Am in the middle -- or perhaps late beginning of bathroom renovation. I've only ever made a few posts, but like to read the forum. Good source of information and ideas.

So far: stripped out fittings, shower, including hob and removed tub and brickwork that was holding it in. (Ozito 800 w hammer drill good gear -- supplement with a pick to lift sections of morter.)

Also got the asbestos guys in to take out the walls..more on that soon. But....

I still have left in place a morter tub hob of about one brick high. There is remaining asbestos sheet -- that is lodged in between the concrete and the bottom plate. My logic for leaving the hob in place was that it was less work than taking it out, expecially if all I have to do is put it back in again and if I leave it where it is I don't further disturb asbestos. But I am wondering if I am doing the right thing. I can resheet the walls down to the tub hob but water proofing may be not effective (mind you there was none in there for the past 30 years). OPINIONS ON THIS ONE? I am going to put a new tub in.

ALSO I want to run a new one metre hand basin waste drain from an adjoining toilet room (gyprock wall) and connect it to pipe at bottom of bath tub with some sort of T or Y junction. The guy at the plumbing shop said it could not do this cause not allowed. Don't understand why this would be so and noone has mentioned that it would be a problem before. The basin is higher than the tub and they all connect to the same lines anyway, Hand-basin water flow is very small compared to bathtub. I don't want to go under the house -- four inch reinforced slab, plus very low house and I would need a midget dwarft to do it, Going out through a wall is problematical because there is a lot of concrete around the house -- up to the the brickwork. Is anyone aware of a special fitting that could accommodate 40 mm waste inlet to a 50mm metal tub waste pipe (about 12 cms of pipe out of concrete) I would be most grateful.

ASBESTOS removal...after paying $800 for removal I still have to deal with residual bits mentioned above. Tip for other renovators: take out the tub and the bath hob as well before the asbestos removal people come. That will save minor removal work for you or rescheduling them to come back again. I was unsure if I could remove the tub with the asbestos sheets on the wall -- lots of loose tiles etc and ASC sheet, so I left it in

BY THE WAY..nasty surprise when I got to see what was behind the sheeting in the shower area. Bottom plate half rotted, along with bottom of some studs. It looks like tap has leaked and water has followed the copper pipes down to the bottom of a structural upright -- which is also rot damaged. I have abuilder friend coming around tomorrow to help me replace rotten stuff where possible - for strength and something to nail sheets to.

The hardest part of the reno of course is making sure the wife picks the right vanity unit!

Look forward to comments!