Bathroom renovation: modern bathrooms are sustainable bathrooms
Those who want to renovate their home bathroom are often spoilt for choice. The options range from no embellishments to comprehensive bathroom remodelling. The costs and time involved must be well planned. And climate protection considerations also play an important role. We answer the most important questions on the way to a sustainable bathroom.
When renovating a bathroom, the first question building owners should ask themselves is: do I really want a complete bathroom renovation? Or do I primarily want a modern bathroom, i.e. do I "only" want to renovate my bathroom?
In the case of a comprehensive bathroom remodelling, old tiling must be knocked off and the bathtub or shower as well as all sanitary fixtures must be removed. This makes sense, for example, if a flush-floor shower is to be installed in the course of the bathroom renovation.
But even a simple bathroom renovation can help to create a modern and sustainable bathroom in the end. Old tile coverings can even be partially left in place and merely covered over. This decision depends not least on the available budget. It is advisable to consult a craftsman's company and discuss the possible measures on-site.
Anyone who wants to renovate their bathroom should first draw up a rough budget plan. However, the costs of a bathroom renovation depend heavily on the size and the planned measures as well as the choice of sanitary objects. The quality of the selected fittings and tiling plays just as decisive a role as the craftsmen's services. Against this backdrop, the share of materials, such as tile adhesive or grout for tile joints seems vanishingly small. But with these building materials it is worthwhile to make a cost calculation of its own: the environmental or climate impact costs. This is the term used to describe costs that arise for society due to the consequences of climate change. Those who plan a sustainable bathroom avoid the emission of climate-damaging greenhouse gases and thus actively contribute to climate protection.
For a sustainable bathroom design, water-saving fittings or lighting with energy-saving lamps are a matter for sure. But what few people know: you can also contribute to climate protection by choosing the right tiling system. When renovating bathrooms, builders should make sure that the materials used are as low in CO₂ emissions as possible. These can often be recognized by special labels with which building material manufacturers identify climate-friendly products. Saint-Gobain Weber, for example, has been offering CO₂-reduced and sustainable products under the label "BlueComfort" for ten years, including four products for a sustainable bathroom. 25.000 tons of CO₂ have already been saved in this way. By way of comparison, this is roughly equivalent to the emissions of a van that circles the equator 3.255 times.
If the entire room is being re-tiled as part of a bathroom renovation, tiling professionals always start with the wall. This prevents material from dripping onto the already-tiled floor. The new tiles are then fixed on the floor, always working in the direction of the door.
Shower areas and other areas on walls and floors exposed to moisture are additionally protected by special waterproofing systems before tiling. Under certain conditions, old tile coverings can be covered with new tiles. The individual ceramics are first checked for visible damage and then tapped off in order to find out whether this is possible. If damage is visible or a hollow sound can be heard, the old tiles should be knocked off or removed with a chisel hammer.
Before the new tiles are fixed to the wall, impurities must be removed and unevenness levelled. This can be done quickly and easily with specific levelling and repair mortars, so that the tiles can be laid after just five hours. Wall surfaces that are particularly exposed to moisture are then waterproofed in two work steps. Afterwards the tile adhesive is applied, and the tiles are slided into the fresh mortar bed and pressed down. Before the mortar hardens, the joints between the tiles must be scraped out. Next, the steps are repeated for the floor area. Finally, the joints on the wall and floor are filled with grout. Here, builders should not only pay attention to the CO₂ balance, but also to the high resistance against sanitary cleaners.
The path to a modern and sustainable bathroom begins with planning. Builders should allow themselves enough time to be clear about their wishes, the budget and the scope of the desired bathroom renovation. The tiling company should also be commissioned and the materials ordered in good time. In any case, build owners should try to find alternative options at an early stage, because the actual bathroom renovation usually takes two to three weeks. If only the existing tiling is replaced, the duration of the bathroom renovation can be reduced to around one week. The process can be further shortened if fast-drying products are preferred when selecting materials.
Professional tip
Tile fixing products with the label "BlueComfort"
Tile fixing products with the label "BlueComfort" More and more owners attach importance to a climate-friendly building method and wish for this reason not only a modern bathroom but a sustainable one. In this case, professional tile layers can recommend the building material BlueComfort without hesitation. For bathroom renovation, there are currently four products available for typical applications in both domestic and wet areas: a liquid waterproofing foil, a flexible tile adhesive, a multi-use flexible tile adhesive and a grout for the joints. All these products feature a very low emission of organic volatile substances and are listed in the DGNB navigator for sustainable building.
Mit der neuen BlueComfort-Produktfamilie für die Fliesenverlegung machen wir nachhaltiges Bauen einfacher und wirtschaftlicher.
Im Aktionszeitraum vom 15.09.2023 bis zum 30.10.2023 können sich gewerbliche Kunden mit dem Kauf von einem unserer neuen BlueComfort-Fliesenklebern weber.xerm 840oderweber.xerm 842weitere Prämien sichern!
