New Bathroom on Second Floor
#1
New Bathroom on Second Floor
Hi There. I have a 108 year old victorian that is made of BRICK. I mean solid brick. Which makes any remodel a challenge... heck, hangin curtains is a challenge... =-)
Some of the interior walls are hollow, and so I can get plumbing upto the room I'd like to make into a bath/dressing area. I have a couple of questions. Please... please feel free to answer any of them.
First question is... on the toilet. How far can the toilet be from the drain/vent stack? Where I want to put the toilet is about 24- 36 inches at about a 45 degree angle(and through/beneath a future closet wall). Kind of like this
O| (this the drain/vent stack)
|\\
| \\ (drain_
| _\\__ (wall and drain going out to drain/vent)
| ____
| () (this is the front of the tank & the seat)
Most diagrams show the toilet directly infront of and very close to the drain/vent stack, which is ideal, if you can do that. I realize most books and diagrams are for modern standard bathrooms... Standard did not exist in 1896, so I have to be creative. If I can still make the toilet flush from 3 feet away, then that's what I'll do... =-)
Second, it looks like you can tie the sinks, tub and shower together to one main drain that will tie to the toilet vent (this from diagrams I found on the this old house site) Is that true? (don't worry, I know about the slope... good thing about old houses is 13 inch thick walls and floors... lots of room for slope)
And third.... don't laugh. Does anyone know where to find a 5x5 shower pan. Call me greedy... but 4x4 is just not big enough...lol. I am not sure I am upto installing a liner, etc... would like a prefab. I've been all over the net for HOURS and can't find one. So, if anyone does know where to find one, please let me know.
One more thing... in the kitchen. Got a new dishwasher installed while back. Thought it was holding water... not draining right. Turns out it's water coming back in from the sink next to it. I figured this out because I washed the red paint out of my brushes and when I went to load the dishes... low and behold I had red paint water all in the bottom of the dishwasher... NOT GOOD. What would cause that and how can I fix it?
Sorry for the long post, but I have lots of plumbing to do... and living in a small town 70 miles from nowhere really limits the professionals that you can find.
Thanks for all the informative answers and great quotes... I've spent hours reading this forum tonight and just had a blast.
Shay
Some of the interior walls are hollow, and so I can get plumbing upto the room I'd like to make into a bath/dressing area. I have a couple of questions. Please... please feel free to answer any of them.
First question is... on the toilet. How far can the toilet be from the drain/vent stack? Where I want to put the toilet is about 24- 36 inches at about a 45 degree angle(and through/beneath a future closet wall). Kind of like this
O| (this the drain/vent stack)
|\\
| \\ (drain_
| _\\__ (wall and drain going out to drain/vent)
| ____
| () (this is the front of the tank & the seat)
Most diagrams show the toilet directly infront of and very close to the drain/vent stack, which is ideal, if you can do that. I realize most books and diagrams are for modern standard bathrooms... Standard did not exist in 1896, so I have to be creative. If I can still make the toilet flush from 3 feet away, then that's what I'll do... =-)
Second, it looks like you can tie the sinks, tub and shower together to one main drain that will tie to the toilet vent (this from diagrams I found on the this old house site) Is that true? (don't worry, I know about the slope... good thing about old houses is 13 inch thick walls and floors... lots of room for slope)
And third.... don't laugh. Does anyone know where to find a 5x5 shower pan. Call me greedy... but 4x4 is just not big enough...lol. I am not sure I am upto installing a liner, etc... would like a prefab. I've been all over the net for HOURS and can't find one. So, if anyone does know where to find one, please let me know.
One more thing... in the kitchen. Got a new dishwasher installed while back. Thought it was holding water... not draining right. Turns out it's water coming back in from the sink next to it. I figured this out because I washed the red paint out of my brushes and when I went to load the dishes... low and behold I had red paint water all in the bottom of the dishwasher... NOT GOOD. What would cause that and how can I fix it?
Sorry for the long post, but I have lots of plumbing to do... and living in a small town 70 miles from nowhere really limits the professionals that you can find.
