Be smart about space in smaller bathrooms
Try a pocket door if architecture permits — and do you really need that bathtub?
Recently, we renovated a home for a young man with mobility issues, who sometimes has to rely on a walker to get around. Our challenge was that we needed to update the main level of his home to accommodate the possibility that it would need to become his primary living space if stairs became too much of a challenge. That included renovating a small washroom that could serve him at any mobility level.
When it comes to renovating a smaller bathroom, there are quite a few ways you can make good use of your space and make it feel like it’s bigger than it is.
OPEN THE WAY
One of the biggest space impediments in the bathroom comes from the swing of the door. Pocket doors make sense for smaller bathrooms because in many cases plumbing fixtures can get in the way of the door swing, not allowing the door to open all the way.
Even if a swing door can fully open, going with a pocket door can make the crucial difference between being able to manoeuvre a walker into the space AND comfortably shutting the door and having to use the facilities with the door open.
That said, retrofitting for a pocket door can be a challenge. You’ll need twice the space than a swing door. Space for the door, and space in the wall cavity for the door to slide. Depending on where your ducts, plumbing and electrical run, installing a pocket door won’t be a feasible solution for every entryway.
RECLAIMING SPACE IN THE SHOWER
I’m a big fan of shower shelves and niches to provide storage for your essentials. Niches are built right into the space, providing natural shelving for your many toiletries. I like using a prefabricated niche because they’re built to water- and vapourtight. They’re also easy to put in during construction, so your installer won’t lose valuable time putting it together. To me, a niche is nice.
For our young man’s washroom, we installed a walk-in, curbless shower to allow easier manoeuvrability, but we weren’t left with a ton of excess space to store his toiletries.
Our solution? During the tiling process we installed corner shower shelves. They’re installed and sealed along the grout joints of the regular tile wall, meaning that once they’ve been set, any previous waterproofing measures won’t be compromised.
DO YOU NEED THAT TUB?
Does your small bathroom include a full tub? During your renovation, one way to save space is to pull out the old tub, and instead install a curbless shower. They’re great to save a little extra space in your bathroom — and without the curb they can accommodate users of any mobility level.
Installing a bench in the shower can give you some extra storage space for toiletries, provide a footrest to help with shaving or foot scrubs, and allow users to sit if necessary.
Now, the big concern I see with curbless showers is that there’s the potential for water to get all over the bathroom. How can you kick that problem to the curb? A rain head fixture tends to keep the water in a more contained area — and installing a curved shower wall can help direct water toward the drain.
The biggest consideration you need to make is the drain and slope of the shower. I like using a linear drain — that’s a drain with a long and narrow line, along with a shower floor that’s pitched to tilt water toward the drain. Linear drains can be installed almost anywhere in the shower, and have the benefit of only needing the floor to slope in one direction. This differs from a point drain which typically requires the shower to be sloped in four directions.
If you already have a master bathroom with a full tub elsewhere in the home, personally, I think having a second is overkill. You’ll probably get more use out of the extra space of a curbless shower.
To find out more about Mike
Holmes, visit makeitright.ca