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Building a Basement Bathroom From Scratch

10K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  clasact 
#1 · (Edited)
So heres the deal... Im getting ready to build out my basement. Well... actually... Im getting ready to build my gun/reloading/washroom which is going to be a rather simple task. However, seeing as the future bathroom (few months out) shares a wall... I need to make sure I dont fawk myself considering I havnt the SLIGHTEST idea how to build a bathroom in regards to drains/plumbing and all that jazz. So hopefully someone can help me out here.

The first pic shows the general area of the bathroom as well as two drains into the floor. At least i think they are drains.



This second pic shows the two drains I was talking about. The 2" ID steel pipe is 20" from face of concrete to CL of pipe. The 3.5" ID cast pipe is 55" from face of concrete to CL of pipe.



So the first thing im wondering is what exactly do i have to look forward to in terms of installing a shower, toilet and sink as far as drainage is concerned? Second, I will be re-building the short section of wall that the washer machine is backing up to, where does it need to be in relation to the drains and such? I'd hate to build a wall and then not be able to fit a toilet in there.... mostly cause i have no idea which one of these the toilet hooks up to! Last, framing around that vertical main to the left of the washer. Should I wrap the framing around the side closest to the drain or should I rig it so the drywall is basically sitting against the pipe? There is a space of 14.5" between the pipes right now.... if I wrap framing around the one... it'll only leave me about 10.25" between drywall and the edge of that 3.5" pipe

Hopefully someone has some experience with this type of stuff and can set me in the right direction to get this built. I can physically do the work no problem and get whatever tools I need to do it correctly... Just dont know what exactly NEEDS to be done to get the drainage correctly handled.


Thanks in advance gents! This should be an interesting little project for me...
 
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#2 ·
I'm no expert that can tell you anything about what you need to do. I'm new to this stuff and learning quite a bit as I go along. My best advice to you is to go to your local library and read. There is a plethora of information about what you are interested in doing here. It might help you decide if a project like this is too big. I currently have about 5 books checked out and I seem to be spending most of my day with my nose in them.
 
#4 ·
Not really a plumbing expert, but the big drain will be where your commode will go. The smaller one will be shower/tub and/or sink basically. You'll need to figure out which way the fixtures will sit in order to determine your framing. Commodes are normally a 12" rough-in, I believe (from finished wall). You can get "offset flanges" to help out in some scenarios where an inch or two is needed. You probably should go ahead and get a basic book to study and decide how you want to lay out the room. Good luck with the reloading (if you're new to it), it's a great "hobby" and will save you money once you get set up...
 
#5 ·
you can easily test these pipes,,, just drop your drawers & try to take a dump into the smaller pipe :eek: that should convince you the larger one's for the crapper :laughing: like bj, i'm no plumbing expert but i do take a dump every day,,, this is the experience of more'n 24,638 practices :thumbup:

sorry - couldn't resist, bj :drink:
 
#7 ·
I can't tell you how to build because my husband did it ( it took us over a year to finish our basement). But one thing I can share from experience is this: If you are installing a shower and bathtub be very careful. We spent a lot of time talking to the guy at Home Depot ( he was a great help). You must use a water-proof drywall. We put in an all in one shower/bath combo. It is good but it only goes 3/4 ways up. .We wished now we had tiled it all the way up. The water/moisture from the bathroom has the paint peeling. My hubby just pulled the peeling paint off and is again heading to Home Depot for more help and reading (as someone suggested).I wish you success in your endeavour.


Romona,
Publisher,kitchencarts360.com
 
#8 · (Edited)
There should be 30" (15" on center) side to side for the toilet ( finished). 12" on center to the back of the toilet (finished). 10" on center to the back of the toilet is ok, it is not a standard toilet but they are available. There may not be any room for additional framing on the short wall, the drywall may have be installed next to the pipes. It appears that you can use the 2" pipe to the left for your sink.(need more pic's). The shower can be any size you want, however the drain should be close to the center. It could have been plumbed for a 36x36 pan.(can't say without some measurements). Before making any modifications YOU NEED A PLAN.
 
#9 · (Edited)
First of all dont depend on the people at the box stores for great help just because they work at a home improvement store dont make them contractors and such...perfect example is above (their is no such thing as waterproof drywall).Now the first thing you need to do as stated is draw out a plan so you have an ideal of what you want .where you want it and how you want to build it.For instance are you planning just a tub or just a shower or combo and are you planning to use a pan or free build it.Whan drawing this out keep in mind the venting for the plumbing and exhust fan and electrical outlets.So let start on that and see what you got then I am sure you can get you questions answered here.By the way alot of those DIY books were recalled a few months ago so watch which ones you get.From the Pics it looks like a pretty simple build with all the needed esentials already in place
 
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