The Corrimal cottage
Corrimal sits on the coastal strip north of Wollongong, between the escarpment and the beach, and it's one of the northern suburbs with strong mining roots. Its older streets have:
- Miners' cottages and early timber homes, some very old
- Post-war fibro and weatherboard houses
- Brick homes from later decades
- Newer townhouses and units near the shops and the station
Many older houses have been extended again and again. It's common to find the bathroom in an enclosed back verandah or a small addition, lined in fibro, on a timber floor a step up or down from the rest of the house.
What we usually find in Corrimal bathrooms
- Fibro walls, needing an asbestos test before anything's removed
- A timber floor on piers, often soft under the bath or shower
- No membrane, just tiles on a mortar bed or sheeting
- A bath with a shower over it and a plastic curtain
- Galvanised pipes
- A small window and no fan
- A separate toilet out the back or in the laundry
The main issues
Damp and rot
The northern suburbs get plenty of rain off the escarpment, and sloping blocks can keep the ground under a cottage damp. Add decades of shower water getting through old grout, and the joists and bearers under the bathroom often need replacing. Better subfloor ventilation is worth sorting at the same time.
Asbestos
Fibro is everywhere in houses like these. It gets tested before strip-out, and if it's positive, a licensed removalist takes it out and a clearance is done before the renovation carries on.
Floor levels
When a bathroom is in an addition, the floor may be higher or lower than the hallway. Getting a level entry and a step-free shower might mean adjusting the floor framing. It's usually doable, and the measure works out what's involved.
Ventilation
Plenty of these bathrooms have never had an exhaust fan. A fan ducted outside, with a run-on timer, is a big part of stopping mould coming back.
What a Corrimal renovation usually includes
- Asbestos testing and removal where needed
- Floor framing repairs and new structural sheeting
- New water and waste pipes
- A proper membrane with falls to the waste
- Tiles to the ceiling in the shower
- A fan ducted outside
- A layout that suits the household: often a walk-in shower instead of the bath
See full bathroom renovations and small bathrooms.
Keeping the cottage feel
These houses have character, and the bathroom doesn't have to fight it. White subway or square tiles, a simple timber vanity, a traditional-style mixer and a timber-framed mirror suit a cottage while everything behind the tiles is brand new.
Close to the beach
Parts of Corrimal and neighbouring Towradgi and Bellambi are close enough to the ocean for salt air to matter. Better-quality tapware and stainless hardware last longer. A laundry with a floor waste or an outdoor rinse keeps sand out of the bathroom. See laundries.
Townhouses and units
Newer townhouses and units near the shops and station usually sit on slabs, with strata approval needed where waterproofing is replaced. Their bathrooms tend to need finish upgrades and shower repairs more than structural work.
Costs in Corrimal
As a 2026 guide:
- Cottage main bathroom: $22,000–$36,000
- Small cottage bathroom: $16,000–$25,000
- Bathroom and laundry together: $30,000–$50,000
Asbestos removal and floor repairs are extra where they're needed. See prices.
Nearby
We also work in Thirroul, Wollongong, Figtree, Unanderra and Dapto, plus Towradgi, Bellambi, Woonona, Balgownie and East Corrimal.
Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder. Licence and insurance details are provided on request.
Call 02 4214 4073 or send the bathroom details through.
More suburbs
Questions people ask before they commit
Why is my Corrimal bathroom at a different floor level from the rest of the house?
Many cottages had their bathroom added later, often by enclosing a back verandah or building a small extension on a different floor level. A renovation can sometimes even it out, which the measure checks.
Is there likely to be asbestos?
It's common in houses of this age and type. Fibro was widely used for linings, extensions and enclosed verandahs. Anything from before about 1990 is tested before being disturbed, and removal is done by a licensed removalist.
Does the timber floor need replacing?
Often the area under the old bath or shower needs new joists or bearers because of years of slow leaks. The rest of the floor may be fine. A repair allowance in the quote covers what's found once the old floor is up.