Help with Master Bathroom Renovation (with Washer & Dryer)
Hi everyone! About 6 years ago, the master bath in my house was
re-done, and at the time I really liked how it turned out. But now that
I've been living with it, there are a lot of problems and I realized that it's not a great set-up for what I want/need.
Here's the rather dated before:
The hall and closet were removed to make the bathroom larger. Here's the current layout:
For starters, the workmanship was terrible. The floor tiles aren't flat and there have been cracks since they were installed, the door doesn't latch, the walls are curvy at the corners, the toilet has leaked since day one, there's a 5 inch gap between the back of the toilet and the wall, the sink is ridiculously tiny, the shower walls have giant gaps at the corners that are nearly impossible to caulk (over 1/4 inch in some places), and the tub corners slope against the wall so water pools and doesn't drain. There's a lot going on!
As for changes, I don't need a tub - I don't take baths and the tub is so shallow that it's pretty pointless. There is another tub in the house, so I'd like to get rid of this one and replace it with a steam shower. I also want to add a stacked washer/dryer. My bedroom is on the 3rd floor and the basement is completely uninhabitable (unless you have more than 4 legs - we don't go down there - lol), so I'd like to have a washer/dryer up where I actually live. Right now I have a portable washing machine that hooks up to my sink faucet and drains into the tub - hardly ideal.
I'm a little stuck about what to do, largely because of the window placement. The house is over 100 years old and is historically protected, so moving the window isn't really an option. Beyond that, I'm open to pretty much everything. This is my first go at a new layout:
Comments (16)
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Washer/Dryer Problem in Bathroom Remodel
Comments (8)It is to do with code. I have posted & gathered a lot on the plumbing forum. Even been spoken down to by a few people on here. Guess all I wanting was someone on there that has these small efficient systems in their home. I did locate today on the Bosch Instillation manual, that the drain pipe can hook on to a sink or tub just like my current combo. This might be the solution to my problem as it won't be connected to a drain pipe. Trust me, I am going to think this through to make this work. I in no way want to have a problem, but Bosch shows that it can be done this way, so really don't see a problem hooking it to the shower area exposed. I even thought of having a big trash can to collect the water as it is being drained, then poor it down the shower...:). I am very creative in my thinking. I like to think outside the box. I have put in a e-mail to the VP of Sales @ Bosch to see if anyone there can speak to me about this issue. If they are going to market this very small units, then the really need to provide as much information for the consumer. Hopefully this issue will be resolved soon. If not, then I will cancel the order....See More9'x10' bathroom-can I get a washer/dryer and closet in there, too?
Comments (6)I use magicplan on my iPad, I got the app free but purchase plans for 2.50. If you tell me where the windows and doors are I can try some plans out and post here. Whether or not you can fit a washer/ drier in will depend on if you have lots of solid walls, if you are willing to sacrifice a large shower, have only a single sink and how many exterior walls you have if you live in an area that does not allow for exterior wall plumbing. I have a larger bath but it has windows on all three exterior walls so my plumbing for the shower was limited substantially. With smaller baths we really have to pare down and focus on our most important wishes. here is a quick plan that assumes you have no windows or issues with plumbing placement magicplan only allows for doors on outside walls but the door to the stackable laundry cubby should fit in the room too....See MoreMinor renovation in master bathroom... help!!
Comments (2)Post some pictures. But, that’s not a minor project at all! That’s gutting everything and starting over. Baths are the most mistake prone and expensive of all home renovations. Are you working with a contractor or designer already? This is the only chance you will get to do this. Do it right!...See MoreInput on master bathroom remodel (adding washer/dryer)
Comments (10)Just a couple things I'd like if I were doing this. can you straighten the wall with the door? I'd bring that wall straight and enlarge the bathroom by that foot. The shower for me is too long at 7', unless you will be double showering. I have a 5' long shower and that is plenty. I have French glass doors on my shower that are 28" each wide and span the 58" space (60" rough space) nicely. You may not even need a door on the size you are working with. I would want a small sink in the toilet room. I don't know why that isn't done more often. I recently actually saw a commercial install done this way with their 2 toilet stalls, and a sink in the main room. "Thats what I'm talking about". Put an outlet in the toilet room in case you want an advanced toilet seat. You are probably aware, and may currently have,. tempered glass in the window at the shower/tub. You might need a louvered door on the laundry closet, so makeup air gets in easily for the dryer. If you are doing the whole room, I'd like to see what it would look like with the vanities at the window wall, and the shower and laundry at the wall where the vanities are now. It might not be possible, considering the scope of your project. But it would be fun to draw it up just to see. This plan would shrink the shower, and may not be what you'd want. With a smaller shower, there will be less issues with planning for doors. The window wall could allow for a full vanity with much more storage and counter space for folding. Also you could put in a pull out draw for hanging things, and a pull out draw/ironing board. I also don't like the shower in the location, because thats what you see when you walk in the room, and the person showering. The window in the shower blocks access to the woods and window IMO. if it was part of the counter, you are closer and feel more connected to the woods....See More
bananbean
6 years agoThank you all very much for the input!
elohbee- I see what you mean, about it being cramped in some places. I wanted to change the shower placement because keeping it at 28 inches wide (the space to the edge of the window) seems really cramped for a shower. Even now with the curved shower curtain rod, I bump my arms into the shower curtain and the wall all the time.
I'm wondering if shortening the half wall and making the linen closet smaller would help with that. Even shortening the half wall about 6 inches and making the shower wider by 4 inches would increase the space. I could probably make the shower even wider, but it already seems much larger than I was planning (stupid window).
hmorton- Definitely a competent GC! This is way beyond my skill level. The only part I'd even consider doing on my own is the tiling, but with all the other construction going on, I think hiring that out is the way to go. And I definitely know what you mean about old homes - the kitchen renovation, which was done by an actual qualified contractor, ran into many issues.
cpartist- Resale isn't really an issue. The house has been in my family for almost 80 years and will be for at least another 50 years. Also, I only call it the "master" bath because that's where my bedroom is. The second floor has the exact same layout and is actually a little bit bigger because of the roof slope and stairs on the third floor.
I don't have a real full floor layout, so I sketched something up quickly. Warning: not even close to scale:
The walk-in closet was converted from a bedroom and has built-ins that wrap around from the window along the long wall to the closet on the other side. The space between the wall and door in the walk-in closet is only about 12 inches, so not deep enough to put a w/d. Let me know if you think there's a better place to stick the w/d. Thanks!
bananbean
6 years agobananbean
6 years agobananbean
6 years ago
cpartist
6 years agocpartist
6 years agoPiggy backing off of Karenseb's idea, I wouldn't have the W/D facing into the master closet. I'd make a separate "closet" in the hallway for the W/D so it doesn't send moisture into the air where your clothes are. We have a stackable in a hall closet in NY. The closet is 36" wide.
bananbean thanked cpartistbananbean
6 years agocpartist
6 years ago
Karenseb