Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Plumbing a new bath in basement
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Plumbing a new bath in basement
04-13-01, 07:42 PM
Hi,
My home has a full basement with two large rooms, only one of which is completely finished. My 14 year old son and I would like to finish the other room and install a new bathroom downstairs but we are rather stumped on where to begin. It's my understanding that creating a new bathroom in an existing basement that isn't already plumbed can be a rather difficult project to undertake. What would be your recommendations to us on where to start, what books or websites to look at, etc. to make the project a little less stressful and a little more successful?
Many thanks,
Carrie
My home has a full basement with two large rooms, only one of which is completely finished. My 14 year old son and I would like to finish the other room and install a new bathroom downstairs but we are rather stumped on where to begin. It's my understanding that creating a new bathroom in an existing basement that isn't already plumbed can be a rather difficult project to undertake. What would be your recommendations to us on where to start, what books or websites to look at, etc. to make the project a little less stressful and a little more successful?
Many thanks,
Carrie
04-17-01, 08:04 AM
Hi Mary!
Good for you! A basement bathroom is a VERY large project for the nonprofessional like us!! My husband and I are in the heat of things putting ours in. There are a lot of things to take into consideration in the planning process - so take your time and pick up a bathroom book at your local home improvement center. I have one by Better Homes and Gardens that really takes you through the planning process step by step. There are so many things you never even think of - in other words it's not just bath tubs and tiles!! I'm sure your basment slab will have to be cut and dug to install plumbing lines and you will probably need an ejector pump installed to carry out wastes - those are the real biggies!! What a mess!! Dirt and concrete every where! But in the long run you will have that extra bathroom that I hear will give you a 80% - 90% return for your dollar when you sell your house! So take a deep breath - and buy a good book and also - don't be afraid to spend the extra money hiring out parts of the job that are just too big! You'll still save a lot of money by just doing the clean up yourself! GOOD LUCK!
Good for you! A basement bathroom is a VERY large project for the nonprofessional like us!! My husband and I are in the heat of things putting ours in. There are a lot of things to take into consideration in the planning process - so take your time and pick up a bathroom book at your local home improvement center. I have one by Better Homes and Gardens that really takes you through the planning process step by step. There are so many things you never even think of - in other words it's not just bath tubs and tiles!! I'm sure your basment slab will have to be cut and dug to install plumbing lines and you will probably need an ejector pump installed to carry out wastes - those are the real biggies!! What a mess!! Dirt and concrete every where! But in the long run you will have that extra bathroom that I hear will give you a 80% - 90% return for your dollar when you sell your house! So take a deep breath - and buy a good book and also - don't be afraid to spend the extra money hiring out parts of the job that are just too big! You'll still save a lot of money by just doing the clean up yourself! GOOD LUCK!
04-17-01, 08:41 AM
I decided to raise the floor under my tub instead of digging out concrete for the drain. If I had planned it correctly it would have been only 3 inches, but I had build up 5" for the drain that I chose. I just built it up out of 2x4 and plywood, set the tub on top, and put one row of floor tile on the 5" wood below the tub to cover it. Looks nice, and you don't really notice the step because you're stepping over the side of the tub anyway. Understand, this was the easy way out as I won't be in this house forever.
Matt
Matt