Bathroom/Shower Building Ideas

One of the most common uses that a basement can be converted into is an extra bathroom for the family.  This comes in handy when the kids have become teens and they spend too much time in the bathroom much to the annoyance of the other members of the family.  The solution is to establish another bathroom somewhere in the basement.

But before you begin to wreak havoc in your basement, you should evaluate a few things about your new bathroom.  For instance, just how much space are you allotting for your bathroom?  If you have a big basement, then there’s really no problem about recreating a full bathroom.  This means, your bathroom can accommodate a bathtub, a shower, a toilet and a sink.  If you want and if you’re not too bothered by finances, you can even splurge and invest in a sauna for your bathroom.  Having a bigger bathroom in the basement also works best if you have elderly relatives since there’s more space to move around.  

However, if you’re cramped for space, then a shower stall, a toilet and a sink maybe your only concession.  Today’s modern bathrooms have a lot of elegant designs even for small bathrooms that will be located in the basement.  You have a choice between glass enclosures or shower curtains.  You may opt for rainfall shower-types or a telephone shower for convenience, especially if the bathroom will be used by kids and adults alike.  

Another consideration when building your bathroom in the basement is putting heat in the room.  Some people prefer to have warm tiles on their feet when they enter the bathroom.  For this kind of luxury, there are companies who will install electrical plates under your ceramic tiles to continually heat up the floor of your bathroom.  This is what is commonly called “radiant heat” and believe it or not, it costs less that other alternatives.  

Because of all these considerations, you certainly do need to consult with and eventually hire a professional basement finishing contractor.  They have the experience, the tools and the know-how, especially with building code requirements, to finish your basement bathroom at the least cost, build it with the highest quality and finish it in the least amount of time.

Not only that, but building a bathroom in a basement also entails a lot of knowledge with plumbing and it’s not as easy as just picking out and installing the fixtures.  You need to deal with hot and water plumbing, fitting it into what’s already existing in the basement.  You need to add sewer lines and maybe this will require the builder to use a jackhammer to find the sewer lines within the flooring foundation of your house.  

Also, you need to connect to the septic tank and be able to push all sewer and water wastes up to the septic tank for it not to clog your pipes and drains.

When undertaking this project, you also have to remember to plan for the future.  Think about what your space requirement will be a few years from now to help you save on the costs of building again a few years down the road.