The five stages of a bathroom renovation, in the order they must happen
Demolition and chasing. Plumbing and electrical rough-in. Waterproofing with two-component polymer-modified cementitious coating — Fosroc, Dr. Fixit or Ardex — applied in two coats with fibreglass mesh at the floor-wall junction. Tile work after waterproofing has cured, with the floor slope set on the wet bedding before the tile is laid. Sanitaryware and CP fittings last. Skip a stage or compress the cure time and the bathroom looks fine on handover day, fails between month 12 and month 30.
A 50–60 sq ft standard bathroom takes 12 to 18 working days at the right pace. Anything quoted in 5 to 7 days is cutting the waterproofing cure, which is non-negotiable.
The waterproofing stage that decides everything
Two coats of polymer-modified cementitious waterproofing, the full floor plus 600 mm up every wall (full height on the shower wall), mesh embedded at the floor-wall junction, every plumbing penetration wrapped. The cure time is 48 to 72 hours before any tile work starts — that chemistry needs time to cross-link, and there's no shortcut. There's no honest tile job on uncured waterproofing or on a damp wall with visible salt deposits; those problems are upstream and fix at the source, not under a new coat. This base work is part of our civil contractor in Thane scope.
Tile work, slope, and grouting
Floor tile goes down on wet bedding with a 1–2% slope toward the drain, checked with a spirit level. Standing water near the drain after a shower means the slope was set wrong, and that isn't fixable later without redoing the floor. Anti-skid vitrified tiles for the floor (300×300 or 600×600 mm, matt for grip); glossy ceramic or vitrified for walls, larger formats (600×1200) meaning fewer grout joints and fewer failure points. Epoxy grout in the wet zone (shower, behind the WC) — it costs more and is worth it because it doesn't stain or yellow; cementitious grout elsewhere. Detailed tile selection sits on our flooring and tiles work in Thane page.
Sanitaryware, CP fittings and the brands I work with
Sanitaryware and CP from Kohler, Jaquar, Hindware, Cera, Parryware or Roca — each with budget, mid and premium lines, matched to the bathroom finish rather than a fixed brand. A wall-hung WC needs the in-wall concealed cistern installed during plumbing rough-in, not retrofitted. The geyser circuit needs its own MCB with the isolator outside the wet area, the exhaust fan on the lighting circuit, and a mirror light and one shaver point as standard. For new bathrooms led by layout and finish rather than a strip-back fix, see bathroom design in Thane.
Thane, Mumbai & Navi Mumbai
Jyani Interior is based in Thane Manpada and provides full interior design and civil work across Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Thane and Thane West come first, with the same complete scope extending across the MMR — a site visit confirms society rules and access before we begin.
Thane
- Manpada,
Ghodbunder Road,
Thane West,
Majiwada,
Hiranandani Estate,
Kasarvadavali,
Kolshet Road,
Kapurbawdi,
Patlipada,
Waghbil,
Brahmand,
Owale,
Vasant Vihar,
Pokhran Road,
Naupada,
Panchpakhadi,
Wagle Estate,
Vartak Nagar,
Kalwa,
Mumbra,
Diva,
Mumbai
- Mulund West and East,
Bhandup,
Nahur,
Vikhroli,
Powai,
Ghatkopar,
Andheri,
Borivali,
Kandivali,
Malad,
Goregaon,
Bandra,
Dadar,
Chembur,
Navi Mumbai
- Airoli,
Ghansoli,
Rabale,
Kopar Khairane,
Vashi,
Sanpada,
Nerul,
Belapur,
Kharghar,
Kamothe,
Panvel,
Ulwe,
Taloja,
12 to 18 working days for a standard bathroom with full strip-back. Tile-over-tile renovation can be done in 7 to 10 days. The 48-hour waterproofing cure is fixed — a 5-day quote is skipping the cure.
Tile-over-tile is possible when the existing waterproofing is genuinely sound and the floor level can absorb the 12–16 mm rise. In most older Thane buildings — CIDCO-era flats, anything 15+ years old, anything with visible salt deposits outside the bathroom wall — the right answer is full strip-back to the slab.
In most Thane and Mumbai societies, yes. I help with the documentation. Working hours typically run 9 to 6, no Sundays.