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REFERENCE SHEET — THE WALL, LAYER BY LAYER

Materials and Workmanship

A materials reference: the surfaces and substrates that sit behind a bathroom finish, and the short list of things I check on each one before a single tile goes on.

A worker positions a white tile against ridged wall adhesive beside already installed tiles, with spacers visible along the joint.

Wall tile set against ridged adhesive, with spacers along the joint.

MATERIAL — TILE AND ADHESIVE

Tile, adhesive and the joint between

What I check

  • An adhesive that suits the tile and the surface behind it
  • Even ridges that flatten fully as the tile beds in
  • Spacers keeping joints consistent while it sets
  • Any membrane, completed by licensed specialists where required, in place before tiling

More in Wall and Floor Tiling.

MATERIAL — PLASTERBOARD AND COMPOUND

Plaster joints, worked flat

What I check

  • Sheet that suits the area, fixed firmly to the frame
  • Joints filled and feathered so paint reads smooth
  • Patches after demolition blended into the old wall
  • A flat, sound face ready for paint or tile

More in Plasterboard, Plastering and Interior Finishing.

Close-up of a person applying white plaster or joint compound with a wide finishing trowel and smaller putty knife.

Joint compound spread with a wide finishing trowel and putty knife.

A close-up of a rough, heavily textured grey cement or plaster wall surface with irregular ridges, pits and cracking.

Rough cement surface with ridges, pits and cracking.

Cement and render

What I check: whether a rough or cracked surface can be prepared, or needs replacing before anything goes over it.

A stripped interior under renovation contains metal wall and ceiling framing, insulation, exposed timber and electrical wiring.

Metal wall and ceiling framing with insulation and wiring exposed.

Metal and timber framing

What I check: that the frame is straight and sound before new sheet goes on. Wiring and pipework stay with licensed specialists.

Interior renovation site with exposed brickwork, removed walls, temporary supports, rubble and workers carrying out structural work.

Exposed brickwork and temporary supports in a stripped-back room.

Brick and masonry

What I check: signs of past moisture or movement, which can change the scope. That’s why the on-site assessment comes first.

Most good workmanship ends up where you'll never see it again.

READ FURTHER

Each layer, in more depth

I’m Ivan Bodnar, an independent renovation specialist based in Melbourne. These pages go further into each stage of a bathroom renovation in Malvern and surrounding suburbs.

01   Bathroom Renovations in Malvern

02   On-site Assessment and Quotation

03   Wall and Floor Tiling

04   Plasterboard, Plastering and Interior Finishing

05   Plumbing, Electrical and Regulated Work

        How a Bathroom Renovation Works

If you’d like me to look at the layers behind your own bathroom, you can request a quote and arrange an on-site assessment.