Are you thinking about adding a bathroom in the basement? Before you go to the hardware store to pick up supplies or begin interviewing contractors to do the job, there are many important things to consider including lighting, ventilation, and, of course, plumbing.
A basement bathroom can be beneficial for your family because it eliminates fighting over one single bathroom every morning. Basement bathrooms are also great for guests since they have their own bathroom to use when they come to visit. Adding a basement bathroom not only increases your enjoyment of your home, but it will increase the value as well. Having multiple bathrooms makes your home much more attractive to new buyers.
But if you want to add a bathroom to the basement, it has to be done the right way by professional basement contractors. Harmony Basements is the Greater Toronto Area’s preferred basement contracting team when it comes to adding a basement bathroom to your home.
Here’s a quick list of some things to consider before you press forward with that basement bathroom as well as some simple basement finishing ideas.
Hire a Professional
Adding a basement bathroom has many benefits, but you should always do it properly. Commit to proper planning and obtaining all the necessary permits. Skipping these essential steps could land you in big trouble down the line. One way to ensure the permits and planning are done correctly is to hire a professional. A basement bathroom is a complicated job so it’s good to take advantage of our experience.
And here’s a little advice: If the basement contractor ever tries to tell you that you don’t need permits to add a basement washroom, that’s a red flag! That’s a sign of a contractor who doesn’t have your best interests in mind.
Ventilation in Basement Bathroom
Proper ventilation is essential in a basement bathroom. If you neglect this integral step of construction, you’ll have no way to remove moisture from the bathroom, potentially leaving you with a mould problem. Hiring a basement renovation contractor is the best option because adding new vents can require cutting into drywall, concrete, and other materials that may be tricky to penetrate.
Flooring for Basement Bathroom
Tile is the typical choice when it comes to basement bathroom flooring, but what lies just beneath the tile is often just as important. Professional basement bathroom contractors will add something called an uncoupling membrane between the tile and concrete. This is done to prevent cracking. Without the membrane, wild fluctuations in temperature throughout the year cause the tile to get pushed and pulled in different directions leading to breakage.
The membrane, however, lets the tile and concrete subfloor move independently of each other, reducing the chance of cracks and major damage to your tile floor.
Also remember, when it comes to flooring in a basement, go with tile or laminate. Hardwood is not the best choice. That’s because if there’s ever a flood in your basement, the hardwood could become warped. Whereas tile and laminate stand up to water quite well.
Lighting Options
In most basements, your lighting choices are often limited because of lower ceiling heights. Try to avoid dangling light fixtures and go with recessed lighting choice options such as pot lights. Pot lights give you the desired level of light without making you and your guests have to duck at every corner. You can also install one in your shower as it’s unlikely to have a window. But be sure the light is rated for use in water-heavy areas such as showers. It’s also completely safe if you have it properly installed and sealed by a basement renovation professional like the ones at Harmony Basements.
Basement Toilet
If your basement doesn’t currently have a drain roughed in for the flow of sewage, you’ll have to have a professional plumber tie it into your new line. It will need to be properly vented, requiring the cutting through of various layers of drywall, concrete, or roofing materials.
In older homes, the main sewer line can be sitting up higher than the main level of your basement, so to get the sewage to the street, you’ll need to install a sewage ejector pump. The waste and toilet paper flows into a drum buried into your concrete subfloor. It’s shredded up and a motor pumps it overhead into the main sewage line.
Ventilation In Bathroom
Every basement bathroom needs an exhaust fan to expel foul odours while regulating humidity and moisture in the air. Neglecting this could lead to mould growth and other costly damages to your newly renovated basement. Most local building codes require you to get a basement exhaust fan if there’s no window that is possible to open. There are several things to consider when trying to choose the right bathroom fan for you and your family.
Airflow: The amount of air that a bathroom fan can move is measured in cubic feet per minute or CFM. You need 1 CFM for every square foot of the room that you’re trying to ventilate.
Sound Level: Noisy fans can be annoying in the room you’re using, but can also project noise into other parts of the home if it’s causing a lot of vibration.
Energy Rating: If you plan to run your basement fan a lot, it’s good to look into fans that are highly rated for energy-saving properties and specifications. The fans will be more efficient and therefore produce less noise than their counterparts.
Fan Lighting: If you’re tight on space, look at fans that have integrated lighting systems. You can even get one that has different types of lighting, including a night light for the kids. Some of them even come equipped with bluetooth speakers so you can sing along in the shower!
Installation of a Bathroom Fan: If you can’t tie the fan to your home’s ventilation system in the attic, you need to add a vent through the wall of your home.
Contact Us
With so many factors to consider in the installation of a basement bathroom, don’t leave anything to chance. Call the professional basement contractors at Harmony Basements to get the job done right! Contact us today to book your consultation.