h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

we also had a large utillity room which we converted to a smaller utillity room and a downstairs loo & laundry, so users of the loo don't need to disturb bathers

Was going to say, all this knocking through of bathrooms and toilets is only really practical if there is another loo in the house to avoid having your lovely scented bath experience being interrupted by something less, er, fragrant.

That's what locks are for! Keep the orrible buggers out!

But just remember - sometimes you'll end up on the other side of the door while someone's intent on a two-hour soaking session in there.

The house I grew up in had a downstairs toilet - outside, with a shed type door that had gaps top and bottom, lots of spiders and a drippy tap next to the loo. And damp loo roll all the time.

I'd rather hold it in the winter.

Current house only has one loo, although I am tempted to put a chemical loo in the garden.

Yes I did the conversion of a lean-to into utility-room-plus-dowstairs-loo in Holywood too, and it's very handy when you have teenagers and their friends popping in and out.

I've had the luxury of an en-suite for almost the past 4 years, so it'll be a bit of adaptation to go back to sharing. But with one teenager already away at Uni, and the other only likely to be here for another year or so, a second loo is no longer such a high priority.

Currently looking at flooring options - leather look vinyl, or is that too kinky?

Any cool slate-y look tiles? I think they'd go well with the crisp, clean modern look you were talking about. Or other stone ones.

I live in a flat that I share with somebody else (and his boyfriend now).

It's easy. Before you start running the bath, you give them a warning. It's then understood that you have about 10 minutes to do what you gotta do and after that you put up or shut up.

so you get to walk in to *that smell* for your bath?

I don't think it's that complicated either - it's just odd that people seemed to side with the person in the bath without thinking they might be on the other side of the door. Doesn't everbody do both?

Well no, if it's been used for that, you give it a couple more minutes before you run the bath. It takes a good 20 mins to runa bath so that's plenty of time for it to air out

That's how we did it when I was growing up and there were 6 of us, plus 1 or 2 foster kids usually.

Someone shouts out 'if you wanna go, go now!' then anyone who wants to go after, well it's just their bad luck they can hold it.

And yes, I had plenty of times being outside the bathroom door, but mostly it was just saying 'let me know when you're out, I've got to gooooooo' and the person inside shouting 'I told you before I got in so off!'.

Simple, really.

To everyone worrying about the horrible smell I say - keep a box of matches by the loo. Strike a match, disperse smell. Works a treat, every time, no matter how bad (although I do call the worst ones two-matchers! ).

Deb

Just been for a lunch-time drool around IKEA (Sale starts 2nd July, other flat pack furniture purveyors are available)

TC, they had a bathroom mirror which was recessed into a wooden frame, so that the base of the frame acts as a shelf.

That sounds great - as long as it doesn't have a washbasin installed in front of it.

That reminds me - I always wanted mirrors that went down low enough to be able to see my belly button in our new bathroom. I can't remember why, now, and we haven't got them, anyway.

Oh I think I'd pay NOT to see my belly!

Right, sanitary-ware ordered - P-shaped shower-bath, small basin with semi-pedestal, and loo.

Think I'll have to go with an electric shower, as the heating system is an all-or-nothing type - can't have just hot water but no radiators. And I really don't want to have to wait for 20 minutes while the immersion heater heats up the water for a shower! Shame, cos I'd have loved a high power system.

Looking at tiles: I originally wanted pale walls and a dark floor, but I've seen some rooms with just dark tiling round the bath/shower, and light floor plus walls, which looks very good. I also love the pebble flooring I've seen

Is your heating system designed like that or is it broken? I ask because mine started doing that, and it was a valve not closing or something (that obviously needed an expensive part!).

As you've just moved in, maybe they've left you some broken heating.

I haven't actually moved in yet! No it's not broken, but it doesn't have a combi boiler. I suspect the heating system is quite old, but I'm not planning to upgrade that just yet. There is currently an electric shower in the bathroom.

I haven't got a combi boiler either, and live with elderly heating (as does my mum, hers is over 30 years old but they both work the same). Are there separate controls for heating and water? I don't think any heating system would be designed so you can't have hot water without heating the house too.

That is a very dodgy heating system if it was designed so that you have to have the radiators hot in order to get hot water even in the summer? That doesn't sound right at all - it would be worth your while replacing the boiler before you move in if it really does work like that otherwise it will either be extraordinarily expensive to run or you'll have to have no hot water for the summer!