The plumber came yesterday and started the work of installing the new bathroom (WC, or half-bath) that we are having built in our attic loft space. It's hard to describe how it will work, and I'm not much of a graphic artist. I'll try to show with words on a photo how it might be configured:
If you've spent much time in France, you know how small such bathroom spaces can be. I think this one will be about five feet by five feet — 25 sq. ft. That's all. It'll be just enough room for a small sink and a toilet. WC means "water closet" and this will be a closet — a convenience, not a luxury.
We had the attic of our house finished as new living space nine years ago. It's one big room, which is our bedroom, a family room with sofa and TV, and my desk and computer. We like the size of the space (about 650 square feet). As you can see in the photos above, there are closets under the eaves of the house, on two sides, that run the length of the room (behind the radiators). In the first photo here, you can see that we've taken the doors off the closet so the plumber can crawl around in there. I took the second photo before I took the doors off.
The closets are where the pipes go (for both the radiators and the new WC). You can see them here. The big drain pipe from the toilet is what the plumber put in yesterday. It runs about half the length of the room, in the back of the long closet. There will also be a smaller pipe to bring water up from downstairs, and a small water heater for the new sink so we won't have to wait so long for hot water to flow upstairs from the bigger water heater two stories down.
The new drain pipe drops down into the big bathroom downstairs, as you can see here. We don't know yet whether we'll have it boxed in using what we call "sheetrock" (plaster wall board) or whether we'll just paint the PVC pipe white. Either way, it will blend in to the decor, I think, and not be too noticeable. The fact that the new bathroom is not directly above the old one has complicated things, but that's just the way it is.
On the main level of the house, the WC is also separate from the bathroom. It's adjacent though. From the bathroom, the big drain pipe runs through the wall into the WC and will be connected to the existing pipe that runs from the existing toilet down to ground level and connects to the sewer mains. So the plumber had to drill big holes in the ceiling and the wall yesterday. He managed to make surprisingly little dust in the process.
I'm not sure any of that is clear, but I'm doing my best. I'll keep posting photos as the work progresses.
You've done a good enough job of explaining what's going on to make me glad we're not going through it. Sounds like the worst is about over though.
ReplyDeleteMy nerves are on edge.
DeleteSo, if I'm not mistaken, the half bath will be located on the northeast corner of the house, above Walt's den.
ReplyDeleteYes, directly over Walt's den/computer room/library. But that's the NW corner of the house. The front of the house faces east.
DeleteI think I get it! Good images :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing that will be... I would hate having to go downstairs in the middle of the night (probably every night). This is a great idea.
I often have to go downstairs at least once at night, and sometimes as many as three times. Old age...
DeleteThanks for the photo you labeled. I like seeing those pipes hidden away in your closet. I hope the work goes quickly now.
ReplyDeleteWell, we've made some changes today, so I'll have to re-do the image of the configuration. Or take photos of the real thing. We're working with a very small space, but it'll be big enough.
DeleteWhat Sheila said! Here's hoping there are no surprises, or only good ones.
ReplyDeleteOne little, not good surprise today, but I think we found a solution. We'll see tomorrow. I'm exhausted, and I'm not even doing any of the work.
DeleteI like the exposed wood trusses in your bedroom space. I'm sure all will go fine.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish we had sanded and varnished the trusses back in 2010, but at the time we both just wanted the work to be finished as soon as possible. It had started in April and we were still working on it in October. With all the furnishings and furniture up here now, not to mention the computers and electronics, sanding is not feasible. So be it.
DeleteWe (husband and I) are concerned that the waste pipe for the toilet looks quite horizontal and that it may not flow adequately. He says our plumbing code requires a drop of 1/4” per foot depending on the diameter of the pipe. Of course it's hard to tell from the photos so I hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteJocelyn
I hope so too. I have to trust our plumber. He seems to know what he's doing. He installed our new shower a couple of years ago and did that job well.
DeleteOr use the toilet only if you want to spend a penny.
DeleteWe don't charge for toilet visits at Les Bouleaux.
DeleteIt's clear to me. We had a big pipe like that in the "loo" of our house before the remodel. We just painted it. At one point, I wrapped a fake ivy vine around it. When we lived in the garage for 10 months during our remodel, we were in 420 square feet, and the bathroom was 36 square feet of that (6x6). We had a stall shower with shelves next to it, and a sink and toilet opposite. It was plenty big enough. For your purposes, 5x5 will be more than adequate. I like the idea of the pocket door, too! Nice to see the project starting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginny. We decided not to put in a toilet upstairs. We needed to fit the new "facilities" between two windows in a corner (in French it's called le petit coin, 'the little corner", after all), and we don't feel the need for an upstairs shower. We have a really nice big tile shower stall downstairs that the same two contractors put in a couple of years ago.
DeleteYour explanation is very clear. I, too, like the pocket door. Those are remarkably useful and easy to use.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if your plumber is a good one and knows his stuff.
Thanks, Emm. Maybe I'll get some more photos today.
ReplyDelete