments for disabled and elderly customers, this was well within our capabilities.

To prepare the room, an external door that was not in use was panelled over. Access to the room would be via an existing door from the hall. The floor was fitted with coved and welded non slip vinyl, making a waterproof, safe and hygienic environment. All the walls were fitted with waterproof laminated panels.

The wash-hand basin was relocated to the wall where the door used to be, allowing ample space to install a new tall toilet and a shower area. We added a thermostatically controlled shower valve, folding shower seat and half-height doors around the shower area.

There was no heating nor ventilation in the room. We added an extractor, a panel radiator and a warm air blower to provide comfort as well as practicality to the family wetroom.

The final result - a bright, functional, easy to clean wetroom, making excellent use of a redundant room.


Contact Practical Bathing on 01753 842944 to discuss your bathroom or wetroom installation requirements.

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Easy Access Showers make life so much easier!

One of customers had difficulty high-stepping into her shower and balancing during bathing.

Practical Bathing replaced the high shower tray with an easy access shower tray from the Mendip range.

In addition, the shower was replaced with an efficient, modern pump, we added grab rails and a sturdy wall-mounted shower seat.

To complete the installation, old wall tiles were replaced with hygienic panelling and an anti-slip flooring.

Practical Bathing has years of experience in helping customers with their decisions as well as advising of the most suitable bathing equipment. Browse our bathing solutions website. Contact us! Like our FaceBook Page for interesting news and special offers. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Conversion from Cloakroom to Bathroom to Shower room

In Autumn 2012, a customer from 2006 approached us regarding the installation of a shower in place of a bath.

Originally, we had successfully installed a compact walk-in bath into a downstairs cloakroom and were now requested to replace it with an easy access shower. Easy? Not quite as straightforward as it seems but we love to challenge our expertise and resourcefulness to deliver 100% customer satisfaction.

There were certainly challenges! There was no shower tray available with the required dimensions, the toilet soil pipe ran across into the shower area and could not be moved and, finally, the warm air heating system was also below the bath, within the intended shower area.

Starting with the soil pipe, special boxing was constructed to cover the pipe, strong enough to stand on and, in the shower area, topped with anti-slip vinyl. To allow the warm air heating to function from under the proposed shower tray, battens were laid to raise the shower tray floor. As for the tray itself, we used a suitably long shower tray of the correct width, trimmed the length and capped and sealed it in our workshop. The front of the raised shower tray was faced with a specially perforated PVC strip for the warm air heating to flow. We also installed smart blue grab rails to complement the bathroom. Images show the previously installed bath and the newly installed shower tray.

A satisfying outcome, using our experience, imagination and a range of skills, the final result is a practical and pleasing solution to a complex problem and a 'thumbs-up' from our customer. We welcome your challenge - please view the Practical Bathing website and contact us / call us on 01753 842944 or 0800 0195570.

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Wetroom Installation - Making the most of Available Space

Wet-rooms are not only for wheelchair users but can be a joy to use for the whole family, from children to older people - possibly even the dog! A safe, spacious showering area with non-slip floor reduces the risk of injury stepping in or out of showers and baths.

Practical Bathing recently completed the conversion of a disused corridor into a brand new wet-room to provide level access showering for a client in Longworth.

A level access, walk-in, wheel-in shower facility can be essential for some clients. This installation began with blocking up an old door and panelling over it and the uneven walls, using multi-panel laminated ply, to create a water-proof environment.

During the installation, the concrete floor was excavated and a pumped waste kit plumbed in beneath Level-Dec tray, ready for the non-slip vinyl floor to be laid.

Following the preparation, to complete the shower facility, we fitted the Supreme Option G half-height enclosure with bi-fold doors and installed a Selectronic 9.5kW shower, set up specifically to enable seated use.

A wasted space was transformed into a useful, attractive wet-room.

Practical Bathing has expertise in servicing the bathroom and toilet facility needs of disabled and elderly clients and would be delighted to assist with any wet-room or bathroom conversions you may have.

Please call us for a discussion or quotation - or view our website for practical bathing solutions.

Call (UK free) 0800 019 5570
Or (local) 01753 842944

www.practicalbathing.co.uk

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