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Every
bathroom needs ventilation to prevent the accumulation of moisture and mold. If the bathroom to be remodeled is on an exterior
wall, you should consider a window with an opening equivalent to 10 percent of the bathroom floor area. If your
bathroom has only interior walls, the building code requires a fan with ducting to the exterior. Putting both the fan and
light on the same switch guarantees the fan will be running when the bathroom is in use, although you may prefer independent
switches. Switches or electrical fixtures cannot be within arm’s reach of someone using the tub or shower.
Cast
iron and steel bathtubs are heavy, even when they’re not filled with water. Fifty gallons of water in a tub adds another
400 pounds to the floor load. Floor joists in older homes were seldom designed to take such a concentrated load. When
adding heavier type tub, reinforcing the floor joists and adding cross bridging between joists, may be required. We
may also need to double the studs. Even a shower stall can stress floor joists that weren’t designed to support bathroom
fixtures. If you plan to have installed ceramic tile on walls, floors or vanity tops, additional framing to the floor and
wall to support the additional weight to provide more strength might be suggested. Ceramic tile is heavy and requires rock-solid
support to resist cracking.
Bathroom space minimums
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Bathroom
Space Minimums
•5' x 4' – smallest two-fixture bathroom
•5' x 7' – smallest
three-fixture bathroom
•12" – from the center of a toilet to the end of a tub
•15" –
from the center of a toilet to the side of a tub
•15" – from the center of a toilet to an adjacent wall
or shower stall
•15" – from the center of a toilet to the center of an adjacent lavatory
•15"
– from the center of a lavatory to an adjacent wall or shower stall
•30" – distance between
two lavatories mounted in the same countertop
•32" to 34" – usual height for the top of vanities
and lavatories
•32" x 32" – width and depth of a square shower stall
•30" x 60"
– width and length of standard tubs
•26" – height of the toilet paper roll holder above the floor
•21"
– depth of standing space while washing hands at a lavatory
•36" – depth of standing space to
open a sliding shower door
•44" – depth of standing space to open a hinged shower door
Some building codes set minimum bathroom dimensions. As usual, the code is the last word.
