Q. Question? I have very few DIY skills. Our current shower leaks
when we use it, and we bought a new shower from Wickes
at £149.

The idea was we get it professionally installed but the cost is around £300.

We have a mixer shower - the compenents work so don't need replacing
it is the enclosure, tray and waste that need changing.

Is this really a hard job?

I think it is leaking because of age, but I don't wish to mess it up.

Do I have a go then?

A. Best Answer: Absolutely! Just follow the directions that came with the new one. Should be fairly easy. Make sure you use some plumbers tape.(for wrapping pipe end, seals it )

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Q. Question? I am fitting a corner shower that has an 800 x 800 tray - the nearest enclosure size that i can find generally is 760 - would anyone know if this size enclosure would indeed be correct for this size of shower tray ( next size up from 760 is 900 and logic says that would be too big) .

A. Best Answer: there are 800 enclosures
try qx, daryl, and some of the others make custom sizes
go to a plumbers merchants for a range of makes and styles

760 enclosures will be too small except if they can have a filler strip added, which looks a bit rubbish
900 is too big

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Q. Question? I am installing a shower enclosure, is there an extractor fan on the market that specifically allows it to be fitted within the confines of the enclosure, obviously it needs to be safe with regards to the electrics.

A. Best Answer: You are best to use a SELV fan, low voltage (12v) although a 240volt model is permitted, but it must have IPX4 protection. The regulations are just changing to 17th, but the same applies as far as I am aware. Why not keep it in zone 2 ??

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Q. Question? Showerlux do a shower tray that fits spot on in my en suite, but can i buy a shower enclosure somewhere else to go on it or does it have to be the same make

A. Best Answer: Most manufacturers enclosures and trays are standard sizes, just measure the tray and get a screen of the same dimensions. Make sure that the width of the sides of the tray are wide enough for the enclosre profile to sit on.

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Q. Question? I am currently fitting a new bathroom in my house and have decided I would like a power shower instead of the electric one I had before. My question is..... Is it ok to put a power shower over my bath with a simple curtain/screen or will the pressure of the water be more suited to a proper enclosure?

A. Best Answer: I have a power-shower over the bath with just a curtain. The shower just pumps hot water to match the cold water pressure. It doesn't blast it out like a pressure washer ;-)

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Q. Question? shower,shower enclosure new basin

A. Best Answer: If all fitted in same position, around £250, if new or changing position, noone can say here, it would have to be looked at.

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Q. Question? Fitted sectional enclosure can be removed but tray has to be left in place. Tray could be flatted, acid etched, etc. in position if required. Colour name, Pergamon/ off-white.

A. Best Answer: There is a brushable gel coat,used in the marine industry,called Flowcoat, which may suit your purpose. Try your yellow pages, under G.R.P. suppliers or moulders (fabricators) Not sure about the range of colours though-might be a bit basic- I have only seen white and gray used, though you may be able to use ordinary gel coat pigments to get whatever colour you like.

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Q. Question? I am trying to organise getting about the most awful bathroom in the world done and will get professionals to do the major things. There is a pine wood ceiling I don't like but it was done by a real expert, proper shawdow gapping etc and really don't want to lose the look. Is it possible to flat paint over the varish and repaint the ceiling in a pastel colour? Also on the bottom half on the bathroom there were 2 layers of tiles, the top half many years ago was then plastered out to meet the bottom half and the tiled from top to floor. What is the best way to get rid of these tiles? I should add the first layer was probably built with the house (around 1892) and sort of set in a bit to the wall. I am fed up with tiles and only now want the shower enclosure tiled and the other walls all completely smooth that can be painted over. Should we start pulling them all off, can tiles be plastered over, use gyp rock or what? Thanks to all who answer.

A. Best Answer: -Prime the ceiling, then paint it.
-Break the (1st layer) tiles with a hammer or mallet. (use Eye protection & a Dust Mask, it could possibly have asbestos in the glue or tile dust, if you keep the area wet/moist the dust will stay down)
-If moldings around the edges need to be pulled (to get to the tiles) pull em' up & either same them or buy new ones.
- You should be able to break the tiles off the walls also. Then use some sheet rock compound & even the walls & sand off the excess (once it dries).
-Prime & Paint.

Or just take one wall OUT at a time & convert it to green board. Tape it, mud it, prime & paint. Depends on the shape the walls are in (cracks,ect.).

Good Luck!!!

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Q. Question? Some people say cats never have to be bathed. They say cats lick
themselves clean. They say cats have a special enzyme of some sort in
their saliva that works like new, improved Wisk - dislodging the dirt
where it hides and whisking it away.

I've spent most of my life believing this folklore. Like most blind
believers, I've been able to discount all the facts to the contrary - the
kitty odors that lurk in the corners of the garage and dirt smudges that
cling to the throw rug by the fireplace.

The time comes, however, when a man must face reality; when he must look
squarely in the face of massive public sentiment to the contrary and
announce: "This cat smells like a port-a-potty on a hot day in Juarez."

When that day arrives at your house, as it has in mine, I have some advice
you might consider as you place your feline friend under you arm and head
for the bathtub:

* Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of
concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on
that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an
open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom.
If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get
in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were
about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk
cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician
can shift positions.)

* Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin
from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to
dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked into
high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet,
a hockey face mask and a long-sleeve flak jacket.

* Prepare everything in advance. There is no time to go out for a towel
when you have a cat digging a hole in your flak jacket. Draw the water.
Make sure the bottle of kitty shampoo is inside the glass enclosure. Make
sure the towel can be reached, even if you are lying on your back in the
water.

* Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to
simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your
strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule. If
he does notice your garb, calmly explain that you are taking part in a
product- testing experiment for J.C. Penney.)

* Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a
single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure,
slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with
shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life. Cats
have no handles.

Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically
compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more that two or three
seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give
him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free
and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national
record is - for cats - three latherings, so don't expect too much.)

* Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part
will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this
point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying
is simple compared to what you have just been through. That's because by
now the cat is semipermanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop
the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait.
(Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your
army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him
loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is
drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the
cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He
will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a
lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become
psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As
a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure
you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But, at least
now he smells a lot better.

A. Best Answer: Whilst quite amusing and informative your advice fails to take into consideration the aerodynamic capabilities of cats which, when augmented by the streamlining properties of water and applied lubricant ( shampoo) combine to make the cat
(a) friction free and
(b) faster than a speeding bullet.
This combination ( coupled with the cat's natural ability to defy gravity at will ) renders it easily capable of punching a hole through solid rock, bathroom tiles or your shower screen in the time it takes you to say "nice kitty"

Cat bathing is currently being investigated by the Insurance Society as to whether it should be classed as an "Extreme sport" or an "act of war"

Don't try this at home, folks.

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