Are you interested in increasing the value of your home? Adding a bathroom will do just that. However, installing a bathroom to your first or second floor tends to be expensive because you are adding square footage to your home or taking away precious space from a bedroom. A cost effective and spacious way to add a bathroom is to add one to your basement.
Here are some helpful tips to consider when installing a bathroom to your basement.
Plumbing depth – Before you begin, you will need to find out how deep your sewer line is. This can easily be done by calling the public works department. If the line is deep enough, this means you can use gravity to remove bathroom waste through the sewer, septic and sanitation line. Even though your lines are deep enough, you will want to consult a plumber to detect the flow rates and if your system can effectively remove waste from your bathroom. If your home runs on city water, you’ll most likely need a backwater valve to prevent sewage from backing up into your toilet. You will need a permit to install the valve before you or your plumber begins the installation.
Above ground options – If your sewer lines are not deep enough, don’t panic, there is another way of extracting waste from your basement fixtures. An “up flushing” toilet will do just the trick to remove bathroom waste. Although an up flushing toilet is more expensive than your average toilet, the cost of the installation is much lower than a regular toilet. This special toilet sits on top of the floor rather than having to dig under the basement floor to install.
Toilets to consider – There are different types of toilets you can choose from that will help prevent clogs in your new bathroom. Besides the up flushing toilet, there is a pressure assisted toilet. If your lines are deep enough, but the rate of fall seems slower than your other bathrooms in your home, a pressure assisted toilet will use air pressure to force waste through the pipes. A compost toilet is also a great solution that will help prevent clogs from occurring. This eco-friendly toilet will turn your waste into compost using little to no water. Although these toilets may be more expensive than most, you might end up saving money from not having to call a plumber all the time.
Bathtub or shower – Adding a bathtub or a shower to your basement bathroom can result in the same problems as with installing your toilet. The floor might need to be broken up to install plumbing which can rack up the costs. Despite the cost of the installation, adding this feature to your bathroom will enhance the value of your home even more.
Lighting – Installing the proper lighting in your basement bathroom is very important. Most basements have very few windows resulting in a limited amount of natural light. You want to make sure your new bathroom has enough lighting to make it comfortable, but not too much so it is an overwhelming amount of light.
Adding a bathroom to your basement is a complicated project. Should you need any plumbing assistance during the installation of your bathroom, call Gillece!
