13 hours ago
The best bathroom in Wales is in a former care home
Refurbishing a bathroom in a heritage property often poses unique technical challenges. When the owner is insisting the result remains in fashion for decades, the list of potential headaches grows for the builder tasked with carrying out the project.
for Mike Robson, tackling an intricate conversion in a former care home was to prove the toughest in his four decades of experience. Not only was he asked to restore the period property into a single-family home, his team had to extend and renovate the house. The owners also wanted to converting two first-floor rooms into a spacious bed and bath area.
Somehow Mike, of Talbot Green Construction and Landscaping, pulled it off. At an awards ceremony dominated by South Wales builders and architects, his firm collected the "Best bathroom in Wales 2025" accolade from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Cymru.
Despite the Penarth commission being the most complex bathroom project Mike and his team have worked on, he took it in his stride. He says he doesn't stress: having been in the trade for over 40 years, he's been around long enough to know there's always a solution.
Mike said: "I don't get stressed about things - if I wake up in the morning and I'm breathing that's good enough for me!
"No matter what problems arise, I can sort them out, they are miniscule compared to what can happen in life."
Faced with converting two rooms into a bedroom and and bath ensuite, considerable structural work was needed before Mike could start thinking about the finishings. For this, a load-bearing wall had to be removed to merge the spaces, reports Wales Online.
Mike said this required extensive effort. "It's probably the most work I've done on a bathroom," he said. "We had to take down a load-bearing wall to knock the two rooms into one space and then create the ensuite in the former bedroom.
"We had to install the supporting steel beam and then take up the whole floor because the joists weren't adequate to take the weight of the bath, water and, obviously, a person.
"Also, underneath is a living room which was going to have a chandelier hanging down which weighed a tonne, so we took it right back to basics and bricks."
Happily, there wasn't an 'Only Fools and Horses' moment with the chandelier. All the structural specifications were done by an engineer and everthing went to plan.
Mike recalled: "All the joists were replaced and strengthened and levelled because, as you can imagine, it's an old building, nothing is straight or level, so it can be a nightmare.
"But we have an extremely good bathroom and kitchen fitter called Darren Dauncey - everyone knows him as Daz - and his attention to detail is second to none.
"He is extremely good, he can see any problems before they actually arise because of his years of experience."
The South Glamoran owners were very understanding of the challenges of knocking around a property more than a century old. True to form the Victorian property "kept throwing curve balls at us", they said, adding: "At every obstacle Mike and the team had a solution.
"From first fix to the final finishes their attention to detail was second to none and we could not be happier with the end result."
The floor, which houses all the pipes and plumbing, required additional work before the marble flooring and luxury fittings could be installed. The bath in particular posed the greatest challenge.
Mike explained: "Getting the first fix plumbing into place was tricky because it had to come from the other side of the room and all the pipes needed to be hidden. So there was chasing out the walls, as well as the joists - the logistics of getting the pipework from A to B.
"The bath is actually my favourite part of the bathroom, even though it was the most challenging. We needed to support the floor underneath it due to the weight of the marble floor tiles, the bath itself, the water when it's full and, obviously, a person too.
"Then we had to hide all the pipework for the bath, water waste and the stand-alone tap. To look at it, it's just a bath and a tap but from our point of view it was a challenge but a very satisfying one to complete."
The bathroom at the far end features a separate walk-in shower, a separate toilet and a sauna. All were positioned on a wall which, while it made construction easier, it was harder to conceal the plumbing.
Mike said the house, being an older Victorian property, has high ceilings, and this offered the solution. It allowed the team to create a suspended ceiling to conceal additional items needed for the sleek and uncluttered design that so impressed the FMB judges.
"The original ceilings were delaminated lath and plaster," Mike continued. "So an MF grid ceiling was installed, not only giving a new level and solid ceiling but all the extraction ducts and services could be run in the void created."
The space for the sauna was prepared, including all the first fix elements, before Cardiff-based BOS leisure arrived on site to install it. Other notable features include marble skirtings and dado rails.
Mike, a seasoned builder from Talbot Green, stressed the importance of client communication in successful construction projects. He said: "When starting to put things back together we always ask the client if they are sure they want things exactly to the drawings, such as the location of a plug socket or light switch before we do it. They are the clients and they are going to live in the place.
"So we are keen to confirm everything with them that they definitely want things as per the drawings or interior designer specifications."
Despite recently earning the accolade for 'best bathroom in Wales 2025', Mike, 61, remains modest, attributing the victory to his team's skill and hard work. He's certainly not looking for online recognition.
He admitted: "I'm a dinosaur really, I've never seen a social media page and when I have to turn the computer on I feel like smacking my head against a wall! But I'm really content, I'm always active, I can't just sit still, I've got an allotment and I'm always doing stuff."
Yet, Mike's building skills are anything but outdated, as evidenced by the award-winning bathroom. He said: "My aim is that whatever the client needs, I will hold their hand and help them through the process.
"But at the end of the day it's their home and I treat that with the greatest of respect. All my clients are a pleasure to work for, I'm very fortunate."
