Most basement remodeling projects include building a bathroom. The bathroom is an essential part of any living space. You wouldn’t want to go all the way upstairs to use the bathroom in the middle of a game or a movie, neither would you want your guests to go through the inconvenience. Having a bathroom in the basement makes it more practical and a convenient place to be.
If you’re planning to add a bathroom in your basement, you’ll have to take several critical factors into consideration. Building a basement bathroom is more challenging than building any other type of a room in the basement. Knowing the areas which need particular attention will only help you go about basement remodeling more efficiently.
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1. Type of Bathroom
If you’re planning to remodel your basement into a living area, bedroom, or a guest room, you can either build a full or a three-quarter bathroom. A full-sized bathroom requires a floor space of at least 60 square feet. A small-sized bathroom is suitable if you’re planning to use your basement as an entertainment room without any sleeping facilities. A small basement bathroom can be built in almost half the space, that is, about 30 square feet.
2. Plumbing and Electrical Work
You should plan to build your basement bathroom as close to the existing electrical and plumbing lines as possible. You can plan it such that it lies directly below the bathroom upstairs. Installing electrical and plumbing lines from scratch are not only time-consuming but extremely costly as well.
3. Ventilation
You can’t overlook the ventilation issues. Before you decide the location of your basement bathroom, you should ensure that it is close to an exterior wall so that outdoor venting is possible. If you build a bathroom that is somewhere in the middle of the basement, working on ventilation will become extremely challenging and costly.
4. Design of Bathroom
You can have your basement bathroom designed in any style you want. However, one of the most prominent limitations in doing so includes the available space. If you’ve got a large space available for building a basement bathroom, you can have a vanity sink, a full-sized shower or bathtub, and anything else that you want. However, if the space available is relatively limited, you’ll have to plan accordingly.
5. Flooring
There are numerous options for basement bathroom flooring. It is essential to know the types of flooring that are not suitable to be used in a basement bathroom. Laminate and solid hardwood floors are prone to warping and buckling due to excessive moisture, which makes them unsuitable to be used in bathrooms.
6. Lighting
The type of lighting that is ideal to be used in a basement bathroom entirely depends on your individual preferences. If you like your bathroom to be well illuminated, you can opt for ceiling lights. However, if the lighting preferences among the family members varies, you can make use of a dimmer.
Summary
A basement bathroom is a highly practical addition to a basement. However, many factors should be taken into consideration before you can build one. Doing adequate homework will help you avoid any unforeseen delays in your basement bathroom completion. Hire a professional basement finishing company that is experienced in building bathrooms in the basement.
