This was the first room in a three-bathroom renovation — the en-suite went first. 

I stripped the room out completely and took every wall back to bare brick. Most of the plaster had blown, which makes the wall far too unstable to tile — tile onto that and it will crack, usually about a year after you have been paid and gone.

It is a three-storey Victorian house, and walls in that state are not unusual in a property of that age.

You only find out once the old tiles are off. When the walls are bad the render tends to come away with the tile, which tells you everything you need to know. 

I check the condition of every wall at that point, before anything goes back on it.

A wet room former went in to create the falls that carry water away to the gully — get those wrong and the water just sits. The former came from On The Level in Leighton Buzzard.

The walls were dot and dabbed with moisture-resistant board, and the shower area boarded with Wedi tile backer board. 

Once the room was prepared, skimmed, painted and the coving fitted, the shower area was tiled in marble chevron.

The floor area has been tiled with natural stone marble tile.

The room has a HIB mirror, an LED-lit alcove, and a Crosswater shower and taps.