When you have babies, as they grow up, you will surely be in need of an extra bathroom. How to build a bathroom on a concrete slab? This is the next question you face once you have taken the final decision for a new bathroom. We will discuss the fact with an explained description hereby.
There is a concrete slab for the basement of almost every house, and this has been added to increase the life span of a house. An adequately established slab will last over 100 years. But the slab seems to be a huge obstacle when we need renovations. Removing a concrete slab is a heavy set of burdens. If you plan to do the project as a DIY, you will need to study the whole process carefully, as the wrong steps could result in a waste of money. A faulty renovation will also affect other areas of the house, causing plumbing failure, water leakage, etc.
How to Build a Bathroom on a Concrete Slab?
A concrete slab makes a healthier house. But on the contrary, it will take massive effort and labour to cut it when you need to install new plumbing and electrical lines. Let’s divide this huge process into a few sections and discuss it as per our easy understanding.
Planning the Bathroom
First of all, we need proper planning before starting the cutting. This will reduce the effort you will need to complete the process with less mess. If you cut a larger area of the slab that is unwanted in the plumbing, it will give you a lot of extra refilling. Refilling and repairing a basement slab will be more complicated than cutting it with a device.
You should take the blueprint of your house and check the plumbing. Then decide where to install the new additions. Draw the plan on paper or software if you have the ability; this is not mandatory. But it would be better if you draw the sketch on the floor where you are going to build the new bathroom with the marked areas for plumbing installations, previous pipelines, and drainage. You will need to place the bathroom utensils in the exact position.
Sometimes you will need to build new walls. It would help if you marked this on the floor. Further, it will be easier if you use a frame to cover the relevant areas.
Equipment and Safety
There are two cutting equipment that you can use here, namely Hand-held concrete saws and walk-behind concrete saws. The names denote the functional type themselves. If you use a hand-held version, you will have to bend or kneel down on the floor while cutting the slab. Conversely, the walk-behind saw could be operated while standing. A hand-held saw is better with minor cuts, and it creates less dust when compared to the other. Both devices can be rented for about $40- $60 per 3 hours.
If it is a wet cut, you will have to supply a water line to the machine. Therefore, you will need to arrange a place to drain out the water too. A wet blade will produce less dust, but it is recommended to use a dry-cutting blade if there are risks of electrocution.
Before starting the cutting, you will need to wear goggles and a respirator to stay away from dust. It is also essential to use a pair of heavy-duty gloves. Concrete dust contains silica and causes severe irritations in the respiratory tract when exposed enormously.
If you do not have enough skill and experience to handle the cutting saws, please do not take a risk by doing it yourself. Do contact a professional service.
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Cutting the Slab
Once you have cut down about an inch, then you can use a sledgehammer or a jackhammer to do the rest of the work. The sledgehammer is the best match if the concrete is young and not too hard. If it is a hard layer with more thickness, you will be wanted to use the jackhammer.
You should not break the concrete too small or too large as it will consume much labor and high effort in moving out the debris.
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Installing the New Waterlines
Place the new plumbing and HVAC lines. You will also need to keep space for drainage lines.
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Refilling
Level the grounds well and add the new concrete mixture. After it dries completely, you need to apply a layer of self-levelling concrete over it. For that, first, start with a concrete primer. Then go for the self-levelling mixture. Spread the concrete evenly without making any cracks.
What is Above-Ground Plumbing?
The renovations including concrete cuttings and refilling will end in a sum of over $4,000 for your bathroom project; with the bath ware and the toilets, it will cost you over $20,000. The time and expenditure could be lessened by using an above-ground plumbing system. On the other hand, cutting a part of the concrete slab of the basement will damage and make cracks in the neighbouring areas. These damages will cause severe issues later on. It is the main con in setting up a new underground water line.
An above-ground plumbing and drainage system will direct the wastewater of the toilet to a pump that liquefies the content. After that, it is sent to the septic tank. The pump can be sealed inside your walls. This could be installed within a day without much effort and will be budget-friendly. There is not much maintenance too.
How Deep Are Plumbing Pipes Under a Slab House?
A slab house is a building that has a slab as the foundation and has no crawl space between the basement and the ground level. You will find the waterlines about 12-24 inches down the slab.
Conclusion
How to build a bathroom on a concrete slab? If you are wondering about this question, this article will guide you to the most appropriate steps to perform the task.
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