How to Finish a Roughed in Basement Bathroom
Recently, many homeowners have been interested in finishing their basements. One of the most common projects is a roughed-in bathroom. This blog post will show you how to finish a roughed in basement bathroom! First, we’ll cover some general information about what you need, and then we’ll go into more detail on each step of the process.
These steps can be followed for any type of basement bathroom wet, dry, or combination. You need to know if your home has an unfinished/unused attic space above where the ceiling meets the top floor joists. If so, it’s vital to seal off this area, so no moisture gets up there and damages your finishes or insulation before they’re installed. Then, you’re ready to get started!
Step by Step Guide: How to Finish a Roughed in Basement Bathroom
Step One: Build The Rough-In For Your Bathroom Vanity
Before you start any plumbing, you’ll want to build out your rough-in for the bathroom vanity. It’s essential to have this rough-in area already built, so the plumbing has a place to go when it comes time to do the actual roughing in.
Step Two: Rough-In Your Toilet Room
After the bathroom vanity, you should rough in your toilet room (if you’re including one). This step is similar to building out your rough-in for the bathroom vanity, but there are some key differences. For instance, you’ll want to make sure your toilet flange is in the correct location. Also, you’ll need to build receptacles for any future electrical work that might be done in this area.
Step Three: Rough-In Your Shower
The next step will be to rough in your shower. If you’re doing a wet basement bathroom, you’ll want to sleeve the drain and supply lines for your shower. This means you install a pipe that runs from under the drain to above the shower pan with an access panel in between (this is where we can hook up our plumbing later).
If you’re doing a dry/combination rough-in (wet with shower), you’ll want to do the same technique, but instead of running a pipe up into the ceiling (wet), you’ll run it up into the wall (combination).
Step Four: Rough-In Your Bathroom Vanity
After the rough-in of your shower, you’ll want to run your water supply lines from the street or other mainline into your bathroom vanity. Again, this should be done after the roughing for both a wet and dry bathroom. In addition, if you’re doing a combination bathroom, this should be done before the rough-in for the wet portion.
Step Five: Rough-In Your Bathroom Sink
Once you’ve run your water supply lines to your bathroom vanity, it’s time to rough in your bathroom sink. This step is very similar to the previous steps, but with one key difference. You’ll want to be sure that you install all of your P-traps and drains before you drywall the area.
Step Six: Drywall The Bathroom
The next step is to drywall the bathroom. At this point, it’s safe to assume you’ll be hooking up all of your plumbing, but you should check to make sure that’s the case before you start taping and mudding. After drywalling, consider installing a drop ceiling with insulation above it. This will keep any water or dampness from getting into the upstairs space if there is one.
Step Seven: Wire The Bathroom
The next task is to wire the bathroom. This means bringing in an electrician, but it’s important because you don’t want anything shorting out while doing your finishing work. Assuming this step is done, you’re ready for the finishing processes of tiling and painting!
Step Eight: Finishing the Rough-In
After you have your bathroom wired, it’s time to finish up your roughing in for your bathroom. The key here is to make sure everything is exactly where you want it to be before closing things up. Then, when it comes time to turn on the water for your bathroom, you’ll be able to do so without hesitation. And that’s it! Follow these steps, and you’ll be able to finish your basement bathroom, wet or dry.
Some Tips and Tricks:
There are many similarities between a roughed basement bathroom and a typical bathroom remodel. You can get by on how to finish a roughed in basement bathroom with the tips provided here.
1. The measuring of cuts may seem trivial, but it’s essential. For example, it makes an enormous difference if you have to shave a 1/2″ off of a plumbing pipe or have to cut a hole in the drywall, just more significant than an electrical box.
2. The T-Molding is not necessary, but you might like it, and it looks great. Also, it’s cheap, so I would recommend getting it.
3. The sanding of the floor is important because you don’t want to sand through the finish when you are staining the floor. You also don’t want any noticeable high or low spots in your sanded finish, so be diligent about sanding the entire floor multiple times, even if that means sanding an area twice.
