Occasionally, you may have to replace a single item in your bathroom, but it is probably more likely that you will want to remove the whole bathroom suite to make way for a new one. Here are a few tips to help you strip out your bathroom.

STRIPPING OUT THE OLD

If you are replacing any item in your bathroom with a similar fitting, some of the pipework may need to be carefully dismantled for reconnection, but if you are rearranging the bathroom, you might as well just cut it all out with a hacksaw. Remember to turn off the water supply before you attempt to remove anything.

WASHBASINS

Basins come in a variety of designs. They may be supported on large, screw-fixed brackets, set into counter-tops, or balanced on a pedestal; while the pipework may be easily accessible, concealed within a wall, or hidden in a cupboard or behind the pedestal. If you want to reuse the existing pipework, undo the compression nuts on the tap connectors with a wrench or cranked spanner. Disconnect the trap waste, then undo and remove any fixings and wall brackets with a screwdriver.

TOP TIP: If you’re going to reuse connectors or old pipework, block the ends off with insulating tape or something similar, to prevent any debris dropping into the pipework and causing blockages later on.

BATHS

Cut through the supply pipes and overflow with a hacksaw, and if the bath has adjustable feet, wind them down. Use a craft knife to cut through the mastic seal around the bath. With many baths, you can just lean down on the bath and pull it away from the wall, but if there is a timber framework built around it to hold a panel, you’ll have to dismantle this first. Plastic and pressed steel baths are relatively light, so they can be removed in one piece, but a cast-iron bath is a tremendous weight. Unless you wish to restore the bath, it may be a lot easier to break it into manageable pieces using a sledge hammer. This will be noisy, and dangerous because of flying debris, so wear ear protectors, safety glasses and gloves to complete the job safely. And don’t forget to warn your neighbours before you start.

TOILETS

Flush the toilet, after you’ve turned off the water supply, to empty the cistern, then check it isn’t refilling. Using a wrench, disconnect the supply and overflow pipes. Undo the fixings for the cistern. The pan is normally stuck or fixed with brass screws to the floor. Brass is a soft material, so be careful when removing them.

If the pan waste is connected to the soil pipe with a flexible push-fit pan connector, you can simply pull the pan free. If the pan is sealed with putty or, even worse, a sandand-cement mix, this will have to be removed without damaging the cast-iron soil pipe collar, by carefully breaking out the pan at the outlet with a hammer. Block up the soil pipe to prevent any debris falling in and clogging the pipe; do this by stuffing in a plastic bag filled with old rags and tied to a length of string for easy removal. Break out the remaining pieces and jointing of the old pan using a hammer and sharp cold chisel.

If you’re unfortunate and break some of your bathroom suites soil pipe collar, this can be rectified by cutting off the damaged section using a chain-link pipe cutter or a large angle grinder (both available on hire). Make a series of horizontal cuts followed by a vertical cut until you have a clean, straight spigot end. You can then connect the new pan using a push-fit flexible pan connector.