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Bathroom
Framing Basics
Framing requirements of a bathroom can only be decided
after planning all the features that you want to install
in it. Make a list of new walls to be added, old ones to
be demolished and partition walls to be introduced for
increased privacy and defining separate areas in the
bathroom as toilet area, sink area and shower area. There
may be new window openings, shower stalls, vapor barriers,
insulation systems and whirlpool tub decks that you may be
planning for your bathroom retreat and needed to be
included in the list. The joists on the floor can serve as
anchors for partition walls that can be built from scratch
or framed and fastened on the floor and later secured to
the wall. After finishing framing of the partition walls,
make sure to add horizontal cross braces to fasten a
toilet tissue holder or a grab bar.
Windows in bathrooms are always welcome and can range from
skylight in the roofs to bay windows to casements, awing,
bows and double-hung windows but if they are too big, they
may cause a problem with your privacy requirements and you
may prefer no or smaller windows instead of that gaping
hole that makes you feel conscious every time using the
toilet or bathroom. You may need to add siding and
re-frame the window to diminish its size. For a shower
stall, measure its base dimension and mark its outline on
the sub-floor and mark the area from the drainage system.
Then frame it; use green-board for drywalling around it
and use felt strips with framing studs for better fitting
of the stall.
A whirlpool tub deck is framed starting from the deck and
it is better to have a built-in access panel for the tub's
motor that you will be thankful for when you want to
service it. Deck the plywood on top and sides of the box,
apply the mortar bed before setting the tub in the hole
that has been cut out and fill in the space between deck
and tub's lips with spacer blocks. Set it all with mortar.
Protect the exterior walls with vapor barrier as a
protection against moisture and insulate them for greater
comfort and energy conservation, which can be done just
after electrical fittings. The easiest and most common
insulation system used is that of fiber glass while many
builders use clear plastic vapor barrier that is fastened
to wall and ceiling framing. There are some building codes
that forbid the use of plastic ones, however. Bathrooms
should have exhaust fans and windows to help evaporate
moisture. |
