Adding an Extra Bathroom

Posted on April 18, 2010 | Category: Bathroom Trivia

An addition in the basement greatly expands the usable square footage of a home, and a basement bathroom should be part of the finished plan.

The basement area may be in a state of disrepair, or ready to build. Either way, you need to have the area thoroughly inspected by a licensed contractor. You want to know all electric systems, plumbing, walls and foundation work are in good repair. This is especially true in older homes. The worst-case scenario is having to tear part of the remodeled basement up to repair a leaky pipe or faulty wiring, which a thorough inspection catches.

The key elements to installing a basement bathroom are the toilet and shower pump. Gravity typically prevents a normal plumbing system from being installed, and instead, wastewater needs a little help to get up to street level. This is accomplished by having a back outlet toilet, which flushes to a macerator, which turns waste into a slurry.

Waterproofing a below ground bath is a very important consideration. If the space is using existing walls, they should be tested for stability and wear. If the existing walls are drywall, plan on replacing them and installing new mildew resistant panels. Buy panels made from an inorganic material. Paper based wall panels tend to play host to mold and mildew, so look for a product with a fiberglass face.

Regular precautions for sealing shower and tub walls should be taken by installing blue board, or a waterproof membrane that overlaps the wall studs. Extra precaution in the beginning, particularly when talking about a basement bathroom, will help you get years of extra service out of the bath.

A final point to consider when planning a project in the bottom half of the house is to plan for unseen problems. As with any construction project, unforeseeable circumstances can cause homeowners to rethink plans, or pay extra to fix issues so the project can move forward. It is not uncommon for the basement space to require rewiring, new plumbing, or other extras to bring the vision to life.

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