Bump out plumbing?

6 years ago

My wife and I live in a old 1 1/2 story home built pre 1930's with a pass through bathroom. Sometime in the houses history they decided the bathroom was too small so they added on a bump out. We aren't real sure what they was hoping to gain doing this as the toilet, tub and sink are all crowed to one side of the room. Here's what I was thinking about doing and was needing an opinion. One door in our bathroom opens up to our master bedroom and the other door opens up to my office. We never use the door to the bathroom as our master bedroom is quite small and our bed more or less blocks that door. So, what I'm considering doing is removing and boarding up the doorway between our bedroom and the bathroom. Making that one solid wall. Then moving my sink and toilet to the bump out area. Thus allowing me to put in a sit down shower and widening my other bathroom door to match the rest in the house. Doing this also provides us with some added benefit. Since the new shower we are looking at is considerably shorter in length than our existing tub. We can then use that space left behind it to open up our wall into our bedroom to create a built in dresser system and create storage in our bathroom. Both of which we don't have.

Here's the challenge that I'm facing. The bump out that we are looking at putting the sink and toilet in literally sticks out the side of the house. There is no foundation below it so the whole bottom is exposed to the elements. Underneath the bump out there is a window to my basement. That I should replace at some point. It just happens to be this window is perfect alignment to my existing sewer pipe and water access. I do have plans on at some point pouring a slab under that bump out and boxing it in. But I'd like to get the bathroom remodel done first. Here's what I was thinking I could do in the interim. Knock that basement window out and cover it with a piece of 3/4 in plywood. I'm not worried about it getting wet or rained on. Cut two 6" diameter holes in to allow me to run 6" pvc through it. The idea was/is to use 6" pvc as form of conduit that I can insulate with heat tape or spray foam on the inside. Running the sink water and drain pipes through it and do the same for the toilet. Once I get the area below my bump out area boxed in and insulated. I'll have a small crawl space to it that I can access through that basement window. So this is just a temporary solution that I'm looking at since I'm not the fastest when it comes to finishing and working on projects and since I'm sort of a one man show I have to pick and choose my projects carefully.

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Comments (6)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
6 years ago
Photos and a floor plan would help us tremendously. 1/4” grid paper works the best for making a drawing, use each square to represent 1’.
Old house needing an upgrade
Original Author
6 years ago

I've attached a picture of what the bump out look like from the outside of the house. I used paint to create a drawing with measurements of what my existing bathroom looks like noting the proposed new location of my sink and toilet in the bump out area.
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flygirl519
6 years ago
Hi Thomas Thomson. Full disclosure I am not a contractor or a renovator. But I am a homeowner who has a very similar bump out with the open area underneath. In my bump out I have my kitchen sink, with all the plumbing, and some cabinets.. My plumbing comes up from the heated basement and into the floor joists of the bumpout . The bumpout is of course heated as it houses my kitchen sink. The drain pipes are PVC with copper plumbing. It all works.
Old house needing an upgrade
Original Author
6 years ago
If the subfloor of my bump out opened up into my basement. I wouldn't be worried about my pipes freezing. However, the subfloor of mine does not. In fact I'm sort of questioning the construction technique used. Because most of what I've read online on how most bump outs are constructed I should see some sort of evidence of sistering of the floor joist from the basement. But I don't. Which is leaving me to believe that the subfloor is constructed similar to how one would add a deck or porch onto a house. But in my situation the roof structure may be supporting all the weight.
calidesign
6 years ago
It looks to me like they created the bump out to move the bathtub over there, and then maybe found out it couldn't be done. I'd have an experienced contractor and plumber take a look.
Old house needing an upgrade
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Calidesign I kind of thought about that myself. The problem is, that area is literally short length wise by a 1/2 inch to fit most standard tubs, and it's not quite wide enough for a standard tub without being in the way of either door. Plus the only power outlet in the whole bathroom is in that bump out. At one point I was considering actually moving my tub there. But instead of having it slide in to fit that space turn it 90 degrees. If I did this I could get rid of that 6" space and wall it off straight. Then I could open that extra space up into our bedroom. If I did that it would allow me to move the sink and toilet to where the tub is now. This would actually solve a lot of problems for me in terms of plumbing. I really could possibly leave the toilet where it currently sits. But my whole goal with this process is so that I can eventually widen the bathroom door as well. Both entries into the bathroom won't allow a wheelchair or other walking aid to pass through easily. At some point in my life either myself or my wife is going to end up in a wheel chair. It's just a matter of who beats who.

On a side note though. While turning the tub a full 90 degree in that spot sounds like a great idea. The width of the tube itself would actually decrease the ability to get something like a wheel chair in and out of that room easily. I just have to face it. I got a small bathroom and I'm trying to make use of what is otherwise a wasted space.