Making a bathroom out of a sow's ear

[brettsyoung]

I am renovating my new house which does not have an inside toilet or shower. Needless to say my marriage is in serious trouble if this is not rectified soon. I would be grateful if I could call on the benefit of your expertise to confirm that what I plan to do is correct and feasible.

I plan to remove the fibro (probably asbestos) walls in a small bedroom that I'll make the main bathroom, and in the area I plan to make the ensuite. The plumbing will go in the walls behind the weatherboard and I'll put 6mm villaboard up as the walls and on the floor over the timber floorboards. I'll add waterproof membrane and tapes on all the joins, and install the bathtub, shower unit, toilet and basin over this. I'll then build in the bath with villaboard and waterproof. Then I'll tile. I'll seal and paint the high walls and roof and install heater-lights and exhaust fan. I was hoping to avoid making a sloping floor for a floor drain, and just have a drain to deal with major bath spills.

Does this all sound ok? Is 6mm villa the right size for walls and floor? I realise there are various products I need to use (primers etc) but is this essentially the right process? I've built plenty of things, including several sailing boats, but I have to admit the bathroom-from-scratch idea has me a bit nervous.

many thanks
Brett

[echnidna]

sounds like you're headed in the right direction

[Eli]

When I did my first bathroom, I just always kept water in all its forms present in my mind. If it does go from here to here, how does it get out. Will it get in here? How about ten years from now? That sort of thing. Same as boats with the water really. I've done three bathrooms personally, both reno and new construction, and I've got two to do in this next year.

Your plans overall sound pretty good to me. Are you doing two baths, one in your master (ensuite) and another (small bed conversion?). Obviously back all your major fixtures up to the common wall to reduce plumbing work.

[brettsyoung]

Thanks for the input. I plan to have the shower in the bath for the kids' bathroom + toilet + vanity, and a shower unit + toilet + vanity in the ensuite. I'll keep everything against the wall and as close to the back of the house (water supply) as possible. The house also doesn't have hot water so I'll be installing one of those out the back. Like I said, it really is from scratch! So Eli you think I should I put the effort in now and build a slope into the bathroom floor? (at least in the kid's bathroom?)

cheers, Brett

[Eli]

How old are the kids?

I was going to do this at my last place and not even have a shower enclosure, just slope the entire floor to the wall and have a stainless trough covered with a grate with a drain at one end. The biggest pain about this arrangement is building the slope into the floor. I couldn't drop down, I would have had to cut out all the main joists and reframe the floor. And I didn't want to step up at the door. I ended up just boxing in a conventional fiberglass pan, and building a teak grate to sit on top. Here it is

[Dirty Doogie]

Hi Brett, your plan sounds fairly comprehensive. The only thing I would change is to not use Villaboard on the floor - instead go for the 6mm fibre cement tile underlay sheet. These sheets are stiffer than villaboard and dont have the recessed edge.

You are up for a lot of work by the sound of it - Have you perhaps considered linking the outside toilet/bath to the house via an extension and thereby saving a bedroom?


Doog

[brettsyoung]

Thanks for the advice on the floors Doog, I'll do that. The outside bathroom is rotten and too far away from the house. I'll be using the weatherboards on it to block a doorway and build a gas tank cover so I already have plans for it elsewhere.

I would have liked to save a bedroom and tack a bathroom onto the outside of the place but I don't really have time. I will probably add a bedroom sometime in the future but three is enough for now.

cheers, Brett