NLC Dolphin Bathrooms ?

[scott_e]

Mornin'

Has anyone asked Dolphin Bathrooms to do any work ?

http://www.dolphinbathrooms.co.uk

They appear to have stores all over the Uk. I have a designer visiting next week, not really sure what to expect from them to be honest. I like the idea of a one stop shop, they do everything, suspect it will be expensive though.

Thanks for any info
Scott

[renmure]

suspect it will be expensive though.
Scott

yup, then double the price... then add some!!

[RDH]

suspect it will be expensive though.
Scott

yup, then double the price... then add some!!

Agreed - they'll quote you a price - then miraculously drop it below half that price! (and even then -it'll be double what you should pay!)

[scott_e]

that bad are they

any other recommendations ?

thanks for the reply.

[gorrie]

I know my opinion doesn't count for much... but if you are handy with a spanner, and have a 2nd bathroom you can use while the other is out of action.... DIY it in your own time. The likes of Dolphin will roger you...
About £1K should see you able to rip out the entire bathroom & tiles, make good & then fit a new suite & tile with decent quality ones again.

I was about £1K for my main bathroom when doing it all myself... that was a case of going to showrooms, seeing stuff I liked... getting model names & then sourcing it cheaper online. That was completely gutted (ie, even down to new plasterboard, lights, coving etc)

En-Suite cost about £1.5K... but that increase was due to the fact I wanted to change the layout, so plumbing supplies started to rack up a little bit... and I needed to buy some new drill bits & angle grinder blades etc.

having said that, we all have differnt standard & if you want proper designer stuff though (ie V&B)... well, you'll pay... at the end of the day though, a white bath is a white bath... whether it cost £200 or £900. Pay more for a nice looking toilet & sink... splash out on the taps, radiators & accessories... but don't pay silly money for a bath (especially if you are boxing it in & then tiling up the side)... as they all look similar once in place.

Andy.

[scott_e]

cheers andy, have been tempted to do a spot of DIY but i do tend to create more problems than i solve. have done a spot of plumbing, electrical work and am gaining confidence but get bored very quickly and the finish would suffer.

[renmure]

I have a cousin in Dundee who is a plumber and I have had him (and his tradesmen friends.. builder, joiner, electrician, tiler, painter etc) do a few jobs for me over the past couple of years including bathrooms in different properties. My uncle is also sales director at Tayside Plumbing / Kitchen & Bathroom World in Dundee so they have always got the main fittings from there at whatever the cheapest price can be (but it is fair to say that they are a fairly expensive place to start with since it is mostly higher-end quality stuff and not really bargain range) I am sure cousin Alan could give a quote for doing the work and you could negotiate from there, or at least have something compare the Dolohin quote with. It might be a good idea to at least use the Dolphin folk to get some design ideas unless you have a fairly good idea of what you want already tho.

[scott_e]

Thanks for the reply Jim, a recommended plumber would be most helpful actually. I could source cheap kit from the Bathroom Store on Cleppington road, its well priced i believe, a recommended plumber for a fitting quote maybe all I need after that. TBH i just need a cheap on-suite in place, planning to move house within the next year or so, just getting all the jobs done.

[pete]

We just did it ourselves. Much cheaper.

Schedule so far.
1. January - Ripped out bathroom.
2. Feb-April searched for bathroom suites and tiles losing interest in early May.
3. Discovered friend of friend works for Matki.
4. June. Ordered shower from friend of friend.
5. August. Search for bathroom suite resumed. Argument ensued. Bought sink and bog.
6. Still no tiles.
7. September visited all tile shops in Glasgow.
8. Finally decided on tiles, from first shop we visited in Feb and B&Q.
9. November. B&Q Porcelain floor tiles arrive, but need sealed. Spent Sunday sealing them. Sealant is supposed to buff off. It doesn't. Buy car polisher in last ditch attempt to get the damn stuff to shine up.
10. Tiles returned to B&Q for refund.
11. Back to stage 2.

[BiggestNizzy]

think rubber for your floor tiles not porcelain !

[scott_e]

We just did it ourselves. Much cheaper.

