Need help with Ensuite: To step or not to step
annelyse74
9 years ago
I am renovating an existing ensuite in a house built sometime in the 70-80s. It is an on a hill so is split level with areas of the house having 4 steps up/down. I have a dilemma with the current layout and plumbing of the ensuite.
The ensuite is 2520mm x 1820mm with the door on the narrow end of the room and the toilet facing the door, directly opposite. (see fig. A) This is also directly opposite the main bedroom door. This means you can stand at the end of our foyer (at our bedroom door) and stare straight onto the toilet. Not good Feng Shui, I am sure!! To move the toilet will cost a lot of $$$ and require us to go through council, access the sewer (more $$$) and cut through a slab. Consequently, my hubby has given a resounding 'NO' to moving the toilet. Never one to give up easily.....
Our house is in quite an upmarket suburb and we need to have some sort of 'WoW' in the ensuite (and the kitchen, and the main bathroom, and the...you get the idea). As the ensuite cannot accommodate a tub I have a few options. I figured my next best compromise was a double/couple's shower. To do this I have a couple of options:
Option 1) Steal some room from the bedroom entry (which could easily be afforded space wise), lengthening the bathroom. The door then would be moved, with a cavity slider added, a double shower added and the toilet remaining where it is. This would result in the sliding door (installed in the common wall between the ensuite and bedroom) looking into the ensuite NOT the toilet. It would add a days labour (approx $400), plus the cost of cavity slider, and materials (approx $600) plus cutting the slab to plumb a drain. These would be the bigger costs. I have two layouts in mind if we went this route. (see fig. B and fig.B alternate) The ensuite would then be 3250mm X 1820mm.
Option 2) Raise the level of the floor approx 190mm and then I can have any layout I wish as the existing toilet waste can be accessed. In which case I would probably go for the layout in fig. C. (We have 3.5m ceilings so raising the level of the floor is not an issue. In fact, we are going to add a false ceiling at 2.5m as the ensuite currently feels cavernous.)
So, if I put in a step I can probably have a far nicer layout for the ensuite for less $$.
How do we feel about a step UP into the ensuite?
Alternatively I keep the existing layout and look at the toilet from the foyer, or build out into the bedroom and add a cavity slider.
HELP!! Hope this makes sense and you can give me some feedback/advice/things to think about. I am after the best bang for my buck but do not want to overcapitalise
The ensuite is 2520mm x 1820mm with the door on the narrow end of the room and the toilet facing the door, directly opposite. (see fig. A) This is also directly opposite the main bedroom door. This means you can stand at the end of our foyer (at our bedroom door) and stare straight onto the toilet. Not good Feng Shui, I am sure!! To move the toilet will cost a lot of $$$ and require us to go through council, access the sewer (more $$$) and cut through a slab. Consequently, my hubby has given a resounding 'NO' to moving the toilet. Never one to give up easily.....
Our house is in quite an upmarket suburb and we need to have some sort of 'WoW' in the ensuite (and the kitchen, and the main bathroom, and the...you get the idea). As the ensuite cannot accommodate a tub I have a few options. I figured my next best compromise was a double/couple's shower. To do this I have a couple of options:
Option 1) Steal some room from the bedroom entry (which could easily be afforded space wise), lengthening the bathroom. The door then would be moved, with a cavity slider added, a double shower added and the toilet remaining where it is. This would result in the sliding door (installed in the common wall between the ensuite and bedroom) looking into the ensuite NOT the toilet. It would add a days labour (approx $400), plus the cost of cavity slider, and materials (approx $600) plus cutting the slab to plumb a drain. These would be the bigger costs. I have two layouts in mind if we went this route. (see fig. B and fig.B alternate) The ensuite would then be 3250mm X 1820mm.
Option 2) Raise the level of the floor approx 190mm and then I can have any layout I wish as the existing toilet waste can be accessed. In which case I would probably go for the layout in fig. C. (We have 3.5m ceilings so raising the level of the floor is not an issue. In fact, we are going to add a false ceiling at 2.5m as the ensuite currently feels cavernous.)
