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Bathroom in Basement
Installing a Basement Bathroom has a Number of
Unique Challenges
By: Mark J. Donovan
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The installation of a bathroom in a
basement can be very challenging, particularly if it is a retrofit job or part
of a basement finishing project. Installing a bathroom in a basement typically
involves cutting the basement slab and having to run drain pipes. Cutting a
basement concrete slab is hard, loud and dusty work. Years ago I installed a
basement bathroom as part of a basement finishing project and wound up spreading
dust throughout the entire house when cutting the concrete slab, even though I
had sealed off the area with plastic and created a low pressure with a fan to
vent the dust outdoors.
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If your basement bathroom plans
involve tying it into a private septic system a pump up ejector system also
needs to be installed. This involves cutting approximately a 3’x3’ hole in the
concrete slab and then digging a large hole below the concrete slab grade to
insert a 32 gallon holding tank. Inside the tank is a pump-up ejector system
that ties into the main drain and vent stack. Also the drain pipes from the
toilet, sink, and tub/shower area need to be tied into the holding tank.
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After the inspection has been
completed, the concrete basement slab needs to be filled in with concrete and
floated to create a perfectly smooth basement floor. I’ve personally installed
pump-up ejector systems myself, and suffice it to say, it’s not easy. There’s a
lot of work involved.
As an alternative to cutting the concrete floor you may be able to frame in a
step up floor for the bathroom so that you can run drain pipes without having to
cut into the concrete slab. Some smaller and flat pump-up ejector systems can
reside in the step up framed floor area.
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The only issue with this type of
basement bathroom is that there may be inadequate headroom to go this route.
Also, stepping up into a bathroom is less appealing to most homeowners.
Bathrooms in basements typically
require extra framing to tie in walls to the upper level floor joists. In
addition, if a tub and/or soffit lighting is in your basement bathroom plans
then additional framing is required.
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Often basement bathrooms include
custom ceramic tile showers, and shower pans. Even though the shower is on a
slab, a pre-sloped mortar shower pan is still required to ensure adequate slope
to the shower drain area. DIY homeowners frequently end up with shower drain
problems because they don’t realize this.
Ceramic tiled floors work extremely
well in basement bathrooms. The tiles can be installed directly onto the
concrete floor and there is less of a concern for mold and mildew growth. Plus
they are very easy to maintain.
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Photo By Mark Donovan |
Installing a bathroom cabinet vanity in a basement bathroom can also be
challenging. Often basement floors are not level. Consequently the floor may
need to be first leveled with a self leveling compound, or alternatively the
bottom of the bathroom vanity may need to be scribed to blend it into the floor
evenly and ensure a level bathroom countertop.
Often bathrooms in basements lack natural light, so it’s important to include
plenty of electrical lighting in them. Make sure to include both general and
spot lighting. Also make sure there is a bathroom ceiling fan and that it is
vented to the outside. Basement bathrooms have the tendency to fog up very
easily due to the cooler temperatures often found in basements.
Finally, if you have a private septic system, check with your local building
inspector before installing a bathroom in a basement. Besides needing to pull
permits, you may need to modify your septic system to install one. Pump-up
ejector systems may require a different type of holding tank with an additional
chamber.
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