The challenge
A Brentwood customer had always wanted an original Victorian steel roll top bath and wanted the finished room to feel properly bespoke rather than forced into a standard layout. After discussing several installation options, we agreed the bath should sit slightly away from the corner to suit both the room proportions and the customer’s style. That decision created extra plumbing work: the toilet needed relocating to create the right clearance, a new core hole had to be drilled for the revised pipework, and new hot and cold copper feeds had to be first-fixed through the floor for freestanding bath taps. Because the bath was an original steel model, it was also extremely heavy and needed to be manoeuvred into position carefully without damaging the floor or the bath itself. On top of that, the existing tap holes were larger than modern standard fittings, so a straightforward off-the-shelf installation was not possible.
How we solved it
I worked closely with the customer from start to finish to turn the vision into a practical installation plan. Once the final bath position was set, I relocated the toilet to free up the required space and drilled a new core hole through the wall to route the revised services neatly. New hot and cold copper pipes were first-fixed through the floor in the correct position for the freestanding taps, then I carefully manoeuvred the original Victorian bath into place using specialist handling methods, including a car jack, so it could be aligned safely and accurately. To finish the plumbing properly, I used bespoke solutions around the oversized tap holes so the traditional fittings could be secured cleanly and professionally without compromising the look of the bath.
The finished Brentwood installation combines original Victorian character with modern plumbing performance. The roll top bath now sits exactly where it best suits the room, the relocated toilet gives the bath the clearance it needed, and the custom pipework and tap detailing deliver a secure, high-end finish tailored to the customer’s exact requirements.
