Ejector pit5/26/2023 Information specific to a home’s septic lines should also be readily available to the homeowner. In some homes, moving below-grade bathroom waste to the sewer, septic, or sanitation line is not a challenge because its lines are deep enough for add-on fixtures to benefit from gravity-assisted disposal.Ī call to the public works department will give you a general idea of how deep sewer lines are in your area. If your pipes are too small, you’ll need to upgrade to larger ones that will allow solid waste to pass through. The minimum size for a toilet drainage pipe is 3 inches (or 4 inches if there are two toilets using the same drain line). In addition to drainage, you’ll need to consider pipe size. RELATED: All You Need to Know About Basement Drains Pipe Size Another option is to install a specialized type of toilet that can operate below the level of the main drain. If the home’s existing basement plumbing lacks adequate depth, you may need to remodel the plumbing to allow for the required drainage depth to support a toilet. If you’re lucky, the house was built with a deep main home drain with the expectation that its owners may one day install a basement bathroom. Toilet drainage lines must be installed at a steep enough angle so that gravity will carry solid waste to drain off (a minimum drop of ¼ inch for every linear foot of drain pipe). Plumbing Depthĭrainage is a significant factor when planning a basement bathroom. Ahead, learn more about options for draining a below-grade bathroom. There must be an adequate drop from the new drain lines to the main drain to prevent backups and clogs. Belowground Drainageįor most homeowners, one of the biggest obstacles when planning a basement bathroom is determining the drainage for the toilet, sink, and shower. RELATED: The Best Recessed Lighting of 2022 Understanding Aboveground vs. Higher ceilings give you a broader range of lighting options, including standard dome lights or elegant chandeliers. If your space has a low ceiling, consider using recessed fixtures to provide overhead lighting along with wall-mounted sconces around the vanity. A 7-foot basement ceiling limits the type of ceiling light fixtures you can use for bathroom lighting. Without natural light to illuminate the space, consider how you plan to light the room.Īnother consideration that may affect your lighting choices is that the ceiling in a basement bathroom is likely lower than that of a ground level or second-floor bathroom. Lightingīasement bathrooms typically don’t have any windows. This will allow you to take advantage of that ground floor bathroom’s existing plumbing and electrical lines, which will help keep costs down. Your best course of action is to situate a below-grade bathroom below an existing first-floor bathroom. When adding a new basement bathroom to your home, the most important decision to make is where the bathroom should go. Working with Existing Plumbing and Electrical Lines Basement bathrooms must have either a window that measures at least 3 square feet (of which at least 50 percent must open) or a ceiling vent that can move at least 50 cubic feet of air per minute and is ducted to the outside. The IRC also has bathroom venting requirements. Shower stalls must be a minimum of 30 inches by 30 inches inside, and all showers and baths must have at least 24 inches of clearance in front of their entries. There should be at least 21 inches between the toilet and sink and any opposite wall or fixture and at least 25 inches of clearance from the center of the toilet to any obstacles on either side of it. The IRC also has minimum spacing requirements around toilets. For example, a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet is required to meet International Residential Code (IRC). Basement bathrooms are usually pretty compact and every inch counts, so plan your space carefully. In addition to permits, there are a number of building codes regarding room spacing that homeowners will need to follow when constructing a below-grade bathroom. Since permits also ensure that the new addition is safe, it just makes sense to go through the process. Don’t skip this part failing to get a permit can result in fines or, even worse, an order to remove the additions. You must have a permit when creating any additional living space, be it a kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom. When taking on any remodeling project, adhering to building codes while procuring the proper permits is critical, and basement bathroom installations are no different. What to Consider When Planning a Basement Bathroom Plumbing Layoutīefore breaking ground on a basement bathroom project, it’s important to think about such factors as local building codes, the placement of existing basement plumbing, and drainage for the new bathroom’s tub, sink, and toilet.
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