adding a bathroom to a dressing area (WITH ROOM PLAN) (floor, how much)
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Hi, all. About 7 months ago I moved into a house that I love. It has a huge (25' by 13'6") master bedroom/dressing area (see room plan) with a full bathroom right outside. One of the few things that I don't like about this house is that the master bedroom doesn't have its own bath (my old house did, and I loved it in the middle of the night, lol!).
I would like to use part of the dressing area to install a small bathroom (toilet, single sink even though I'd love a small-ish double -- just not sure there's room, and enclosed shower). FYI, there is a full bathroom right on the other side of the dressing area -- the bottom right of the room plan is the shared wall. On the bathroom side of that shared wall is a bathtub-sized shower (I think there used to be a tub there and it was removed for a shower by a previous owner); the faucet is actually on that shared wall (i.e., on the long side of where a tub would be if I put a tub there instead of on one of the short sides, if that makes sense). In other words, there is definitely plumbing in that shared wall. There is an attic above that I DO have access to, if needed.
I realize that I would lose one of the small closets in the dressing area, but there is a HUGE walk-in cedar closet right outside the master bedroom; I could even in a pinch add a door from the master bedroom to that closet (far left bottom of the room plan), if I think future buyers would be that picky (I certainly am not, and I plan to live here at least until I retire in 20+ years).
My questions are, do you think it is feasible to add a small bath there, given that there is already plumbing in the shared wall? How small or large a project would that be for a master plumber (2 days' work? 5 days' work?)? The only other thing in that shared wall is a heating vent, which I don't think would have to move, given where I think the fixtures would go. Also, the door currently swings in from the bedroom to the dressing area, but I would replace it with a pocket door (my electrician would have to move 1 outlet).
Also, where would you place the fixtures? I don't mind using the area near the window, although I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing it would be to open a pocket door and be staring at the toilet.
Any suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance!
Hopefully one of the board plumbers will see this thread and reply, but I have just a couple of comments that may help. First, it would certainly be relatively easy to install sink/shower water lines since they're already running inside the shared wall--that's probably just a partial day for a plumber, although you'd also have drywall/finishing work to be done.
Second, the big question relates to installing drains for the new toilet and shower. What's under this room--crawl space, concrete slab, basement, another (finished) room? If it's a crawl space or unfinished basement, it could be relatively easy to install new drains, but if it's slab or a finished room, it could be a huge problem. It can be done even if it's a concrete slab, but obviously you're looking at a lot more work, cost, and disruption. And even if there's a crawl space, there could be things in the way like HVAC or electrical connections. Hard to even guess how much time/cost this would involve, as it depends on how accessible the space is and how easy it would be to run new drains to the existing drainage system.
Only way your ging to find out is call a full service plumber or two for quote. Remmeber that kitchens and bath are most expensive to even remodel much less create.
Hi, all. About 7 months ago I moved into a house that I love. It has a huge (25' by 13'6") master bedroom/dressing area (see room plan) with a full bathroom right outside. One of the few things that I don't like about this house is that the master bedroom doesn't have its own bath (my old house did, and I loved it in the middle of the night, lol!).
I would like to use part of the dressing area to install a small bathroom (toilet, single sink even though I'd love a small-ish double -- just not sure there's room, and enclosed shower). FYI, there is a full bathroom right on the other side of the dressing area -- the bottom right of the room plan is the shared wall. On the bathroom side of that shared wall is a bathtub-sized shower (I think there used to be a tub there and it was removed for a shower by a previous owner); the faucet is actually on that shared wall (i.e., on the long side of where a tub would be if I put a tub there instead of on one of the short sides, if that makes sense). In other words, there is definitely plumbing in that shared wall. There is an attic above that I DO have access to, if needed. If you plan on living there for 20 years and more or selling it down the road (one never knows the future), do it right the first time.
I realize that I would lose one of the small closets in the dressing area, but there is a HUGE walk-in cedar closet right outside the master bedroom; I could even in a pinch add a door from the master bedroom to that closet (far left bottom of the room plan), if I think future buyers would be that picky (I certainly am not, and I plan to live here at least until I retire in 20+ years).
My questions are, do you think it is feasible to add a small bath there, given that there is already plumbing in the shared wall? How small or large a project would that be for a master plumber (2 days' work? 5 days' work?)? The only other thing in that shared wall is a heating vent, which I don't think would have to move, given where I think the fixtures would go. Also, the door currently swings in from the bedroom to the dressing area, but I would replace it with a pocket door (my electrician would have to move 1 outlet).
