Slightly hard water, and how we fit for it
United Utilities' own data for the Northwich West zone gives an average of 111 milligrams per litre of calcium carbonate, which is slightly hard, with samples running from 94 to 135. That is noticeably harder than Chester or Wrexham, and it shows up as scale on shower glass, around tap bases and inside electric shower heaters within a couple of years if nothing is done. So for Northwich bathrooms we specify with that in mind: shower heads with rubber nozzles you can rub clear, glass with a factory easy-clean coating, thermostatic valves with ceramic cartridges, a filter on an electric shower where the manufacturer offers one, and a word at the survey about whether a softener is worth it for your house. It is not a reason to avoid a rainfall head; it is a reason to buy the right one.
Northwich houses, from subsidence streets to Kingsmead
Salt mining left its mark on the town centre: the old timber-framed buildings withstood the ground movement, and some houses were built on steel girders so they could be jacked up and levelled again. A bathroom in one of those older properties gets a floor check before anything else, because a level tray or a wet room fall only works on a floor that is not still moving. Hartford and Davenham are village suburbs with their own conservation areas and a good share of period houses, where boarding and levelling come before tiles.
Kingsmead, on the east bank of the Weaver to the south, is a Redrow suburb planned for 2,000 homes and a parish in its own right since 2011; Winnington Village on the north-west side is newer family housing by Barratt, Taylor Wimpey, Morris and Wilson Bowden. On both, the work is upgrading developer bathrooms and ensuites, which is quick because the pipework is accessible and the walls are plasterboard.
Floods, building control and conservation
Northwich flooded badly in 1946, when more than 300 properties were affected, and again in 1977, 2000 and 2012; the council's strategy counts around 630 properties in the one percent flood zone, and the warning area takes in the Bull Ring, High Street, Witton Street, Castle Street, Navigation Road and the marina. If your bathroom is on the ground floor of a house in that area we talk about non-return valves on the waste, raised electrical points and finishes that will survive a wetting; it costs little at build time and a great deal afterwards. Cheshire West and Chester Council runs building control for the town. New drainage, structural work and bathroom electrics are the notifiable parts of a job; the electrics that need certifying are done by a registered electrician we work with, and you get the certificate. The Northwich, Hartford and Davenham conservation areas are worth a check before an external vent goes on a front wall.
Choosing a bathroom in Northwich
There are more independents here than in most towns: Northwich Plumbing Supplies at the New Cheshire Business Park on Wincham Lane has a bathroom showroom alongside the trade counter, Cascade Bathrooms is on London Road, Signature Kitchen and Bathrooms is on Manchester Road, and TG Builders Merchants at Wincham Mill has its own kitchen and bathroom displays. B and Q at Northwich Retail Park covers the off-the-shelf end. Choose anywhere and we fit it, or we shortlist and bring samples.
What we do in Northwich
- Full renovations with floors checked and levelled first in the older streets
- Ensuite and family bathroom upgrades on Kingsmead and Winnington Village
- Wet rooms and walk-in showers specified for slightly hard water
- Downstairs toilets and cloakrooms
- Tiling, wall panels, plumbing, towel rails, fans and lighting (electrician certified)
- Repairs: scaled-up showers and valves, leaks, resealing and regrouting
- Flood-aware ground-floor bathrooms in the warning area
Example scenario: a Kingsmead ensuite
A Redrow house with an 800 by 800 corner enclosure, a pedestal basin and waist-height tiles. We fit a 1000 by 800 low tray with a fixed easy-clean glass panel, a thermostatic shower with a wipe-clean head, a wall-hung vanity, wall panels to the ceiling in the shower and a quiet humidity fan. Four working days, and a card at handover on keeping the glass clear in this water.
Northwich leaks at night
Northwich is outside the area we reach in a same-night emergency; a plumber based in the town will be faster to Kingsmead, Hartford or Rudheath. We come in afterwards for the repair and, where the water has lifted the floor or loosened the tiles, a new bathroom planned properly.