Bathroom questions in Cork
Clear answers on bathroom refits, moving pipework, tanking, electric showers and Cork City Council or Cork County Council adaptation grants.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
Get a price for your bathroom in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one bathroom renovation company that covers your part of Cork, and they ring you back to see the room and give you a written price.
Questions people ask us
How much mess is there?
The room is stripped to the walls, so there's dust and a skip outside for a few days. A good company sheets the stairs and landing, cuts tiles outside where it can and tidies up every evening.
Is the work guaranteed?
Ask for it in writing: a guarantee on the workmanship, the makers' guarantees on the shower, the valve and the suite, and the guarantee on the tanking. The electrician gives you a completion certificate.
Who comes out to price it?
One bathroom renovation company that covers your part of Cork. They see the room, check the floor, the hot water and the waste, then price it in writing.
Do I need to apply for a council grant before bathroom work starts in Cork?
Yes. Cork City Council or Cork County Council requires written grant approval before any adaptation work starts on site. Work started before approval is not covered.
What is the Housing Adaptation Grant cap?
Up to €40,000 for adapting a home for a person with a disability, or up to €8,000 under the Mobility Aids Grant for household incomes up to €37,500.
Why is keeping the existing bathroom layout cheaper?
Keeping the toilet, basin and shower in the same positions avoids re-routing the 110 mm soil stack and floor waste pipes through joists or concrete slabs.
Should the shower walls and floor be tanked before tiling?
Yes. Grout is porous over time; a liquid or sheet tanking membrane behind the tiles stops water reaching plasterboard or timber joists.
Who carries out the electrical work in a bathroom refit?
A Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) must fit bathroom lighting, extractor fans, electric showers and shaver sockets under Irish IP zone rules and issue a completion certificate.
Can a bath be replaced with a walk-in shower in the same footprint?
Yes. A 1700 mm bath space takes a low-profile walk-in shower tray and fixed glass panel, often connecting straight to the existing bath waste position.
What is the difference between a wet room and a low-profile shower tray?
A wet room has a level, tanked floor laid to a fall with a flush drain and no lip at all. A low-profile tray sits 25 to 45 mm high and only requires tanking in the shower enclosure.
How do gravity-fed, pumped and electric showers differ?
An electric shower heats cold mains or tank water on demand. A mixer shower blends hot cylinder water with cold water and often uses a booster pump on Irish gravity-fed plumbing systems.
Can underfloor heating go under bathroom floor tiles?
Yes. Electric undertile heating mats sit in flexible tile adhesive over insulation backer board and warm porcelain or stone floor tiles quickly.
What size extractor fan does a bathroom or en-suite need?
Irish building rules require mechanical extract ventilation in bathrooms and shower rooms, often wired to an overrun timer or humidity sensor to clear steam.
How do you stop mould coming back on bathroom silicone and ceilings?
Fit a quiet humidity-sensing extractor fan, tank wet walls properly and finish movement joints with sanitary-grade anti-fungal silicone.
What happens to the old bathroom suite and tiles?
The fitting company strips out the old suite and tiles and removes the waste in a skip or van load as part of the full job.
Get a free price for your bathroom in Cork
Four taps, or a photo. One local company rings you with a written price.
Every guide, calculator and county page
Jump straight to any specification guide, our interactive calculator, the technical glossary or your county page.