This article shows how an en suite shower room can be fitted into a small footprint (1.9m x 1.8m in this example)
This en suite was installed to replace a much smaller cloakroom that only had a toilet & basin. The customer wanted to add a shower enclosure and also a heat source into the room.
A plan was drawn up to check the feasibility of the proposed layout (against the existing plumbing of the house and a few other factors.)
The new plan would involve removing the existing studwork (the unpainted line on the wall and ceiling above shows where this was) and extending the en suite out into the bedroom slightly (up to the side of the existing Velux window in the ceiling.)
Once the layout and the work schedule had been agreed upon, the installation could begin.
New studwork was built and 1st fix electrics were carried out, hiding cables in the new and existing walls for a shaver socket and heated towel radiator, extractor fan, new electric shower and of course the ceiling spotlights.
The stud walls were then insulated and boarded before being plastered.
In the picture above you can see that the angled doorframe means that the room takes up a bit less room (than if it was squared off) and seems visually much less imposing.
The new shower tray was fitted and the waste pipe was run in between the floor joists to the soil pipe outside.
The pipe was supported under the floor to ensure that an adequate fall was maintained, allowing the shower water to drain safely away for years to come. (Unsupported pipes can sag as hot water flows through them and over time this can lead to sections of pipe travelling uphill and this leads to drainage problems.)
Other 1st fix plumbing work is completed at this time e.g. installing pipework to fed the new toilet, basin and shower etc.
The floor is then overboarded with a tile backer board as part of the floor tiling preparation.
The walls and floor are then fully tiled.
Porcelain tiles, laid in a brick pattern, are chosen for the floor, whilst ceramic tiles with glass mosaics are used for the walls.
The tiling behind the basin is carefully planned to coincide with the basin position, to limit the use of the expensive mosaic tiles i.e. they are not installed where they will not be visible behind the vanity unit.
An electric shower is added and the enclosure is fitted.
An electric shower makes sense as a 2nd shower as it will still work if your boiler breaks down (as it works by instantaneously heating mains pressure cold water and does not rely on hot water being provided to it by the boiler.)
Other electrical work is carried out including the installation of the ceiling spotlights.
The shower enclosure is fitted and a low voltage extractor fan is fitted which extracts moist air from the room.
An electric towel warmer is then hung on the wall and connected up to the electrical supply located in the wall earlier. This can be controlled by a timer which is located outside the en suite, and so does not rely on the central heating being on.
The vanity unit & basin are then connected up and isolating valves are added to aid future maintenance (meaning for example that the tap could be replaced if necessary without having to shut off the water to the whole house 1st.)
Once the vanity unit is in place, the toilet is fitted.
In this instance you can see that a back to wall unit is used, with the flush mechanism being concealed in the wall.
Using a back to wall toilet (with the cistern and associated plumbing hidden behind the wall in the eaves) means that the toilet pan itself protrudes out less into the room, maximising space.
A shaver socket is also fitted at this time for electric toothbrushes etc.
The 2nd fix joinery work is done (fitting the door, skirting boards, architrave etc) and the walls re-painted by the customer to save on costs. Glass in the door brings light into the en suite as it has no natural light.
Summary
An installation like this would take under 2 weeks and could add significant value to your property, not to mention give you the convenience of a 2nd bathroom.
If you live in Leeds and are thinking about adding a new en suite then please read my related articles below or give me a call to see if it is feasible.
Many thanks
Chris