So, if I put in a step I can probably have a far nicer layout for the ensuite for less $$.
How do we feel about a step UP into the ensuite?
Alternatively I keep the existing layout and look at the toilet from the foyer, or build out into the bedroom and add a cavity slider.
HELP!! Hope this makes sense and you can give me some feedback/advice/things to think about. I am after the best bang for my buck but do not want to overcapitalise
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (8)
annelyse74
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Unsafe front step
Comments (7)The correct dimensions for steps if I'm not wrong, as we're currently building is, maximim riser being 190mm and minimum tread is 240mm. The riser cannot be different meaning that you can decide on any hight but not exceed 190mm and however many steps you decide on, all risers must be the same, whether they are the maximum height or slightly less. Your steps are definitely illegal and quite unsafe as you say and should never have been made this way. I wouldn't raise the first step to the timber riser because if you get rain, it could flow over the step and into your home. The small step if extended right to the front of what is your second step would be the easiest and correct fix, if the height doesn't exceed 190mm from the bottom of the first step once you take up the height which looks to be only about 50mm at best plus whatever the height is of the first step which does look to be less than 190mm, perhaps 150mm but I'm guessing?? Could be that you should only have had one step ever!!.....hopefully the height from the ground up to the timber riser isn't more than 190mm and your laughing!! The riser height is a tried and tested height for a person to lift their foot from one step to the next. If you are not selling for some time or ever, then it's not about being legal but being safe and if your measurement ends up being say 210mm for example, that would still be better that 50mm and 150mm or whatever the height actually is currently. As for tread, again, once you choose a measurement at or over 240mm, every tread must also be the same. If it's wider than 240mm, it allows for a person to place their foot squarely without stubbing their toes on the riser or feeling like their heel is hanging off the step. We have gone for quite large treads on our entry steps being about 500mm wide and it also looks nice if the tread is wide on a large or wide entry like ours being a few metres wide as we have double front doors at our entry once the home is finished. I've included a close up of the steps as well as a full shot of the home with the frame already up if the photo's have uploaded properly. Your steps need to be removed and lengthened to the correct dimensions but a qualified builder is probable the way to go, as any builder can tile or reccomend a tiler once the steps are fixed. Good luck...See MoreBest option for steps up steep driveway?
Comments (29)Jacey, nice to see you are still here, many aren't after this length of time. I'm having a little chuckle here as when I originally read your post, my first thought was "move house", but I didn't want to sound so rude as to say so. It reminded me of my first house which was at the flat end of the street but the other end was very much "mountain goat territory" and the driveways reminded me of yours. After living in the homes for years, some spent mega amounts removing rock and excavating to create a garage more at road level and from there the stairs started zig-zagging to the front entry, new front entries were even created at a lower level, but the stairs still continued inside the house, there was just no escaping the climb. I wondered how you even got your wheelie bins up and down the drive. Hope you are enjoying your new home, long term I think you made a very wise decision....See MoreHelp with layout of master, ensuite & robe renovation
Comments (20)Thank you both very much. You've both put a lot of thought and effort into this, its much appreciated! Its definitely opened up my thoughts and ideas on the space! Its definitely not as daunting as I was thinking and it is do-able! When you look at it everyday you get a bit stuck. I guess I need to weigh up making that study space smaller. It then makes the house technically 3B 2B. But I'm going to have to compromise somewhere for this to work! Its nice to have something tangible and clear to show the builders, so thank you! I might start drawing up something that's a little of both, as I love aspects of both designs. :)...See MoreNeed to make front of house steps safe!
Comments (8)a freestanding post can be supported from the roof, floor, corner post and railings without needing to be attached to the wall...a good handyperson should be able to advise on specifics and you may also like to consider a more expensive but longer lasting steel frame structure by consulting a metal fabricator...See MorePam
9 years agoannelyse74
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoannelyse74
9 years ago
Rose de Bretagne
8 years ago
Pam