Is there a constant queue outside your bathroom door, or have you ever hosted a party and wondered why all the male guests were wandering out to the garden? Perhaps your bathroom is overflowing with belongings from every member of the family.
If you answered yes to any of the above situations, then you need to seriously consider adding another bathroom.
Adding an additional bathroom will allow a home to function better and keep family members happy while enhancing the value of the home.
Only 50 years ago, homes had a single bathroom. Nowadays, it is uncommon for a house to have less than two bathrooms.
When buying a home, buyers have come to expect an en suite bathroom and a guest bathroom, but prefer a home that has two or even three bathrooms.
Adding on a new bathroom
The cost of adding on a bathroom will provide a significant return on your investment at the end of the day, especially if your home has only one bathroom to start with.
Shared bathroom tip: Consider installing a shower dispenser right on the wall to dispense liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner and eliminate all of that clutter
Be sure to work with a reputable contractor who has experience in bathroom remodelling and will help you design an addition that meets your requirements - within your budget.
Considering a half-bath
If the budget won't allow the addition of a complete new bathroom, what about adding on a guest loo? This option takes up far less space and can be placed close to existing water and plumbing lines to keep costs down.
Modern sanitaryware designs now offer corner toilets and corner basins for bathrooms that are small on space. These designs allow you to create an extra guest toilet without loosing valuable floor space. This design could easily fit under a staircase or in an existing closet space, with modifications for water supply and plumbing lines.
If you're considering a modification of this nature, do allow for ventilation by means of an extraction fan if windows cannot be fitted. Good ventilation will reduce condensation and prevent mould and mildew, as is the case in many bathrooms that lack any form of ventilation.
Another important point to consider is that the toilet should be located as close as possible to an outside wall in order to join up to the main sewer outlet pipe.
Questions to consider
The following checklist will provide you with a few suggestions and ideas for a bathroom addition or renovation:
• Can two people easily use the bathroom now?
• Do you need a tub or shower or both?
• Who uses the bathroom?
• Kids might need a step stool - Older people may need grab bars.
• How is the location? Is it convenient to other rooms?
• What about traffic flow?
• Does the room have adequate lighting?
• Is storage or counter space adequate?
• Is there adequate ventilation?
• Is the toilet available for use when the bathroom is occupied?
Remodelling an existing bathroom
If an addition is completely out of the question, there are ways to maximise the space in an existing bathroom, so that family members are not inconvenienced.
Double up
Installing double wash basins is one of the most affordable ways to maximise on bathroom space and provide more access to family members.
You may need to do small modifications, such as replacing the original vanity, but installing your own double wash basins is easily done in a weekend - with help from a reputable plumber to add water lines and drainage for the extra basin.
Curtain call
A simple extendable rail - available at your local hardware store takes five minutes or less and allows you to hang a shower curtain to section off bathing or showering.
Select a shower curtain that works well with the style or colours already in the bathroom, or add a punch of colour with a bright design.
No nudity allowed
Have your shower panels sandblasted or use self-adhesive vinyl to cover up strategic areas that will allow more than one person to make use of a bathroom at the same time.
Article courtesy of: www.home-dzine.co.za