Make the Most of Your Basement Bathroom
Basement bathrooms are a valuable addition for any homeowner looking to maximize space and increase the value of their home.
Market Value
Having a functional, finished basement adds both livable square footage and resale value to your home. If your home only has one bathroom, adding a second bathroom to your basement level will make it more appealing to prospective buyers. Including a bathroom on your basement level not only extends the value of your home but also opens doors for more creative use of your floorplan.
Extended Living Space
By including a basement bathroom, your home’s bottom level can become a separate designated living space for your children, parents, guests, or renters, giving them their own space to toilet, bathe, and see to other bathroom needs.
Accessibility
Eliminating the need to go upstairs for these bathroom needs makes your space more accessible to both your household and guests, eliminating any unnecessary trips to your home’s upper levels.
Whether you have a pre-existing basement bathroom or are thinking of installing one, there are many considerations to keep in mind to make the most of your basement bathroom.
Installation
Building Requirements
If you are thinking about installing a new basement bathroom, it is important to know that this is a project that will require professional involvement to ensure that all water lines, drainage lines, and electrical connections are installed properly and up to code. While you may install the framing and finishing touches yourself, it is often required to have a licensed professional install any gas, electrical, or plumbing additions. Consult your local codes to ensure that any work done to your home is following acceptable standards.
Installing a new basement bathroom also almost always requires appropriate building, plumbing, and electrical permits to ensure that any modifications are installed correctly and within the bounds of the law.
Moisture Control
Basement bathrooms are often required to adhere to stricter moisture control rules as they are particularly susceptible to mold and other moisture related issues. With the combined efforts of fans, venting, windows, and proper water and temperature control, your basement bathroom will stay clean and moisture-free.
Breaking Ground
To properly run plumbing through your basement floor for bathroom fixtures like your toilet and shower, the concrete floor of your basement will need to be broken into to create trenches so that your drainpipes can be installed and connected. This step should be handled by professionals to ensure that everything is done correctly and according to code.
Installation Costs
Though the total cost of your basement bathroom remodel depends on a variety of factors including size, grade of materials, plumbing considerations, and more, the average cost of a basement bathroom installation runs from $5,000 to $20,000 but can run up to $30,000 to $35,000 for more luxurious or complex additions.
Work with Your Space
When remodeling or installing a basement bathroom, it is important to work with the space you have, taking into consideration the square footage, layout, plumbing locations, and other practical features such as windows, ceiling height and material, and flooring. Depending on the space you have available or the needs of your home and family, you may be working with a powder room or half-bath, ¾-bath, or full-bath. Each of these bathroom types have their own capabilities and limitations and offer different experiences and product options to select from.
- Powder Room or Half-Bath: Includes a toilet and sink.
- ¾ Bath: Includes a toilet, sink, and shower.
- Full-Bath: Includes a toilet, sink, shower, and bathtub or shower/tub combo.
Practical Purpose
Whether your basement is an unfinished or fully finished space, a family game room or home gym, treating your basement bathroom as an extension of the rest of your basement elevates the function of your space. For example, if there are regularly used bedrooms on your basement level, making space for a full bath eliminates unnecessary stair-climbing to access a shower or tub. If your basement bathroom is sharing space with your laundry or utility room, include a laundry/utility sink (opens in a new window), soaking tub (opens in a new window), or detachable hand shower (opens in a new window) to take the practicality and efficiency of your bathroom to the next level. If your family has pets, consider installing or creating a custom pet wash station (opens in a new window) for quick and easy bathing.
Considering Colors
The colors and finishes used in your design can entirely change the look and feel of a space. (opens in a new window) It is important to keep in mind the needs of your space alongside your personal style. Utilizing light tones such as light blue, greige, cool white, muted green, soft gray, and off-white can create the illusion of a larger, brighter space in a smaller, darker basement bathroom. Balance these airy colors with grounded, deep tones to create contrast. Utilizing deep blues, greens, browns, grays, or blacks as an accent color in your flooring, trim, fixtures, finishes, or decorative features bring a dynamic, dimensional look to your bathroom.
Keep It Light
Take advantage of and maximize any natural lighting your basement bathroom may receive with windows (if possible) and implement artificial light liberally and creatively to ensure that every square inch of your basement bathroom is illuminated. Whether you are mapping out your new layout or working with your old one, consider what dark corners may need addressed. Ensuring that your space is sufficiently lit will make it a space that is both comfortable and safe to navigate.
Turn up The Heat
Due to being located below ground, basement levels tend to run colder than above ground levels. Heated products like heated toilet seats (opens in a new window), towel warmers (opens in a new window), and even radiant heated floors are all excellent and popular additions to your basement bathroom to warm up and make it a more comfortable space to utilize.
By carefully and intentionally investing into your basement bathroom you are not only bringing value to your home but also bringing purpose to an underutilized area of your home. Are you ready to begin your design journey? Contact a DKB Designer Kitchens and Baths showroom near you to make the most of your basement bathroom.
Begin Your Basement Bathroom Design
Ready to bring value and purpose to an underutilized area of your home? Contact a DKB Designer Kitchens and Baths showroom near you to make the most of your basement bathroom.