Case Study
A 1980s En-Suite, Rebuilt from the Joists Up in Wilmington
Forty years of service, one leaking shower tray, and floorboards that had quietly rotted underneath. This en-suite didn't need a refresh — it needed rescuing.
The Problem
This Wilmington en-suite had been installed in the 1980s and, to be fair to it, had done four decades of honest work. But the shower tray had been leaking — slowly, invisibly — and by the time we lifted it, the floorboards beneath had rotted through.
This is the classic failure mode of older en-suites. The leak is never dramatic: no dripping ceiling, no burst pipe. Just a tray that's moved a millimetre or two over the years, sealant that's given up, and water finding its way into timber every single morning.
What We Did
Stripped out to the joists
The whole room came out — suite, tiles, boards, the lot — so we could see exactly how far the water damage ran and cut out every piece of compromised timber.
Replaced the rotten floor
New joist sections where needed and a fresh, solid subfloor. A bathroom floor carries a lot of weight in water, ceramics and people — it has to be right.
Full tanking system
Before any tiling, the wet zone was fully tanked with a waterproof membrane — floor, walls, corners and junctions. It's the step the original 1980s installation never had, and the reason this one won't repeat history.
Underfloor heating
With the floor already open, it was the perfect moment to add electric underfloor heating — warm tiles on a winter morning, and it helps the room dry out fast after every shower.
Modern porcelain finish
Grey porcelain tiles laid laser-level, a new shower with a solid tray, and clean modern fixtures. A compact space, used properly.
The Outcome
Time on site
9 days
including floor repairs
Guarantee
5 years
on all workmanship
Hidden extras
None
fixed-price quote, honoured
A forty-year-old en-suite with a rotten floor became a warm, watertight, modern shower room in nine days — with the structural problems actually fixed rather than tiled over. If your en-suite dates from the same era, the odds are the same slow leak is happening under your tray right now.
Planning Something Similar?
More Real Projects
Is Your En-Suite Overdue the Same Treatment?
George will survey the room, tell you what's actually going on under the tray, and give you a fixed-price quote for doing it properly.