PLUMBING
When planning your home it as crucial to plan where you plumbing will go and also where you will locate your external water tanks and waste tanks.
Internal plumbing must also be planned and in our homes we normally run both a Hot & Cold water ring main. This allows the addition of Solar Hot Water at a later date if required.
All main water pipes are hidden in the walls and floors and sealed.
You will need to decide on the location of your waste tank as soon as possible and ensure waste water and sewage can flow downhill to the location. If not macerators and pumps would need to be used which increase the maintenance costs.
The fresh water tank location should also be decided and whether to use pumps or gravity fed.
WET ROOMS & MAKING THEM LOOK BIGGER
A wet room is a great way to make a small bathroom look larger and maximise on space however you need to make sure you do the installation right and waterproof all areas properly. When using tiling on the walls and floors it is also sometimes better to use Viva Board as the main base instead of ply wood or gypsum. If you want a high quality finish you may also consider sectional sandwich boards instead.
WET ROOM CONSIDERATIONS
If you are building a wet room over a traditional bathroom, the following still needs to be considered
- The floor needs a gradient to ensure proper drainage, the shower can also drain to a strip drain/channel grate if preferred
- Air extraction – extraction fan should vent to outside so that the moisture is not being transferred into your roof space
- For the flooring use textured tiles for a non slip finish
- Open shelving for towels needs to be facing away from splashes or be located up high to keep items dry.
- Sealed doors on vanity cabinets are required to keep bathroom items dry – consider using recessed cabinets
- Use a wall hung toilet and consider how the toilet roll will stay dry
- Consider where electrical fixtures will go– power sockets and heated towels.
BATHROOM FITTINGS
A full range of bathroom fittings can be installed as in any household. For shower units the sealed fiberglass cabinets are ideal for low budgets. For higher budgets glass cubicles with porcelain bases can be added as well as the normal toilet and basin fixtures.
When installing toilets it is also a good idea to use rear exit toilet units so waste can go through the side of the container and not through the floor.
