Will planned fitting of spots to kitchen ceiling require access from floor above?

[emma]

I am literally in the middle of ripping out the bathroom and have bought rubber tiles to stick down on the bathroom floor. The house is

10 years old, and planning permission has just come through for a two storey extension that will involve a new kitchen in the room below. Part of the new kitchen plan involves replacing horrid old massive spots with new smaller ones - will the builders need to rip up the bathroom floor above to fit either these - or the rads in the new second storey bedroom which will be behind the bathroom on the second floor - microbore plumbing. Basically can I fit my expensive tiles or should I wait (sigh) until extension is finished if I don't want them to come up again in 6 months time?

Cant ask builder as don't have one yet.

Cheers

Emma

[Lobster]

I'm assuming you'll be fitting quite a few more of the new smaller lights (are we talking halogen downlighters?) than you currently have of the existing spotlights, in different places, right? If so, you'll be needing wiring at different points on the ceiling to where it runs to now... and that is difficult to do from below without trashing the ceiling due to joists etc in the way. It's usually a lot easier to do from above.

If you fit the bathroom tiles now, then would then certainly become easier and cheaper to fit the downlighters from below, but that would very likely end up with you having to get the kitchen ceiling reskimmed (plastered), and possibly re plasterboarded too. You might get lucky, but basically, I would factor in the additional cost of the plasterer (200-300 quid?) to whatever your kitchen refit will cost, and then decide whether it's worth wait 6 months to tile the bathroom!

David

[emma]

Aha - ceiling is hideous "patterned" artex and an interior wall is coming down right in the middle of current ceiling and new continuing room added at the other end of room so ceiling will be having major works done - have already factored in replastering of this ceiling in plans - so this may not be that much of an issue. It is possible to add downlighter from below then? Hmm....need to think but thatss very helpful Thanks!

[htmark98]

If the celing is coming down then it can be done from below, they just need to work on ladders, it all depends how bad you want the floor upstairs done, whats 6 months? I would leave it untill all work is done as you never know what might happen and it may need to come up.

[Nigel Molesworth]

If you fit them, you will need access; if you don't, you won't.

Buy some cheap vinyl for now.

[Geoffrey]

Personally I would put the expensive tiles somewhere safe for 6 months and lay some cheap vinyl on the bathroom floor in the meantime. You can get reasonable looking stuff for a fiver a square meter and it has to be worth it "just in case" (IMO).

[emma]

Will restrain myself for now - cheers

Geoffrey wrote: