How to plan your bathroom plumbing layout

Thinking about having the TV all to yourself while your wife takes a very long candle-lit bath. Wake up! You have to do the bathroom remodeling first! You must be pondering — how do I create a bathroom plumbing plan? You can improve your home and increase its value. Let us give you some Tips for Bathroom Plumbing Layouts.
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Tips for Planning a Bathroom Plumbing Layout

What do you need to know before you begin your bathroom plumbing layout? Read on.
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What to Consider:

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Economics

Like with anything, the first thing you must consider is exactly what you have the money to do and what do you not have the money to do. Always leave some money for contingencies. Unexpected expenses can pop up with any project.

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Space

You may want a spa bath with jets, but if your bathroom is 5 feet by 8 feet, it just isn’t going to work, unless you build onto the house, and that is a whole different monster.

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Use

How often is the toilet used…the tub, the shower…the sink?
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Requirements

Every full bath has a toilet, sink, and either a tub, a shower, or both, but are you looking for more? Some people like twin sinks, so they can get ready at the same time in the mornings…some, twin toilets. Will an economy, water-saving toilet work for you, or do you prefer a pressure-assisted toilet? All these factors will make a difference in your bathroom plumbing plan.
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Existing plumbing

When building a bathroom, say, in your basement or on the second floor, you should consider the electricity and plumbing that already exists. The closer you can put your new bathroom to the existing plumbing, the easier your job will be. Connections will be much simpler. When only remodeling, consider whether the same layout will work for the fixtures. Repositioning pipework is complicated and costly.
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Exterior walls

With a basement bathroom, try to build it underneath the main bathroom of the upstairs. A basement bathroom will need an exhaust fan on an exterior wall to allow outdoor venting.
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Appearance

Change the atmosphere in your bathroom by considering new lighting. A dimmer switch or recessed track lighting can make a huge difference in your new bathroom.

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Where to Start

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Nothing

You should start from scratch. This means take out sanitary ware and take off old fittings. This will mean your new plumbing will last longer and be more trustworthy.
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Wet Wall

Just about all homes include a “wet wall”, an interior wall, which is quite thick because it holds water lines and the main stack (plumbing drainage pipe). Install fixtures on or close to this wall, and you will simplify your job.
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How Do I Create a Bathroom Plumbing Plan?

Here are some very basic plumbing plans you can start with. Do you have questions about the codes in your territory? Check here.
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An All-in-a-Row Bathroom

This typical 5-foot by 8-foot (40-square foot) bathroom normally uses the all-in-a-row, or “three-in-a-row,” bathroom plan. This simply means that all the plumbing is behind one wall, usually the wet wall. A “banjo” bathroom is the same thing, but the countertop extends out over the back of the toilet.

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A Bathroom For “Kiddom”

This is an interesting idea for kids. You modify the bathroom to host the toilet and a tub, shower, or combination. Then, more publicly in a different room or area, you erect twin sinks.

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A Bathroom Using Both Walls

This bathroom costs more, but with the plumbing in both walls, you can do a lot more creatively. It becomes a more flexible space. Do it if it speaks to you.

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A Small, Square Bathroom

You know those small, square bathrooms with a walk-in shower, a toilet, and a sink, that is this, and if you have the space to do better, do better.

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A Bathroom “to Stay In”

Do you remember the last time you went to a hotel? That is what this bathroom looks like: a tub and shower combination, and parallel to it on the opposite wall, one or two sinks in a long countertop, with a toilet on the wall in between…right in your way.
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We hope these tips for planning a bathroom plumbing layout have helped you decide how you would like to modify your bathroom. Do you want some help with your plumbing project? Call Mitchell Plumbing & Gas today for a Free Quote from one of our cordial team members.

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