Despite being call reality television, programmes such as The Renovators or The Block are in reality simplistic and just good for broad concept ideas. A poorly planned and constructed renovation of areas such as kitchens or bathrooms will frequently devalue a property.
Kitchens, bathrooms and the laundry are highly functional rooms built for a purpose. The critical infrastructure in these rooms is the plumbing. Unfortunately reality television shows present renovation as being a DIY concept. In reality in the real world renovation of a kitchen, bathroom or laundry requires complex designing before beginning a project coupled with planning and building approvals.
Once the project begins a project program requires formulation to co-ordinate all of the tradesman and product deliveries. This is seldom seen on reality television as it is not the entertainment that is needed. Reality television renovation is solely driven by the entertainment value where contestants and renovation are packaged into a program. Unfortunately all of the backroom side of a renovation has little entertainment value so it is not seen.
Sustainable development is now much more than a buzzword it is in fact law especially in areas of plumbing and it is not something you can choose to opt out of. Whywait Plumbing has specialised for many years on being at the forefront of sustainable renovations. Sustainability needs to be part of the initial design not an optional add on. For this reason when planning a renovation of a kitchen, bathroom or laundry it can be advantageous to spend time in our Plumber Direct showroom to ensure you get it right from the beginning.
In most instances to renovate a bathroom correctly and compliantly you need to strip the bathroom back to bare concrete and frames so
Stripped out bathroom needed before a renovation can start
that there is literally a clean canvas to start with. The installation of new drainage frequently requires cutting up of concrete which is noisy and dusty. This is when earlier shortcuts and mistakes show up. It is these unexpected issues that lead to cost blowouts as plumbers are legally obliged to ensure that all work undertaken is compliant with AS/NZS3500 through the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002. Once again unless it is something sensational this sort of issue is not seen on the reality television show.
It is generally accepted that reality television renovation programs have a positive impact on getting home owners thinking about renovation and providing ideas but sadly they do not reflect reality. After having been involved in numerous real renovations the plumbers at Whywait Plumbing Services know only too well that home owners need to take off their rose coloured glasses when watching reality renovation programs on television.
The reality is there is an enormous amount of planning, quality control, co-ordination and installation work to get from a bathroom that is stripped bare as in the picture above to the end result as in the picture on the right. Unfortunately the reality is a renovation is not a 60 minute television program that has been packaged to maximise the entertainment value.
Ultimately all we can recommend is that you spend time with the expert staff at Whywait Plumbing utilising the resources of Plumber Direct to assess your design ideas and ensure
- design compliance with appropriate council and state laws
- undertake a cost analysis to ensure there will be no unexpected cost surprises
- choose practical plumbing products that suit your design, are easy to maintain into the future and most importantly deliver on your lifestyle requirements
Above all just always remember reality DIY renovation television programmes are entertainment not reality.