Thanks for all the informative answers and great quotes... I've spent hours reading this forum tonight and just had a blast.
Shay
#2
1...yes (without consideration for your local code taken into account. There may be an issue of other fixtures tied into this stack on the first floor if it is just a vent above the first floor. You need to talk to local code people)
2...yes... now you need an actual pipe layout and venting options. This may become a challenge.
3...good luck in the prefab.
4...The dishwasher drain line needs to be looped up to under the countertop and fastened in place.
Now for some more stuff to consider. Contact your local building department and talk to them about permits. This is not something evil but it is something that will protect you and add value to your home. You can still do the work as a homeowner, but it will still need to be inspected which is a good thing for a house the age of yours.
Good luck with your project and ask more questions as problems arise.
2...yes... now you need an actual pipe layout and venting options. This may become a challenge.
3...good luck in the prefab.
4...The dishwasher drain line needs to be looped up to under the countertop and fastened in place.
Now for some more stuff to consider. Contact your local building department and talk to them about permits. This is not something evil but it is something that will protect you and add value to your home. You can still do the work as a homeowner, but it will still need to be inspected which is a good thing for a house the age of yours.
Good luck with your project and ask more questions as problems arise.
#3
Thank you.... =-)
I really appreciate the answer... there is no existing bath under this new one, so is a completely different or auxillary vent system with the toilet taking everything down to the main sewage line. There is a small bathroom there now, which will make tying the existing system easy, but the wall going up (where the vent stack is now) is coming down... =-) I am creating a whole new wet wall on the other side of the room. Thank goodness for crawlspaces... =-)
I will fix my dishwasher RIGHT now... thank you.
One more question... I am going to wet vent a single vanity which is a hair over the critical distance (see I bought a book today on plumbing... he he he) and my thought was compensate for the distance with a larger vent and a little more slope. It is about 12 feet from the wet wall, so I thought a 4" pipe sloped at .25 per foot. I could also revent once it hits the wall, too, if I need to.
Would that work? It will be tying into the main toilet stack, not into a smaller system.
I know you can underslope and cause problems, but can oversloping a drain cause an issue?
Thanks again.
Shay
I will fix my dishwasher RIGHT now... thank you.
One more question... I am going to wet vent a single vanity which is a hair over the critical distance (see I bought a book today on plumbing... he he he) and my thought was compensate for the distance with a larger vent and a little more slope. It is about 12 feet from the wet wall, so I thought a 4" pipe sloped at .25 per foot. I could also revent once it hits the wall, too, if I need to.
Would that work? It will be tying into the main toilet stack, not into a smaller system.
I know you can underslope and cause problems, but can oversloping a drain cause an issue?
Thanks again.
Shay
#4
Forget the 4" drain, go with 2". You have already commited to reventing so do it right.
As for slope, this kills me everytime I see this, and then plumbers discuss this as if it is a religious experience. The code only prints MINIMUM slope. How much slope is on the vertical line going to the basement?
You got a plan, good luck...
As for slope, this kills me everytime I see this, and then plumbers discuss this as if it is a religious experience. The code only prints MINIMUM slope. How much slope is on the vertical line going to the basement?
You got a plan, good luck...
#5
Hey...
Be patient with the newbie. I do have a plan, but a couple of things are questionable, like the toilet thing and the vanity being 12 ft from the wet wall. I can run the drain/vent and supply through the floor (joists actually run the right direction), but according to standards, 10ft is supposedly the max... I didn't think it mattered about the slope, but I'm still learning and just want to make sure I don't out think myself. I've done that in the past... lol.
Thanks for the tip on the dishwasher... all fixed. I ran the disposal to test it out and Voila... no water.
You are amazing... and very kind for answering the questions. I really appreciate it. I am getting more excited about this new bath every minute. It's my bathroom... he he he.
Shay
Thanks for the tip on the dishwasher... all fixed. I ran the disposal to test it out and Voila... no water.
You are amazing... and very kind for answering the questions. I really appreciate it. I am getting more excited about this new bath every minute. It's my bathroom... he he he.
Shay