Home DIY: How to Install an Additional Bathroom

Depending on your purpose, creating another bathroom in your home can bring you and your family a ton of benefits. Whether it be having personal space, not having to fight over shower time, or adding value to your property, an additional bathroom is indeed a bonus for everyone. However, having it done does not come cheap. Aside from the materials and fixtures required, you will have to pay a hefty price for labor and other additional costs.

Good thing there’s the option of doing it yourself. If you’re tight on the budget and have some pretty reliable handyman skills up your sleeve, the DIY route should be applicable to you. Before hopping in on this project by yourself, consider these helpful insights about adding an extra bathroom into your home.

Find a Good Site

Typically, bathrooms don’t take up a lot of space, so it should be easy for you to find a good spot for it. A minimum area of three feet by three feet should suffice for a half bathroom, but you’ll need a larger space if you need to put in a shower and an even larger one if you’re considering a full tub.

To look for the perfect area without changing your home’s footprint, consider the construction of your house, and look out for any dead space. Some common areas where you can consider placing an extra bathroom are under the stairwell and in a ridiculously huge closet.

You may even consider getting space from your yard and creating an actual extension of your home. However, you may need to consider several important factors before creating a bump-out addition to your house.

Consider the Plumbing

Once you’ve found a potential spot for your additional bathroom, you need to determine what changes to make when it comes to the plumbing and electrical work. Some parts of your home may require you to update your entire household system in order to create a new bathroom. If you don’t want to be bothered by the hassle, the easy and cheap way would be to tie it into existing plumbing.

Plumbing in a bathroom that is situated on the first floor can be done easily in a home with a basement. Meanwhile, homes built on a slab foundation may require some breaking into the concrete and may potentially compromise the structure of your home.

If you don’t want to take the risk, you can consider getting a macerating toilet. This type of toilet is easy to install and won’t require you to destroy your flooring. It can be easily transported to other parts of your home too, including top-floor rooms, which can cut off your installation expenses by a lot.

Ensure Proper Ventilation

To create a new well-functioning bathroom, you’ll need to ensure that it is well ventilated, especially if you are planning to install a shower or a bathtub. Steamy showers, flushing toilets, and running sinks often contribute to the room’s high humidity, which can lead to potential problems such as mold and mildew, chipping paint, and a funky smell. With proper ventilation, you can steer clear from humidity and keep such issues in check.

Make sure to choose a site that has an exterior wall where you can place a window or skylight. If a window is not possible, you can install a fan in the bathroom to ensure proper air circulation as well as to prevent the buildup of moisture inside.

Creating a new bathroom is a challenging task to take on by yourself. But with the right tips and extensive research, doing so is completely possible. It will not only save you on costs but will also bring you a kind of fulfillment like no other.

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