Have you ever looked at your basement and thought about adding a bathroom? Finishing the basement in your Minneapolis home is a great idea, especially when you need to go there during a nasty spring storm, but while adding the bathroom may seem like a great idea, there are some practicalities to think about before taking the next step.
Venting and Waste Elimination
All bathrooms need to vent sewage gases and drain waste water from the sink, toilet and bathing facilities. Since pipes need gravity to work properly, they need the right amount of slope, or “fall”, to work properly. Since the basement is the lowest part of the house, this may end up resulting in the need to remove and reconstruct part of the basement slab, along with digging through the earth underneath. Odds are you will also probably need to dig a new trench from your home to the sewer line or septic tank for waste to travel through. Since this all costs quite a bit of money, expect to spend another $10,000 on your remodel.
Basement Toilets
Since toilets pose a bit of a tricky problem when it comes to disposing of waste, look for models with a pressure assist valve to force the water, and what it carries, through the pipes. Although these models are more expensive, costing between $150 and $800, installing one could save you the hassle of digging up the foundation. They could also save you the trouble of dealing with leaks later on, as well.
The bathroom’s placement is important, too. Instead of putting it in the center of the house, place it against an outer wall. This lessens the amount of pipe you’ll need and makes it easier to vent sewage gases directly outside easier. These two factors can lower the price tag of your new bathroom.
Iron River Construction offers bathroom remodeling and installation. If you’re considering adding a bathroom to your basement, we’d be happy to review your basement layout, discuss options with you, and give you a free estimate.
