Q. Hi Kieran
I have a question for you regarding some internal home room size issues I am having.
I want to swap my downstairs bathroom with my utility room as it’s so small, is this a big job?
Yours
Carmel
Laois
A. Hi Carmel
Thank you for this question. This is in fact a topic very close to my own heart. Have you ever heard someone complain that their utility room is too big? I firmly believe that building an amply sized utility (and now plant) room is vital to the design success of a house. At my company, KMC Homes, we notice that the utility room can take as long if not longer to design than the kitchen. Ideally you need a window for natural light for working there during the day, an external door for access to a clothesline outside, plenty of space for storage and folding clothes, and now of course, you need to allow for the various items of plant that come with modern heating and ventilation systems. So, it’s good to see that you are focused on creating a better utility space for your home. So, what is involved, and how do you go about transforming this space?
When you consider both a utility room and a bathroom, they both have similar plumbing and electrical requirements, where they differ really is in their drainage. A utility room will require normal sink waste type drainage (white 18mm ABS pipes) whereas a WC will require a 100mm uPVC sewer pipe connected to your main foul drainage system for the drain from the toilet. This naturally needs to be laid to a fall so this will be the biggest consideration in this building project; so, where is the nearest practical access to the external foul sewer and how do you get to that?
The first thing you will do is decommission both rooms. You will empty them of all contents Next, you will have an electrician remove the electrics and a plumber remove the existing plumbing (bathroom ware, sinks etc) and generally make both rooms safe. Now you can remove any joinery (cupboards etc) from both rooms. At this stage you can remove any unwanted finishes for example tiles, panelling and so on. Make sure that the old sewer opening is blanked off properly to avoid sewer smells. Now you are at the point where you have a relatively blank canvas in each room.
The first thing you will need to do is finalise the design of your new utility room. It may be that a kitchen company can help you with a drawing here. This will map out the service requirements for this new room. If your new utility room has an external wall, you may wish to add a window and an external door here too. You will need a window company to measure and install these. A mason or skilled labourer will help you create these openings. At this stage you will also need to expose the top of the existing sewer to attach the new utility room drainage for your new washing machine and perhaps a sink if you are installing one. You will need to consider the ventilation of these new rooms too.
In your new WC, you will need access to a sewer for your new toilet. For this you will need access to the nearest 100mm foul sewer, as mentioned above, which usually means breaking out under the nearest external wall to access the sewer in your footpath. I would speak to your plumber to see what new bathroom ware (if any) you require and what sizes will work. Once you have chosen these, your plumber will advise you on where they need holes cored or chases (grooves) cut for the new service pipe runs (water pipes or drains).
Similarly your electrician can advise on all the electrical points and wire chasing locations for both rooms.
Once all the new pipes, drains and wires have been installed into the chases and cores, and the new sewers have been installed, it’s time to fill all these holes and chases and generally prepare for the finishes. You will likely need a plasterer to repair some of the existing walls, particularly around some of your chases, cores and of course the reveals of your newly installed doors and windows.This is my favourite part! Now you are either fitting a waterproof laminate floor or indeed new tiles. You will likely need some form of floor levelling compound underneath to guarantee a smooth and level finish.
Now that the floors have been installed, it would be worth getting your rooms coated with your first coat of paint. Next you can install the built-in units in the utility and the bathroom ware in the WC. Now your carpenter can install the new skirting board, architraves, window boards and fit the doors.
The plumber can now plum all these new fittings and the electrician and ventilation company can complete their second fix. You may need a second visit from your tiler now if you need any splashbacks above your sinks or indeed if you have a new shower installed. Now your painter can finish the walls and coat all the timberwork and your new rooms are good to go.
There is no doubt that, whereas as the new WC will add some curb appeal to your home, a new and well appointed utility room will be transformative.
Kieran McCarthy is a building engineer and director of KMC Homes bespoke A-Rated new home builder, serving Cork and Limerick. He is also co-presenter of the RTÉ property show Cheap Irish Homes. Check out KMC Homes’ brand new website kmchomes.ie
Follow Kieran on instagram @kierankmc for more home building information, tips and Q&A advice.
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