Layout help for attic bathroom

5 years ago

We are finishing off the attic in this house to be a master bedroom and bathroom. The bath space is about 10'-8"x12' with about 7' high walls. We've played around with lots of layouts, and this one seems to be the best option.

The joists are 2x8s on 12" centers and run left to right. Load bearing walls are located on the left about 3' into the room and on the right about 2' past the end of the room. 10'-6" total span.

Beyond the right and left walls is more attic space with downsloping roofs.

Question #1: Can this floor support a tub? I think the above gives me 40 psf, but I'd love a second opinion.

Question #2: Should we install a tub? This is a flip house, so we're trying to make decisions with the finances in mind. This is a 100 year old house with a 5x7 bath with a tub downstairs. If we left it off, we'd just leave it empty in front of the window.

Question #3: Which way should we run the plumbing (drains in particular)? To the left or to the right? The existing downstairs bath is half under the upper left corner and half to the left of that. We could find a spot in one of those walls that didn't conflict with the existing lines and drop it to the basement. Or we could run the 2 drain lines to the right, then down through the LB wall, then connect them in the basement. We could also possibly run the shower and toilet drains down the wall behind them (stairs).

Question #4: Is this our best layout? Trying to marry good layout with the complexities of the plumbing connections.

Featured Answer

Lyndee Lee

5 years ago

Congratulations on starting your project! Especially in the early days of a rehab, it is easy to get caught up in how many ideas and desires you have for the finished house. Be cautious and try to avoid spending too much time on elaborate schemes. This is the big chance for scope creep and before you know it, you are completely gutting the house.

I presume your objective is to first, finish the rehab and second, make a profit. Think about who will be your target market and why this house will appeal to them. What features are common in other houses in that market that you don't have? Or, is your house going to be a top choice simply because it has been updated. Don't price yourself out of your market with expensive choices your buyers can't afford.

From that perspective, I suggest you do a lovely large and open master bath. Skip the tub as it isn't going to make you any money. I would not have two sinks either. The way you have drawn it, you will need to buy two mirrors, two light fixtures, two sinks, two faucets, two vanities, and the associated plumbing for both. Those items will add several hundred dollars to the budget but won't sell the house for more money. It is OK to have a big bathroom with lots of floor space and not stuffed full of expensive plumbing.

Use a single vanity and have lots of counter space. If you can find an old dresser, buffet, server or credenza, you can make a nice vanity for much cheaper than buying new. You may find it cheaper to build a closet than buy a linen cabinet. If you have a ReStore with cabinets for sale, you may be able to find some you can use to build in storage. My upstairs master suite has cabinets built in the knee wall that were converted from an entertainment center. A single piece of cabinet grade plywood would cost more than I paid for three cabinets ready to modify for my space. It is easy to make a space look fantastic with a cabinet topped with a custom corian countertop you can create and install yourself. When it comes to a flip house, the choices don't have to be the prettiest, just attractive and suitable for the purpose. For example, a used or clearance vanity light can save you $20 to $50. Another option is to frame out the shower with support for a door but leave it for the buyer to install or use a curtain.

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Comments (6)

weedyacres
Original Author
5 years ago
LL: I appreciate your coming back around and giving me your input on this. And your tips for saving money.

Our target buyer is likely a young couple with a kid or two that needs out of their cramped apartment and will be wowed by a cute house with a fabulous master suite. I poked around the Zillow comps when we were considering the purchase, and will go back and look at them more closely to see what the competing houses have (or don't) in comparison to ours.

Do you tile your tubs and showers or do prefab fiberglass units? The latter makes me cringe a bit, I have to confess.

I would love your input on the downstairs (pink) bathroom I posted in a separate thread. Very real cost/benefit question on moving stuff around.
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Lyndee Lee
5 years ago
We tile bathrooms as I can't stand prefab units. The shower here was a dinky shower stall sitting over a floor drain that we ripped out. It was a couple years before we finished the bathroom (rental property) but the old was so ugly we couldn't wait to get rid of it.

I like to tile the wall behind the sink and toilet as it doesn't cost much money for materials and it is much easier to clean for the next tenant. In this case, I bought an entire pallet of white subway tile from store returns auction so there was very little extra cost, other than additional white bullnose on the opposite wall. The black trim tile was picked up from ReStore for 10 cents each, the bench seat and vanity countertop were cut from a $15 piece of Corian, the sink was $5, the faucet was on clearance for $25 and the base was from an old bistro set. This is in a basement so there isn't any storage, just the niche, bench and window sill. This is an off the shelf shower base (32x48) but we have done custom tiled bases when the space was nonstandard size. We used Redgard for waterproofing and Fusion premixed grout...another ReStore find at $5 for an unopened bucket.
One of the downsides of doing tile is the cost of the tools. If you don't already have the tools, you will need to spend some money. It isn't necessary to get an expensive saw but getting good results is easier and faster with the pricier tools.
suzanne_m
5 years ago
Does the window already exist?
weedyacres
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes, it's an existing window.
Lyndee Lee
5 years ago
A window over a tub must be tempered glass so you should replace the window. Otherwise consider mounting a plexiglass panel in front of the window. Or, just decide that is another sign that you shouldn't install a tub!