New here - questions on adding ensuite bathroom

[OnTheShore]

One more thing that I forgot to mention. If you can, when designing a bathroom, find out how much more it will cost to have a tiled floor with a drain. It will save so much headache when things "overflow" and you have the extra drain in the room..

If you do put in floor drains, be sure to throw some water down those drains every now and then -- the water in the traps can evaporate and if the level drops low enough, sewer gases can back up into the room. This happens in an institutional building where I work (and where it was decided to skip the expense of automatic trap waterers -- yes, there is such a thing), so once or twice a year I find myself searching for a bucket to pour some water down those drains.

 

[Generic]

One more thing that I forgot to mention. If you can, when designing a bathroom, find out how much more it will cost to have a tiled floor with a drain. It will save so much headache when things "overflow" and you have the extra drain in the room..

If you do put in floor drains, be sure to throw some water down those drains every now and then -- the water in the traps can evaporate and if the level drops low enough, sewer gases can back up into the room. This happens in an institutional building where I work (and where it was decided to skip the expense of automatic trap waterers -- yes, there is such a thing), so once or twice a year I find myself searching for a bucket to pour some water down those drains.
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You are correct. But it's a minor compared to the overflowing toilet and not telling us of the problem thing

 

[JBloggs]

One more thing that I forgot to mention. If you can, when designing a bathroom, find out how much more it will cost to have a tiled floor with a drain. It will save so much headache when things "overflow" and you have the extra drain in the room..

If you do put in floor drains, be sure to throw some water down those drains every now and then -- the water in the traps can evaporate and if the level drops low enough, sewer gases can back up into the room. This happens in an institutional building where I work (and where it was decided to skip the expense of automatic trap waterers -- yes, there is such a thing), so once or twice a year I find myself searching for a bucket to pour some water down those drains.
.

If you do put in floor drains, be sure to throw some water down those drains every now and then -- the water in the traps can evaporate and if the level drops low enough, sewer gases can back up into the room. This happens in an institutional building where I work (and where it was decided to skip the expense of automatic trap waterers -- yes, there is such a thing), so once or twice a year I find myself searching for a bucket to pour some water down those drains.

Huh? That is called cleaning the floors swabbing the decks!

 

[Morticia]

One more thing that I forgot to mention. If you can, when designing a bathroom, find out how much more it will cost to have a tiled floor with a drain. It will save so much headache when things "overflow" and you have the extra drain in the room..

If you do put in floor drains, be sure to throw some water down those drains every now and then -- the water in the traps can evaporate and if the level drops low enough, sewer gases can back up into the room. This happens in an institutional building where I work (and where it was decided to skip the expense of automatic trap waterers -- yes, there is such a thing), so once or twice a year I find myself searching for a bucket to pour some water down those drains.
.

We have a sink in the laundry room that we rarely use. The sewer smell doesn't come out there, it comes out in a guest room! If we've forgotten to run the water in awhile, we remember pretty quickly.

 

[eyevea]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks.

 

[gillumhouse]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

As an old person I do not like climbing into tubs - actually it is the climbing out that is the scary part when all is WET. But for guests with kids, a tub is a must. I have a friend who loves the tub - hates it if she gets a room with no tub. It is a toss-up.

 

[2cat_lady]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

I have all showers in my bathrooms. I've only had one refusal because of no tub. We're more a destination B&B and my guests are more interested in the attractions. My bathrooms are roomy, by most B&B standards, well lit and very clean. I've put more extras in the bedroom. Now, I don't get 'children', but I get babies and believe it or not, the sink in my vanity is huge, so that's where they've been bathed. Actually got the comment that it was nice not to bend over into a tub. That being said, I probably could get a few more local people with a tub and advertise a romantic evening, but I can't be all things to all people. It sounds like you have a nice mix. I would go with the fancy shower myself. Would probably make a great picture on your webpage.

 

[Generic]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

You can skip the tub for the most part. The people who insist on tubs are few and far between.
The two types of shower that I suggest are either all glass (it makes the room seem larger) or the doorless shower (also with glass).
I also suggest a secondary drain in a bathroom since guests don't always tell you when they overflow the toilet... they just "leave" or use your toilets to sop it up and then "leave" without telling you. It's a small cost when you are building a bathroom, but a major cost if things overflow and things get damaged.

