Bump out for shower

Folks,

I am tossing around ideas about how to remodel the master bath in my house. The present bathroom is small, 5.5' x 7'. I thought to bump out that piece of the exterior wall about 2.5' to permit a 4' x 5.5' shower. The bump out would be on the south gable end of a brick ranch on a crawl space What are the pros and cons to this approach? Would I have to mimic the crawlspace for this bumped out space? What sort of roof has to go over it? Do I need gutters for such a small extension? Any thoughts about the cost of such a bump out?

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

John

A little bump out might look tacky...yes it would need a sloped roof and a foundation...especially considering you wouldn't want any settling there that might cause the tile and grout to crack.

john,

even if you try to build a hanging bump out kind of thing, you'll be in for a lot of high-level engineering. I think the term is cantilever.

What about installing a high quality bay or bow window? It'll cost real money too since it'll have to be waterproof inside and out, aluminum frame and all. This is less "structural" than a cantilevered floor, and it has the advantage of giving you a lot of elbow room in the shower. I live in a northern climate (north of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire) where a lot of people install these kinds of windows and they are always pleased. Gives them better views too, since there are three panes of glass, two of which are facing 60 degrees to each side. Key words might be solarium, sunroom, weatherproof, waterproof, insulated, insulation.

Post a diagram that shows your space as is and let people comment on how to rearrange things so you get a bigger shower. The solution may be the remodel the available space.

David

There is a small window over the toilet.

i sympathize with you. I would feel frustrated if i were in your predicament, John.

Is the wall at the bottom of the drawing the outside wall? the only outside wall? Are you able to reposition drains, or do they all have to stay where they are?

david

geniescience said:

i sympathize with you. I would feel frustrated if i were in your predicament, John.

Is the wall at the bottom of the drawing the outside wall? the only outside wall? Are you able to reposition drains, or do they all have to stay where they are?

david

Click to expand...

David,

The wall on the right, behind the toilet, is the only exterior wall. The wall at the bottom is the wet wall between bathrooms. The walls at the top and the left are the walls separating the bathroom from the master bedroom.

All of the drains would be easy to move around, as the house is on a crawlspace.

John

You would probably want to build a foundation and build up from there. It might look better if you made it the length of the second bathroom as well. If you were careful, you wouldn't have to remodel that one as well - yet. You could probably use it for storage in the interim. If you want a window there, consider glass block.

The problem area will be the junction of the new and old foundations...putting a tiled structure there can be done, but it is less likely to cause problems if the entire shower was in the bump-out, rather than extending across that new junction.

Check out www.johnbridge.com and they've got a structural engineer that might have some words of wisdom for you on the subject.