To lock my bathroom during renovations in the flat

1. Talk to them in advance/when booking the decorators about the problem. Ask for their solutions, and don't hire someone who doesn't care.
2. Hire a portal to if they need one.
3. Get copies of their insurance and make it clear that you will hold them liable if the sink and bath are damaged. Take dated photos of sink and bath then fill them, as others have said with towels, covered with sheets which are taped down.
4. Take the time off work and be there. I know that you didn't manage to protect your beams that way but you can learn from that.

Yes, that's been my experience. Treat them like humans. They're at work, giving them tea and access to a toilet are the bare minimum. I've had two complete kitchen renovations, everything ripped out, plastering the lot, and the bathroom and the rest of the house was left in a good condition.

You are being unreasonable. Why did you get contractors in that you don't trust to follow simple instructions? This is your problem and you shouldn't have agreed to the work if you didn't think they could complete it as agreed.

A friend had a renovation done and the builders ruined her new bath and sink with scratches by rinsing and washing out plastering and painting equipment. She was so upset and they denied doing it.

"Decorative beams" - might be a mock-mock Tudor house?

Totally agree with this. We had a huge amount of work done a few years ago and the builders were very careful and were lovely guys. I made them bacon rolls and tea and coffee and biscuits every day which really meant a lot to them because it was more than the food, it showed we valued them. One of them said to me that you'd be surprised, at some of the houses they'd been there wasn't even a single cup of tea offered, or nice word said to them.
I hope it's only on MN that they are locked out of the toilet!

Honestly you sound a bit ridiculous. If you weren’t happy with the price you were charged either don’t accept it and find somebody else or do it yourself.

Denying access to a toilet is not a normal thing to do. I’m not sure decorators would wash their brushes in your sink. I had my (old) flat painted several times and didn’t have that issue once.

I think if that’s what you want them to do you should pay for the coffees.

Will they even wash the brushes?

The decorators I have had wrap brushes and rollers in plastic at the end of the day and use them again next day. When the job finishes they take everything away with them and presumably do the washing then.

As pp said, I think you don't want them using your loo.

Ps - how can you lock the bathroom door from the outside??

I would ask them not to use the sink or bath for tools but obviously they will need a toilet! Cover the bath to protect it. If there is any damage they'll have to replace it.

Agree, offering tea and having a friendly chat with the builder about the work to be done, sets aside the customers who the builders will go that extra mile for and those that are seen as rude and uppity.

People seem to think that builders are these oafs that live in shit holes and just come out to so manual work and eat with their hands.

Having come from a family of builders and living in a leafy london suburb full of expensive houses, owned in many cases by builders and tradies, I can tell you the rough and ready exterior (paint stained old clothes and cockney accent) belies the truth.

That most builders have a heart of gold and a beautiful home and would give their last pound away to someone in need.

Most decorators I’ve ever used have been very professional and very careful about mess… it’s their job, they do it everyday without smashing up peoples bathrooms! Maybe just have a word and say please use the kitchen sink rather than the bathroom… pretty simple really

I'm trying to picture workmen standing on the walls 🤔

100% lock the bathroom. I’ve had work done trashed by decorators/workmen numerous times. If they need a loo onsite they can get a portaloo and charge you.

Okay so now we know where the stories come from about mad people not even letting their home professionals use a bathroom.

Obviously you hire a portaloo. And all your reactions here raving on about your bathroom and ignoring everyone who says "fine but give them a different toilet to use" seems to show you don't actually want a reasonable solution.

Yes to the portaloo and if this is your attitude, no wonder 5/5 workmen ignore your requests. I interact with tradespeople normally and have never yet had similar problems.

Buy a big roll of bubble wrap. Cover your bath, sink etc and tape it down. Put a sign on the door no tools to be stored here.

Remember there are alas vast swathes of people who, if you ask them not to do something, will cheerfully do it even more.

As long as you hire a porta loo that's absolutely fine.

Yabu do deny them access to toilet facilities.

The bathroom renovation is irrelevant as the person doing that would have been aware of the situation, and it's inevitable. Though normally the old one is taken out and a new one put in, so there is little/no time without a toilet.

You can ask them/put a sign on the door re washing brushes. You could also cover the bath if really necessary.

A toilet is a must. (Many people have health conditions where they need the toilet regularly/cannot wait for the toilet so travelling to a cafe would not be possible). Also provide hot drinks and biscuits.

No, you can't deny them access to your bathroom. It's irrelevant what the bathroom guys did, the difference is they had control of that situation. They could have put the toilet in on day one if they wanted to. Locking your bathroom when contractors are in is inhumane.

If the issue is the bath and the sink, maybe put some kind of cover over them and tape it down. And communicate with them that you need them to use the sink in the kitchen not the bathroom.

But I agree with PPs, actually speaking to them and coming to an agreement would be the best approach.

Why don't you speak to them and discuss your issues and what the solution is.
My dad is a builder and a lot of my cousins. They are decent, intelligent people with nice houses themselves, they don't live in a barn. They will address your concerns.
Explain the fact the bathroom is new and you want minimal use, dont mind them doing a wee, but otherwise no usage of the bathroom.
If you are employing a decent builder they will work with you in the manner that you need.
Just locking the bathroom and not explaining anything is a bit cranky.

I'd lock the bathroom.

We had contractors in painting while having the kitchen refit, they washed their brushes in our old bath (not bothered as it was being replaced a few months later anyway) but in doing that, they caused a massive leak which came down through the kitchen ceiling below in the middle of our kitchen renovation 😩

At their cost they had to fix the leak and replace the just-installed-2-days-prior kitchen base unit - a big pull-out spinning corner one and redo the kitchen ceiling. It added about a week onto our works. Fixing the leak entailed smashing 3 large bathroom tiles to get access, which they then had to make good after (no spare old tiles were left by the previous owners) with the closest tile match from the nearest tile shop. It looked awful 🫣 but it too was being replaced a few months later so we didn't have to put up with it for long.

Definitely lock your bathroom!

I will add that we live along the road to a pub which the contractors were happy to use for toilet facilities, and the pub was happy for them to use them too as they went in for lunch daily and a few times a week after they'd finished labouring for drinks, too.

Can you get a portaloo? My neighbour won't have any workmen in her house and has done this.

They need access to a toilet.
Do you intend to explain how you coped with no toilet for 10 days?
You need to unclench about your precious bathroom.