 

[Morticia]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

Just got back from vacation where there was both a deep tub and a huge glass-walled shower.
I looked at that tub longingly but never used it. The shower was wonderful.
I'm not a tub person.
Keep in mind how difficult it is to wash a tub and make a very nice shower in that room!
We only have one tub here. We rarely get guests who ask for them. If they do, they are generally looking for a big tub to romp around in with the boyfriend. If you go for the tub, add the floor drain Jon mentioned.

 

[EmptyNest]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

Just got back from vacation where there was both a deep tub and a huge glass-walled shower.
I looked at that tub longingly but never used it. The shower was wonderful.
I'm not a tub person.
Keep in mind how difficult it is to wash a tub and make a very nice shower in that room!
We only have one tub here. We rarely get guests who ask for them. If they do, they are generally looking for a big tub to romp around in with the boyfriend. If you go for the tub, add the floor drain Jon mentioned.
.

Floor drain is a good idea for any newly built or remodeled bathroom. That's what they have all over europe and its a great idea. I don't know why it has never caught on in the US. Would certainly save alot of grief at times.

 

[Generic]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

Just got back from vacation where there was both a deep tub and a huge glass-walled shower.
I looked at that tub longingly but never used it. The shower was wonderful.
I'm not a tub person.
Keep in mind how difficult it is to wash a tub and make a very nice shower in that room!
We only have one tub here. We rarely get guests who ask for them. If they do, they are generally looking for a big tub to romp around in with the boyfriend. If you go for the tub, add the floor drain Jon mentioned.
.

Floor drain is a good idea for any newly built or remodeled bathroom. That's what they have all over europe and its a great idea. I don't know why it has never caught on in the US. Would certainly save alot of grief at times.
.

[h2]
It HAS![/h2]

 

[Madeleine]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

Did you finally take the plunge you talked about years ago? Where did you end up buying? (No need to tell if you don't want to.)

 

[Lea Ann]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

We have tub shower combos in three rooms, we are limited on space so we couldn't go with the soaker tubs. One room just has a walk in shower.
Go with a nice shower, that way if you have older guests that might be worried about getting in and out of a tub/shower have an option.

 

[user 26]

there's nothing like a poorly "creatively" designed bathroom!
i stayed in a place that was pretty tight. the bathroom door opened in and just barely cleared the toilet. it also banged into the t.p. dispenser which was hopelessly bashed so that the t.p. sat on the toilet tank. the shower/tub was snug up against the toilet and, when seated, your left leg touched the tub. the sink, however, was down past the other end of the tub around a partition. and it was a suspended sink - you know - with no support underneath. when i turned on the water, the pipes rattled so bad i thought it would shake itself onto the floor. there was a little sign saying that guests were responsible to pay for all damages. ha! i figured that was how they'd get the money to install a sink support. i decided to wash my hands in the tub.
this was a long time ago - wish i had pictures! the area was gorgeous lakefront property with little housekeeping cottages - not much housekeeping possible in them. i bet someone has since bought the place and fixed it up.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Unless you have room for a soaker tub or jetted tub for 2, go with the nice multi jet shower. We have jetted tubs in all our rooms and it's a big seller, but the 1 room we have with a regular sized jetted tub is rarely used. They want the big size tub or none at all.

 

[Morticia]

there's nothing like a poorly "creatively" designed bathroom!
i stayed in a place that was pretty tight. the bathroom door opened in and just barely cleared the toilet. it also banged into the t.p. dispenser which was hopelessly bashed so that the t.p. sat on the toilet tank. the shower/tub was snug up against the toilet and, when seated, your left leg touched the tub. the sink, however, was down past the other end of the tub around a partition. and it was a suspended sink - you know - with no support underneath. when i turned on the water, the pipes rattled so bad i thought it would shake itself onto the floor. there was a little sign saying that guests were responsible to pay for all damages. ha! i figured that was how they'd get the money to install a sink support. i decided to wash my hands in the tub.
this was a long time ago - wish i had pictures! the area was gorgeous lakefront property with little housekeeping cottages - not much housekeeping possible in them. i bet someone has since bought the place and fixed it up..

