Keeping the plumbing along one wall is a cost-effective way to renovate a bathroom.
With proper planning, bathrooms can be the relaxing spa-like retreat you envision. Ceramic and glass tile, mosaic patterns, separated showers and tubs, double sinks and open showers can add to the luxurious feeling of the bath. Before buying material and starting the project, think about electrical outlets, energy and water conservation, maintenance and plumbing systems. And check with your local building department to ensure that your renovations conform to the building codes and specifications.
Planning the Plumbing Design
To plan your new bathroom, view remodeling handbooks, bathroom renovation magazines and tile showrooms, preferably with bathroom setups, to get ideas for your renovated bathroom. Use graph paper to draw a floor plan of your existing bathroom to scale, with each inch of the graph paper representing 1 foot of your bathroom. Include wall details, the location of windows and doors, and the location of electrical outlets, fixtures and switches. If your renovation simply replaces the tub, toilet and sinks and keeps them in the same place, you can save money. Draw the new layout with details such as electrical wiring and plumbing in mind.
Plumbing Design Considerations
When you design the bathroom, keep in mind that moving the existing plumbing lines can add to the cost of the project. Radical modifications to the existing layout can mean making structural changes that are not only expensive, but need to be designed to pass building inspection. On the other hand, your existing bathroom might need solutions to problems like privacy, additional counter space and allowances for more than one person to use the bath at the same time. A bathroom layout that uses the concept of a wet wall with all the plumbing, water supply and drain-waste-vent pipes along the same wall saves on materials and makes repairs easier.
One-Wall Plumbing Layout Designs
You have a couple of options for laying out the plumbing design of a bathroom with one wet wall. The one-wall bathroom situates the sink, tub, shower and toilet along the same wall. While this layout is common and is generally the most economical, it can have an ordinary look and lack interest. An interesting color palette, fixtures and tiling can spruce up an ordinary . If space allows, an L-shaped bathroom with the vanity, sink and toilet on one side wall and the bathtub along the back adds interest to the layout but keeps costs down because plumbing remains on the same wall as other fixtures.
Multiple-Wall Plumbing Layout Designs
The corridor bathroom layout features the vanity, sink and toilet along one wall, and the bathtub on the opposite wall. This bathroom layout requires plumbing on two walls. U-shaped bathroom layouts are the most spacious and open, but require a larger, square bathroom. Many bathrooms found in newer homes feature the tub and shower separated in a U-shaped layout. This layout can get costly, because plumbing fixtures are typically placed on three walls in the U-shaped bath.
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