When it comes to renovating your bathroom, there could be some questions. Removing a standalone bidet could require professional help.
Bidets aren’t that common in the US but have been in higher priced homes for decades. That could change over the next few years as they are expected to be installed at an increase of 15% annually (Link) over the next three to five years.
The steps to removing the bidet in your home are:
- Remove the bidet from the floor
- Demolish the base of the bidet
- Repair flooring in bathroom
Taking the bidet out of the floor in the bathroom is going to take tools and time. It will also take the bathroom out of use for a few hours.
If you are a novice, there is no shame in calling a professional for help, but that could be costly. Prepare for a time-intensive and detail-oriented job.
Keep your head up! Read on and learn what it takes to remove the bidet in your bathroom.
Remove The Bidet From The Floor
Bidets come in different configurations, but the most common type, the free-standing (standalone) bidet, will be the most labor-intensive.
These will often be connected to the wall and floor, just like the conventional toilet. They usually sit side by side and will occupy the same amount of space.
Having a good set of wrenches and sockets is going to be important for the steps that follow.
The steps to removing the bidet from the floor are:
- Shut off the water – There should be a set of metal or plastic dials on the wall behind the bidet. These are for the incoming hot and cold water. Make sure they are both turned to the off position before moving on to the next step. If you are using power tools, they could shock or electrocute the user if the water reaches the plugs.
- Disconnect the tubing – Snaking up from the silver handles will be a plastic or steel woven hose that connects the water from the wall to the water inside the bidet. These will attach at both ends and be separate pieces when they are removed. Save them if you are replacing the bidet as they may be useful. Hoses are often universal.
- Remove the sealant or bolts – Around the bottom of the bidet, where it meets the flooring, should be a bead of adhesive or a series of bolts that connects the bidet to the floor. Use a knife for the seal and sockets for the bolts. This step should be handled with care because damaging the underneath pieces could hamper the bidet function.
- Pull the bidet from the floor – After years of use, the bidet will be snugly attached to the base. It will take some elbow grease to get it moving but make sure that you don’t pull on a section too roughly and destroy the porcelain. Shards can be like glass and could get into the eyes if broken.
- Cover the plumbing hole – Once the porcelain is removed from the base, there should be an open hole on the top. This hole is where the drain leads down to the plumbing below and might need a good cleaning before you patch over it in the later steps of the process. Fix problems in such a way that you don’t have to come back again.
Demolish The Base Of The Bidet
Once the large glass and porcelain seat is removed, it is time to get to work on the mound of concrete or rock beneath.
This task will take a hammer or a rotor-hammer, a device like a small jackhammer, to slowly chip away at the base while not hurting the floor beneath it.
Wear eye and ear protection during this step as those nasty chips can be hard on sensitive eyes.
The steps to demo the base of the bidet are:
- Start a crack in the base – No matter which type of tool you are using to chip away at the base, you should start by attacking it at a steep angle. As you work, the hammer and chisel will direct the hammer’s shocks onto the rock, causing tiny fissures and cracks to appear. Choose a big one and break it away from the base.
- Work around the piece of rock – The large rock that is the foundation of the bidet will need several different cracks to remove the large portion. Go around the concrete and knock off pieces systematically until it is all removed from the floor, leaving only the thin layer of adhesive below.
- Remove the adhesive on the base – Under the base, between rock and flooring, is going to be a heavy-duty adhesive that keeps the base to the floor. Use a putty knife to remove the glue that wasn’t peeled away when you broke the base with your hammer and chisel. This could require some extra heat or solvent if things get sticky.
- Clean the floors – Before moving on to the next step, the floor and the floor coverings must be clean. Any mold or grime should be scrubbed out with a deep cleanser. If the bidet has been sitting for years, it could have built up a severe gunk level on the floor. Dust and mold can work its way into the tiniest cracks, be prepared to clean them.
Repair The Flooring In The Bathroom
Now that the floor is free of any heavy debris or holes, you should concentrate on returning the floor back to standard with the rest of the bathroom.
Removing the adhesive could have stripped tiles or exposed rotten pieces of wood in the flooring. Take the time to repair the holes as weak floors can lead to large holes and possible injury.
Wear eye protection at all times during this step.
The steps to repairing the flooring in the bathroom are:
- Chip away the old tile – Some tiles could need to be hammered out with a chisel. In steady strokes, knock away the tile that is in disrepair. If you have linoleum, you should be able to grip and pull the pieces away instead of using the hammer and chisel. Be careful not to nick or puncture holes in the wood below.
- Fix any issues with the floor – Water and wood do not go well together. No matter how strong the adhesive sealant on the bidet was, there could be water damage to the floor around the base and hole. Weakness in the floor is not a good thing and could lower the home’s value if not repaired correctly.
- Replace the flooring with new tiles – Now is the time to put new tile down to replace the old ones. This isn’t a bad time to replace the whole floor as pulling up one tile could expose problems. Cutting and measuring tile can be a time consuming and frustrating job. Make sure to buy enough tiles for mistakes.
Conclusion
Removing the bidet in your home is broken down into three phases. Each phase eliminates a part of the waste system or prepares the bathroom for what will come.
Repairing the flooring and wall area around where the bidet used to be should take precedence if there are no repairs needed for the sewage connection.
Tile and flooring that has been covered could have water damage or could uncover severe issues with the entire floor. Before moving on, repair these shortcomings as they could lead to serious injury or faults in the home.
Choose a tile that is easy to lay and durable in the bathroom’s damp elements.