We have one sink like that left. All the others have been replaced. If anyone else has them, you can buy legs for them. They attach underneath. But, yes, people kick them and they fall off.
We're looking to replace that one last sink but it truly is only the size of a sheet of paper so finding a sink that fits that spot is very hard.
The bathrooms are much nicer with bigger pedestal style sinks. One step at a time.

 

[happykeeper]

Unless you have room for a soaker tub or jetted tub for 2, go with the nice multi jet shower. We have jetted tubs in all our rooms and it's a big seller, but the 1 room we have with a regular sized jetted tub is rarely used. They want the big size tub or none at all..

You would be the authority here on the forum since it is a feature of what you do. I think I have heard you say it before and it stopped us from trying to accommodate the occasional request for such.

 

[GoodScout]

Unless you have room for a soaker tub or jetted tub for 2, go with the nice multi jet shower. We have jetted tubs in all our rooms and it's a big seller, but the 1 room we have with a regular sized jetted tub is rarely used. They want the big size tub or none at all..

Agree. We have a 3-year plan to eventually replace all our jetted tubs with dual showers. The days of jetted tubs are pretty much gone.

 

[user 26]

there's nothing like a poorly "creatively" designed bathroom!
i stayed in a place that was pretty tight. the bathroom door opened in and just barely cleared the toilet. it also banged into the t.p. dispenser which was hopelessly bashed so that the t.p. sat on the toilet tank. the shower/tub was snug up against the toilet and, when seated, your left leg touched the tub. the sink, however, was down past the other end of the tub around a partition. and it was a suspended sink - you know - with no support underneath. when i turned on the water, the pipes rattled so bad i thought it would shake itself onto the floor. there was a little sign saying that guests were responsible to pay for all damages. ha! i figured that was how they'd get the money to install a sink support. i decided to wash my hands in the tub.
this was a long time ago - wish i had pictures! the area was gorgeous lakefront property with little housekeeping cottages - not much housekeeping possible in them. i bet someone has since bought the place and fixed it up..

We have one sink like that left. All the others have been replaced. If anyone else has them, you can buy legs for them. They attach underneath. But, yes, people kick them and they fall off.
We're looking to replace that one last sink but it truly is only the size of a sheet of paper so finding a sink that fits that spot is very hard.
The bathrooms are much nicer with bigger pedestal style sinks. One step at a time.
.

we had one sink bolted to the wall, we added legs but they were just metal things, not really to hold more weight than the sink.
then we had a woman (yes, of substantial size) lean on it during her stay. i wonder if she tried to sit on it. she pulled it right off the wall. after the plumbing repair to the pipe in the wall that also snapped off, repair of flood damage, we got a heavy sink with ceramic pedastal (no room for a cabinet underneath or we would've gone that route!)
all must know that whatever is light weight, whatever wasn't designed to hold a person, will be used as a support by a person.

We have one sink like that left. All the others have been replaced. If anyone else has them, you can buy legs for them. They attach underneath. But, yes, people kick them and they fall off.
We're looking to replace that one last sink but it truly is only the size of a sheet of paper so finding a sink that fits that spot is very hard.
The bathrooms are much nicer with bigger pedestal style sinks. One step at a time.

 

[eyevea]

We are renovating a 300 year old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It's a rather slow process since my husband and I are doing most of the work ourselves. We will have 3 guestrooms all with en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms are going to be fairly small, but very nice. In one bathroom we have to decide between putting in a plain bathtub/shower combo (no room for a whirlpool) or a fancy shower. Which will bring more guests? The tub would have a great ceramic tile surround...and perhaps it would be a drop in tub with tile on the front wall as well...not sure about the design exactly. But, it occurred to us that we could put in a very nice shower with extra jets, etc.
One bathroom is finished and has a great tub/shower combo...not ordinary. And one bathroom only has room for a shower. We also only have a great shower in our master bath.
Any experiences will be appreciated in helping us decide...plan tub or fancy shower. Thanks..

Did you finally take the plunge you talked about years ago? Where did you end up buying? (No need to tell if you don't want to.)
.

We bought a house built in 1694 in the town next to where we lived. It's located in Mansfield Center, CT. We didn't have to leave our jobs and can do the work ourselves. Way inside our comfort zone. We're so glad we didn't buy the place in New Hampshire. It's still for sale and the price is now about 1/2 of what we almost paid. Thanks for asking.