Also, where would you place the fixtures? I don't mind using the area near the window, although I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing it would be to open a pocket door and be staring at the toilet.
Any suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance!
For starters, I would not put the potty opposite the door. The design of that room is "off" imho. There is plenty of room for it either on the window side or the blank wall side. Have one large offset closet on that wall instead with a nice vanity/sink combo on the center, then you are looking at a mirror and maybe space for a corner shower. No shower in the master bath is a negative. Get potty, storage, vanity, shower all together in there somehow, possibly move that bathroom door off to one side.
Second, the big question relates to installing drains for the new toilet and shower. What's under this room--crawl space, concrete slab, basement, another (finished) room? If it's a crawl space or unfinished basement, it could be relatively easy to install new drains, but if it's slab or a finished room, it could be a huge problem. It can be done even if it's a concrete slab, but obviously you're looking at a lot more work, cost, and disruption. And even if there's a crawl space, there could be things in the way like HVAC or electrical connections. Hard to even guess how much time/cost this would involve, as it depends on how accessible the space is and how easy it would be to run new drains to the existing drainage system.
That was an important point and I totally forgot to give that info. This room is on the 2nd floor of a 2-story house. The living room is directly below the master bedroom -- plain drywall ceiling.
I know nothing about plumbing and I guess I was hoping the drain lines could also run in that shared wall? But maybe they don't work that way? I guess I could conceivably put a step up to a toilet or shower in order to accommodate drain lines without affecting the living room's ceiling? Just a thought.
Last edited by karen_in_nh_2012; 11-30-2012 at 10:16 AM..
Don't know about plumming, but I would make one of the closets on the right or left (which ever is cheaper) into a bathroom with a toilet and sink. I would then leave the rest of the area as a closet. I think that leaves less wasted space.
It looks like you have an area approximately 8' long by 5' deep from the door. You could possibly place the toilet in the corner on the outside wall, vanity next to it and a 3' shower in the bedroom side corner. You could flip the arrangement, but it looks like you have a little more room on the window side.
Your main plumbing issues will be waste lines, mainly for the toilet. If the room is on a second floor or over a basement, I'd guess you'd have to go through joists which can cause some structural issues. If over a crawl space, you can run under the joists (can in a basement too if you don't mind a soffit). If over a slab, you'll need to do some concrete work in the room plus the existing bathroom.
Cost will depend on how your house is built. Crawl space would be cheapest and slab most expensive, mainly because you'll have to do two rooms.
Don't know about plumming, but I would make one of the closets on the right or left (which ever is cheaper) into a bathroom with a toilet and sink. I would then leave the rest of the area as a closet. I think that leaves less wasted space.
Um, this is what I described in the first post -- taking half of the dressing area and making it into a bathroom. I would want a shower, too, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by akck
It looks like you have an area approximately 8' long by 5' deep from the door. You could possibly place the toilet in the corner on the outside wall, vanity next to it and a 3' shower in the bedroom side corner. You could flip the arrangement, but it looks like you have a little more room on the window side.
Actually it's about 8' deep (from the door to the window in the center of the long wall of the dressing area) and 13'6" total wide; I would use the area near the shared wall (bottom right of the floor plan).
Quote:
Originally Posted by akck
Your main plumbing issues will be waste lines, mainly for the toilet. If the room is on a second floor or over a basement, I'd guess you'd have to go through joists which can cause some structural issues.
I added another post to say the master bedroom & dressing area are directly over the living room ... see post #5. And thanks for replying!
That was an important point and I totally forgot to give that info. This room is on the 2nd floor of a 2-story house. The living room is directly below the master bedroom -- plain drywall ceiling.
I know nothing about plumbing and I guess I was hoping the drain lines could also run in that shared wall? But maybe they don't work that way? I guess I could conceivably put a step up to a toilet or shower in order to accommodate drain lines without affecting the living room's ceiling? Just a thought.
Does a toilet share that wall? Is there a wall in the living room under that wall? If the answer to either is no, then it's likely your main stack is the opposite bathroom wall. It the toilet shares that wall, then it should be relatively easy to add the bathroom.
Actually it's about 8' deep (from the door to the window in the center of the long wall of the dressing area) and 13'6" total wide; I would use the area near the shared wall (bottom right of the floor plan).
I was estimating the area available for the bathroom, figuting about 5' to the window from the shared wall.
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