4. We would recommend using a perfect drop cloth for the floor. If you use a tarp, cut it open to make two pieces and secure them to the walls with painter’s tape or vice grips. This will make your job easier when you need to cut in along the floor.
5. Make sure to tape off the walls and the ceiling before you sand or paint them. There is nothing worse than having a dusty mess on your walls and ceiling when all of that could have been avoided by simply taping it off. Plus, if you’re careful with this step, you can save yourself some work when painting the ceiling and the walls around the shower.
6. The seams in your drywall must be tight. You need to tape off your walls so your paint will not get on them. You have to hang onto the wall when you are painting, and it can’t be flat because of the shower.
7. Use the blue painter’s tape for taping off the walls and ceiling. If you use regular, it’s much harder to remove later on (it leaves a residue), and it’s not as flexible (meaning it will tear less when you remove it).
Things to Consider When Finishing a Roughed Basement Bathroom:
1. No matter how much you plan, something will go wrong. So try to be flexible and work around any problems that might arise.
2. Do not cut corners; it is better to have a better-finished bathroom with some problems than a half-done one.
3. You may need help from more than just your spouse if you plan to finish the bathroom yourself. If you are willing to pay someone for their time, they might be willing to help you out with the project as long as it does not interfere with their main jobs. It is also helpful if they are very skilled at finishing basements since it will make the project go by faster and more efficiently.
4. You can use tape on some stuff that you end up putting out of places like studs or pipes to get an idea of what certain things would look like in certain areas. For example, some people like to use blue-tac, but some may not like how it looks on the walls.
5. You can place mirrors against the different walls and see how things will look in the space before you finish it. Additionally, you can draw a picture of what you think your finished bathroom would like on a piece of paper.
6. You can also use colors on chairs to see what colors might look good in your finished basement bathroom. For example, some people like to put the shower curtain up and the toothbrush holder wherever they want.
How Do You Frame a Basement Bathroom?
Bathrooms are a widespread basement finishing project. If you have a head height of 7 feet, you can turn your unfinished basement into a comfortable bathroom by adding drywall and windows. If you don’t have head height in your basement, you can save yourself a lot of time and money by calling in an expert. A basement bathroom means that you will be spending most of your day there, so save yourself the hassle and hire someone who knows what they are doing.
You will first need to install a vapor barrier. This is usually blue plastic, and it goes right on the ground and up the walls at least 4 inches. Next, you should insulate your basement ceiling with fiberglass insulation between the joists if you have exposed joists. Now is also an excellent time to put in a pull-down stairway to the basement if you don’t already have one. Finally, before you are ready to install the drywall, you must know your finished ceiling height. Then you can put in the bottom plate and top plate of the walls before installing any drywall.
Conclusion:
Finishing a roughed basement bathroom can be done with some DIY know-how and handiwork. First, you’ll need to make sure you have the right tools for the job, like buckets, sponges, towels, mop heads or rags, masks/gloves, wire brushes. Next, be sure to clean out any debris that may remain in your space before beginning drywall work. Then apply mud into all joints where two pieces of drywall meet.
This will prevent leakage when it rains. Next up is applying plasterboard onto studs using lath strips as needed for support every 4 feet along its length and then securing one end by driving nails into the studs. Finally, press your board against the lath, hammering it in to avoid any bowing or buckling.
By following these simple guidelines on how to finish a roughed in basement bathroom, we hope you can create the perfect space for yourself and your family while saving thousands of dollars that would have otherwise been spent remodeling or adding to an existing home. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
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Angela Ervin
Angela is the executive editor of DIY quickly. She began her career as an interior designer before applying her strategic and creative passion to lifestyle and home. She has close to 15 years of experience in creative writing and online content strategy for housekeeping, home decorations as well as other niche efforts. She loves her job and has the privilege of working with an extraordinary team. She lives with her husband, two sons, and daughter in Petersburg. When she's not busy working she spent time with her family.