Schedule so far.
1. January - Ripped out bathroom.
2. Feb-April searched for bathroom suites and tiles losing interest in early May.
3. Discovered friend of friend works for Matki.
4. June. Ordered shower from friend of friend.
5. August. Search for bathroom suite resumed. Argument ensued. Bought sink and bog.
6. Still no tiles.
7. September visited all tile shops in Glasgow.
8. Finally decided on tiles, from first shop we visited in Feb and B&Q.
9. November. B&Q Porcelain floor tiles arrive, but need sealed. Spent Sunday sealing them. Sealant is supposed to buff off. It doesn't. Buy car polisher in last ditch attempt to get the damn stuff to shine up.
10. Tiles returned to B&Q for refund.
11. Back to stage 2.

yeah that sounds like one of my DIY projects.

[jj]

I designed and project managed bathroom installs for a while when I was at Uni, and have done a couple since. I am in the middle of doing one just now at a property we are doing a full refurb of.

£1k bathroom?

I know its doable but any bathroom thats only had that spent on it is going to be easy to spot.
Just as an example, this bathroom I am doing just now is small, 7sq m floor area, and the tile adhesive at trade was just shy of £200. That doesnt leave much change for all the rest of the stuff you are going to need.

I would seek out a local supplier who does full design and install, and go with one where you get on with the person, they have a good rep, and are recommended, like Jims suggestion above. Cheapo looks cheap, especially when its stuff like kitchens + bathrooms.

[pete]

I designed and project managed bathroom installs for a while when I was at Uni, and have done a couple since. I am in the middle of doing one just now at a property we are doing a full refurb of.

£1k bathroom?

I know its doable but any bathroom thats only had that spent on it is going to be easy to spot.
Just as an example, this bathroom I am doing just now is small, 7sq m floor area, and the tile adhesive at trade was just shy of £200. That doesnt leave much change for all the rest of the stuff you are going to need.

I would seek out a local supplier who does full design and install, and go with one where you get on with the person, they have a good rep, and are recommended, like Jims suggestion above. Cheapo looks cheap, especially when its stuff like kitchens + bathrooms.

Snob

I would say it's the installer that counts. If it is done well a cheap suite can look great, alternatively friends had a CP Hart bathroom in a house they bought and it looked OK, but average tiling meant our cheapo B&Q one looked as good...

[jj]

I see it like this - stuff feels different when its cheaper, and kitchens + bathrooms are no different to cars. You get into a luxobarge vs a supermini and you can tell straight away its different.

Ref the cheap suite "looking great" well again its a matter of opinion, but when you look at closely it its not going to be as nicely made as a quality item is it?

But then, what do I know.

[gorrie]

I'd have a divorce on my hands if that was me Pete !!

So far in the last 12mths...
En-suite gutted/replaced (inc walls/ceiling/floor)
All interior doors (13) removed & replaced with oak (buggers to hang on your own).
All door handles replaced as wife didn't like old ones.
Down stairs wooden flooring laid (lounge/hall/dining room/family room)
Main bathroom gutted/replaced (inc walls/ceiling/floor).
Wall knocked down from kitchen to breakfast room to make bigger kitchen area.
Realise walls/ceilings of both rooms dont tie in... rip out plaster & start from scratch.
Rip out kitchen, design & install new one to take advantage of new space.
Lay new kitchen floor to tie in with the rest of the downstairs theme.
Redecorate guest bedroom.

My next one is that I've to replace the ceiling in the downstairs toilet as there's been a leak under previous ownership... and she wants cornice in it also.

And I thought she just wanted me for my body....

JJ ... £1K is easily do-able for materials... we're not talking designer here... Scott mentioned he's looking for something to put in the house for a few years to get him through before he sells up.
I used travertine tiles in the en-suite floor (with the proper adhesive), from a tile warehouse... not expensive.... glazed porcelaine for walls & floor in the main bathroom... again, not expensive. Bathroom suite was a mix of Phoenix & T+C. Like I said, if you want V&B stuff or similar, you will pay more... but the stuff at Dolphin isn't anything special from what I've seen.
My brother was/is a plumber, so I picked up a lot of tips from him before he emigrated... he used to do a lot of V&B fittings for a company called David James. A lot of it is down to the fitter. You can get expensive materials, but if you get a crap fitter, it will look crap.
Sure the cheaper stuff is always going to be cheaper.... but it can look OK if done well.

*** REMOVED THIS BIT, AS WHEN I READ IT BACK IT WAS A LITTLE BELOW THE BELT ***