Best Home Advices

Ssmall Bathrooms

I think the topic of small bathrooms has to address both full baths and half baths or guest baths. Full baths those with a shower and/or tub are either family bathrooms or master bathrooms and are found in the bedroom portion of the house. Half baths sink and toilet only are typically used by visitors and are found close to the living spaces of the house.

Usually half baths are only 20 to 25 sq. ft. in area. Since these are typically off a hallway you don’t want the door swinging out. Swinging the door in makes for tighter maneuvering but it’s necessary.

The good news is that you don’t need any storage capability in these small bathrooms. I would consider a pedestal sink rather than a vanity. Use a corner cabinet either on the floor or wall hung if you want a place to put a few rolls of toilet tissue and other bathroom items.

Industry standards might give you additional insights regarding the spacing of the fixtures. The center of the sink should be at least 15″ from an adjacent wall or edge of toilet. And the same holds true for the toilet 15″ from center to wall or edge of sink.

Your decorating choices are unlimited. Obviously smaller fixtures will allow more movement. Lighter colors are better for giving the illusion of spaciousness but dark colors are more dramatic.

My brother once had a guest bath under a stair that was only 20 sq. ft. and had a slanted ceiling. The tiles and fixtures were all black. With the creative use of lighting and mirrors this was a lovely room that allowed a feeling of comfort when you were in it.

Get the magazines and do the research. When you see something that really makes you smile you’ll know to go for it.

For master baths and family baths talk about whether or not you will ever have more than 1 person in a bathroom at any time. When most families discuss this they discover that the answer is an emphatic NO.

In the unlikely event that your family answered YES there are certain planning decisions that will be different than those families answering NO. Issues to consider are: more than one entry; single sink vanity vs. double sink vanity; separation of sink from toilet and bath; or separation of toilet from sink and bath; or separating all three. Of course space and layout of the house might diminish your options.

In 2story homes like colonials or Tudors these bathrooms are on the 2nd floor. I mention this because it affects the cost of a renovation. Carrying everything up and down a flight of stairs usually adds 5 to 10 to the contractor’s price not that there’s anything you can do about it.

This also gives you a choice you wouldn’t have if the room was on the first floor. You could push the ceiling up to the roof and add a skylight. Family bathrooms usually are entered from a common hallway. So your only options for expansion are sides usually into a bedroom and up.

Master baths are often entered from the bedroom so expansion of that bath into the bedroom might seem like a logical way to go. In a typical builder’s model of about 80 sq. ft. the master bath takes up 15 of the master suite. The bath usually has 2 sinks a dressing area a tub and separate shower and a toilet that’s not in a separate compartment usually called a water closet. A survey of home buyers was taken to determine which options these builders should offer.

Let’s see what the survey says:

Would you take space from the sleeping area to enlarge the bath? 76 said NO.

Would you diminish your walkin closet to a regular wall closet

adding space to the bath? 72 said NO.

Would you eliminate the tub for a larger shower amp; separate toilet? 69 said NO.

Would you eliminate the tub and enlarge the closets or sleeping area? 84 said NO.

Would you replace the separate tub amp; shower for a combination and

put the saved space into closets or sleeping area? 56 said NO.

Where should a walkin closet open into? Master bath got 31

Master bedroom got 69.

Well if nothing else you have several things to think about. When you have it all figured out let me know. I’d be interested to know how it went.

Charles Gueli

www.continuoushomeimprovementhelp.com.

About the writer: Mace BudinOwner/Operator of M M Tile and Grout RestorersBoynton Beach Florida has been serving the South Florida area since 1997.